Remember Them
Posted on 11/01/2009 1:14:49 PM PST by kristinn
CHAHAR BAGH, Afghanistan (Reuters) - The mission was simple.
Some 20 U.S. soldiers were to patrol a riverbed in the dead of night, camp until morning, and provide backup to Afghan troops and their Canadian mentors in a clearing operation in Chahar Bagh village, an insurgent hotbed on the outskirts of Kandahar City.
Less than 12 hours later, seven of the soldiers and their Afghan interpreter would be dead, killed by a massive homemade bomb buried deep under pebbles along the dried-out riverbed.
The attack illustrates how a more aggressive U.S. military strategy of going into Taliban strongholds risks mounting casualties as President Barack Obama weighs whether to send thousands more troops to Afghanistan. The initial operation this week passed without incident. Around 200 Afghan soldiers and their Canadian trainers pushed through the village of mud houses surrounded by lush pomegranate orchards. A handful of men were arrested for later questioning.
The U.S. soldiers were not needed.
"What are you going to write about? This is some boring ass mission," one 1st Platoon soldier joked with a reporter as the sun rose behind a cragged mountain towering over the village.
The soldiers -- small groups from three platoons of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion 17th Infantry Regiment Stryker Brigade -- had pushed out from their base at around midnight. Not far from Chahar Bagh village, they dismounted from their armored Stryker vehicles and continued on foot.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
May God comfort the families of our soldiers. And may He give our troops the tools and support needed to win, because Obama surely isn't.
I’d be wondering just a little about the mission planning process, and about the source(s) of intelligence that went into it.
“That was my best friend. We were together for two years. I just waved to him,” said Specialist Nicholas Saucier, speaking about one of the dead.
“I’m sick of this s**t! Guys are getting killed every week,” he said, tears welling up as he looked back at the wreckage.”
I hate Barack Obama. Please don’t ban me Jim, and Secret Service, email me and I’ll give you my name and address. I will do no harm, but I feel the bile for this evil man.
“Dithering” is the polite word. I can think of plenty of more descriptive words to describe what this enemy of America is doing.
God Bless them.
/mark
As the article points out, this battalion has taken it on the chin, 20 KIA in their first three months of combat. That kind of loss rate was not usual during the Vietnam War, but has not occurred in Afghanistan. By contrast, the other two infantry battalions in this brigade have each had three KIA during their deployment.
1,000 pounds of explosive is not survivable, no matter what vehicle you are in. This thing may have been sitting in the creek bed for months and if any water has flowed through, all evidence of digging would be gone. The enemy is very patient and very deliberate.
Exactly. Sounds like the sources fed information that gave a false sense of security or lulled the forces into being offguard and led them right to the trap.
This is exactly what happens, and will happen more and more, when our own Rules of Engagement prevent effective interrogation of enemy combatants and create instant sanctuaries the enemy can run into whenever pressed.
Remember Them
I uttered those same words you used this morning.
I cannot believe the way I feel about this President. God forgive me.
(these maggots are utterly loathsome.)
“1,000 pounds of explosive is not survivable, no matter what vehicle you are in. This thing may have been sitting in the creek bed for months and if any water has flowed through, all evidence of digging would be gone. The enemy is very patient and very deliberate. “
Considering they were waiting to fire on them after the device went off, I don’t know that it was there that long. Either way, this is unacceptable.
We cannot befriend the Taliban.
Russia is probably snickering at us right now.
“because Obama surely isn’t.” That’s the sad truth!! This makes me so sick! One of those soldiers killed was from a town not far from here. Just 24 years old - same age as my son. God bless these young soldiers and their families!
“I’d be wondering just a little about the mission planning process, and about the source(s) of intelligence that went into it.”
Although I think it wrong to play armchair commander, I have the same thought. The enemy must have known when and where our troops would be in this operation......I find it hard to believe this IED was set months in advance at exactly the right location. We were set up.
However, IF it was there for many months before, then the Taliban has some scary smart tacticians that have templated our tactics very well. That is very frightening to me. This would mean they have mastered what the Army teaches as Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield, and had figured out our potential course of action there way in advance. That would make their military planners better than ours. I certainly hope this is not so.
Whatever, may God Bless and comfort the families and friends of the lost. Hooaah guys!
Channel your energy. Send them a care package or even just a post card. I am not good with identifying companies..but I found a guy on Anysoldier.com that is in this unit:
” 5th bde 2nd ID 1st Battalion 17th infantry regiment”
Expected to leave next July..so maybe from this crew.
I think it is that unit. If you send something put on the customs form UNIT CHAPLAIN for the person to be delivered to if that can’t deliver it to him. You might want to check the announcments to see if his name is on the KIA list.
I don’t like putting names on here but you can search
“1st Battalion 17th” and find him. Maybe a former soldier here can tell you if this is the right unit.
Here is something you can do that will cost little money.
One soldier had this idea. His wife sent him a Christmas tree but they won’t have regular ornaments. He is going to have a “worth fighting for” tree and asked people to send him creative things to hang on his tree...pictures, photos, etc. Maybe this will give you an idea for something inexpensive A funny family photo with a letter telling him you give a damn about them ...etc.
Yes, it looks like that soldier is from that division. So you would have to see if he is still alive...or you could send it and then specify for it to go to the Unit Chaplain to be distributed.
They need moral support right now after that mess.
Their mission was to act as “backup to Afghan troops.”
Frankly, you have to wonder whether someone among those Afghan troops may have leaked the plans to the enemy.
There could be other explanations for how this happened, but that seems to me to be an obvious possibility.
They can trust their fellow troops. But can they trust all their Muslim allies? And can they trust the current chain of command, which is hobbled by questionable ROEs and directives from above?
Motorcade passing through Our County Tomorrow, with the Remains of Spc. Kyle A Coumas, KIA October, 21. He was only 22. Working with Local sheriff Department now putting something together to Honor Him when He passes through. Do not know the Family, but feel We must do what we can to Honor them.
The Afghani’s fight for whoever pays them the most. It is that simple.
Notice more deaths when the rules of engagement changed. The Taliban has nothing to fear! We cannot fire on them unless we see them holding the gun and shooting!
zero wants them dead. If he could figure a way, he’d get them all killed just to teach America a lesson straight from his jihadist heart.
I loathe him with every fiber of my being.
This armchair commander would pull out all US ground troops and pay one tribe to put the rest under it’s thumb.
As soon as we leave it’ll be just like after the Russians left - everyone for themselves. It took the Taliban years to consolidate power after that bloody struggle.
There is nothing in Afghanistan worth fighting for, all we need to do is keep them from having designs on our homeland.
They most likely setup in the same place too many times.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.