NAWA DISTRICT, Helmand province, Afghanistan – Beneath dusty roads lies a silent danger that is, perhaps, the last remaining threat posed by a decidedly weak insurgency in southern Helmand.
Improvised explosive devices have become ingrained in the American and Afghan consciousness over a decade of conflict. During this time coalition and Afghan forces have become increasingly adept at defeating this cowardly device.
Afghan National Army soldiers with 1st Brigade, 215th Corps Route Clearance Company are currently working to keep southern Helmand roads clear of IEDs with the help of Marines and sailors of Alpha Company, 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion.
“This is mainly their show,” said Sgt. Mark Mirarchi, a squad leader with Alpha Company, 3rd CEB and 24-year-old native of Philadelphia. “We’re just here to support them from an overwatch position.”
The ANA have taken the lead in route clearance operations throughout southern Helmand, running over 200 partnered missions and sweeping around 1000 kilometers of road with their Marine mentors.
“We have worked in various districts with them,” said Gunnery Sgt. James L. Peebles, a platoon sergeant with Alpha Company, 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion and native of St. Louis, Mo. “We run missions from here in Nawa, Garmsir and Marjah.”
During route clearance missions, Afghan boots are first to hit the ground. The ANA soldiers move to the front, and employ the IED detection, examination and disposal tactics they’ve learned from their Marine counterparts.
“They take the lead on the most dangerous portion of the job,” said Sgt. Coby Bendig, a squad leader with Alpha Company, 3rd CEB and 23-year-old native of Fremont, Neb. “We have one or two Marines go out with them just to guide them and provide security for them.”
During a dismounted patrol, an ANA soldier takes on the role of a point man; from the front of the formation, he sweeps the potentially dangerous path with a combat metal detector, staying alert for other telltale signs of IEDs.
If the CMD beeps, indicating a metallic hit, the point man backs away and another soldier comes forward and uses a sickle to carefully examine the threat.
“They’re very tactical and they employ what we teach them,” said Mirarchi. “Their sweeps are slow and deliberate, and they don’t rush through the process.”
Through Marine guidance and training, ANA soldiers have become proficient and, perhaps more important, self-assured in their route clearance capabilities.
“We’re happy to have the Marines here,” said 1st Lt. Ghulam Ali, a platoon commander with the ANA 1st Brigade, 215th Corps Route Clearance Company. “They’ve trained us on how to find the IEDs, and what to do once we’ve found them.”
With every sweep of the CMD and every use of the sickle, the confidence of Marines in the abilities of their Afghan counterparts grows.
“At first, they weren’t too confident with their own abilities,” said Bendig. “Now, they’re a lot more poised, they’re very familiar with IED indicators, and they know how to sweep an area properly.”
The confidence of Afghan soldiers is the key to their success.
“Our job is very dangerous,” said Ali. “But we’re happy to be able to do our job and we feel really good doing it because we know it saves people’s lives.”
Editor’s note: Third Combat Engineer Battalion is in direct support of Regimental Combat Team 5, 2nd Marine Division (Forward), which heads Task Force Leatherneck. The task force serves as the ground combat element of Regional Command (Southwest) and works in partnership with the Afghan National Security Forces and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to conduct counterinsurgency operations. The unit is dedicated to securing the Afghan people, defeating insurgent forces and enabling ANSF assumption of security responsibilities within its area of operations in order to support the expansion of stability, development and legitimate governance.