The Pech Valley river is fed from glaciers and snow from the Hindu Kush mountain range to its north. The river rises in central Nuristan Province and proceeds south and southeasternly through the center of Kunar Province, joining the Kunar River at the provincial capital of Asadabad. It is considered one of the most dangerous places for NATO troops in Afghanistan.
Lately, it’s finally cooling off around the valley. Snow has appeared on several distant peaks...I have a feeling it’s a sign of things to come.
From FOB Blessing, Lt. Alex Pruden recently wrote:
"...Please keep PFC Luis Vasquez in your thoughts and prayers. PFC Vasquez was wounded last week during combat operations, and was evacuated first to Bagram, then to Landstuhl, and ultimately back to the U.S. Fortunately, his surgery was successful and he should recover. Also been meaning to send out thank yous to everyone who has supported us with a care package. I know a blanket "thank you" post on this blog is a sorry excuse for a real thank you note, but rest assured, they are coming. Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers...
Let me just start off by saying that this has been our busiest day so far. Prior to election day, the insurgents issued night letters and death threats to citizens, hoping to deter them from voting. Local Taliban commanders were reinforced with fighters from other provinces and districts. The Taliban shadow government threatened spectacular attacks against the various polling centers. The polls opened early, and we were out even earlier. In the Waygul Valley, we had one polling site. As in everything else we do, we worked jointly with our Afghan partners to provide security for it. The Afghan National Army and Police provided local security at the site itself. We roved throughout the area, maintaining a constant presence and attempting to provide a buffer between the enemy and the polling site...
Throughout the battalion, fighting was heavy. Our platoon alone was involved in three different firefights in two different areas. We encountered everything from RPG’s and machine guns to snipers and mortars. At one point during the second fight, the platoon was pinned down by heavy enemy fire, and three soldiers were wounded. After evacuating the casualties back to FOB Blessing, we took enough time to grab a mouthful of food and reload ammo and fuel before it was back out the gate and back into the fray... At the end of an exhausting day, our platoon (as well as our company and battalion) successfully completed our mission. Thanks to our efforts, all of the enemy activity was directed away from the polling centers.
Essentially every Afghan in our district who wanted to vote was able to do so. Over one thousand men and women traveled to the Waygul polling site and voted. People happily exclaimed that they were very happy with the security, that it was even better than during last year’s presidential elections. Although that was our busiest day yet, neither we nor the enemy has sat idle since then. The members of this platoon have proved themselves again and again in the face of the enemy, and will continue to do so until our job is done...
Bottom line: we’ve seen a decent share of challenges lately, and the men of the platoon have showed great courage in the face of them. We’ve learned some important lessons, and gained new respect for the enemy and the difficulties that the terrain of this valley presents....Recently, the enemy took the opportunity to remind us that we do indeed serve in one of the most dangerous places in Afghanistan..."
