KABUL, Afghanistan –When it comes to executing the counterinsurgency mission in Afghanistan you will be hard pressed to find a group of Soldiers more enthusiastic about helping the Afghan people than the six Guardsmen of Civil Military Operations, 1-178th Field Artillery Battalion, South Carolina Army National Guard.
That’s what the staff of Joint Task Force 435 recently found out when they requested the help of the Civil Military Operations team from South Carolina to distribute humanitarian aid, July 8, to the children living at the Badam Bagh Women’s Correction Center in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Cenise Ellison, Program Manager of Acquisitions, Joint Task Force 435, was the first person to reach out and request the assistance from the 1-178th Field Artillery CMO section.
“We had heard about the Guardsmen from South Carolina and their reputation for getting the job done when it comes to coordinating and distributing humanitarian aid in Afghanistan. Their enthusiasm and compassionate hearts helped us accomplish the mission at Badam Bagh. You can tell they love helping the Afghan people,” said Ellison.
The Guardsmen from South Carolina work in a civil affairs section based at Camp Phoenix. They are responsible for coordinating the construction of projects such as bridges, schools, village restoration and clinics with the Afghanistan government, provincial leaders and village elders in Kabul province.
The six-member CMO team is currently working on several projects in Kabul province including eight new school buildings, a vehicle bridge, four village restoration projects, a lighting project at Kabul University and an economic revitalization project at the Pol-i-Charkhi Marble Plant.
Capt. Kevin McClure, officer-in-charge of the Badam Bagh mission remarked on the importance of the different military branches working together to help the Afghan people.
“The American taxpayers and the people of Afghanistan benefit greatly when the Armed Forces of the United States come together for a unified purpose. It takes all of us, Active, Reserve and National Guard, working together hand in hand to accomplish the mission of helping the Afghan government and its people,” said McClure.
“As Guardsmen, our exposure to the other branches has been a wonderful experience. I hope they learned a thing or two about the diverse talents of the Guard too.”
McClure and his team coordinated the delivery of eight crates of blankets, clothing, shoes, school supplies, heaters, hygiene kits and toys donated by non-governmental organizations. According to officials at Badam Bagh, more than 170 children living at the center benefited from their donations.
The humanitarian aid drop at Badam Bagh was initiated by U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Robert Harward, JTF-435 commander through Prof. Mohammad Sidiq Sidiq, Ministry of Justice director of general juvenile rehabilitation. Admiral Harward is responsible for providing command, control, oversight and responsibility for all U.S. detention operations Afghanistan.
Harward took time after the humanitarian mission to thank the Guardsmen for their service. He even posed for a group photo.
“The soldiers from South Carolina were instrumental to the success of today's event,” the admiral said. “Their 'can-do' attitude and military professionalism were most appreciated. Thanks in part to their work, the women and children at the prison will benefit from their kindness and generosity of others.”
According to the senior non-commissioned officer responsible for coordinating the Badam Bagh mission with Ellison, the best part about their job is helping the Afghan people through charitable outreach.
“We genuinely care for the Afghan children and their families. When we look into their eyes we see our own families staring back at us. We want the Afghan people to succeed and prosper in a peaceful society,” said Sgt. 1st Class Alvey. “The Taliban can’t compete with us when we put our caring hearts together.”
Alvey was also pleased with the coordination between the National Guard and the joint active duty component. “I thought the coordination and communication between the Guard and Active component was seamless. We are a force multiplier when we work together,” he said.
The more than 750 soldiers of Task Force Swamp Fox, First Battalion 178th Field Artillery, South Carolina Army National Guard, are serving a one-year deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Task Force Swamp Fox consists of soldiers from South Carolina, Pennsylvania and Guam. Task Force Swamp Fox has a primary mission of providing security for provincial reconstruction teams in thirteen Afghan provinces. The headquarters for Task Force Swamp Fox is located at Camp Phoenix.
| Date Taken: | 07.20.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 07.20.2010 07:59 |
| Story ID: | 53101 |
| Location: | KABUL, AF |
| Web Views: | 412 |
| Downloads: | 330 |
This work, S.C. Guardsmen Work with Joint Command to Help Afghan Children, by LTC Chris Neeley, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
