BARG-E MATAL, Afghanistan – ANA Soldiers stand guard after reclaiming Barg-e Matal on July 26.

Afghan National Security Forces, with support from their coalition partners, continued to secure Barg-e Matal on July 27.

Soldiers from the Afghan National Army conducted an air assault July 25 in order to reinforce security in the village, located in the Nuristan province.

The combined assault force took deliberate steps to avoid hurting any innocent civilians during the operation.

ISAF provided air support, supplies, and a small force in support of operation. The support helped the ANSF further secure the town, continuing their disruption of insurgent operations throughout the region.

Once operations conclude, follow-on efforts will include projects to reinforce security.

US Army RC East

Villagers return to the village of Barg-e Matal following the arrival of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan forces July 26

News Release #732 is referred to in this note, and other press releases on the ISAF site. It is, however, not posted at that site. Our story on the battle can be found here.

A more detailed battlefield assessment following the Oct. 3 attack in Nuristan has determined that enemy forces suffered more than 100 dead during the well-coordinated defense — significantly higher losses than originally thought.

Additionally, ISAF now believes that while the attack was conducted by local anti-Afghan forces, while local Taliban and elements of Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin (HiG) may have helped facilitate the attack.

The group responsible for conducting the attack was initially reported as “Nuristani tribal militia.”

Note to Editors: This is an update to ISAF News Release #732, released Oct. 4

ISAF

Via Blackfive, here’s a news report from a daring reporter who went to the battle.

These troops are likely from the 4 BCT, 4 Infantry Division, out of Fort Hood.

Two joint International Security Assistance Force and Afghan national security forces outposts were attacked in the Nuristan province of eastern Afghanistan Saturday morning (October 3 2009).

Nuristani tribal militia launched the attacks from a local mosque and nearby village.

Coalition forces effectively repelled the attack and inflicted heavy enemy casualties while eight ISAF and two ANSF service members were killed.

“My heart goes out to the families of those we have lost and to their fellow Soldiers who remained to finish this fight,” said Col. Randy George, commander of Task Force Mountain Warrior. “This was a complex attack in a difficult area. Both the U.S. and Afghan Soldiers fought bravely together; I am extremely proud of their professionalism and bravery.”

Names will be withheld pending next of kin notification.

Coalition forces’ previously announced plans to depart the area as part of a broader realignment to protect larger population centers remain unchanged.

The sources of the conflict in the area involve complex tribal, religious and economic dynamics. Coalition forces will continue to assist in matching local resources with ANSF to bolster security and partner with local communities on development assistance if requested.

DVIDS

Times of London

Map

Map

CBS News

Kalagush Radio DJ prepares the Nuristan province, Afghanistan, radio station for broadcast, Aug. 3. The International Security Assistance Forces funded station offers the people of the remote mountain area a variety of news and entertainment programs. Photo by Sgt. Matthew Moeller

When Shaib Dad Hamdard was growing up in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province he dreamed of being a voice to his people.

Now, with the turn of a dial, and the flick of the switch, he’s on air at Kalagush Radio, reaching out across the remote mountain province.

Today’s topic: the need for woman’s equality.

“With this I can educate my people,” the 24-year-old station manager said, motioning to the microphone. “I can provide a voice to them.”

Broadcasting into areas so isolated, that many residents may only travel as far as the neighbouring village in their lifetimes, Kalagush Radio is “a live existence of the [outside] world,” said Hamdard.

For 12-hours a day the Nuristani radio station offers news and entertainment programs catered to the remote mountain people.

Although the news stories are not always positive, they are always honest. Offering a balanced look at issues affecting area residents, and following the station’s “don’t take any sides” philosophy.

But the news is only one part of the station’s programming. DJs offer a variety of music, history, education, religious and social commentary shows as well.

According to Hamdard, one of the Kalagush Radio’s most popular shows is a daily music program that allows listeners to phone in with requests. Thousands of people attempt to call the hour-long show every day, but only a few hundred get through.

“We think of the needs of the local people, and what they want,” said Hamdard, remarking on the station’s success.

Although funded by International Security Assistance Forces, the people of Kalagush Radio insist they decide what is put on the air.

“Of course it is funded by the coalition forces, but I have total control over the programs, the programs are not limited to any specific groups.” said Hamdard.”

Now with the success of the radio station, ISAF forces are working with Kalagush Radio to expend their broadcast to 24-hours a day. They’re also planning on hiring several new journalists for the station, including an Afghan woman. Offering a voice, the station’s crew says, to a silent majority.

DVIDS
Story by Sgt. Matthew Moeller

Jared Monti - Medal of Honor awardee

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died in Gowardesh, Afghanistan, on June 21, 2006, when they encountered enemy forces using small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades during combat operations. Both soldiers were assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 71st Calvary, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.

Killed were:

Sgt. 1st Class Jared C. Monti, 30, of Raynham, Mass.

Staff Sgt. Patrick L. Lybert, 28, of Ladysmith, Wis.

DoD

Sergeant First Class (SFC) Jared C. Monti, a Military Occupational Specialty 13F Fire Support Specialist, was a Targeting NCO assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, New York. He distinguished himself by acts of conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty against an armed enemy in Gowardesh, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan.

On 21 June 2006, SFC Monti, then a staff sergeant, was the assistant patrol leader for a 16-man patrol tasked to conduct surveillance in the Gowardesh region. The patrol was to provide up-to-date intelligence, interdict enemy movement and ensure early warning for the squadron’s main effort as it inserted into the province. As nightfall approached, the patrol was attacked by a well organized enemy force of at least 60 personnel. Outnumbered four-to-one, SFC Monti’s patrol was in serious danger of being overrun.

The enemy fighters had established two support-by-fire positions directly above the patrol in a densely wooded ridgeline. SFC Monti immediately returned fire and ordered the patrol to seek cover and return fire. He then reached for his radio headset and calmly initiated calls for indirect fire and close air support (CAS), both danger-close to the patrol’s position. He did this while simultaneously directing the patrol’s fires.

When SFC Monti realized that a member of the patrol, Private First Class (PFC) Brian J. Bradbury, was critically wounded and exposed 10 meters from cover, without regard for his personal safety, he advanced through enemy fire to within three feet of PFC Bradbury’s position. But he was forced back by intense RPG fire. He tried again to secure PFC Bradbury, but he was forced to stay in place again as the enemy intensified its fires.

The remaining patrol members coordinated covering fires for SFC Monti, and he advanced a third time toward the wounded Soldier. But he only took a few steps this time before he was mortally wounded by an RPG. About the same time, the indirect fires and CAS he called for began raining down on the enemy’s position. The firepower broke the enemy attack, killing 22 enemy fighters. SFC Monti’s actions prevented the patrol’s position from being overrun, saved his team’s lives and inspired his men to fight on against overwhelming odds. SFC Monti epitomizes what it means to be an NCO. Because of his personal sacrifice and selfless service to the Army, the men of his patrol are alive today and continue the fight.

SFC Monti’s name will adorn our new Fort Sill Call for Fire Training Center. The “Monti Call for Fire Training Facility” will be used to train future joint fires observers. Sudents will be trained on jointly approved tactics, techniques and procedures in support of Artillery, Naval Surface Fire Support and Aviation. Upon graduation, the students will take with them the knowledge, skills and inspiration the Monti Call for Fire Training Facility provided to fight effectively and win on today’s modern battlefield.

Fires – Ft. Sill publication

Marker honoring Jared Monti at COP Monti

This guy is my son, SFC Jared C. Monti. He died 6-21-06 trying to save the lives of 3 of his fellow soldiers.Brian Bradbury would have survived if the cable lifting him up to the helicopter didn’t snap..he fell to his death. The helicopter pilot lost control due to that mishap & he crashed & died. Jared was shot twice while trying to save his comrads. Patrick was dead before he hit the ground, Jared was killed while trying to retrieve his body. The medic trying to save his life was also killed. He managed to save one soldier his name is Derek. My son did what his does best looking out for his “boys” as he called them. He gave his life to save another and it’s not the first time he risked his life saviing his platoon. He received 2 Bronze Stars for both instances, the first one on his first tour in Afghanistan. I miss him more than words can express, will grieve his loss till the day I die but I have never been so proud.

That’s who this guy was!

Janet Monti
Gold Star Mother

Honnold Forum

Someone You Should Know – Pundit Review

Medal of Honor Awards for July 23 – Castle Argghhh

A U.S. Army Soldier looks through Afghan voter registration cards, July 12, which were taken from women in the Barge Matal area by insurgents, hoping to disrupt the national elections, scheduled for late August, by denying women the right to vote. The cards were found by U.S. forces while service members searched Barge Matal during an operation aimed at taking back the tiny village in Afghanistan’s eastern Nuristan province, which was overwhelmed by insurgents earlier in the week. ISAF and ANSF plan to return the card to local village elders in the coming days. (Photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Matthew C. Moeller, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)

A combined military operation between Afghan National Security Forces and International Security Assistance Forces, launched July 12, secured Barge Matal, in eastern Nuristan province.

Insurgent forces had overwhelmed the isolated mountain village several days prior to the operation, but fled as ANSF and ISAF service members quickly secured key areas of the village.

While securing the area, service members discovered several large weapons caches, including one in a local hotel, known for housing anti-Afghan forces in the area.

ANSF and ISAF also found a bag containing more than 80 voter registration cards taken from women in the area. The cards are believed to be evidence of insurgents desire to disrupt the national elections, scheduled for late August, by denying women the right to vote

A gun battle erupted in the late afternoon of July 12, and lasted into the early evening, until ANSF and ISAF personnel successfully repelled the insurgent attack.

Coalition representatives plan to meet with village elders in the near future to discuss the town’s continuing development, and to return the voter registration cards taken from local women by insurgents.

CJTF-82

Army Staff Sgt. Conrad Begaye stands before fellow soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, during a ceremony in Vicenza, Italy, June 30, 2009. Begaye was awarded the Silver Star for his valorous actions during an enemy ambush Nov. 9, 2007, in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province. U.S. Army photo by Capt. Joseph Sanfilippo

Even as Army Staff Sgt. Conrad Begaye relived the firefight that took the lives of his fellow soldiers, and even as he was awarded the military’s third-highest honor for valor yesterday, his thoughts were on his comrades.

Begaye, a Navajo from Black Canyon City, Ariz., said he wants the story of his actions in Afghanistan to help younger soldiers understand the importance of training, leadership and motivation. For troops eager to see combat, he said, he hopes his story instills a sense of the reality of war.

“It should open their eyes. A firefight is a life-altering experience – one that I’m still living through,” Begaye said following a June 30 ceremony here in which he received the Silver Star. “Soldiers should understand … this is real life, and people do die.”

On Nov. 9, 2007, Begaye, an Airborne Ranger with the 503rd Infantry Regiment’s 2nd Battalion, was part of a unit that had just met with local leaders in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province. They were hiking along rugged terrain when his squad, his platoon’s headquarters sections and a squad of Afghan soldiers began taking fire from enemy positions above.

Pinned down at first, Begaye was struck in the arm while returning fire and directing his men. Begaye bounded over a cliff, calling to his troops to follow him down the rocky slope to find cover.

Keeping his composure against overwhelming odds, Begaye directed and encouraged his fellow soldiers under heavy fire. One paratrooper had been shot in both legs and was still taking fire. Begaye called out to him to play dead, knowing the enemy would shift their fire away if they thought the soldier was killed — quick thinking that likely helped to save that soldier’s life.

Ignoring his own injuries, Begaye moved a wounded soldier to a nearby cave to protect him from enemy fire. Using a radio, he called his higher headquarters and directed mortar fire onto enemy positions – essentially ending the battle. Then he motivated a soldier to organize a defensive perimeter of Afghan soldiers to prevent their unit from being harassed or overrun.

Twenty-one months later, with his comrades standing quietly on the parade ground behind him, Begaye listened as Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett III, commander of U.S. Army Africa, spoke here, where Begaye began his service 10 years ago.

“Today, we honor a noncommissioned officer whose bold actions turned the tide of battle and saved the day, … [and] whose courage under fire and fierce loyalty to his men still astounds us all,” Garrett said. “Outnumbered, wounded, and initially pinned down in the kill zone of an enemy ambush — he didn’t hesitate to leap forward, literally, and take charge of the fight.”

Garrett spoke of the “warrior ethos” that guides soldiers: place the mission first, never accept defeat, never quit, and never leave a fallen comrade.

“These are just words to some people,” Garrett said. “But the warrior ethos is a way of life to Staff Sergeant Begaye. Amazing acts of bravery and valor were commonplace that grim day. But this morning, we recognize Staff Sergeant Begaye for his courage – and we are thankful for the opportunity to serve with such a man.”

After the ceremony, Begaye’s wife, Air Force Staff Sgt. Idellia Beletso, a flight medic based at Aviano Air Base, Italy, hugged her husband. Hundreds of red-bereted paratroopers lined up to shake Begaye’s hand, many of whom served with him in combat.

“There are people who have passed on that deserve this,” said Begaye, who served three combat tours. “There were five men who died. I’ll accept and wear it in honor of them, not for my actions, but for theirs.”

Begaye said he would have preferred a simple handshake or a pat on the back. After all, he said, infantrymen don’t fight for medals, they fight for each other. That’s why Begaye felt grateful to have soldiers from his unit, Chosen Company, behind him on the parade field during the ceremony.

“What happened there is something I think about every day,” Begaye said. “It’s not easy to forget about.”

DoD
By Army Capt. Joseph Sanfilippo
Special to American Forces Press Service