Photo By Pfc. David Hauk | Soldiers from Company D, 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division...... read more read more
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COMMAND OUTPOST SENJARAY, Afghanistan — Sitting along a road watching the surrounding area for suspicious activity for hours on end can be a monotonous job, but it's been an effective way to fight improvised explosive devices around the area of Command Outpost Senjaray.
The primary mission for 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, is to secure a seven-kilometer stretch of Highway 1, which runs past this COP in southern Afghanistan. They have been working tirelessly, day after day, to ensure the route stays clear for coalition forces.
It has been extremely effective, said 1st Sgt. Rick Robison, Company D, 1-12, first sergeant. Since the unit has been here, the IED's and attacks on troops have significantly decreased.
The zone the 4th Infantry Division Soldiers are responsible for has been very active with insurgents placing IED's in the past. The big push to secure the area followed a devastating attack on a convoy which killed a number of Soldiers.
"Our command shifted our focus away from the villages and more toward securing the roads," said 1st Lt. Reed Peeples, team leader of 2nd Platoon, Co. D.
Around the clock, platoons from Co. D take turns patrolling the roads and villages. The mission for each patrol can vary from dismounting the vehicles for short patrols around the villages to sitting in the vehicles and keeping constant watch on the road.
"Everyone wants to do the dismounted missions, but it's just not possible. So when the guys are in the vehicle for five to six hours, the job gets very time intensive," said Robison. "It's also the tediousness of the missions that can make it rough."
To help the troops with their mission, the local Afghan National Police have been patrolling right along with the Soldiers. Although not fully ready to take care of the area themselves, the ANP are learning and improving, day by day.
"They are coming along," said Cpl. Richard Snodgrass, a team leader with Delta Company. "They come on missions with us every day and have been doing a good job with the tasks they have on the mission."
The ANP also helps the Soldiers when interacting with the villagers in the area.
"Whenever we deal with the local populace, we let the ANP lead the way," said Peeples. "It shows the people that they are in charge and they need to listen to them."
Although the Soldiers don't always like the monotony of the job, they take comfort in the fact that other coalition forces are able to travel safely along their stretch of Highway 1.
"It's not what the Soldiers call a sexy job, but it's working," said Robison. "It really does help when the guys see the effect they are having on the area."
| Date Taken: | 12.09.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 12.09.2009 10:56 |
| Story ID: | 42489 |
| Location: | COMMAND OUTPOST SENJARAY, AF |
| Web Views: | 489 |
| Downloads: | 386 |
This work, Soldiers work around the clock to secure route, by PFC David Hauk, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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