By Sgt. Jon E. Dougherty
Public Affairs NCO
203rd Engineer Battalion
FOB GHAZNI, Afghanistan – With a pair of outbound helicopters silhouetted against a sun setting low over a purple-blue distant mountain range, 2nd Platoon, 810th Engineer Company (sappers), Georgia Army National Guard, motored slowly toward its base.
It had been a long afternoon, but thankfully not one that had been fraught with danger.
Since the company deployed to Afghanistan in late October, its citizen-soldiers have compiled an impressive record of IED (improvised explosive device) “finds” – that is, locating the IEDs before they detonate.
Yet on this early March day, 2nd platoon, led by First Lt. Craig Henderson, did not find any IEDs on its trip from FOB Sharana – which is the way it’s been for the entire company since moving here a few months ago.
“We haven’t been finding many IEDs in this sector,” says First Lt. Shane Clemons, operations officer for the 810th, which is attached to the 203rd Engineer Battalion, Missouri Army National Guard.
That’s partly because insurgent activity in this sector of Afghanistan isn’t as high as in other parts of the country where elements of the company were once stationed. But, Clemons points out, one of the reasons it’s not is because local tribal leaders are helping keep the insurgency in check, as long as the company reduces its footprint, so to speak.
“There are less IEDs planted along the roads if we don’t patrol them as much,” Clemons said, noting that the company’s strategy of reducing its presence to a minimum along key routes is helping keep the local population safer.
While things are fairly quiet for the 810th – for the moment – it hasn’t always been like that.
Once upon a time, shortly after arriving in eastern Afghanistan last October as part of the 203rd Engineer Battalion, the 810th’s first area of operations included a route The New York Times Magazine dubbed “IED Alley.” There, route clearance platoons regularly found and disposed of IEDs.
And, shortly after arriving here, local nationals upset over a recent military operation in the area directed their anger at one of the company’s route clearance platoons. Scores of Afghans hurled rocks at vehicles, damaging windows and endangering Soldiers.
Also, it isn’t as if the 810th is immune from the violence gripping other parts of Afghanistan. With summer approaching, no one is under any illusions about the traditional offensives that have been mounted in the past by the enemy this time of the year.
“We could get hit anywhere, any time,” said Private First Class Jakub Karolak, a member of the 810th who is first-generation Polish and who helps translate for the 810th and U.S. contingents interacting with the Polish army here.
But in the meantime, the company is doing what it can to reduce violence and bring stability to their area of operation. That effort was typified by a large operation mounted with the Polish that included dozens of vehicles and a pair of Polish Air Force Mi-17 Hind attack helicopters for air cover. The 810th provided escort for Polish and Afghan National Army (ANA) units as the latter conducted a sweep for insurgents in a local community near here.
All in all, the company is playing a vital role in the U.S. and NATO’s efforts to bring peace to this corner of a war-torn nation.
As a March sun set on this remote base, the clear blue Afghan sky giving way to hues of pink, orange and purple, Henderson’s platoon moved carefully through the entry control point, powering down systems and emptying weapons as, one by one, trucks made their way through the fuel point and to their company parking area.
Another day down, another day closer to rotating back home, and another day of successfully protecting the Afghan people from an insurgency most say they would like to see go away.
