Paratroopers Capture Enemy Suspects in Afghanistan

Paratroopers patrol a village in Paktia Province in eastern Afghanistan, where they recently captured a group of anti-Coalition fighters. The soldiers are assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division's 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Johnnie French

Paratroopers Capture Enemy Suspects in Afghanistan

Soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division conduct a rapid, stealthy raid in
eastern Afghanistan to capture suspected anti-Coalition fighters.

By U.S. Army Spc. J.H. French / 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs Office

PATKIA, Afghanistan, Oct. 26, 2004 — Paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division depend on speed and stealth to accomplish their mission. They strike hard and strike fast, before the enemy has a chance to realize what is happening to him.

Just as the sun began to peak over the mountaintops of eastern Afghanistan on Oct. 15, 2004, the paratroopers of Company B, 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment did just that. They captured four suspected terrorists and six of their accomplices in a simultaneous assault on three compounds in a matter of minutes.

"After the engineers blew the door, we went through and took down the first guy. He had absolutely no clue what was happening," Sgt. Matthew Weise, 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment

"This is our bread and butter," said Staff Sgt. Randy Kramer, a Company B squad leader. "This is more in our comfort zone than pulling security and handing out flyers like we did during the elections."

But the paratroopers didn't accomplish the mission alone.

"It was a coordinated effort between the Afghan National Army and 1 Panther," said Capt. Jon Woolfolk, Company B commander. "The targets were taken down rapidly, we secured the objective, we gathered a lot of intelligence and were gone."

A great part of the mission's success stemmed from the paratroopers' use of the element of surprise.

"The big part of this operation was the shock factor we put on them," said Sgt. Matthew Weise, a team leader with Company B. "After the engineers blew the door we went through and took down the first guy. He had absolutely no clue what was happening."

In the next compound, Kramer and his squad had a similar experience.

"When we went in the guy didn't realize we were there for him," Kramer said. "He was helpful. He actually said 'if you find weapons here you can shoot me'."

Kramer's squad did find weapons but they didn't shoot him.

The final count for the three compounds was nearly 10,000 American dollars, photos and other information of intelligence value, a small arsenal of AK-47 assault rifles, bolt action rifles, shotguns, 9mm pistols, small single shot pistols, knives and bayonets and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

What was even more valuable than getting the weapons off the street was the information gathered by talking to the detainees.

"The men were financiers and organizers," said Kramer. "They have already told us the location of several improvised explosive devices."

The 1-505th Parachute Infantry Regiment deployed to Afghanistan in mid-September to support Afghanistan's first ever direct presidential elections.

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