KABUL, Afghanistan — As the sun began to set on a hot afternoon the 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group conducted their final humanitarian assistance mission in Janqadan village, Parwan province, on July 12.
Several members of the 2-19 SFG said goodbye to the citizens of Janqadan by distributing books, beanie babies, soccer balls and school supplies to the local girls' school. Citizens of West Virginia, Ohio, and Rhode Island donated the items.
This humanitarian assistance operation was part of a larger operation that began when 2-19 SFG arrived in Afghanistan during the middle of last winter. When the battalion arrived, they reached out to the community by meeting with the village leaders and looked into development projects in the area. Over the months, the battalion and residents of Janqadan built a relationship that thrived as coalition forces worked to dismantle the Taliban influence in the area.
As their time in Afghanistan came to an end, the battalion commander wanted to express his gratitude for this vital relationship and pass on gifts from the states. The humanitarian assistance distribution coincided with a meeting between the battalion's officers, local teachers and village leaders where they expressed gratitude over the help they received and wished each other a prosperous and safe future.