Photo Montage by MCC(SS) David Gordon

Calm, quiet and poised, Col. Shafiqa Quarashi doesn’t give the impression of a passionate defender of women’s rights, that is, until she speaks. With her voice ringing with conviction, Shafiqa boldly tells an audience full of females that they will never get their rights by sitting at home; they have to go out and get them, to demand them.

“No one will give your rights to you as a gift, you have to take them. Who is saying women can’t do anything. We can do everything, anything you want,” she said. “We have to fight against corruption and those who are against women working.” It is with speeches like this, given at the Ministry of Interior’s International Women’s Day recognition ceremony March 4, that it’s easy to see why Shafiqa, an Afghan National Police officer, was selected as a 2010 International Woman of Courage.

The award, presented by U.S. Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, will be presented to 10 women from around the world March 10 at the State Department; 75 women were nominated from more than 70 countries including Zimbabwe, Iran, Republic of Korea, Kenya, Syria, Dominican Republic and Sri Lanka.

The annual International Women of Courage Award was started in March 2007 to recognize women around the globe who have shown exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for women’s rights and advancement. This is the only award within the Department of State that pays tribute to outstanding women leaders worldwide. It recognizes the courage and leadership shown as they struggle for social justice and human rights.

Shafiqa was nominated for her work in raising awareness of women and children’s rights and for her efforts toward increasing the numbers of females serving in the police forces.

Serving in the ANP for almost 28 years, most recently as the Chief of Gender and Human Rights Division, Shafiqa has worked to make the ANP a safer place for women to work and serve. Her goal of increasing women’s rights is now more important than ever; Afghan President Hamid Karzai recently announced that an additional 5,000 women need to be added to the police force over the next five years. In a culture that restricts female and male interaction, women police are needed for specific tasks such as searching and questioning female suspects. With the police force having a reputation as a dangerous place for women to serve and rife with corruption, families are often reluctant to allow their daughters, wives, sisters or mothers to join, something that Shafiqa is well aware of.

Under her guidance, the MOI now offers female police choice over assignment location, limited to no nighttime shifts, and female basic trainees are allowed to return to their homes at night. Shafiqa also travels frequently to remote provinces, where policewomen are more isolated and have less support structures, to listen to the challenges they face and to resolve concerns. During the MOI women’s day ceremony, Shafiqa officially opened the new Gender Complaint Registration Office, which will allow women an avenue for reporting discrimination, security problems and official complaints.

“Life is stressful and difficult for women in Afghanistan; there is nothing in our constitution about women or women’s rights and we have cultural problems. Women cannot get their rights easily, so that will take time,” Shafiqa said. “When it comes to women in the police, it’s usually a man’s job, so we have to work twice as hard to prove ourselves. Today symbolizes what Afghan women have been able to accomplish so far.”

When she joined the police academy more than a quarter of a century ago, Shafiqa’s family, who she describes as educated and open-minded, encouraged and supported her decision. This support is a rarity among her culture that she acknowledges. “Many families are not ready to send their daughters to work in local department so how they will let them to join the military? Women cannot get their rights easily so that will take some time. We need brave women to defend other women.”

With just under 1,000 women working for the MOI and half that working in the Afghan National Army and Ministry of Defense, Shafiqa says it’s essential for women to take a larger role in shaping their nation.

“Women should be involved in all aspects of the government, and it’s important too that women should take a part in security in the country,” she said. Shafiqa, who herself is about to be promoted to general, has reached a level of leadership not often seen among Afghan women. She hopes that her achievement, while remarkable, will be commonplace one day. “I want to see women in high positions in police and I hope one day I will see the women coming in now in high-level positions, as leaders, in command of large units.”

By Staff Sgt. Sarah Brown
NTM – A

Staff Sgt. Linsey Clarke graduated from Robert E. Lee High School and earned his bachelor's degree in economics from James Madison University in 2005. He enlisted in the Army in August 2005 under the 18 X-Ray program. Following basic training at Fort Benning, GA he attended Airborne School, the Special Operations Preparation Course, and then Selection. Staff Sergeant Clarke completed the Special Forces Qualification Course in March 2008 as a Special Forces Medical Sergeant.

Staff Sgt Linsey Clarke awarded Silver Star for heroism

The sky was clear. The air had a bite to it, but for Afghanistan it was a beautiful day, said Clarke.

It was Feb. 20. Clarke was the driver of one of four vehicles conducting a joint operations patrol with members of the Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police and Czech Special Operation Forces in Khordi, a village in Southern Afghanistan.

In unison, the third vehicle in the convoy was struck by an improvised explosive device and the lead vehicle was engaged by rocket propelled grenades. Each vehicle was taking small arms fire from both the east and west as the patrol was being ambushed.

Clarke immediately backed up his vehicle to assist those who had been struck by the roadside bomb. He dismounted and ran through a volley of fire to discover three of the men inside had been killed instantly. The two remaining teammates were alive, but both were badly wounded.

Clarke found Staff Sgt. Eric Englehardt first. Both his legs were broken and he was bleeding heavily, so Clarke quickly and calmly applied a tourniquet to his right leg and dragged him from the burning vehicle. With no cover, and enemy fire on both sides, Clarke returned to the destroyed vehicle and found Master Sgt. David Hurt. He again dragged his comrade to safety.

With the team’s other medic now tending to the wounded, Clarke volunteered to stay in the firefight to secure the remains of the fallen Soldiers.

Today, even with a Silver Star pinned to his chest, Clarke still doesn’t believe he is a hero.

“It’s something any one of those guys would’ve done for me. There wasn’t a second thought,” he said.

DVIDS
Story by Cpl. Katryn McCalment

CITATION:

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918 (amended by an act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Staff Sergeant Linsey W. Clarke, United States Army, for gallantry in combat on 20 February 2009, as the Junior Medic, Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha – 3123, Special Operations Task Force – 31, Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.

Sergeant Clarke distinguished himself by exposing himself to accurate enemy fire through the course of a medical evacuation. His dedication to duty contributed to the successful defeat of insurgent networks, which enabled the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to conduct unilateral security and stability operations. His actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military heroism and reflect distinct credit upon himself, Special Operations Task Force – 31, the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan, Special Operations Command Central, and the United States Army.

NARRATIVE TO ACCOMPANY AWARD: Staff Sergeant Linsey W. Clarke, United States (US) Army, heroically distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous conduct in the face of the enemy of the US as a Special Forces Medical Sergeant, Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) – 3123, Special Operations Task Force – 31, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan, Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM on 20 February 2009.

While Conducting a joint reconnaissance patrol with forces from the Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police, and Czech Special Operation Forces the patrol’s rear Ground Mobility Vehicle (GMV) was struck by a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) completely destroying the vehicle and instantly killing three of the vehicle’s crew members. Simultaneously, the patrol’s lead vehicle was engaged by Rocket Propelled Grenades and the entire patrol began receiving heavy and accurate small arms fire from both the East and the West.

Sergeant Clarke immediately backed up his truck to the burning GMV. He returned fire, and without hesitation or regard for his personal safety, ran through heavy enemy fire to the burning vehicle. Sergeant Clarke found Staff Sergeant Englehardt in the wreckage of the GMV with two broken legs and a fractured back. The burning GMV was loaded with ammunition and explosives that were detonating within inches of Sergeant Clarke. While in grave danger from heavy enemy fire and the destroyed vehicle, he calmly applied a tourniquet to Sergeant Englehardt’s right leg and pulled him away from the IED site.

Sergeant Clarke then ran one hundred meters back through enemy fire with no cover to find Master Sergeant Hurt, burned very badly and lying to the rear of the destroyed vehicle. He immediately assessed his condition then helped him back to the Casualty Collection Point while still receiving accurate fire from the enemy. After loading Master Sergeant Hurt onto GMV2, Sergeant Clarke treated his wounds and prepared him for evacuation.

He passed him off to Staff Sergeant Ford, the ODA’s other medic, and informed him of all treatments rendered. Sergeant Clarke then volunteered to stay and secure the blast site with only two other teammates. With no vehicles to support him and enemy on both sides, Sergeant Clarke left his covered location to reposition the few Afghan National Security Forces that were at the site while continuing to engage the Anti-Afghan Forces (AAF).

He again exposed himself to enemy fire by returning to the destroyed GMV to secure the remains of Staff Sergeant Davis, Staff Sergeant Bessa, and an ODA Interpreter. Sergeant Clarke assisted in securing and moving all remaining casualties and recovered all sensitive material near the scene. He and a few of his teammates secured the site for over one hour with very little support. Had they not, sensitive items and the remains of US service members would likely have fallen into the hand of the AAF.

Sergeant Clarke’s actions on 20 February went well above and beyond the call of duty. He repeatedly faced imminent danger and at no point, did he show any regard for his personal safety. His actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military heroism and reflect distinct credit upon himself, Special Operations Task Force – 31, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan, Special Operations Command Central, and the United States Army.

A Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team truck dangles off the edge of a cliff while PRT members and local residents work to recover the vehicle in Panjshir province, Afghanistan, Dec. 10. The truck was being used to deliver material assistance to a remote village in the Dara district of the Panjshir valley when it slid backward out of control and off of the mountain road. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jeff Kelly, Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team Intelligence Operations)

The adventure began on the cold, wintery morning, Dec. 10, deep in the Hindu Kush Mountains of the Panjshir valley in Afghanistan. The Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team conducted a routine mission to deliver material assistance, such as clothing, food and other supplies to a high-altitude village in the Dara district of the valley.

It snowed all morning, but temperatures were a bit too warm for it to stick to the road. The convoy departed with three trucks filled with supplies bound for the district center in Dara, assessing the situation and deciding whether to leave the supplies with the district governor for distribution or to continue on our own into more remote regions.

When we arrived, it was still snowing but not heavily. The road was clear up until that point, and, as far as we could see, it was still passable. The forecast said the snows would subside, so the mission commander decided to continue.

I was in the third truck as we travelled upwards along the road that wrapped along the mountainside. The road was barely wide enough for one vehicle, with the mountain on the left and a significant drop to the river on the right.

In an instant, the situation turned ugly, as the second truck could not maintain enough speed to make it up the now ice-covered road and slid backward. My truck also began sliding back down the hill. My driver, U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jeff Kelly, deliberately slammed our truck into the mountain side to stop our decent. It worked, but the second truck smashed into us.

Both the trucks were now stopped on the mountain road. We checked for any injuries, and, fortunately, there were none. I radioed the first truck, which we had lost sight of, to inform them of the situation.

“Sir, we are in a predicament,” said Senior Airman Bryan Ulloa, PRT Civil Affairs. “We couldn’t stop and our truck is now dangling off a cliff.”

I arrived to a frightful scene. The truck’s right side was completely off the road with at least a 15-foot drop to the boulders below. Everyone had made it out safely, and some had leapt from the vehicle as it had slid toward the cliff.

With the help of a crowd of local residents who had gathered to lend assistance, we began recovery attempts on the disabled vehicle as we relayed information regarding the situation back to our forward operating base. Help was dispatched, but the weather impeded arrival. As darkness set in, temperatures dropped, and the snow continued to fall, we were forced to abandon the recovery mission.

“The decision was made to download all sensitive items, such as radio equipment and weapons, and return to base with the hopes that the truck would remain in its current position until we could resume recovery efforts the next morning,” Kelly said.

That’s when the Panjshir Afghan National Police and the local residents displayed their heroism. Together, they took turns braving the frigid temperatures, cutting winds, and mounting snow-fall to guard the truck all night long, making sure it didn’t fall and no one was injured. When morning came they worked, stone by stone, to build a new rock wall reaching up from the riverbed to stabilize the truck. Then they used wooden logs to push the vehicle back onto the road. The ANP drove to the PRT’s FOB to let us know that our truck was safe and ready for us to retrieve it.

“This is proof that the government and citizens of Panjshir are capable of accomplishing great things,” said U.S. Army Maj. Ian Murray, PRT Operations Officer. “Not only did they watch over our truck, but they took it upon themselves to make sure we got it back. They put themselves at risk to help us. If it weren’t for their efforts, the PRT would have lost a valuable asset. We are proud to live and work in partnership with all of them.”

When asked why they did it, a local man named Pahlawan who had helped lead the recovery efforts stated simply, “You would do it for us.”

CJTF-101
Written by U.S. Air Force Captain John T. Stamm

The Afghan national army and Afghan national police, assisted by Coalition forces, conducted a cordon and search in the Arghandab District, Oct. 30, to search for a weapons cache and known insurgent leadership. The operation led to the detainment of four insurgents and several others being killed.

The intent of the operation was to decrease roadside bomb usage along the major highway going into Qalat City in Deh Chopan. The insurgents removed from the district were associated with placing several roadside bombs that were responsible for the deaths of innocent civilians.

The ANA and Arghandab ANP will continue to patrol this area and conduct operations to remove insurgents and halt the emplacement of roadside bombs.

No civilians were injured during this operation.

DVIDS

Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers, elements of the Afghan National Police and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) service members repelled a complex attack by insurgents in Paktia province, Afghanistan, 27 May.

At approximately 12:50 a.m., an unknown number of militant forces began to attack a small patrol base with indirect fire, rocket propelled grenades and smalls arms fire. Attack helicopters were called in to engage the insurgents and protect the ground forces. ISAF ground troops engaged the militants and, as the fire fight ensued, close air support dropped munitions on the insurgents.

After a five-hour fire fight, ANA and ISAF service members conducted an assessment of the area, finding 15 dead insurgents, numerous small arms and a mortar system.

No ANA or ISAF troops were injured during the attack.

ISAF