Courtesy Photo | Lt. Col. Thomas O' Hara, the commander of the 27th Engineer Battalion, addresses his...... read more read more
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JALALABAD AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Soldiers of A Company, 27th Engineer Battalion out of Fort Bragg, N.C., gathered at Jalalabad Airfield March 26 to recognize the efforts of unit Soldiers during Operation Enduring Freedom.
"Animal Company" has spent the last year negotiating some of the roughest terrain in Afghanistan in support of 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, Task Force Spartan. The 27th Engineers had troops spread throughout Regional Command-East, with elements based at Forward Operating Base Orgun-E, Bagram Airfield and FOB Salerno. The unit has been responsible for improving thousands of kilometers of Afghan roads, route clearance for numerous convoys and preparing many of the FOBs for vertical expansion by levelling the ground or pushing out the perimeters.
A Co., 27th Eng. Bn. missions put them into some of the most dangerous places in Afghanistan, yet the company will leave for home without a single Soldier lost.
"The Soldiers of A Company have adapted their skills to many different missions under extreme conditions. These Soldiers have operated in a very active area for the enemy for the last year," said Lt. Col. Thomas O' Hara, 27th Eng. Bn. commander. "They did it all without sustaining any significant casualties."
The Soldiers of the 27th raised the bar during their rotation by unflinchingly taking on mission after mission. Even when presented with missions completely out of their lane, they accepted and successfully executed.
"No matter what mission came their way, these Soldiers would come up with a way to overcome and succeed," said O' Hara. "We were not trained to build bridges back at Bragg, but we built the Pech River Bridge. We didn't train to run up roads that looked like goat trails instead of roads. We didn't train to maintain our equipment in a dustbowl. That was something we learned to become proficient at while in-country."
The memorable moments, which stand in the minds of the Soldiers, are those tinged with the reality of serving in a combat zone. Moments of hope and happiness are sometimes bittersweet.
"I remember one day we travelled from Camp Blessing out to Animal House Fire Base to take the guys who were living out there steak and potatoes so they could have a break from (Meals, Ready-to-Eat)," said Pfc. Mason Demant, combat engineer with the 27th.
"Task Force Chosin's Bravo Company Commander, (Maj. Douglas E. Sloan), had been out there for awhile with some of his Soldiers. We all had a huge barbecue and a really nice time. The next morning, Maj. Sloan was lost to an improvised explosive device along with two more of his Soldiers. I was proud we had delivered that last meal to them and everyone was able to have one last good time before they were lost."
In response to the incident, the Soldiers of Animal Company sprang into action, demonstrating remarkable cohesion and support for the battalion as they hand-swept along the Pech River road and up into the surrounding mountains. They secured the site in record time, opening the road so response missions could continue.
Moments like these bind Soldiers serving together in combat. The adversity that Soldiers face each day during a deployment binds them together, especially in dangerous situations.
"We are a pretty close group," said Demant. "We're like a platoon full of brothers."
The "brothers" of A Co. received 23 Bronze Star Medals, 84 Army Commendation Medals and four Army Achievement Medals for their endeavors in Regional Command East during their rotation.
The 27th Engineers have begun to redeploy and will be replaced by the 70th Engineers from Fort Riley, Kan. and the 76th Engineers from Fort Lewis, Wash.
"As the last year comes to a close, my advice for the incoming units is this," said O' Hara. "Don't get locked into what the mission set is. Be flexible and willing to adjust. That is the key to mission success out here."
| Date Taken: | 03.26.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 03.30.2007 12:21 |
| Story ID: | 9690 |
| Location: | JALALABAD AIRFIELD, AF |
| Web Views: | 873 |
| Downloads: | 136 |
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