Mission Afghanistan: Not for the faint-hearted

By Senior Airman Veronica McMahon and 1st Lt. Natalia Palumbo
U.S. Forces-Iraq

May 5, 2011

	File photo Two snipers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, provide overwatch security for the locals during a shura, or town meeting, in Dey Yak, Afghanistan in 2007. Recently, members of the regiment’s 1st Battalion participated in similar mission in the city of Zabul.

ZABUL, Afghanistan — Dust trails off of the feet of the Soldiers as they sift through the dirt streets of a town called Pasani.

The overcast sky creates an array of shadows accompanying the Soldiers from Company A, whose mission is to find locals for a shura.
Once, rocks and dirty looks greeted their presence, but now the Soldiers are guardians of this town and the local villages around it.

On this day, insurgents were being pushed out of the Shajoy bazaar by 3rd Platoon, while 1st Platoon provided overwatch, and simultaneously hunted insurgents through passageways, agricultural fields and separated insurgents from the natives surrounding Shajoy district.

Company A of the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, is one of the first responders to any incident in the bazaar or local area.

Children and their fathers gathered to watch the Soldiers’ movements while Company A searched the area.

Sometimes women were seen, but never watched or engaged in conversation with the Soldiers.
Company A’s non-commissioned officers led the patrol headed to and through Pasani in an effort to engage with the local elders, inviting all young men to a shura, which is a decision-making process, or consultation, within the Muslim community.

The central area where the shura took place was fed by paths from every direction.

Villagers made faces at the Soldiers until the interpreter and patrol sergeant explained why they were there.

The paratroopers had come to find information about a suicide attack in the Shajoy bazaar.

While the looks of the local villagers showed their caution and wariness at Soldiers traveling through their village, the scene was much better than it had been before their platoon arrived in the area to partner with the 3-2 Kandak.

Prior to the arrival of these Soldiers in November, getting out of a vehicle was unheard of in the bazaar. Now the bazaar is filled with more than 2,000 different shops. Two platoons from Company A ensure economic and security needs are met for the local shop owners.

The bazaar revitalization project is the first of its kind in Zabul and it’s spreading to other communities in the local area.

“I am incredibly proud of the junior NCOs in Alpha Company who are making a difference every day building capacity in the Afghan security forces and the Afghan government,” said Capt. Jacob White, Company A commander.

Besides 1st Platoon in Shajoy district, the districts of Arghandab, Baylough and Mizan are protected by 2nd and 3rd platoons. They work closely with provincial reconstruction teams and agricultural development teams to train locals in new agricultural techniques, food preservation and animal husbandry in an effort to ensure prosperity for the community.

They also train the Afghan national security forces in these districts on basic paratrooper skills.
“Alpha Company teaches basic combat skills, patrolling, getting at enemies, and how to manipulate and take out targets to ANA 3-2 Kandak,” said Staff Sergeant Jon Walker, platoon sergeant, 1st Platoon.

The Soldiers believe in their mission and themselves.

“We’re doing an excellent job and work hard. That’s what we are, hard

chargers,” said Spc. Thomas Watts, communication chief.

Walker agrees with this assessment of his Soldiers.

“Their workload is tremendous. They work 15 to 16 days straight, and no one complains about it — whether it’s a mission, a patrol, or taking care of the Afghan populous,” said Walker.

They hope they have made an impression on the ANSF and the local population.

“We do it right by building relationships and taking the time to get to know the locals and truly caring about making Afghanistan a better place when we leave,” said White.

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