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HomeNewsAbu Co. recons new battle space in eastern Ghazni

Abu Co. recons new battle space in eastern Ghazni

Written by U.S. Army 1st Lt. R.J. Peek
Task Force Rakkasan Public Affairs

BastogneFort Campbell KY, 101st Airborne DivisionGhazni Province, Afghanistan – Soldiers from Company A, 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, were added to Task Force Rakkasan to help secure eastern Ghazni for the remainder of their deployment in eastern Afghanistan. 

Three days after Co. A arrived to Forward Operating Base Andar, they packed up their trucks again and headed out on their first operation December 17th and 18th. 

Their mission was to enter villages coalition forces have not been in for several years and assess the situation. 

“The Afghan locals in the villages were very receptive of the U.S. Soldiers and the Afghan police,” said U.S. Army Capt. Michael Watson from Madisonville, Tennessee, Co A., 1st Bn. 187th Inf. Regt. commander. “The villages gave the impression of being strongly opposed to insurgent forces.” 

They successfully searched Dawlat Khan, Paumeda Khel, Laluh and Shadi Kala villages. During their patrols through the villages, the U.S. medics and Afghan police provided medical assistance to a number of locals, including treating a 6 year old who burned his arm while helping his father cook bread.

“This operation greatly helped to spread the influence of Afghan National Security Forces to villages which have seen no other signs of security forces in the past two years,” said U.S. Army 1st Lt. Michael Marietta from Houston, an intelligence officer for 3rd Bn., 187th Inf. Regt. “It demonstrated to the Afghans as well as to possible insurgents that the security forces have an extensive sphere of influence.”

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