Posted on 10/08/2004 8:55:30 PM PDT by Libloather
Soldiers safeguard historic Afghan vote
By Terry Boyd, Stars and Stripes
Friday, October 8, 2004
European edition, Thursday, October 7, 2004
FIREBASE ASADABAD, Afghanistan — The 82nd Airborne Division has not made it into the history books by coasting through easy missions.
In the new anti-insurgency age, look for its rapidly deployable, light infantry units in the worst parts of bad neighborhoods anywhere from Fallujah to Asadabad.
A battalion-sized force of 1,100 paratroopers, mostly from the 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment is in Afghanistan to provide security for the historic national elections Oct. 9.
Between 18,000 and 20,000 U.S. soldiers and about 5,500 troops from other nations are in Afghanistan and will assist the United Nations to curb any violence surrounding the nation’s first presidential election.
In isolated eastern Afghanistan, 15 kilometers from the Pakistan border, the mission for the 1st-505th is far more complex and subtle than keeping the bad guys from stopping the elections.
Taliban forces are so close “they can commute to work,” said Jim Hunter, the State Department’s representative to the Provincial Reconstruction Team at Firebase Asadabad. Enemy fighters are just north of the base, as well as to the northwest in Nurestan province, according to officials at the PRT, one of 17 military/civilian teams overseeing reconstruction.
The 82nd paratroops will provide extra guns to augment PRT security forces, U.S. Special Forces and Afghan National Army units already in the area, said Capt. Brian Feddeler, Company D commander at Firebase Asadabad. They will also help keep roads and communication lines open.
Feddeler’s soldiers will form “an outer ring” of security, he said. They have to stay close enough to discourage attacks or counter them, but far enough away from polling stations to make sure locals understand the Army is playing no direct role in the elections, which are under the auspices of the United Nations.
Until election day and for a few weeks after, Feddeler’s force of infantrymen, mortarmen, engineers and scout snipers will patrol some of the most dramatic terrain in Afghanistan, with lush Kunar River valleys meandering through mountains that peak at 10,000 feet. Humvees surf the potholes and ruts of one-lane gravel paths looking for roadside bombs as well as enticing insurgents into a fight or running off the ones with less heart.
“Simply put, we’re the 82nd Airborne. By virtue of this fact alone … any adversary is forced to sincerely contemplate the consequences of his actions,” said Sgt. 1st Class Benny Dobbs, Company D’s first sergeant.
Having toured both Iraq and Afghanistan in the past two years, 1-505 soldiers and officers have experience in both ongoing fights. Staff Sgt. Carl Webb, a truck commander in Company D, and at least three other 1-505 soldiers were at this very base, dubbed “A-bad,” in late 2002.
Webb noted the improved living conditions, adding, “No more T-rats!”
Violence in the area seems about the same as last time, with only two attacks during his first stay, Webb said. The firebase has had no attacks in the two weeks since the troops returned. A nearby village was hit with four rockets in September, according to news releases from U.S. headquarters in Kabul.
Though there are occasional firefights between insurgents and Afghan forces, most of the sounds of war are either A-bad howitzers firing harassing rounds onto the surrounding mountain ridges, or Green Berets teaching Afghan forces to fire recoilless rifles or other weapons.
On the cusp of the elections, Afghanistan is much quieter than Iraq, said 82nd soldiers and officers.
The overall U.S. mission — nation-building and reconstruction — may be the same in Iraq, “but there were a lot more anti-coalition forces [in Iraq], and they were a lot more organized,” said 1st Lt. Eric Slater, Feddeler’s executive officer.
“I’m not saying [the insurgents] are not out there,” said Slater, “but they’re not as active.”
Some things just don't require an interpreter...
This news is going to make Mama T's baby boy's sphincter pucker up. You know how adamant he is about American soldiers doing anything other than looking for Osama bin Laden.
Let's hear it for the All American Division. The division of SGT Alvin York.
HAND SALUTE....... GOOD JOB......
And John Kerry said that we took our eye off the ball (Afghanistan)... tell that to the 82nd Airborne, you idiot.
"H-Minus"
Pray for our soldiers as well as the Afgan people. Both are brave and honorable. We are on the eve of the biggest victory to date in the war on terror. The amount of violence in the run-up to tomorrow's (today's?)election was less than I expected. Election day will be a guage of Taliban power. We're going to be see how badly we have hurt them. I pray that things go off well. Like the president says, freedom defeats terrorism. Let some freedom ring!!
ping
Tomorrow the president should not talk about the debate, he should focus his entire and every stump speech on the birth of this new democracy.
Birth of a new nation ping...
Ooohhhh........I love our 82nd!
And I should say I am keeping them in my prayers as they safeguard a beginning democracy.
My son is one of them.
God bless all our troops overseas especially those in Afghanistan and Iraq.
HOOOOOOOAH!
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S/MAJ BASIL PLUMLEY, Hero of the Battle of IA DRANG-1965, parachuted, along with the 82nd Airborne, behind enemy lines into NAZI-occupied France the night before the Invasion of Normandy.
See Photo taken of S/MAJ BASIL PLUMLEY at Pleiku Airstrip shortly after his IA DRANG victory:
http://www.lzxray.com/guyer_set3.htm
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Freedom for Afghanistan:
PAT TILLMAN = A Hero for the Ages
http://www.TheAlamoFILM.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3169
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And for all who sent up quick and fervent prayers when we heard the announcement of the "bombing" at a tolling place, FNC just announced that it was merely a vehicle on fire.
Let's keep it up...
We best never forget how important and historic this vote is going to be! We're complaining about piddly inthis country, compared to what these people have been thru!
We're down a thousand plus of fine young men and this is the first real vote that the Iraqi people have had in 30 years, if EVER. Our Boys are writing history and we can never convey to them how proud we are of their service! The words do not exist in my language, maybe the ISLAMIC population should ponder this.
We can never repay these fine young men what we owe them! But we should try! I don't think Kerry has it in him though.........
FYI ping for troop supporters.
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