20 February 2011

These events took place several weeks ago, although I am waiting until now to post it.  I don't want to put up information too quickly on the internet, so anything that happens will have a time delay before I write about it.

The original mission for the day was to conduct a KLE with one of the local leaders in my AO.  In fact, my Platoon Leader post already contains a picture from that day.  I also wanted to go check out a set of nearby ruins that the enemy like to frequent and use as a platform to fire at the ANP checkpoint a short distance from my COP.  I decided to use the ANCOP, since all reports indicated their willingness to engage the enemy and get out and do something for their country.

Pre-mission Brief to ANCOP and ANA

The complications ensued when I reached their base to pick them up.  Ten ANCOP, just like I asked, were ready and willing.  However, a group of ANA came up to me with an American NCO and asked where I wanted them.  And then he asked, "so where do you want the ANP?"  My jaw just dropped as that would mean in addition to my Soldiers, an additional thirty Afghan soldiers from various organizations, none of whom I or my Soldiers had worked with before.  Additionally, we heard reports of ten to twenty Taliban fighters operating north of the checkpoint.  I told the ANP to stand-down, and gathered the ANCOP and ANA around for a pre-mission brief. I gave them a quick and easy version of the plan, including a change to search several compounds north of the checkpoint due to the reports of fighters.  Following that, we would go and talk to the local leader, and finish up by checking out the area around the ruins.  We moved across the wadi, and went to the ANP checkpoint to coordinate with them to keep them informed of our locations and basic plan (so they wouldn't shoot us).  From there, we moved north.

KLE with the local Malik and Afghan Security Forces

We set up a cordon around the search area and let the ANA go ahead and search the compounds for anything suspicious.  They didn't find anything, so we moved on to the next objective: Talking to a local Malik.  I actually enjoy talking to him as he is smart and funny and extremely hospitable.  He won't openly oppose the Taliban, but that's because he knows that we are too far away to effectively protect him all the time.  We talked about a variety of topics and  was actually able to get my ANCOP and ANA do much of the talking.  That is most definitely a good thing, as we won't be there forever.  They brought up good points about government and involvement and how to better his village.  One thing I've noticed in talking to numerous (and I mean a lot) Afghans is that persistence and perseverance are key to getting them to agree to anything.  They are hesitant to trust an unknown individual, and which is part of the reason why they use friendships and blood relations to guide their actions.  These people around here live in walled compounds, so it's not like they actually trust the other people they live around.  The only people the locals trust are their family and those they call friend, and even then they don't really trust.  Trying to motivate scared locals into agreeing to cooperate with us is one of the hardest parts of my job.  It is a constant effort to show that we have a continual presence in the area and that we can protect the populace from the Taliban.  Unfortunately we are hampered by an unnamed higher headquarters that likes to throw wrenches into all of our plans.

The creepy orchard

But I digress.  We finished the KLE, and moved out to the ruins site.  My platoon set up security on the northern and southern ends of the search area, and a third element with myself began to clear.  We first cleared a pathway between two walls, and then turned south.  I really wanted to check out an orchard near the ruins because it is surrounded by ten foot high walls and provides great overhead cover.  Unfortunately, there were two very vicious dogs inside threatening to attack either myself, the ANCOP, or our military working dog (MWD).  We moved the dog away from the door, and opened it.  One dog almost immediately ran out the door but the other stayed in the orchard.  I decided to continue the search anyway, and asked the ANCOP to set up a screen to keep the dog away from our MWD while he searched the southern end of the orchard.  It was definitely a pretty creepy place, with trash and debris and plastic jugs galore.  However, the MWD didn't find anything.  As the dog moved to the other side of the orchard, I asked the ANCOP to get the other dog to move to the southern end of the orchard.  Unfortunately, they did nothing, and so when the dog attacked ours, I had no other recourse than to kill the dog.  I couldn't kill the other dog while it was running because of the angle of attack and all the trees.  I ran about 10-20 meters towards them, and had to move into a better firing position so I wouldn't hit the MWD.  

I made sure to end its life quickly.

I was mad, not because I had to kill the dog (I really don't care about a mean mongrel that attacked a valuable US citizen), but because of the lack of action on the part of the ANCOP.  Fortunately, the MWD was unharmed, and was able to continue work.  He finished searching and we continued south to check out the actual ruins.  We were about 75 meters away from the southern blocking position when the firing began.

I was located with most of the ANCOP with the MWD and my RTO, my Squad Leader and a rifleman were with the ANA, and his Alpha Team Leader had most of the squad and the remainder of the ANCOP at the northern blocking position.  The enemy opened fire from the northeast at my northern blocking position.  My TL already had everyone set in their positions and scanning for the enemy, so as soon as the enemy opened fire, my Soldiers immediately returned fire.  A few minutes after that firing began, myself and the ANCOP began taking fire from the northwest.  I had my RTO send up a contact report, and we began to fight off at least five enemy fighters.  After a few minutes, I heard an exchange of gunfire from the south between the ANP checkpoint and another position.  I knew that the ANP had come under attack from a third enemy position, and although I had told them where we were going to be searching, the message didn't make it to everyone.  I didn't notice, but my SL said that bullets were walking their way near me.  Oh well, I was too busy sending up a flare and talking to the ANP commander on the radio to worry about that.  We called for Close Air Support, although by the time they arrived the enemy had already withdrawn.  About fifteen minutes after enemy withdrawal, we heard a heavy volume of fire to the north, which meant that the Taliban had run into another group of Americans on patrol. 

Combined movement

After CAS arrived, all three elements consolidated, and we moved back to base.  I had a stop to make first at the checkpoint to discuss how angry it made me that the ANP had shot at us, especially after I had told them exactly where we were going to go.  I might have gotten the message across, but you never know.  We made it back safe and sound with no casualties (although the ANP at the checkpoint had one wounded in the fight), conducted an AAR, and I went on to do several hours of paperwork.