Wednesday Warfighter: Building a Self-Sustaining Engineer Force

Filed under DoD News by on February 1, 2012 at 7:10 am {no comments}

Story by Sgt. Joseph Koktan
364th Public Affairs Operations Center 

In the front are instructors Muhammad, Sgt. Frank Singer, Spc. Anthony Hartigan, Sgt. Taft Hall, Spc. Kenny Adams, and Habib, and in the back is Engineer Class 3. (Photo by Sgt. Joseph Koktan)

TARIN KOWT, Afghanistan—As the 2014 drawdown of U.S. troops in Afghanistan approaches, the role of U.S. and coalition forces is moving towards helping the Afghan troops defend their country. It’s because of the evolving mission that three soldiers from the 980th Engineer Battalion, an Army Reserve battalion from Dallas, Texas, were chosen to work alongside the Australian Army to train and mentor Afghan National Army engineer soldiers.

The six-week engineer course in Tarin Kowt trains 13-to-20 ANA soldiers per class cycle. They learn the fundamentals of operating heavy construction equipment—specifically backhoe loaders, compactors, Bobcats and front-end loaders.

British and Australian Army veteran Sgt. Taft Hall, member of Australia’s Mentoring Task Force 3, began the course in September 2011. Taft saw a need to train the ANA soldiers because they lacked the basic engineering skills necessary to maintain and sustain their own patrol bases.

“[Australian] rotations before us never focused on mentoring ANA in construction engineering,” explained Taft. “But now that two classes have gone through, their skills are tenfold and they’ve been given the confidence to operate.”

Currently the 980th Soldiers are assisting the Australians, but when February approaches and the Australians begin reducing their troop numbers, Sgt. Frank Singer, Spc. Kenny Adams, and Spc. Anthony Hartigan will assume full management of the construction course. They are the first American troops to train ANA engineers at Tarin Kowt.

“It was an eye opener to see their eagerness to learn,” said Singer, a native of San Antonio, Texas—currently serving his tenth year in the Army and third tour overseas. “They really want Americans training them. They tell us all the time.”

Abdul Sabur, a member of the most recent construction class, was thrilled to see the Americans arrive to teach.
(more…)

Worth a Thousand Words: Standing Guard

Filed under DoD News, Worth A Thousand Words by on January 5, 2012 at 7:10 am {one comment}

Afghan National Army commandos stand guard during a clearing operation in Ghorak district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan. Afghan and coalition forces have partnered to conduct clearing operations to disrupt insurgent safe havens in the area and provide stability in the region. (U.S.Army photo Sgt. Christian Palermo – DVIDS)

Wedding Crashers

Filed under DoD News, Wednesday Warfighter by on December 8, 2011 at 7:22 am {no comments}

Video from AFN Afghanistan

A routine patrol through a remote Afghan village ended up in a platoon of Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces crashing the wedding of a local couple. The result? Residents cooperating with the ANA in what is normally an insurgent stronghold.



Wednesday Warfighter: Eastern Storm

Filed under DoD News, Wednesday Warfighter by on November 9, 2011 at 9:09 am {one comment}

By Staff Sgt. Jeremy Ross, 2nd Marine Division Public Affairs

During Operation Eastern Storm, U.S. Marines and Afghan Police force the Taliban out of Kajaki district in Helmand province, Afghanistan. By forcing the Taliban out, Highway 611 and the Kajaki hydroelectric dam were reclaimed and local Afghans are once again able to use the key infrastructure.



Afghan First

Filed under DoD News by on November 2, 2011 at 9:57 am {one comment}

By Gail McCabe, Soldiers Radio and Television

Afghan First is a multi-million dollar initiative designed to help stimulate the local economy by helping Afghan businesses that supply their security forces with clothing and equipment. The program is providing opportunities for Afghan women in the workforce, and currently three of the companies are run by women.



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