Posted on 06/29/2006 3:51:57 PM PDT by Gucho
June 28, 2006
CAMP TAJI, Iraq -- As the temperatures soar under an unforgiving Iraqi sky, Soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, are constantly looking for a little relief from the scorching sun of Camp Taji.
That’s where the Ground Support Equipment Section of Company B, 4th Support Battalion, comes in; it is their mission to fix air conditioners.
"We support mainly the 4th Support Battalion, but STB (1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st BCT) and 1-66 (1st Bn., 66th Armor Regiment, 1st BCT) don’t have any AC guys, so they depend on us too," said Staff Sgt. Jeff Tremusini, non-commissioned officer in charge of the section. "For a while, we were getting a lot of business because when it starting getting hot, people realized they needed to get their ACs fixed quickly. But now, it’s tapered down to a couple of repairs a day."
With the first day of summer only a few days in the rear view mirror, Soldiers of the brigade have to contend with many days of blistering heat.
In addition, the up-armored humvees that troops take off the camp are not equipped with roll down windows due to potential terrorist threats. So, mix in the heat outside, a broken down AC in an enclosed vehicle and Soldiers wearing all their protective gear, some may feel like a Thanksgiving turkey roasting inside an oven all day.
"The MPs (Military Police) love us," said Pfc. John Dydasco, quartermaster and chemical repair. "The best part of my job is working on the AC lines because it’s fun. For one, it’s a job I can do myself, and number two, I have the satisfaction of knowing I fixed that truck. I worked on a few ACs before I got in the Army, but now I can fix any AC thanks to the Army training me."
The biggest problem the section sees with vehicle ACs are the compressors, belts and lines. The heat of the day causes pressure to build up in the lines, which causes the AC compressor to blow. Also rubber, which many parts are made of, doesn’t do well for very long in prolonged periods of extreme heat.
"Nobody really thinks about their ACs until theirs go out, because if it’s 100 degrees outside it’s 120 degrees inside and with all that stuff on (personnel protective equipment), its worse," said Spc. Kevin Mateika, AC and heating repairman. "I’m not saying I’m saving lives, but I’m definitely making their lives better.
By Sgt. 1st Class Brent Hunt - 1st BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div.
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:
Staff Sgt. Jeff Tremusini (left), noncommissioned officer in charge of the Ground Support Equipment Section, Company B, 4th Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, helps Spc. Kevin Mateika, air-conditioner and heating repairman, also with the section, troubleshoot a control box for a humvee AC unit here Friday. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brent Hunt, 1st BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div.)
Pfc. Johathan Jobba, quartermaster and chemical repair, Company B, 4th Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, changes out an air-conditioner belt on a humvee here Friday. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brent Hunt, 1st BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div.)
June 28, 2006
CAMP TAJI, Iraq -- As Soldiers on Camp Taji move about their day in their humvees, bicycles or just walking from one place to another, one Soldier from Fort Hood, Texas, truly stands out among the rest as he moves from one place to another.
Spc. Keith Jennings, a welder with Company B, 4th Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, gets a lot of double-takes from Soldiers on the camp north of Baghdad as he rides around on his custom made bicycle June 25.
"I like to be creative and it (the bike) was something different," Jennings said. "I like seeing people’s heads turn while we are in this stressful situation."
Jennings, originally from Tazewell County, Va., built a custom chopper-style bicycle made from materials he found around the camp. The tires and brakes were taken off a previous bike he owned and the frame is made of half-inch thick chain. He arc welded each link of the chain eight times, threw on a coat of bronze paint, and covered the seat with a red, velvet rag he found in a rag box.
The brakes, which were just recently added on, are on the pedals with the right foot engaging the rear brake and the left foot engaging the front. The pedals are custom made just for him, so there is enough clearance between his foot and the rocky roads of Iraq.
"At first I was kind of baffled at what he was doing because I didn’t know what he was going to do with it (the materials to make the bike)," said Sgt. Brian Kilough, the senior welder with the Service and Recovery Section, Co. B, 4th Spt. Bn., and Jennings first-line supervisor. "When he started making it, I was shocked and I wasn’t really sure what it was going to look like when he was done. Now it looks real good and it gave me a lot of ideas for another bike, but I doubt I’ll ever have the time to build one of my own."
The bike took about a week to build while Jennings used his lunch time and after-duty hours to complete the project. This is the third chopper-style bike he has made, but this is the first one he has made of metal.
"This is definitely the heaviest bike I’ve ever made," Jennings said, who is currently serving his second tour in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. "This bike has made it easier to get around camp, and I have a quicker response time if I need to be somewhere fast. It’s great for (physical training).
"Someone stops me at least once a day and asks me about it, and a lot of people take a picture of it," Jennings added. "When it comes time to leave here, I’m going to chop it in half and send it home. Then I’m going to put it back together, fix it up real nice, and I plan to dip it in chrome. Also, I’m probably going to have to make some of these for my three children because they love this kind of stuff."
By Sgt. 1st Class Brent Hunt - 1st BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div.
By Cpl. Mark Sixbey - 1st Marine Division
CAMP HABBANIYAH, Iraq (June 28, 2006) -- Marines of Company A, 2nd Tank Battalion are supporting the grunts of 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment by maintaining a constant presence with their M1-A1 Main Battle Tanks along the main highways in the battalion’s new area of operations.
“We’re operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said Gunnery Sgt. Michael J. Kadlub, a tank commander for 2nd Platoon. “There’s always somebody out there.”
The tanks followed Darkhorse to Habbaniyah when the battalion moved west from Fallujah at the end of May.
The transition to the new battle space was eased by the company’s previous work with the Darkhorse battalion south of Fallujah earlier in the deployment, Kadlub said.
“Fortunately, right before we came here, our platoon worked with India 3/5 for a month at another location,” said the 37-year-old from Atlanta. “We had a good working relationship with them, and it’s carried over here. It’s been nothing but good results.”
Tanks also support the Iraqi Army forces who share battle space with Marines in the area.
“We’re responsible for route security,” said Capt. Charles T. Montgomery, 2nd Platoon commander. “The Iraqi Army owns territory adjacent to us, so we work with them periodically on request.”
“If they need us they’ll call us, and we’ll assist them,” Kadlub added.
He said he’s seen some progress since moving to the more volatile area of operations closer to Ramadi.
“After the move here, the activity by the insurgents was definitely substantially increased from what we saw since we were in country,” Kadlub said. “It’s slowed down a little bit, but has definitely not gone away.”
The move brought changes in camp scenery, as the Marines now live in barracks built by the British army earlier this century.
“It’s a lot changed from where we’ve been,” said Cpl. Brian C. Gilliam, a tank gunner. “The living conditions are down a little bit, but the working conditions are boosted up.”
Camp Habbaniyah’s large hangar keeps the sunlight off the tanks, which he said helps while the Marines perform constant maintenance in the desert heat. The hangar is also located relatively close to their barracks.
“It’s not that far compared to Fallujah, where we had to get on a bus to get to work,” said Gilliam, 26, from Cumberland, Ky.
Montgomery, a 33-year-old from Charlotte, Ky., added that the close proximity between work and living quarters is good for maximizing operations, since the tanks require constant upkeep.
“Just like every rifleman has to zero in his rifle, we have to zero the tank gun,” Kadlub explained. “If you do everything the way you’re supposed to, it’s as easy as playing a video game.”
In two separate engagements, tanks have helped Marines of I Company stop insurgent attacks, he added.
Gilliam is on his first deployment to Iraq. He has the best view in the tank, behind the controls of the 120 mm main gun.
“I’m the one aiming in, scanning, doing all that,” he said. “When I pull the trigger, the target ceases to exist,” Gilliam said.
And for the grunts who patrol the roads and man the observation posts in Habbaniyah, 70 tons of metal rolling down the street is always a welcome sight.
“Their presence helps,” said Lance Cpl. David Conklin, a machine gunner with Combat Trains Platoon, Headquarters and Support Company. “When the insurgents see the tanks, they don’t really want to come out and attack.”
The 23-year-old from Temple, Texas, added that the tanks also provide peace of mind against improvised explosive device attacks, as the tanks’ armor can withstand just about anything buried on the road.
Capt. Charles T. Montgomery, 2nd Platoon commander for Company A, 2nd Tank Battalion holds a 120 mm high-explosive anti-tank round inside the company’s tank bay aboard Camp Habbaniyah June 26. Marines of Company A, 2nd Tank Battalion are supporting the grunts of 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment by maintaining a constant presence along the main highways near Habbaniyah, Iraq. (Photo by: Cpl. Mark Sixbey)
An M1-A1 Main Battle Tank rolls toward a hangar on Camp Habbaniyah after a mission near Habbaniyah, Iraq June 26. Marines of Company A, 2nd Tank Battalion are supporting the grunts of 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment by maintaining a constant presence along the main highways near Habbaniyah. (Photo by: Cpl. Mark Sixbey)
More Photos (scroll down)
Afghan National Army and coalition engineers tackle the Dab Pass reduction, a project to lower a rugged, mountainous road.
Afghan National Army and coalition soldiers prepare to destroy unexploded ordnance found on patrol. The Afghan National Army engineers are disposing of the unexploded ordnance, denying the Taliban improvised explosive device-making materials. (U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Lucas J. Lanczy)
By Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan
SHINKAY, Afghanistan, June 29, 2006 — Members of Team Sapper, engineers from the Afghan National Army and Task Force Warrior, are working together to improve the roads that connect the districts of Zabul Province.
The Afghan National Army’s 2nd Brigade 205th Corps and the coalition’s U.S. Army 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry make up Team Sapper.
The Afghan government and residents of Zabul need roads, and Team Sapper, using modern equipment such as Small Emplacement Excavators, repaired more than 60 kilometers. Repairs include surfacing and emplacing culverts. Their favorite mission, however, has been the Dab Pass reduction, a project in which the engineers must lower a rugged, mountainous road connecting Zabul’s four southern districts to the Provincial capital of Qalat City.
The Dab Pass reduction project calls for lowering the height of a road over a mountain pass by over 40 feet and widening the narrow road to a two-lane road through six kilometers of mountain range.
“The reason it’s our favorite, of course, is that we have to use demolitions to move the mountain,” said U.S. Army Capt. Steve Douglas, Team Sapper commander. “So far, we have dropped the pass nearly 20 feet and hauled away a few thousand cubic meters of rock and soil. The nearly 5,000 pounds of explosives we have used is what keeps it interesting”
The Dab Pass was a treacherously steep road that required trucks to download half of their load on the near side before driving over the peak. The truck drivers then downloaded on the far side, returning empty to pick up the remaining half that they had dropped on the near side. This no longer happens, thanks to the hard work of the soldiers of Team Sapper.
Afghan National Army engineers take turns learning to operate a Small Emplacement Excavator. The excavator is used to emplace ditching along the sides of the road. (U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Stephen J. White)
An Afghan National Army soldier is behind the wheel of the grader during the Qalat to Lane road improvement. The soldiers are quickly learning the procedures for using this equipment. (U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Stephen J. White)
“I know we are accomplishing a lot by the look in the Afghan people’s eyes as they drive over the improved roads through our construction sites,” Douglas continued.
Their construction mission has not been without danger; on several occasions, Team Sapper has met and engaged the enemy in combat. They have also destroyed over 1,000 pieces of unexploded ordnance, making the province safer for Zabul residents and reducing the threat to Afghan national security forces and coalition forces. Team Sapper has found and assisted in the destruction of several improvised explosive devices as they maintain the routes necessary to accomplish their projects.
Recognizing that coalition forces will not be in Zabul forever, Team Sapper has been vigilant about training their Afghan National Army engineer counterparts on equipment operation, road construction, and unexploded ordnance disposal. The Afghan National Army engineers are learning to utilize modern construction technologies that will assist in future projects for the province. They are also being integrated into an upcoming bridge construction mission.
Following the completion of the Dab Pass and other projects, travel will be more feasible throughout Zabul Province, which will improve communication, and outreach of the provisional government. Commerce and economy will increase in the southern region with added jingle truck traffic to and from bazaars allowing for additional exchange of goods and services.
Projects such as the Dab Pass display the combined efforts of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and coalition forces to improve the quality of life for the citizens of Zabul, said coalition officials.
U.S. soldiers lived on the outskirts of the village and, while living in the area among the people, were able to build a relationship with the community.
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Thomas Fisher, commander of the 1-68 Combined Arms Battalion, speaks with local sheiks and leaders during a groundbreaking ceremony June 15, 2006, held for three new construction projects in the region. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Michael Pfaff)
By U.S. Army Spc. Michael Pfaff
BAQUBAH, Iraq, June 29, 2006 — A groundbreaking ceremony was held June 15 to mark the beginning of several construction projects in the village of Mukhisa on the outskirts of Baqubah.
Teaming up with local Iraqi leadership, coalition forces have implemented a plan to build a water treatment facility, pave many of the roads in the village and refurbish a soccer field.
“Today was a chance to reward a community that is friendly to coalition forces,” said U.S. Army Maj. Patrick Creed, a Havertown, Pa., native and civil affairs team leader with Bravo Company, 404th Civil Affairs Battalion, attached to the 1-68 Combined Arms Battalion, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Band of Brothers.
“We’ve often neglected the quiet villages, focusing our attention on the more violent regions for obvious reasons,” he said. “This particular town has been cooperating with coalition forces, and this is our way of showing gratitude.”
Originally reported as a problem area, where tribal disputes were allegedly escalating, the region was billed as “the next Fallujah.” Rather than storming the village and kicking in doors, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Thomas Fisher, commander of the 1-68 Combined Arms Battalion, decided to take another approach.
“We moved into the neighborhood,” Fisher, a Sioux Falls, S.D., native said. “For two months we lived in the area and found that our neighbors were mostly just God-fearing farmers - regular people.”
Soldiers from the battalion moved into a “chateau” on the outskirts of the village, reinforced it as a secure base of operations, and essentially lived with the people of Mukhisa for two months.
While living in the area among the people, the soldiers built a relationship with the community, and at one point, when a man tried to throw a grenade into the complex; citizens from the community tackled the grenade carrier and stopped him.
“We got to know them, and they got to know us,” Fisher said. “Now, they don’t hate Americans.”
The community began to work with coalition forces, and as repayment for the community’s continuing efforts, the construction efforts have been put into motion.
The largest project, projected to take four months to complete, is the water treatment facility. Creed explained that a water treatment facility was the most requested proposition for construction by local sheiks and leaders.
Leaders from the community of Mukhisa look at information presented during the ceremony about the three building projects. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Michael Pfaff)
British Maj. Gen. Peter Everson, commander of the Deputy Corps of the Multinational Corps, the mayor of Mukhisa, and a U.S. State Department representative for the Economy conclude the ceremony by breaking the ground in the village where the construction projects will be located. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Michael Pfaff)
“We listen to what the Iraqi people want,” Creed explained. “Something like 70 percent of illnesses in Iraq are caused by dirty, polluted water.”
The water treatment facility is intended to reduce health problems in the area and provide drinking water for the population.
The next project started will be the paving of many of the roads in the villages, now just trash-laden dirt roads.
“Paving the roads has two purposes,” Creed said. “It allows commerce to flow freely into and out of the community, and it also makes it harder to hide [improvised explosive devices] on the roads.”
The last project, while seemingly innocuous, has specific intentions.
“While a soccer field may not seem important, it keeps the young men busy,” Creed said. “A lot of the younger men, with nothing to do, are the most likely to become terrorists. The soccer field will give them something to do, and they’ll hopefully remember Americans gave them something down the road.”
While the funding for the projects comes from coalition forces, the local Iraqi leadership is in charge of all the management.
“They pick the contractors, inspect it, and make sure it gets built,” Creed said. “We are there just for oversight, to make sure the money is going to where it’s supposed to be going.”
Giving the Iraqi people the responsibility of controlling the projects is a way of protecting the projects, Creed said.
“If it’s their project, they’ll go a long way of making sure it is protected,” Creed said. “The project is a joint-ownership between local politicians, and the tribal sheiks in the area.”
Creed said that the groundbreaking ceremonies are a new effort to keep locals informed about projects that may not be finished, but are currently in the works.
The efforts to reward a quiet community that works with coalition forces is something coalition forces plan to continue, he said, and perhaps by working together with one village at a time, the nation as a whole will prosper.
“Other communities hear about stuff like this, and they’ll come up and say, ‘Why not us?’” Creed said. “We just tell them that if they help us like this community did, if there are no problems with bombs and with shooting, we will help them the same in return.”
Thursday, June 29, 2006
An Afghan boy plays with a soccer ball at a park in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, June 29, 2006. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
June 29, 2006
A British soldier stands guard next to an Afghan villager outside a school outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, June 29, 2006. ISAF (International Assistance Force) civil-military cooperation made a donation to two schools in Bagram district. Approximately 1800 pupils are expected to benefit from this donation. (AP Photo /Rodrigo Abd)
By Donna Miles - American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, June 29, 2006 – President Bush conferred yesterday with troops recently returned from Iraq and Afghanistan, telling them the nation appreciates their service as they and their comrades protect the freedoms all Americans enjoy.
President Bush talks with Army Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth Williams as he meets with military personnel who recently have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan at the VFW Overland-St. Ann Memorial Post 3944 in St. Louis, June 28. (White House photo by Kimberlee Hewitt)
The president met with about 10 soldiers and airmen - representatives of the active force, National Guard and Reserves -- at a VFW post in St. Louis.
He chatted with the troops about their experiences, asked for their insights and told them they're serving an important calling.
"I told these men and women that their service is necessary for the security of the United States of America, and that they're serving in historic times," Bush said of his meeting. "And one day their children will be able to look back and say, my dad, or my mom went to Iraq and Afghanistan and helped a young country become a democracy, and therefore the world is more peaceful for it."
Bush met with the troops' families as well to express gratitude for the sacrifices he acknowledged they also make. "A lot of times military families don't get proper thanks, and I can't wait to meet your loved ones and tell them firsthand that the country appreciates your service," he told the servicemembers before the meeting.
The nation "stands with people who are defending our nation," the president told the troops. "We're with you. We know the work is hard, but the work is necessary."
Bush was emphatic about one point: "We're winning."
"And the world is going to be better off because of your courageous service, and I thank you for it," he said.
The president met during the visit with:
Air Force Tech. Sgt. John Jefferson, who returned from Iraq in November 2005;
Air Force Maj. Josh Kovich, who served in Afghanistan from December 2005 to June 2006;
Air Force Capt. Bill Roberts, who served in Iraq from September 2005 to April 2006;
Army Spc. Andrew Cline, a member of the Illinois Army National Guard, who served in Iraq, from April 2005 to May 2006;
Army Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth Williams, an Army Reservist who served in Iraq from January 2005 to October 2005;
Air Force Staff Sgt. Todd Carlton, who served in Iraq from August 2005 to April 2006;
Air Force Senior Airman Joe Mata, who served in Iraq from September 2004 to February 2005 and in Kuwait from October 2005 to May 2006;
Air Force Senior Airman Rebecca Blascak, who served in Kuwait from November 2005 to January 2006;
Army Spc. Alan Young, an Illinois Army National Guard soldier who served in Iraq from April 2005 to May 2006; and
Army Sgt. Craig Durham, an Army Reservist who served in Iraq from May 2005 to May 2006.
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5:11 pm EDT - June 26, 2006
Heavy storms that created flooding through the Mid-Atlantic States also impacted the White House.
A tree that has stood in front of the White House came down during heavy storms last night. The large American Elm was not planted by a president or first lady but it shares a piece of history in any case.
The NBC White House Bureau reports that the tree is featured prominently on back of the $20 bill. It can be found in the far right corner of the image on the back of a $20 bill. The tree is believed to date back 140 years to the Andrew Johnson White House.
No one was injured when the tree limbs fell.
There is no word as to whether the image on the back of the $20 bill will be changed.
June 28, 2006
CAMP TAJI, Iraq -- After almost a year of hard work and dedication, the grand opening of a new fire station was held here June 10.
The new $2.1 million, four-bay fire station is a significant improvement over the old fire station because of its location and capabilities.
"This location was specifically picked because of the close proximity to the airfield," said Lt. Col. Jeffery Toomer, mayor of Camp Taji. "We used to park a fire truck on the airfield and the crew slept in the truck, but now they can stay at the firehouse and dispatch to the airfield quickly in case of an emergency. This fire station was specifically built for our safety on (Camp Taji)."
The new fire station is located directly across from the airfield. With its new location, response time to an airfield emergency is reduced from three minutes to one. An additional benefit is the fire station can now respond to a good portion of the downtown Taji area.
The new facility allows the storage of fire-fighting equipment in an environmentally controlled setting, keeping items such as foam, used in chemical and electrical fires, under the 120-degree breakdown temperature. The station also has the capacity to hold 18,000 gallons of water and 4,800 gallons of foam, compared to the 6,000 gallons of water and 1,800 gallons of foam the old station held.
"This has been a long journey to get this thing together," said Randy Meyer, fire chief for the Camp Taji Fire Department. "This location provides state-of-the-art equipment for flight line protection here on Camp Taji. Also, this facility was built completely accident free, which says a lot about how well it was put together."
For the firefighter, the new station comes equipped with a large training/community room, sleeping quarters for up to 20 firefighters, a game room for down time, and a large kitchen and TV room.
"This is a great accomplishment," Toomer added. "This structure is just a building, but it’s a representation of the hard work and dedication of the Taji Fire Department."
By Sgt. 1st Class Brent Hunt - 1st BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div.
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:
Soldiers and civilians from Camp Taji stand in front of the new fire station at its grand opening June 10. The new station has the capability of holding four fire trucks, 18,000 gallons of water and 4,800 gallons of firefighting foam. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brent Hunt, 1st BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div.)
Firefighters from Camp Taji display the fire equipment they have on their engines at the grand opening of the Camp Taji Fire Station June 10. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brent Hunt, 1st BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div.)
A fire helmet used by a Camp Taji firefighter rests quietly in the corner of the new Camp Taji Fire Station at its grand opening June 10. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brent Hunt, 1st BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div.)
June 28, 2006
Kandahar, Afghanistan -- Coalition soldiers conducting a dismounted patrol June 25, came under attack by small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades from both sides of the Afghandab River bed in Panjwayi District. A firefight took place and Coalition forces successfully cleared the area of extremists.
Upon clearing the area, Coalition forces found four rocket propelled grenade firing positions, one machine gun position with spent casings, and other positions for fighters with AK47 assault rifles.
The Village Medical Outreach visits, which were scheduled to take place in the area, were cancelled, but will be rescheduled.
"The Taliban is again depriving the local community in Panjwayi of well-needed medical supplies and care, which would have been provided in Mushan and Talikan on June 24 and 25 if the security would have allowed it," said Army Maj. Nick Grimshaw, Task Force Orion, Company Commander in Pahwayi.
Coalition forces and Afghan national security forces have a permanent presence in Panjwayi in order to secure the district of extremist activities. Other aid and humanitarian assistance activities will be considered in this area if the security situation improves.
By COMBINED FORCES COMMAND - AFGHANISTAN COALITION PRESS INFORMATION CENTER - KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
June 28, 2006
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Afghan National Army soldiers assigned to 1st Kandak, 1st Brigade, 205th Corps, and Coalition forces raided a Taliban compound in the village of Lwar Gawrgin, Shahidi Hass District, Uruzgan Province this morning.
Afghan and Coalition forces killed 12 Taliban extremists during a firefight with insurgents who were hiding in a Taliban compound.
Two ANA soldiers received superficial wounds from the battle and were treated at their base camp. No civilian injuries were reported.
The targeted compound was frequently used by Taliban insurgents as a meeting place to plan and facilitate attacks against innocent Afghan civilians, ANA and Coalition forces.
"ANA and Coalition forces are rooting out Taliban insurgents in Uruzgan Province and throughout southern Afghanistan," said a Combined Joint Task Force – 76 spokesperson. " Taliban extremists have clearly demonstrated they seek only to terrorize, kill and oppress the Afghan people. ANA and Coalition forces are committed to ridding Afghanistan of this menace to peace, reconstruction and stability."
By COMBINED FORCES COMMAND - AFGHANISTAN COALITION PRESS INFORMATION CENTER - KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
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