Photo By Sgt. 1st Class David Bruce | Pfc. Coree Kinerson of Berlin, N.H., a motarman with Headquarters platoon C Company...... read more read more
CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. - Soldiers from New Hampshire Army National Guard’s C Company, 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry (Mountain) have returned from a 10-month deployment to Afghanistan. The company, part of the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, arrived at Camp Atterbury for their demobilization Nov. 27.
The company conducted missions in the Zurmat District of Paktia province in eastern Afghanistan, said 1st Sgt. Glen Drewniak, the senior non-commissioned officer for the company.
“We conducted some air-assault missions, cordon and search missions, raids on improvised explosive device emplacers, quick reaction force missions to support other elements and some humanitarian aid missions,” said Drewniak.
Paktia province is located along an often-used route for the Taliban travelling south, said Drewniak. The area is predominately pro-Taliban.
This was Drewniak’s second trip to Afghanistan. He was part of a mission to train the Afghan National Army in 2003 and 2004.
“Going into to this deployment, I wanted to bring all my soldiers home. We awarded seven Purple Hearts, but no one was killed. They all made it back. We had a lot of volunteers from all over the state. They performed exceptionally well, and I couldn’t ask for a better group of soldiers,” he said.
This sentiment echoed through all levels of leadership in C Company.
“My whole platoon made it back in good health,” said Sgt. Christopher Elliot, weapons squad leader with 2nd platoon. “The company did a good job.”
“We were constantly running missions. Every platoon had different missions and it changed constantly. You could be on patrol from 8:00 to 10:00 and then get spun up for something else afterward. It was nonstop until the day we left,” said Elliot. “I was on a patrol my last day there.”
Elliot credits a large degree of their success on the commander of C Company, Capt. Daniel Newman, who has not yet returned; he is part of the last group to leave Afghanistan.
“He orchestrated about 90 percent of what went on over there. He is the reason a lot of us are where we are,” said Elliot.
Waiting in line for medical screening, Pfc. Michael Murray, a rifleman with C Company’s 3rd platoon, summed up his sentiments: “There was no shortage of Taliban in Zurmat. I’m glad it’s over.”
| Date Taken: | 11.29.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 11.30.2010 17:17 |
| Story ID: | 61125 |
| Location: | CAMP ATTERBURY, INDIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 278 |
| Downloads: | 5 |
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