The war in Afghanistan

Bravo Co, 1st Bn, 4th Inf Regt has one mission, disrupt the enemy. Their firebase in Afghanistan lies 7,500 feet above sea level in a valley below the Hindu Kush Mountains. Because of rocky terrain, they mostly patrol on foot. Although they conduct offensive ops based on specific intel reports, the troops accomplish most of their counterinsurgency through daily, key leader engagement patrols. The soldiers rotate, so each squad patrols every 3 days. “We’re trying to build trust with local leaders,” said SFC Stephen Carney, a platoon sergeant. “Give us info where the bad guys are, and we’ll go fix them for you, so they won’t be a problem.”br /br /Patrol leaders speak with village elders, seeking info about insurgents hiding in surrounding mountains or recent insurgent activity. With Afghanistan’s presidential election scheduled for August, Soldiers commonly ask villagers if they plan on voting or if they are registered to vote. Local leaders often tell Soldiers the village’s needs, and the troops assist when possible. Our troops have built bridges, provided medical care, and are planning a community center and a school. Troops look for something that doesn’t look right, for example if locals are nervous, trying to walk away from us, or trying not to make eye contact, usually that’s a big clue.br /br /Foreign, insurgent fighters from China, Chechnya and Uzbek use horses and motorcycles to travel the Hindu Kush Mountains so the troops check any that they find. So, folks, rest assured that our troops in Afghanistan are well led and are acting in a way that will help the locals retake control of their country.