URUZGAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Mid-afternoon is a busy time in Taren Kowt. The bazaar is open for business and its vendors do not discriminate good from bad when it comes to a paying customer. Soldiers with “Able” Company are looking for the bad.
At an intersection outside the city, soldiers with 2nd Platoon, A Company, 4-70th Armor Battalion, 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team partnered with Afghan uniformed police to search vehicles, passengers and pedestrians heading toward the bazaar May 1.
Soldiers were there no longer than an hour. Just long enough to disrupt insurgent activity, said 1st Lt. Michael Balazinski, the platoon leader with 2nd Platoon.
“If you stay there too long the bad guys will call their buddies and tell them to drive a different way,” said Balazinski.
Able Company soldiers integrated their Afghan partners into the operation. Soldiers checked passengers while policemen checked vehicles. After the first wave of traffic passed, Able Company soldiers stepped back and watched their counterparts search the people as well.
Before handing over the search, Pfc. Austin Chestnut, a Charleston, S.C., native, now a forward observer with 2nd Platoon, showed two policemen how to safely and thoroughly search someone. He then watched and provided advice as the Afghans took the lead.
Chestnut said he wasn’t teaching as much as reinforcing training they’ve already received, whether at the policemen’s three-month basic patrolmen’s course, similar to U.S. Army basic training, or from other ISAF soldiers who’ve partnered with the policemen before.
Those who were searched casually removed their head wraps, emptied their pockets and raised their arms. Some joked with the policemen giving the impression this wasn’t the first time they’ve been searched during the 10-year war.
As the hour came to an end, Able soldiers didn’t find their bad guys, but Balazinski said they accomplished their two-fold mission: disrupt and train.
“We forced them to change their operation,” said Balazinski referring to insurgents. “Most important was the [Afghan uniformed police] training, and our plan is they will take the initiative to do it on their own.”
| Date Taken: | 05.01.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 05.14.2011 06:26 |
| Story ID: | 70367 |
| Location: | TAREN KOWT, AF |
| Web Views: | 139 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Able soldiers disrupt insurgents, train Afghan police, by SGM Christopher Klutts, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
