U.S. Army Sgt. Jacob Miller, a cavalry scout for Troop B, 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment’s Task Force Slugger and native of Colona, Ill., explains to local farmers how an apple presser works in Maiden Shahr district Sept. 20. The hope is the farmers will take unsold apples and turn them into other products to make more money. Photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Brian P. Glass, Task Force Patriot Public Affairs

To improve the economy in Wardak province, soldiers from the Georgia Agribusiness Development Team and Troop B, 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment’s Task Force Slugger worked together to teach local farmers how to use an apple presser in Maiden Shahr district Sept. 20.

The soldiers already conducted the class in the Jalrez district, which local villagers came to in good numbers. So, it seemed to be a no-brainer to bring the class to Maiden Shahr.

“We mostly used it [the class] as a way to establish a connection with the people,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Jacob Miller, a cavalry scout for Troop B, 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment’s Task Force Slugger and native of Colona, Ill. “We realize agriculture is the driving force in the lives of people here.”

Miller, who grew-up with an agricultural background, was the primary instructor for the class in Jalrez. He came to Maiden Shahr to teach the people what they would need to be successful.

“We built an apple press to show them methods to save apples that normally spoil,” said Miller.

Miller said the economic benefit for villagers in Maiden Shahr is too great an opportunity for the locals to pass up.

“Several tons of apples go to waste inside the valley, and giving them options to be able to sell these apples and still have a product that is marketable for them will improve their way of life,” said Miller. “Selling this (apple juice and cider) at their local shops will bring in money and also shorten their hunger season.”

Once Miller began demonstrating how to use the apple presser, the locals became interested in seeing how it worked first hand.

“Every class starts out the same way, with the Afghans being very stand-offish,” Miller said. “Then, their interest takes over and before we knew it they are out there grinding out and pressing apples.”

Miller said the apple presser works when apples are ground up, then the ground apple parts are put into a clean cloth. Next, the apple parts are put under a smashing plate and mashed to get all the juice out.

One local farmer was excited about the possibility of having an apple presser for all the apples he has.

“This is very important, this apple presser,” said Ahmed Khalil, a local farmer in Wardak. “I want to make one for my home and use it for my apples.”

The apple presser is easy for the local farmers to make at a low cost to them, said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Steve Kistler, Georgia ADT Wardak provincial commander and Lawrenceville, Ga., native.

“They have the wood,” said Kistler. “Some (local farmers) are carpenters and can do a better job than we can at putting it (apple presser) together.”

U.S. Army Sgt. Nathaniel Smith, non-commissioned officer in charge for the Georgia ADT in Wardak province and native of Dunwoody, Ga., said local farmers can obtain materials for building apple presses themselves and do not need the ADT to acquire such items., “[All] we give them is a step by step [class] on how to build this [apple presser].”

Once the demonstration was over and local farmers sampled the apple cider, the villagers came to Miller with questions about how to capitalize on the opportunity.

“One of the villagers said he can produce one ton of apple juice from all his bad apples that aren’t going to be worth selling whole,” said Miller. “He wants to know how he can bottle them, package them and where to sell them.”

That question gave Miller an idea for the next training class he will teach to Afghan farmers.

“This [class] will extend into canning and pasteurizing training,” said Miller.

Miller and other Georgia ADT personnel walked away from the class confident in the hope their training will help turn around the economy in Maiden Shahr and keep local farmers from siding with insurgents.

“[It would be] an increase in the economy. As they make more money, as they’re able to improve their way of life, the government will be able to draw taxes from it,” said Miller. “The people should become less volatile, because their lives have stabilized, they have food and won’t worry about their children going hungry.”

DVIDS

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.

An Afghan-international security force killed a group of enemy militants and detained two suspected militants today in eastern Paktika province while pursuing a Haqqani commander with ties to the local Haqqani leadership and who was responsible for several attacks in the area.

The joint task force targeted the buildings in the hills of Sarobi district after intelligence indicated militant activity.

During the assault on one building, the joint force received enemy fire and returned fire. Following no response from calls to exit the building, the joint force cleared the building. During the operation, a group of militants was killed in and outside the building.

A security element of the joint force searched the enemy positions and recovered blasting caps, IED-making materials, a number of RPGs, AK-47 rifles, chest racks and communications equipment.

Afghan-International Security Force Interdicts Militant in Wardak

A separate Afghan-international security force killed an enemy militant in Wardak province today while pursuing a Taliban commander and facilitator responsible for planning and executing several attacks in the area.

The joint security force targeted compounds near the village of Tokarak in Nerkh district after intelligence indicated militant activity.

During the operation, the joint force received hostile fire and returned fire, killing one enemy militant. A security element of the joint force searched the enemy position and recovered an AK-47 rifle, multiple hand grenades, and AK-47 magazines. The joint force searched the compounds without further incident.

Afghan-International Security Forces Detain Militants in Kandahar and Kunduz

In an operation in Kandahar province today, an Afghan-international security force detained more than a dozen suspected militants while pursuing a Taliban commander operating in the area who is linked to the local Taliban shadow governor.

The joint security force targeted compounds in a remote stretch of the Daman district after intelligence indicated militant activity. Security elements from the joint force pursued individuals seen departing from one of the compounds and detained several suspected militants.

The joint force searched the compounds without incident, recovered one artillery round and detained the other suspected militants. The artillery round was destroyed at a safe distance from the compounds.

No shots were fired, and no one was injured.

In a separate operation, an Afghan-international security force detained two suspected militants in Kunduz province while pursuing a deputy to an area Taliban shadow governor. The joint security force targeted a compound near the village of Chem Tappeh in Kunduz district after intelligence indicated militant activity. The joint force searched the compound without incident.

No civilians were harmed during the operations in Paktika, Wardak, Kunduz or Kandahar provinces.

ISAF Casualties
No ISAF service members were killed during the past 24 hours.

ISAF

Afghan and International security forces killed and detained groups of suspected militants in four separate search operations conducted Oct. 6 and 7, in eastern and southern Afghanistan.

A joint security force killed and detained several suspected militants in Saydabad district, Wardak province today, after searching a compound known to be used by a Taliban group believed responsible for improvised explosive device attacks against Afghan civilians and regional infrastructure.

During the search the joint security force received hostile fire and returned fire, killing several enemy militants. The joint force also found a suicide vest and destroyed it in place.

On Oct. 6, a joint security force killed and detained suspected militants in Kabul province during an operation to disrupt a Taliban element responsible for improvised explosive device placement and attacks on joint forces in southeast Afghanistan. Acting on reports indicating the presence of a known Taliban commander, the joint force searched a location near Niknazar Kalay in Shinkay district.

During the search enemy militants armed with rifles attempted to move against the joint force. The joint force received hostile fire from enemy militants and responded with small arms fire killing them. A search of the suspected militants revealed multiple AK-47 assault rifles and ammunition, which were destroyed in place.

In another operation today a joint security force detained several suspected militants south of Marjeh in Helmand province. The joint force searched a compound known to be used by a Taliban commander and his element believed to be responsible for transporting weapons to other militant elements and for several small arms and suicide attacks against Afghan civilians and infrastructure in the region. The force uncovered 115 pounds of black tar heroin and destroyed all of it in place.

In a fourth operation a joint security force captured two wanted Taliban militants Oct. 6 in the Tere Zayi district of Khowst province where enemy fighters had created a safe-haven. The suspected Taliban militants were wanted for conducting illegal activities including coordinating attacks against joint security forces and for facilitating the distribution of weapons and narcotics.

During this operation the joint security force searched a number of compounds known to be used by militants and Taliban leaders who are believed to be responsible for roadside bomb attacks against Afghan National Security Forces in the area. Several suspected militants were detained for questioning.

A supply of AK-47 rifles, ammunition and magazines was found during the search and destroyed.

No Afghan civilians were harmed during these operations.

No ISAF service members were killed over the past 24 hours.

ISAF

A Kuchi elder shakes hands and accepts cooking oil from Ali Khashe, deputy governor of Afghanistan’s Wardak province, June 8, 2009. Sacks of beans, sugar, flour and rice brought in by U.S. soldiers were distributed by Afghan officials in an effort to ease tensions between the Kuchi and Hazara tribes. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Rob Frazier

Every summer, the Kuchi tribe migrates through the Daymardad district of this central-Afghanistan province, allowing their animals to graze in the open pastures belonging to the Hazara tribe. This frequently has sparked violent territorial disputes.

After hearing of the conflict, U.S. forces at Forward Operating Base Airborne approached Wardak Gov. Mohammad Halim Fidai about a peaceful way to resolve the fighting between the two tribes.

“The mission was inspired from the age-old conflict between the Kuchi nomads and the Hazara,” said Army Maj. Joe Asher, deputy civil affairs officer for the 10th Mountain Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team. “Three weeks ago, we went to Daymardad, and it was a very positive step for us. The Kuchi elders said they would not migrate if they were given food, water and vaccination supplies for their animals.”

Once learning of a possible solution, soldiers from 4th Battalion, 25th Field Artillery Regiment, delivered the first installment of humanitarian aid to the Daymardad people.

“We hope this demonstrates that we’re saying, ‘Hey, we’re taking the steps to alleviate your problems,’” Asher said. “Although this is funded by us, it’s important for the Kuchi and Hazara to know this is enacted by the Afghan government.”

The first delivery included sacks of beans, sugar, flour, rice and boxes of cooking oil. Asher added that a second shipment of humanitarian aid likely would be made within the next week.

“We plan to follow this up with water, tents and veterinarian supplies,” Asher said. “This way, the Kuchi won’t have to move their livestock, because they will have what they need.”

Ali Khashe, deputy governor of Wardak province, was on hand to greet the soldiers and meet with the Kuchi tribesmen prior to handing out the food. Inside the district center, Khashe fielded questions from the elders regarding water and vaccination requests for their livestock. Khashe told them he knows their issues cannot be solved all at once, but that he hopes they understand the leaders are working as hard as possible to meet their needs.

“The governor’s office is trying to solve their problems,” Khashe said. “It’s our priority to convince the two tribes to live like brothers.”

The deputy governor said the humanitarian aid is a step in the right direction, and another example of coalition efforts to help the Afghan people.

“The district center and the people here all know the U.S. comes to help,” he said. “They are very happy, because everyone knows the U.S. forces came to help rebuild Afghanistan. We are very grateful for their assistance.”

Asher said that with U.S. assistance and cooperation from the Wardak government, the humanitarian aid will signal the start of a change for the Kuchi and Hazara tribes in the Daymardad region.

“Hopefully, this will result in the first nonviolent summer between them in a long time,” he said.

DoD
By Army Sgt. Rob Frazier
Special to American Forces Press Service

The governor of Wardak province, Mohammad Halim Fidai; the Jalrez District sub-governor, members from all of administrative divisions, contractors and numerous district elders gather for a meeting to discuss future development projects in Jalrez District. Work on these seven projects will begin June 6 and will include multiple wells, a bridge, repairs to several schools and retaining walls to protect bazaars.

Following months of hard work by the citizens of Jalrez, in Wardak province, security has improved to such a degree that development money is pouring into the district. On June 3, Afghan citizens who live in Jalrez have seen their desire for a better life and their labor come to fruition.

The governor of Wardak, Mohammad Halim Fidai, the Jalrez sub-governor, president of the Jalrez shura, shura members from all of the administrative divisions, contractors and numerous district elders were all present to show their support and witness the contracts for new development projects being signed.

The genesis of this event began months ago as the citizens of Jalrez readily volunteered for the government’s new security program, the Afghan public protection program, known as the Guardians. Led by the national government in Kabul, the program is designed to get local Afghans to take charge of securing their village against militants who use them as safe havens.

The first groups of more than 240 Afghans of the Afghan public protection force completed their training March 23 and are being employed in Jalrez District. Expansion of the APPF will be based on results of this pilot program, evaluated in conjunction with community leaders, Afghan national security forces and the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The Guardians are trained by the Afghan national police and are accountable to the Ministry of Interior.

The second part of this program, once the local citizens reclaim their villages from disruptive elements, is to begin the process of development which leads to economic prosperity and an enhanced quality of life.

Work on these seven projects will begin on June 6 and will include multiple wells, a bridge, repairs to several schools and retaining walls to protect bazaars. According to local contractors, these seven projects are just the beginning. There are more than 20 development projects planned for the near future. A military officer said that the APPF has been so successful that it will allow the Afghan government to begin even larger projects within the next two months. Some of these projects include an aqueduct, a clinic, mosque repairs and a canal system.

Not wanting to be left out, village elders from villages in Nerkh District spoke to governor Fidai in order to be able to become a part of APPP and share in this security and prosperity. These leaders were assured that there are enough resources and training for all of the citizens of Afghanistan to take back their future. In his speech, governor Fidai stated that the security provided by the APPF and the clearing operations performed by ANSF over the past few months will allow Jalrez to continue to prosper into the foreseeable future. Today, with the signing of the development projects, the citizens of Jalrez have reclaimed both security and prosperity from the Taliban.

DVIDS

Flexing for the first time the massive military muscle now deployed to this area, coalition forces cleared one of its most troubled insurgent hotspots, sending a forceful message to insurgent fighters here that the coalition will go wherever, whenever it wants.

The three-day operation wrapped up yesterday and took hundreds of troops deep into the Tangi, a valley of narrow roads and steep cliffs that runs along the Logar River through the southeastern part of Wardak province opening into Logar province.

The area has seen few coalition forces for the past eight months after a small U.S. military team was brutally attacked and four were killed there last summer.

Shortly after the first few soldiers with the 10th Mountain Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team arrived here in February, they sent a little larger than a platoon-sized team into the valley. The troops were blasted by roadside bombs, rocket-propelled grenades and rifle fire. Remarkably, no one on the patrol was killed.

But, only days afterward, two local boys who had talked with coalition leadership during the mission were dragged from their homes and killed. It was a strong-arm attempt to strike fear into the local population, officials said, because the insurgents knew that with the growing U.S presence here, the coalition forces would be back.

Army Lt. Col. Kimo Gallahue is the battalion commander for the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, and runs coalition efforts in Wardak province. He is a tall, sturdy Army Ranger, a combat veteran and well-versed on the threat here. Truth be told, though, Gallahue really doesn’t care what brand of insurgency he is fighting. He just wants them gone.

He had talked to the boys on that first trip.

“That type of action is criminal. It’s murderous. It’s meant for intimidation of the population. So you can see why, when given the alternative of security and better governance, the people want it,” Gallahue said. “This enemy … they can’t win if that’s their alternative, if that’s the future they offer.”

Tangi Valley
The Tangi Valley is a fertile breadbasket in this region. Snow and rain run off the mountains into a valley of apple and pomegranate orchards. Just off of Highway 1, south of Kabul, the valley boasts one of the few paved roads in the region. But, the narrow road and high ridges make it ideal for an insurgent defense. Once entering the valley, there is nowhere to go except deeper in along its winding road flanked by small villages jutting from the hillsides. Vehicles traveling the road are easy targets, and roadside bombs known as improvised explosive devices are routinely buried along the 15-kilometer route military officials dubbed “IED Alley.”

This mission was launched by the 10th Mountain Division’s Task Force Spartan, which took control of the Wardak and Logar provinces last month. The task force’s deployment tripled the firepower here, where coalition force officials initially did not predict a serious threat developing. But as more intense fighting began in the eastern part of the country, many insurgents took advantage of the two provinces’ small coalition presence and remote districts.

Pincer Movement
Soldiers from two battalions led the efforts. The 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, which runs coalition operations in the Logar province, moved northwest along the valley road, clearing mostly villages. Gallahue had his battalion’s troops move southeast, clearing the majority of the rural route. The two met near the provincial borders where the 3-71st troops established a permanent coalition force presence in the valley at a combat outpost.

At the start of the operation, U.S. Special Forces troops, along with Afghan military commandos, descended on the valley in an air assault, looking for some key suspects and weapons caches. Throughout, U.S. F-15 aircraft and Apache attack helicopters flew overhead, providing air support.

Afghan Army and French Mentors
Two companies of Afghan national army soldiers, partnered with their French mentoring company, moved side by side with U.S. forces. Afghan national police led the searches of suspects’ homes.

For three days, soldiers cleared the route, walking the road and through the villages and fields. It was slow, tedious work as, step by step, anything found suspicious was reported up the chain, and nobody moved further until any threat was cleared.

“It’s nerve-wracking. You have a lot of things going on at one time,” said Army Staff Sgt. Erik Bonnett, who was in the lead of the dismounted clearing operations for the 2-87th. “The worst part about it was the physical part. Being up this high in altitude with all the gear we wear, it starts to get to you.” The valley sits at just under 8,000 feet above sea level.

He said his troops were looking for “snail trails” or markings on the ground where wires were run. They also looked for fresh tracks or areas where no grass was growing because of digging. They were always on alert for their biggest threat — small-arms fire or rocket-propelled grenades launched from the nearby rooftops or ridgelines.

Troops with bomb-sniffing dogs also walked the road, clearing culverts, rock piles and any cars and trucks passing by. Military vehicles capable of detecting buried electronic devices also helped to clear the route.

It is Bonnett’s fourth deployment to Afghanistan and, even though the days were long and the pace was slow, he realized the gravity of an error on his team’s part.

“If I don’t do my job, the end result is lives are lost,” Bonnett said.

Route Clearing Results
And insurgent fighters did not disappoint. Three bombs were found along the route. It took soldiers nearly a half day to dig out a large propane tank, believed to be filled with explosive, from underneath the road. Once the tank was uncovered, a second wire was found leading from it to where officials believe a second bomb was buried deeper. Rather than take any more time to unearth the second device, officials chose to explode it place and repair the road.

Army 1st Lt. Alvin Cavalier was in the lead in the route-clearing efforts. His truck was hit twice on the February trip through the valley. Cavalier said finding the bombs this time paved the way for future operations there.

“Getting hit the first couple times coming in here, you don’t want that for your guys. Getting in there and digging those IEDs out of the road gave the guys a huge boost of confidence, and we’ll be ready to come back in here next time,” Cavalier said. “This is our battle space. We’re here to clean this place up.”

There were not, however, any direct attacks on the forces this time, which military officials said was a promising sign. Officials attributed it mostly to the fact that they simply had any enemy fighters outgunned.

“We took away the lines that he could attack from,” Gallahue said. “He had to make a decision. Fight and die, or not fight at all.”

Improvements Since February
Forces stopped in each village to talk to the local people. Gallahue and others said that on this trip the villagers were more receptive to coalition forces. Some waved at the convoys, and others milled about in their villages. In February, some soldiers said, nobody was out. They mostly hid in their homes.

Gallahue was optimistic at the start of the trip when he spotted an old man walking down the road.

“That’s a good sign,” he said. If people are out, then the likelihood of an attack is less, he explained. Most know when the enemy fighters plan to strike.

Gallahue is itching to put a combat outpost on his side of the valley, but he has just put in two outposts in the Jalrez Valley, another problem spot in Wardak. There were three such outposts in Wardak when he arrived, and he has already doubled that number.

The commander said that, for the most part, the people in the Tangi are tired of the fighting. They are eager for the security that coalition forces bring.

“There is a certain amount of war-weariness in the population, and they’re ready for security,” he said. “We’re going to go in there and turn that valley around.”

Gallahue called the fight here a “true counterinsurgency,” and said it could not have been accomplished with the few troops that were here before. His province was manned by only a company-sized element before Task Force Spartan took over.
Effective counterinsurgencies are people-intensive, he said.

Two battalion-sized task forces are here. Task Force Catamount is made up of soldiers from the 2-87th Infantry, and Task Force Wolfpack is made up of troops from 4th Battalion, 25th Field Artillery. Both focus on operations within Wardak province. Catamount focuses on security and economic development, and Wolfpack focuses on strengthening governance in the province.

This weekend’s show of force is likely the first of many for this area as Gallahue and his troops ready for the spring thaw and the anticipated increase in insurgent fighting. So far, they have been busy setting up outposts and meeting with local leaders, hoping to have established roots in the communities by the time the insurgent fighters return.

In the meantime, Gallaghue said, his troops have shown they can travel anywhere within the province to go about the business of separating the people who want peace from those who want to fight.

“This is Wardak province, and I’m responsible for security. … Tangi Valley is part of that, and if we need to go in there we can,” Gallahue said. “We’ll take the physical terrain from the enemy, … and we’ll take the people away, because the people are the prize in this fight.”

DVIDS
Story by Fred Baker

Click photo for screen-resolution image Forward Operating Base Airborne in Afghanistan’s Wardak province is nestled among snow-covered mountains sitting at about 8,000 feet above sea level March 6, 2009. The mountain peaks reach above 14,000 feet. As scenic as the mountains are, they are also dangerous, as they are littered with land mines, many left over from the 1980s Soviet occupation. DoD photo by Fred W. Baker III

It’s hard to find a good, old-fashioned combat fight in Afghanistan right now — even here, surrounded by the battle-hardened, well-armed infantry and artillery troops of the 10th Mountain Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team.

That’s partly because it is still winter and most insurgent fighters are holed up waiting for warmer weather, but also because the fight has changed across this rural landscape.

Here in Wardak province, just south of Kabul, the fight is not so much ideological as it is economic, senior military officials say. And while coalition forces are prepared to wage a toe-to-toe fight against enemy fighters, they are more inclined to focus on nontraditional means of separating those who want to fight, from those who want to live peacefully.

“I can, in an instant, become someone’s worst enemy,” Army Col. David Haight, the 3rd BCT commander, said. “But that’s not really the main reason that I’m here. I’m here to try to help the people.”

But fighting has not been far from people’s minds here. Until last month when the 3rd BCT took control of Wardak and Logar provinces, the area was manned by only a company-sized element of coalition forces. Because this area is not near the Pakistan border, coalition forces leaders initially did not predict a serious threat developing here. But as more intense fighting began in the eastern part of the country, many insurgents took advantage of the small coalition presence and the remote districts.

Kabul is visible from here, and the increased enemy activity made its residents uneasy, feeling that the soft underbelly of the capital city was unprotected. The two main highways that run from Kabul south to Kandahar and Gardez were seeing more bombings and attacks.

That was until the 3rd BCT took over. The team runs the overarching Task Force Spartan, made up of more than 2,700 10th Mountain Division soldiers. More than 30 percent are veterans of the division’s last deployment to Afghanistan in 2007.

The base is outside of Maydan Shahr, the provincial capital. There are more than 410,000 people in Wardak province and about 292,000 in neighboring Logar province. The two provinces together make up 3,700 square miles, roughly the size of Connecticut.

The 10th Mountain troops have tripled the area’s combat firepower, but the attacks they are waging now are aimed at building infrastructure, helping legitimize the provincial government and pumping much-needed money into the barren economy.

“It’s an economic war. The enemy here … he’s just looking for a job,” Haight said. “He’s going to make a hundred dollars from the Taliban to carry an [rocket-propelled grenade launcher] or maybe we can pay him $150 to work on a road — put a shovel in his hand instead of an RPG.”

Haight acknowledged the long-running debate over which comes first, security or development. His battle plan, he said, is to work both at the same time.

His troops already have made good use of this time of light insurgency. Haight has pushed troops out of the base and into remote combat outposts near the villages, especially in the Jalrez and Tangi valleys, both of which are historical hotspots for insurgents.

The soldiers are patrolling the villages daily, talking to locals and building relationships with tribal leaders.

Haight predicts that by the time enemy fighters return to this area in the spring, his forces will have established roots in the communities, forcing insurgents to make a choice.

“He either has to choose to fight us — and if he does then we can either kill or capture him and that’s good — or he chooses to leave, and that’s good also, because it separates him from the people and then the people can get on with running their lives,” Haight said.

The coalition forces work hand-in-hand with Afghan national security forces. An Afghan army battalion is collocated on the base. The army is well-trained and capable of conducting independent operations with the exception of needing logistics and other support elements supplied by coalition forces, officials here said.

Haight readily acknowledges the challenges that lie before him and his men — an enemy that hides within the communities, a lack of basic infrastructure, treacherous mountain terrain, harsh weather and a local population that has had no experience with, or interest in, a local government.

It is misleading to reference “reconstruction” here. Mostly it is construction, with little or nothing to start with. This poses challenges as Haight’s troops work through providing basic, sustainable services such as power and water in an area where they have never existed.

“Quite honestly, putting a man on the moon is easier than getting water running in Afghanistan,” Haight said.

Two soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team walk their vehicle through the muddy paths of Forward Operating Base Airborne in Afghanistan’s Wardak province, March 6, 2009. The soldiers, part of Task Force Spartan, took control of the base last month. DoD photo by Fred W. Baker III

His biggest challenge, however, is strengthening the local government and fostering locals’ trust in that government. In some places, insurgents offer a pseudo-government in the absence of a strong local government in the region. But, they also seek to expand their control through criminal activity, intimidation and fighting.

“We’re not getting outfought here in Afghanistan by the enemy. We’re getting out-governed,” Haight said.

Many in this diverse area are skeptical, having not yet decided to support the local government or coalition forces. They do not want to revert to Taliban rule, but they are not yet sure that coalition forces are here to stay.

But, as Haight moves troops into the remote regions, he said the dynamic changes quickly and already many locals are turning in those who support the insurgents.

“These people who are fence-sitters are being pushed over with a feather,” Haight said. “It isn’t as hard as I anticipated it might be.”

Haight plans to focus on building roads that will open up the area for commerce, health care and education. Roads here now are limited to trails and dry creek beds.

“I honestly believe that is the key to getting them out of the economic woes that they’re experiencing,” Haight said.

The commander said he plans other projects as well, such as schools and medical clinics. Haight estimates he will spend nearly $100 million in commander’s emergency response program funds before he leaves.

Before his deployment here ends, Haight said there are a handful of roads in both the Wardak and Logar provinces he would like to have graveled or paved. Also, Haight said he hopes to have the Afghan security forces in the area capable of supporting themselves logistically. And he would like to see more of the corruption culled from the Afghan National Police.

Finally, Haight said, he wants people here to be able to trust and understand the local and provincial government. He does not predict a “Jeffersonian democracy” any time soon, but if people come to believe in the government, they will have eliminated most of the insurgency.

“If they achieve that, that’s going to be a high enough quality of life that the enemy’s alternative isn’t acceptable to them. It’s too oppressive,” Haight said.

DoD
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service