Posted on 02/15/2010 12:42:04 PM PST by SandRat
Story and Photo by U.S. Army SFC Matthew Chlosta, ISAF HQ PAO
FOB Altimur, Afghanistan--Afghan National Army Soldiers and Afghan National Police officers from Logar and Wardak provinces got the chance to test their fighting and life-saving skills during an integrated competition with U.S. Soldier teammates at forward operating base Altimur on Feb. 13.
Hosted by the 173rd Airborne Brigade “Sky Soldiers” the half-day contest, named Operation Common Goal, highlighted the different tasks commonly used in daily joint ANA, ANP, and U.S. patrols.
“Three U.S. platoons each have a squad of ANA working together,” said U.S. Army Spc. Bryan Dubois, with the 1st Squad, 91st Cavalry Regiment about how the teams were made up.
“They have great leaders. Our goal is to have them go out on their own, with us in only a supporting role.” The seven events consisted of memory and recall tests, a physical training event, weapon disassembly and re-assembly, evaluation of a casualty, casualty carry, an all terrain vehicle push and the firing range.
“It was a very good competition,” said ANA Soldier Asdula, a Helmand province native, who only speaks Dari. “The medic part was the most difficult, but not that hard. It was the last event that was the stress.”
The event Asdula refers to was called, “Shooting Under Stress.” Each team member had to shoot at least 10 out of 12 rounds into the black part of a target from 25 meters away after pushing a half-ton ATV 300 meters. After pushing the ATV as a team, they had to run up a hill at 7100 feet elevation above sea level to the firing range.
After a brief by the range NCO, the ANA Soldiers fired their AK-47 weapons next to their U.S. partners who fired their M-4 rifles next to them.
“This (competition) helps build the teamwork and teaches these guys what it takes when you’re tired to keep going,” Dubois said about the contest and working together. “They did great.”
“We did very good,” Asdula said. “We’re always co-workers. I am very happy to work with the Americans.”
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