LAGHMAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Cavalry scouts are experts in the art of reconnaissance, trained to observe the battlefield and gather vital information about an area and the enemy forces that operate within it.
The scouts of the counter-improvised explosive device platoon with Troop A, 1st Squadron, 13th Cavalry Regiment, use their training as expert observers to find IEDs before they detonate and cause harm to coalition or Afghan National Security Forces.
“As cavalry scouts, we are already trained to look at the terrain and try to recognize areas that would be best suited for an attack,” explained U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert Pethes, squad leader with the CIED platoon, 1st Squadron, 13th Cavalry Regiment.
“All of this equates to hours of walking around in full kit and trying to remember details while looking for signs of digging and or emplacing of IEDs,” said Pethes, a native of Imperial Beach, Calif.
When the CIED platoon arrived in country seven months ago, they made Wardak Province their stomping ground and Forward Operating Base Airborne their home.
While there, the platoon performed a wide array of missions to include VIP escort, casualty evacuation, quick reaction force, route clearance, as well as escort for explosive ordnance disposal forces.
“Whenever an IED is found or employed, we will escort EOD to the site, set their security, and assist them in gathering intelligence about the device,” Pethes said. “They never leave one in the ground, and we never leave them.”
Four months into their deployment, the platoon moved to Laghman province to replace the outgoing unit as the quick reaction force at Forward Operating Base Mehtar Lam.
Even though the grass was literally greener in Laghman, the platoon had to face a new set of challenges once they arrived.
While still performing the same duties they performed in Wardak, the scouts had to complete their tasks with fewer personnel and vehicles in an area that was twice as large, and more hostile than the one they left behind.
“People in Wardak were more welcoming and grateful to what we are doing over here. They were more willing to work with us and report things,” said U.S. Army 1st Lt. Jamin Williamson, the CIED platoon leader. “Here, we can’t get anything except rocks thrown at us by kids and adults.”
In addition to unreceptive locals, the scouts faced a more significant obstacle – the IEDs in Laghman proved harder to find.
Enemy fighters in the province were more elaborate with their emplacements and as a result, the platoon went from finding the IEDs to the IEDs finding them.
“It’s a shock,” said Butte, Mont., native U.S. Army Spc. Jared Peters, a scout with 1st Squadron, 13th Cavalry Regiment. “One minute you’re driving down the road, talking with your buddies and the next thing you know, you’re on your side in a rollover when your vehicle gets hit.”
Despite the challenges the CIED platoon has faced since arriving to Laghman, the scouts remain determined to hunt down the hazards that lie in wait on the roads they travel.
After long hours on the road, the scouts hardly rest. When they return after a mission, the platoon preps their vehicles and equipment so they can stand ready to answer the next call whenever it may come.
With just a few months left in their deployment, the CIED scouts remain focused on their mission – to keep open ears and watchful eyes over the battle space in which they operate.
“Home is the furthest thing from our minds. We can’t take our mind off the mission,” Pethes said. “Our mission isn’t complete. You have to stay in the game until you’re out of here.”
“We can’t ever relax,” Williamson added. “That’s the reality in Afghanistan.”
| Date Taken: |
05.04.2012 |
| Date Posted: |
05.05.2012 01:08 |
| Story ID: |
87943 |
| Location: |
LAGHMAN PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: |
807 |
| Downloads: |
3 |
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This work, CIED platoon overcoming obstacles in Laghman, by SSG Andrea Merritt, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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