In Afghanistan, a recent change of command ceremony saw Major General Charles M. Gurganus assume command of NATO’s Regional Command Southwest (RC-SW) from Major General John A. Toolan, Jr. RC-SW consists of the Afghan provinces of Helmand and Nimruz.

The U.S. Marine Corps has held the responsibility for RC-SW for some time. Helmand Province has been the scene of fierce fighting against the Taliban while Nimruz has been far calmer. MG Toolan spoke with reporters yesterday about the situation in his AOR at the end of his tour.

Toolan commanded about 20,000 Marines and just under 13,000 troops from Coalition partners. The United Kingdom made up the largest of these units, supplying 9,500 men and women. They have the responsibility for three districts in Helmand Province and also lead the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRC) for the province.

Gunner Peter Maina from Light Regiment Royal Artillery, 29 Commando, 3rd Commando Brigade, attached to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion the Rifles, and a native of Plymouth, England, checks a .50 caliber machine gun prior to taking over Sanger duty at Patrolling Base Seca in Nahr-e Saraj district, Helmand province, Sept. 12. Marine Corps photo.

He had high praise for the other Coalition partners.

• The Danes are operating with the British in securing what he described as “one of the most kinetic districts in Afghanistan.”
• The Georgians have been assigned their own battlespace, evidence of their abilities, and will add a second battalion to their forces in September.
• Jordan and Bahrain have troops providing base security.
• The UAE is providing rotary wing assets in support of special operations mission. They are supplying both attack helicopters and transport helicopters.

In Toolan’s words “Things are good. Not great, but good” At this time the local population sees the Afghan security forces and the Coalition troops as the “home team”. Two years ago, it was the Taliban that was seen in that role.

MG Toolan sees corruption as the greatest threat to continued progress in Afghanistan. He talked about both “parasitic” corruption and “predatory” corruption. Parasitic corruption derives from the powerbrokers in Kabul, and consists of crimes such as skimming, nepotism, “pay to play”, bribery and the like. Predatory corruption is at the local level, when police or military use their power to steal.

Another problem that Toolan discussed was the integration of the Afghan Local Police (ALP). The ALP has been effective in adding an additional layer of security, he told us, especially in the troubled Marjah area. But there are not enough slots in the various national police organizations to accept all the ALP. He hopes that a retraining program can be created to give these men usable skills in construction, etc.

Asked to reflect on successes during his command, the general pointed to two infrastructure needs that the Marines have filled.

A Marine with Support Company, 9th Engineer Support Battalion, uses a grader to improve road surfaces on Route Tiffany, April 6, 2012. Support Company cleared and constructed the improved-surface road to facilitate travel in northern Helmand province. Malrine Corps photo.

Road building opens up impoverished areas to trade and communication. The Marines have built over 1,000 miles kilometers of roads in RC-SW. MG Toolan pointed out that this alone undercut Taliban influence.

Afghan children give their approval of the new bridge constructed near Combat Outpost Rankel in the district of Garmsir, Helmand province, Jan. 29. The Marines of Bridge Platoon, Alpha Company, 9th Engineer Support Battalion endured a 5-day convoy in order to replace a temporary bridge with a more permanent structure that would increase mobility for Marines operating in the area. Marine Corps photo.

The Marine move into the region around the Kajaki Dam was the other accomplishment that Toolan cited. The hydroelectric dam was built by the U.S. in the 1960′s and for several years provided both electricity and irrigation to the Helmand River valley. These resources made the area very productive. After the Russian occupation, the civil war and the Taliban takeover, the dam fell into disrepair and was poorly used, if at all.

The Taliban controlled the dam until last October. A Marine offensive took the dam and the area surrounding it. This allowed the Government of Afghanistan to begin receiving the benefit of the dam.

MG Toolan pointed out the the Afghan security force still need support in some critical area. Electronic intelligence gathering, logistics and battlefield health care are still lagging. He would also like to see a point in time when the police can transition from anti-terrorism duties to a more traditional role of law enforcement.

Regional Command – South West resources:

• NATO / ISAF site for RC-SW
• RC-SW WordPress site for news
• RC-SW on Facebook
• RC-SW photos on Flickr
• Digital content from RC-SW on DVIDS

A Marine from 2nd Platoon, Alpha Company, 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, uses a metal detector to sweep a culvert during a route reconnaissance mission of Route Red, which extends from Highway 1 to Shir Ghazay, Jan. 2. The purpose of the mission was to document inclines and declines in the route, sharpness of curves, the shortest width during the route, and where culverts were located or needed to be placed on the route to prevent wash out. Photo by Cpl. Meredith Brown

Marine engineers with 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) have nearly completed two major route construction and improvement projects in Helmand province.

As of Jan. 3, elements of the Okinawa, Japan-based 9th Engineer Support Battalion completed the road surfacing phases of Routes Red and 611, which each provide north and south passage on their respective sides of the Helmand River. Additional measures are now being put into place over the course of the next month to ensure their permanence, while also marking total project completion.

“We’ll continue minor improvements along both routes, including culvert emplacements,” said Capt. Christopher Kaprielian, a native of San Mateo, Calif., and operations officer for 9th ESB.

The installation of culverts, Kaprielian explained, will allow for proper drainage of rain water, thus preventing the roadways from simply washing away.

Two Marines from 2nd Platoon, Alpha Company, 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, use a metal detector to sweep a culvert during a route reconnaissance mission of Route Red, which extends from Highway 1 to Shir Ghazay, Jan. 3. The purpose of the mission was to document inclines and declines in the route, sharpness of curves, the shortest width during the route, and where culverts were located or needed to be placed on the route to prevent wash out. Photo by Cpl. Meredith Brown

Work on the routes began last year with 9th ESB’s predecessors, the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif.-based 7th ESB, which completed nearly half of the work before going home in late November.

“A lot of cross coordination was involved,” said Kaprielian. “The combined effort was truly unique.”

In terms of Route Red alone, he noted expert integration across the Marine Air-Ground Task Force to secure the volatile region through which Route Red intersects. Support from Regimental Combat Teams 6 and 8 was especially critical in allowing the engineers to continue construction efforts.

The enhanced roads are essential to International Security Assistance Force operations, and perhaps most importantly, the livelihoods of Afghan locals in the region due to the proximity of the routes to several major population centers. Safe roadways will present a viable means of transportation and facilitate economic expansion well into the future.

Route Red connects Gereshk and Shir Ghazay, while Route 611 serves as the main thoroughfare through the Sangin and Kajaki Districts.

Not unlike Route Red, the region through which 611 traces was also a hotbed for insurgent activity. Operation Eastern Storm, a major offensive spearheaded by the Marines of 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, launched last October to secure the Upper Sangin Valley from the Taliban-led insurgency. The secured and improved route will now allow ground convoys to deliver equipment and parts required to install a third turbine at the Kajaki Dam, located northeast of the village of Kajaki.

The dam was built in 1953, and according to the United States Agency for International Development, the additional turbine is part of an ongoing project to bring more reliable power and irrigation to the region. Once operational, this enhancement will improve energy distribution through Helmand and Kandahar provinces.

Story by Sgt. Justin Shemanski
DVIDS

Maj. Nina D’Amato, the education officer for Regional Command Southwest, uses her skills as an educator in the United States to help build the education system in Helmand province.

As a middle school vice principal, D’Amato fits the job very well because she understands how school systems are structured and what is necessary for those systems to run properly.

“I am very fortunate, as a Marine Reservist and a middle school principal, I think I bring a very unique background to this position,” said D’Amato. “My training has given me the ability to frame something so massive and put it into slots that people can understand.”

During her deployment, great strides have been made in education in Helmand province. In Marjah, one of the most hostile regions in Helmand province prior to the Marines’ arrival in RC (SW), there were only community-run schools and very few of them. Now there are nine schools in Marjah educating 1,000 students, 40 of which are females. The increase in schools and students shows that progress is being made and D’Amato has been making a difference.

“As I read the reports, I understand that communities want schools across Helmand province,” D’Amato said.

Like many Marines, D’Amato is learning many different lessons she can use when she returns to the states. Carrying a book to write all these down is her way of remembering the lessons learned over the course of her year-long deployment. These lessons range from professional to leadership skills that apply not only to her job as an educator in San Francisco, but also to her future goals.

“The same challenges I have in the United States with teachers and systems and data collection are the same challenges here,” said D’Amato. “The leadership lessons are different, the political lessons I learn are different. So, every lesson I learn I try to write it down, because you can just suck it in.”

D’Amato is also involved with a girls school near Kabul. She is on the board for the school and performs those duties on top of her already large responsibilities of educating the youth here and in the Unitied States. This dedication shows her commitment to the advancement of education in Afghanistan.

“Afghanistan will always stay with me,” D’Amato commented. “I hope to go and become a principal when I get back, but I’m keeping my options open.”

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Story by Lance Cpl. Jeremy Fasci

Marine Cpl. Cory J. Gibson of Lacey, Wash., receives the Bronze Star Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device from Lt. Col. Joseph Raftery during a ceremony at the Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Training Center here, Monday. Gibson was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device for his heroic actions taken after an improvised explosive device attack on his squad in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Aug. 26. Photo by Warren Wright

Initiative, courage and dedication are just a few of the words used to describe the heroic and selfless actions taken by then Lance Cpl. Cory J. Gibson after his squad was hit by an improvised explosive device while assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 7, Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan.

For his heroic actions on Aug. 26, 2009 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, Gibson was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with the Combat Distinguishing Device in a ceremony held at the Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Training Center here, Monday, Nov. 1.

According to the Secretary of the Navy Instruction 1650.1g, the Bronze Star Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device is awarded to individuals who distinguish themselves by heroic or meritorious achievement while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States.

“The Marine Corps puts a lot of weight on combat awards,” said Capt. Lance Day who served as Gibson’s company commander during their tour in Afghanistan. “As a company commander, to have a Marine with the guts to do what he did, it’s an absolute bonus. It’s something I’ll never forget.”

Gibson, a resident of Lacey, Wash., distinguished himself by taking immediate action to help his injured squad mates after the explosion. The IED injured seven out of the eight Marines in the squad, including Gibson’s squad leader who suffered severe arterial bleeding.

Injured himself, Gibson moved from Marine to Marine, providing first aid to those who needed it and radioed a situation report and a request for support from his higher headquarters.

Once the medical evacuation helicopters arrived on scene, Gibson helped carry his injured comrades to the casualty evacuation site, carrying some Marines more than 100 meters with a full combat load.

Wounded with a severe concussion and fragmentation wounds to his lower extremities, Gibson refused to take a seat on the evacuation helicopter, waiting until all of his fellow Marines who were more severely wounded were evacuated.

“Today we’re here to present an award to (Gibson) for his actions and participation in Operation Enduring freedom over there in Afghanistan. It’s quite a story and I’m humbled by it,” said Lt. Col. Joseph Raftery, the inspector instructor for the 4th Marine Landing Support Battalion based here. “Few words can sum up what kind of Marine Cpl Gibson is.”

“He took the initiative right away,” said Raftery. “It took courage to carry on and bring his fellow marines to safety.”

“The Strength, the bearing, the love for fellow marines, your actions and presence of mind; take all that and it sums up, in my eyes, a hero and a dedicated marine,” said Raftery.

When speaking to Gibson, Raftery said, “I know you don’t consider yourself a hero, but in my eyes, you’re a hero to me, you’re a hero to that battalion.”

“I didn’t do what I did for the award,” said Gibson. “It feels like a big deal, but it’s not a big deal. I’m glad I got it and I’m glad they recognized me, but I would have rather not lived that day.”

Even though Gibson would prefer to have not experienced the event, it has not swayed his dedication to his country and to the Marine Corps. Gibson, currently a college student, is planning on re-enlisting in the active duty Marine Corps so that he can deploy again and serve alongside his fellow Marines.

Story by Sgt. Warren Wright
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Sgt. Guadalupe Rodriquez is currently deployed to Helmand province, Afghanistan and is assigned to the female engagement team, Regimental Combat Team 7. She is a motor transportation mechanic, but volunteered for the FET as soon as the opportunity presented itself. Rodriquez, 29, is from Sells, Ariz. Photo by Sgt. Heidi Agostini

Sgt. Guadalupe Rodriquez, dressed in more than 60 pounds of combat gear, sat and flipped through pages of Cosmopolitan magazine, stopping at the horoscopes section.

“Scorpio,” she started to read aloud. “You have the travel itch on the third…this is a great time to score trips to tropical locales. Relax at the beach or lake in a nearby town.”

Her four teammates burst out in laughter, all looking around at the Marjah farmland surrounded by desert.

The desert environment isn’t new to Rodriquez, who was raised in Sells, Ariz., although she finds it ironic that she left one desert, only to find herself in another a few years later. Rodriquez, who has been in the Corps for five years, deployed to Afghanistan in March and is currently assigned to the female engagement team, Regimental Combat Team 7. This is her second deployment, the first to Afghanistan, where she is part of the Marine Corps’ newest program, aimed at establishing relationships with local Afghans, particularly women.

“With this culture, you have to speak with the Afghan males before you talk to the women,” said Rodriquez, 29. “We try to engage the entire population – men, women and their children. The toughest challenge I’ve encountered is trying to get the males to allow us to talk to the women. They have very strong beliefs in their culture which makes it hard for us.”

The FET usually find themselves on patrol or convoys and every so often they come across unforgiving water canals waiting for the next victim. Will the Marine make the jump, or miscalculate and continue on with the mission in wet boots and clothes?

“I remember my first patrol,” Rodriquez smiled. “When we came up to that water canal, it was more than what we were expecting. We jumped into it with both feet.”

Before she joined FET, Rodriquez was a motor transportation mechanic. Like most jobs in the Marine Corps, hers is a male-dominated occupation. She enjoys being a mechanic and even works on cars outside of work. She has her sights set on vintage trucks and a 1967 Mustang.

Now that Rodriquez is assigned to FET, she spends her days interacting with local Afghans and making sure her Marines are well taken care of. She is the first one to wake up on mission days, and usually the last to hit the rack. But before she does, Rodriquez spends a good half hour brushing her hip-length hair, inherited from her Native American and Mexican ancestry.

Sgt. Guadalupe Rodriquez hands snacks to a family waiting to receive medical care during a women's medical engagement held outside Combat Outpost Riley, July 10. Rodriquez is assigned to the female engagement team, Regimental Combat Team 7. This is her second deployment, first to Afghanistan. Photo by Cpl. Megan Sindelar

Many noticed her leadership style during pre-deployment training, including Capt. Natalie Kronschnabel, FET platoon commander, RCT-7. Rodriquez made sure the Marines were caught up on their pre-deployment training and ensured they were physically and mentally prepared for their deployment.

“She’s very professional,” said Kronschnabel. “She’s fair with the Marines and when I push tasks down to her, I know they’ll get done the right way.”

Kronschnabel adds that even though the entire FET is dispersed throughout the province, Rodriquez maintains contact with all members of the FET program and ensures they are treated and used properly by their respective battalion.

While on a FET mission, she searches Afghan women and converses with them with either a linguist or the little Pashtu she picked up during training and during her current deployment. Her intent is to find out more about the population in the village and their living conditions.

“By asking them questions and taking an interest in their well-being, it shows the Afghans a different side of Marines,” said Rodriquez. “When Afghans see or think of Marines, they assume they’re all male. But when they see female Marines, they feel more comfortable with us. We’re like the third gender out here because we can speak with men, women and children, whereas the male Marines can only speak with Afghan men and children. “

It’s an honor for Rodriquez to be part of the elite team comprised of female Marines. She believes this breakthrough will change the way female Marines are viewed in a combat situation. FET Marines are overcoming obstacles and leaving their own footprint in Afghanistan.

“Deploying to Afghanistan and being part of this team is an amazing opportunity,” said Rodriquez. “I wouldn’t trade this for anything else. Its definitely life-changing and it opens up your eyes, but it’s very humbling as well.”

DVIDS
Story by Sgt. Heidi Agostini

DVIDS May 29

An Afghan-international security force used precision air strikes to kill the Taliban shadow governor of Baghlan province and several of his fighters last night.

Aircraft were called to a rural area in Baghlan-e Jadid district after human intelligence sources confirmed two vehicles were transporting insurgents and weapons through the area. Before engaging, coalition forces waited until the vehicles were well clear of any structures to minimize the possibility of civilian casualties. When the armed passengers left the vehicles they were engaged and killed by aircraft.

A ground security force then entered the area and came under fire from insurgents in a nearby cave. The assault force returned fire, killing several insurgents who were heavily armed with a heavy machine gun, multiple rocket propelled grenades, automatic rifles, hand-grenades, ammunition and communications equipment.

The Taliban shadow governor was responsible for organizing and directing attacks against coalition forces. He was in constant contact with Kunduz and Pakistani Taliban senior leaders, providing updates and receiving guidance. Sources told coalition forces the Taliban forces had been planning an attack on a nearby Afghan National Police outpost.

An Afghan-international security force killed several insurgents and captured several others in Kandahar province this morning.

The combined force moved to a compound and surrounding areas south of Kudeza’I, in the Zharay district, after intelligence information verified insurgent activity. As the assault force approached, several armed individuals took up fighting positions in a nearby wood line and orchard. The combined force called for the individuals to surrender, but the individuals began firing machine guns and rocket propelled grenades at the security force. The assault force returned fire and began clearing the compound and immediate area.

Several insurgents were killed and captured after the lengthy firefight. The combined force found several planted IEDs in the area, as well as rocket propelled grenades, heavy machine guns, multiple automatic rifles, hand-grenades, ammunition and communications equipment.

Another Afghan-international security force detained several individuals suspected of insurgent activity in Khost province this morning.

The combined force went to a building in the village of Shegay, Musa Khel district, after intelligence information found insurgent activity. The men suspected of insurgent involvement were detained during a search of the building and the surrounding area.

The joint force found rocket propelled grenades and automatic rifles at the site.

No shots were fired and no one was harmed in the operation.

A different Afghan-international security force captured a Taliban weapons facilitator and another militant in Wardak province this morning.

The combined force went to a compound east of Soltan Kheyl, Sayyidabad district, after intelligence information confirmed insurgent activity. The assault force detained a suspected Taliban facilitator believed to be responsible for buying and distributing weapons to Taliban networks, and another suspected insurgent, while searching the buildings.

The security force came under fire from a sniper and returned fire, killing him.

The search team found multiple automatic rifles and ammunition.

A separate Afghan-international security force captured a Taliban commander and several individuals suspected of militant activity in Kandahar province yesterday.

The Taliban commander was captured after the security team interdicted a vehicle in the Panjwa’i district after intelligence information confirmed militant activity. He is responsible for planning and executing attacks against coalition forces and was also involved in kidnappings and weapons facilitation.

The suspects were captured without incident.

DVIDS May 30

An Afghan-international security force detained several individuals suspected of insurgent activity in Helmand province this morning.

The suspected insurgents were detained during a search of a compound in Bar Nowzad-e Gharbi, Now Zad district, after intelligence information indicated insurgent activity.

Another Afghan-international security force detained several individuals suspected of insurgent activities in Kandahar province last night.

The combined force detained the suspected insurgents in a compound near Gondigan, west of Kandahar City, after intelligence information discovered militant activity. The search team found weapons and communications equipment in the compound.

No shots were fired and no Afghans were harmed in the above operations.

An insurgent mortar team was killed by a precision air strike in Paktiya province yesterday.

The mortar team fired on coalition forces from a rural area in the Zormat district. As the mortar team attempted to drive away after the attack, coalition aircraft engaged the vehicle with a precision air strike, killing the insurgents.

A ground search team found a mortar system and mortar propellant in the vehicle.

Afghan and ISAF partners conducted a combined operation early Saturday morning near Sangbor, Helmand province, to disrupt a criminal Taliban group responsible for supplying roadside bomb components.

As the combined force approached the compound of interest, several men were observed fleeing from the compound. One of the men presented a threat to the force and was killed, while the other men were detained. Several women and children were protected in this operation.

Marines of Alpha Company, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, carry on with their daily exercise routines, May 16. They lived out of their vehicles for five months in the deserts of Helmand province, Afghanistan. Photo by Lance Cpl. Benjamin Crilly

Cpl. Brandon T. Templeton, a team leader from Garden City, Mich., lived out of his vehicle for five months, conducting security operations in the deserts of Helmand province, Afghanistan.

Templeton, along with more than 140 Marines and sailors of Alpha Company, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, deployed in December so they could begin desert operations in the cold Afghan winter. Their deployment took them through May, when they worked under the Afghan sun day in and day out.

Living out of a vehicle sounds better than it was for the service members. For the Marines of 2nd LAR, it meant sleeping in the dirt on whichever side of their vehicles wasn’t being pounded by the unforgiving desert winds. Their vehicles were laden with backpacks containing all their gear everything they had while roaming the desert. The company combat operations center was housed in one vehicle and only had three seats for Marines to sustain operations throughout the deployment.

“It was like a long family road trip,” stated Templeton.

Most family road trips include rest stops and nights spent in hotels. Templeton and his comrades had no showers or bathrooms. Baby wipes and a bottle of water were considered a good shower out in the desert. The Marines had no running water sources, so their water was strapped to the side of a vehicle in makeshift Hesco crates. Resupplies were conducted internally every three to four days. This was when they received their Meals, Ready-to-Eat, mail, vehicle parts and more water until their next resupply.

LAR came and left during an interesting timeframe. They battled the winter chills for the first few months of their deployment. Then they rolled right through the spring and into the soaring summer temperatures. Insects became their closest friends and worst enemies, keeping them awake at night and buzzing around them throughout the days. With just a vehicle in the middle of the desert, the Marines had to rely on camouflage netting and the vehicle to provide any shade.

“The living conditions were horrible, but it had to be done,” said Sgt. Peter T. McEntee, a section leader with Weapons platoon, who preferred the cold over the flies.

Staff Sgt. Jose E. Garcia, the communications chief for Alpha Company, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, uses Training Exercise Straps of the side of his vehicle the deserts of Helmand province, Afghanistan, May 16. The vehicle was not only their home and gym over the battalion's five-month deployment, but it also served the battalion's combat operations center. Photo by Lance Cpl. Benjamin Crilly

Marines are known around the world for physical and combat fitness, and LAR was no exceptions. With no weights or equipment available, they found ways to work out off the side of the vehicles with Training Exercise Straps. Bicep curls were performed with ammunition cans on a pipe. Staff Sgt. Jose E. Garcia, the communications chief from Sweetwater, Texas, made his own medicine ball out of duck tape and had developed a workout regimen. Other Marines opened the back of the vehicles and used the entrance handgrips to perform pull-ups. For sit-ups, Marines sat on top of a tire and used the vehicle’s leverage to hold them in place.

The only time that the Marines were able to go back to Camp Dwyer to shower and use a computer was when their vehicles needed to be serviced beyond what their mechanics could do in the desert. This only happened maybe once a month for the Marines of 2nd LAR.

The Marines turned over with Echo Company, 1st LAR, May 19, after five months and returned to Camp Dwyer caked in dirt as they readied to re-deploy to Camp Lejeune, N.C.

DVIDS
Story by Lance Cpl. Benjamin Crilly

First Lt. Timothy McCormick, assistant operations officer, Brigade Headquarters Group, Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan, drinks freshly-purified water with locals. The water was cleaned with the solar-powered water purification system assembled here, Feb. 16. The system cleans out bacteria and diseases in the water, making it safe for locals to drink.

NAW-ABAD, Helmand province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – Marines with Brigade Headquarters Group, Marine Expeditionary Brigade–Afghanistan, assembled a solar-powered water purification system here, Feb. 16, in order to provide the community with clean, drinkable water.

Cpl. David T. Bernabe, a combat engineer with Brigade Headquarters Group, Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan, opens solar panels on a solar-powered water purification system here, Feb 16. The water purification system can filter 60 gallons of water per minute. (Photo by: Lance Cpl. Franklin E. Mercado)

This is the first time the system is being used outside of Camp Leatherneck, said 1st Lt. Timothy McCormick, the assistant operations officer with BHG.

The system requires little to set up and is very efficient. The water purification system can filter water at a maximum rate of 60 gallons every minute.

Its ability to run with very little effort from the user makes the system simple. Because it is low maintenance and runs on solar energy, the only thing the user needs to do is change filters as they get dirty.

“The simplicity of the system makes this a great opportunity for these people to have clean water,” said McCormick. “The clean water will be rid of most of the bacteria and diseases it [typically] contains.”

Due to the contamination in the water, locals are not drinking as much water as they should, which leads to dehydration, said McCormick.
If the system is successful, it will encourage the usage of the purification system elsewhere, said McCormick.

“We filtered non-potable water through the purification system while it was on Camp Leatherneck,” said Navy Lt. j.g. Jefferson Moody, environmental health officer with MEB–Afghanistan. “The system got rid of most of the bacteria in the water and made it safe to drink.”

“Depending on how well the people are helped by the purification system, consideration will be taken to figure out where else we can set them up,” said McCormick.

DVIDS
Story by: Lance Cpl. Franklin E. Mercado

A 12-man team put in a place a 36-meter long bridge across a strategic stretch of the Nahr-e-Bughra canal near the town of Shaheed in northern Nad-e-Ali. The town and canal were both seized by British and Afghan forces as part of Operation Moshtarak. Commanders took the decision to order the bridge to be put in place because more routes across the canal were needed to ensure supplies got to infantry troops on the ground. (Photo by: Cpl. Sean Killen)

The first phase of a Marine offensive in a former Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan’s Helmand province is nearing completion, the Pentagon’s No. 2 official said, March 2.

As the military operations of the roughly 15,000 NATO and Afghan forces that have been engaged in Operation Moshtarak since Feb. 13 begin to wind down, the focus in the Marja section of central Helmand is shifting from clearing out the enemy to holding the gains the operation has brought about.

“Our strategy, however, recognizes that military action is only the first step in a successful transition,” Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said today. “The Afghan government and security forces must ultimately take responsibility for security and governance.”

Lynn said U.S. Marines are working alongside Afghan and U.S. civilians to help establish government services in Marja, where the raising of the Afghan government flag at a ceremony last week symbolized the end of Taliban dominion in the region.

Speaking to members of the American Legion, Lynn described continued resistance in Marja in the form of homemade bombs known as improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, which were littered across the area ahead of the operation, according to reports.

“Our soldiers are exposed to great risks daily,” he said, “from IEDs, snipers and suicide attacks.”

U.S. and NATO military officials remarked publicly for months before the offensive on the strategic importance of the southern Afghanistan region and the goal to clear the area of Taliban fighters. The rationale was to allow low-level Taliban fighters the chance to flee, and to warn civilians of the impending attack, officials said.

Marja has been characterized as representing the first test of President Barack Obama’s strategy to add 30,000 more troops in the fight against Afghanistan-based insurgents. As the initial phase of operations comes to a close, Lynn said, Marja has emerged as an area where hope is returning.

“Because of our new strategy, and President Obama’s deployment of additional troops, Marja is one of many cities in Afghanistan that has begun to have hope,” he said. “And with Pakistan’s capture of key Taliban leaders, the strategy of targeting adversaries on both sides of the border is paying off.”

The capture in Pakistan last month of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar — the Taliban’s second-in-command to Mohammad Omar and the top operational commander — had been described previously by the White House as a “significant win.” News of the apprehension came last month amid reports that NATO and Afghan forces had yielded early progress — and some stiff resistance — against Taliban fighters ostensibly under Baradar’s command in Marja and elsewhere in central Helmand.

“We still have a long road ahead,” Lynn said, “but we are working hard with the Afghan government and with our partners to shift the momentum in our favor.”

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Story by John Kruzel

Package about civil affairs Marines on patrol in the city of Marjah as part of Operation Moshtarak. Produced by Sgt. Jenn Calaway.

Interviewees:
• 1st Lt. Aran Walsh (US)
• Gunnery Sgt. Larry Trimmer (US)

Package about the flag-raising ceremony over the war-torn city of Marjah, giving the city and newly established government center back to the people after Operation Moshtarak. Produced by Sgt. Jennifer Calaway.

British Army Maj. Gen. Patrick Carter (GB), Commander of ISAF Regional Command [RC] South and Brig. Gen. Larry Nicholson (US), MEB-A Commanding General talk to a military reporter about returning Marjah back to the Afghans free of taliban influence and intimidation and the efforts of the Marines and Afghan forces during Operation Moshtarak. Video by 1st Lt. Joe Reney

The Afghan flag-raising ceremony in the Marjah District Center, Helmand province, Afghanistan, attended by the Helmand provincial governor, the Marjah district governor and numerous members of NATO-ISAF. Video by 1st Lt. Joe Reney

Col. Randall Newman talks to a military reporter about a flag raising over the city of Marjah and what it means for his Marines and the Afghanistan people in the region.

U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Jesse Underwood engages enemy forces during Operation Moshtarak in Badula Qulp, Afghanistan, Feb. 19, 2010. The International Security Assistance Force operation is an offensive mission being conducted in areas of Afghanistan prevalent in drug-trafficking and Taliban insurgency. Underwood is from Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment. (DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. Efren Lopez, U.S. Air Force)

Lance Cpl. Ryan Hogan, a rifleman with 3rd Platoon, India Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, leaps over an irrigation canal while on a patrol in Marjah, Helmand province, Afghanistan, Feb. 21, 2010. The Marines and soldiers from the Afghan National Army patrolled through a residential area of the city as part of Operation Moshtarak, a push to rid Marjah of Taliban presence and intimidation. Photo by Lance Cpl. Tommy Bellegarde

A Marine with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, walks through the bazaar in Marjeh, Afghanistan, Feb. 19. Marines with Bravo Company, 1/6, have set about securing the key community centers in the city in order to allow locals to return to their homes. Photo by Lance Cpl. James W. Clark

Marines with Alpha Company, 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion build a makeshift bridge over a canal in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Feb. 11. Alpha Company built numerous makeshift bridges, in order for Marines and vehicles to have a clear route to the Taliban stronghold Marjah. Photo by Lance Cpl. Walter Marino

Lance Cpl. Michael Murray, a fireteam leader with 3rd Platoon, India Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, gives candy to Afghan children in Marjah, Helmand province, Afghanistan, Feb. 19. The Marines and soldiers from the Afghan National Army patrolled through a residential section of the city to carry out counter-insurgency operations as part of Operation Moshtarak, a push to rid Marjah of Taliban presence and intimidation. Photo by Lance Cpl. Tommy Bellegarde

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Marines Near Marjah Hold First Meeting With Elders, Kill Taliban Attackers

A patrol of Marines and Sailors of Combined Anti-Armor Team 1 and Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, held their first impromptu meeting with village elders in the “Five Points” area Feb. 14, and only moments later came under hostile fire from Taliban attackers.

Five Points is a small farming community between the cities of Nawa and Marjah where a junction of major roads connects northern Marjah with eastern Helmand Province. Charlie Co. Marines and Afghan national army soldiers conducted a helicopter-borne assault to seize the area Feb. 9, ahead of the start of Operation Moshtarak in Marjah.

Marines had not yet had an opportunity to meet with village elders here due to daily engagements with Taliban forces during patrols in the area.

During the meeting, three elder Afghan men sat down to talk with Marines and said they were glad Marines and Afghan national security forces had come to the area.

“We are happy you’re here for our security,” said one of the men. “The Taliban come in our homes and make us feed them. We have barely enough food for our own families. We just want to live in peace.”

Marines with Alpha Company, 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion and 1st battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, take a moment to observe their surroundings after convoying construction material for their upcoming mission in Marjah. The large plastic tubing will be used by Alpha Co. to build makeshift bridges over small canals. Photo by Lance Cpl. Walter Marino

Marine Engineers Pave Historic Path Into Marjeh

Equipped with plastic hollow tubes and water from local canals, the Marines of 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion created a path for 1st Battalion 6th Marine Regiment, into the Taliban stronghold Marjeh.

It was up to 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion to build a clear route to Marjeh, and they succeeded.

The 2nd CEB brought out all their assets, including route clearance platoons, assault breacher vehicles and Alpha Company.

Alpha Co. Marines filled the canals with large, hollow, plastic tubing, providing a platform for Marines and vehicles to cross. Hallow tubes were used to allow the canal water to flow and prevent any damage to Afghan irrigation systems.

With their work done, the battalion had created a path toward the city but had not yet cleared the route of possible roadside bombs.

Marines from India Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment patrol during a sandstorm in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Feb. 8. The India Company Marines and soldiers of the Afghan national army have been battling inclement weather while living in the elements of the Helmand desert for the past two weeks. Photo by Lance Cpl. Tommy Bellegarde

Marines, Afghan Soldiers Take on Harsh Weather Conditions in Helmand Province

The troops awoke from their tarp-covered fighting holes, Feb. 10, to find a blanket of frost, covering everything around them. Their boots, flak jackets, helmets and anything else exposed to the elements served as a frozen consequence of sleeping outside in the harsh desert of Helmand, province Afghanistan during the wintertime.

Frost was only one of the many challenges to the Marines and Sailors of India Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, and soldiers of the Afghan national army, living outside without the protection of permanent structures.

Earlier in the week, a brutal hailstorm, without warning, pelted the Marines with large chunks of ice.

“I was standing on top of a hill and the hail started sprinkling a little bit,” recalled Cpl. Charles Hickey, a mortarman with India Co. “Then the wind picked up and it started hurting more. All of a sudden, instantly, marble-sized hail started coming at us at like 100 miles an hour!”

When the coalition troops entered a residential area of Marjah, Helmand province, Afghanistan, the locals cautiously came out of their homes to get a closer look. Slowly, men trickled out of their dwellings to speak to the soldiers from the Afghan National Army. When they realized that the troops meant no harm, children came outside as well.

The ANA soldiers and Marines from 3rd Platoon, India Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, patrolled this area of Marjah, Feb. 19, to conduct counterinsurgency operations in support of Operation Moshtarak.

The troops went through the neighborhood to search for members of the Taliban, weapons caches, improvised explosive devices and anything else that could potentially be used by insurgents to harm civilians or coalition forces.

Weary of the Taliban’s oppression, the locals were relieved that the troops showed up to their neighborhood. The locals quickly warmed up to the troops when the Marines gave the children candy and the on-scene corpsman provided medical care to all the residents who were feeling sick or injured.

The locals showed their gratitude by feeding the troops.

An Afghan boy stands near Marines with 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, after his father asked them for aid in treating his son's fever Feb. 17 in Marjah, Afghanistan. Photo by Lance Cpl. James W. Clark

NATO and Afghan forces have made early progress in an ongoing offensive on a Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan, but have encountered some stiff resistance and may need another 25 to 30 days to secure the entire area, a top military official said.

Overall the multinational force has reached the “end of the beginning” of the operation in central Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, said British Maj. Gen. Nick Patrick Carter, commander of NATO forces in International Security Assistance Force’s Regional Command-South, during a briefing, Feb. 18.

“I guess it will take us another 25 to 30 days to be entirely sure that we have secured that which needs to be secured,” Carter told Pentagon reporters. “And we probably won’t know for about 120 days whether or not the population is entirely convinced by the degree of commitment that their government is showing to them.”

Despite dislocating the insurgency within 24 hours of landing in the region, Feb. 13, Carter said, fighting continues in Marja, which to date has claimed the lives of six allied troops, including four Americans. Some 15,000 NATO and Afghan forces are engaged in Operation Moshtarak, which in Pashto and Dari means “Operation Together,” including 8,000 to 10,000 ground troops.

“In Marja itself, there remains stiff resistance from the insurgence,” Carter said. “And U.S. Marines in partnership with Afghan security forces are still fighting [an] intense series of actions, in the process of clearing Marja as a whole.”

Pentagon Spokesman Geoff Morrell predicted that insurgents remaining in the area were intent on seeing the fight through.

“It is not very coordinated, but there still are holdouts who have remained in Marja and elsewhere in Helmand who have stayed to fight,” he told reporters today, “and they’re clearly going to fight to the bitter end.”

Morrell added that IEDs, the military shorthand for makeshift bombs known as “improvised explosive devices,” mines and other explosives left in the wake fleeing Taliban pose a larger threat than residual enemy fighters.

In spite of the pace of operations being slowed by enemy bombs and explosives, military officials have expressed satisfaction at the rate of progress in the central Helmand operations, which represents the first test of President Barack Obama’s plan to add 30,000 more troops in the fight against Afghanistan-based insurgents.

Carter said Operation Moshtarak would likely represent the first wave in a series of operations in a push against insurgents further east towards Kandahar.

“I think, as a result of Moshtarak, is a sense of momentum that will sweep eastwards towards Kandahar during the course of the next six months,” he said. “And my sense is that … you will see the insurgent pushed eastwards in a way that will roll him out during the course of the next 12 months or so.”

In a rare glimpse at their playbook, U.S. and NATO military officials for months have remarked publicly on the strategic importance of the southern Afghanistan region and the goal to clear the area of Taliban fighters. The rationale for such a declaration of intent was to allow low-level Taliban fighters the chance to flee, and to warn civilians of the impending attack, officials said.

Marja, like other areas of Helmand, is a source of income for Taliban fighters, who cultivate poppy to yield opium and heroin for the lucrative drug market, according to reports. The U.S. State Department cites Afghanistan as the world’s largest producer of opium, and money from the drug trade is said to help in bankrolling terrorism.

DVIDS
By John J. Kruzel

Marines carry their gear out to Army helicopters prior to an air assault into Marja, Afghanistan, Feb. 13, 2010. UH-60 Black Hawk CH-47F Chinook helicopters inserted nearly 300 Marines into the objective area. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Aubree Clute

When Operation Moshtarak kicked off here Feb. 13, Army helicopter crews from the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade inserted nearly 300 Marines and Afghan security forces into Marja, Afghanistan, under cover of darkness.

UH-60 Black Hawks, CH-47F Chinooks and AH-64 Apaches from Task Force Pegasus facilitated the air assault of Kilo Company, 3/6 Marines, in seizing their objective area.

“Protected by Apache air weapons teams, the Marines and their partnered Afghan security forces quickly began moving to their initial objective, seizing key terrain and preparing to link up with their parent headquarters scheduled to begin a ground assault into Marja,” said Army Col. Paul Bricker, 82nd CAB commander.

Shortly after the Marine insertion, additional Task Force Pegasus aviation assets assisted a coalition air assault into nearby objective areas in Nad Ali. Task Force Pegasus’s 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 82nd Aviation Regiment — Task Force Wolfpack — was one of three helicopter units involved in the operation in support of the British Task Force Jaguar.

“Their air assault was equally effective in seizing key terrain in the city of Nad Ali, located adjacent and northeast of Marja,” Bricker said. “Their operation was even more complex, as it included over 20 rotary-wing aircraft from the U.S., Britain and Canada.”

Task Force Pegasus continues to provide support to operation Moshtarak, but the focus has turned from aerial security to medical evacuation. Casualty evacuation teams are standing by to transport wounded coalition and Afghan forces to appropriate field hospitals as necessary.

“[The CH-47F Chinook] has been specially configured with helicopter cabin litter support systems and manned with TF Pegasus surgeons and medics to conduct critical patient transfers from less-capable combat surgical wards within Helmand province to southern Afghanistan’s largest and most advanced hospital on Kandahar Air Base,” Bricker said.

The 82nd CAB has completed more than 120 air-assault operations throughout southern Afghanistan over the last 10 months in support of operations by the International Security Assistance Force and Afghan forces.

DoD
By Army Staff Sgt. Aubree Clute
Special to American Forces Press Service

A combined Afghan and international force interdicted three vehicles in three separate engagements, resulting in more than 10 militants killed while pursuing a Taliban commander in Afghanistan’s Helmand province yesterday [Feb. 15 2010].

The force was sent to a rural area in the Washir district after intelligence reports revealed militants were in several vehicles.

One of the vehicles drove away and attempted to elude the assault force. As the force attempted to stop it, weapons were pointed at them through the open car windows. The coalition force engaged and killed the militants who were in the car.

After the fire fight the ammunition inside the vehicle continued to detonate, causing the force to pull back to a safe distance.

Another associated vehicle, with one occupant, drove out of the village, with the coalition force in pursuit. The car stopped and the occupant drew an automatic rifle and attempted to fire on the force, which then killed the militant.

A third vehicle was located, and armed militants got out of both sides of the vehicle and engaged the pursuing force. The joint force returned fire killing several militants.

As the force engaged the third car, it received machine gun and rocket-propelled-grenade fire from the nearby village. As the fire fight continued, militants from the village tried to approach the burning vehicle several times, but were driven off as explosives and ammunition inside the vehicle continued to detonate.

To reduce the possibility of civilian casualties in the village the combined force then broke off the fight and returned to base.

DoD

Lance Cpl. Mark Trent, a scout sniper with 3rd Platoon, India Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, provides security inside a compound in Marjah, Helmand province, Afghanistan, Feb. 16, 2010. The Marines took shelter inside the compound after clearing it for insurgents and improvised explosive devices. The 3/6 Marines and soldiers from the Afghan national army have been conducting counter-insurgency operations in Helmand province since January. Photo by Lance Cpl. Tommy Bellegarde

Canada

B-roll of Canadian Helicopter Force Afghanistan conducting an air assault mission in support of Operation Moshtarak. Scenes include Canadian forces boarding a helicopter, views from inside the helicopter while it is in the air, Canadian forces exiting off the back on the helicopter and Canadian forces being briefed on the mission. Produced by Lance Cpl. A.J. Lugo.

DVIDS

B-roll of French Soldiers being trained on how to mentor the Afghan National Army at Hohenfels Training Area in Southern Germany. Scenes include the soldiers receiving directives, a French armored vehicle entering the area, the commander calling in air support, various soldiers standing guard, a French soldier in a guard tower on the lookout, role playing as a civilian approaches their checkpoint and a simulated attack on the base.

DVIDS

B-roll of Estonian and Afghan soldiers preparing for and launching Operation Moshtarak. Scenes include the training and preparation for a helicopter landing and nighttime launch and joint patrols in Nadi Ali, Helmand province, Afghanistan.

DVIDS

Package made from the B-Roll “Training the Trainers” about Polish soldiers being trained on how to mentor the Afghan Army at a special training area in southern Germany. Produced by David Heathfield.

DVIDS