Going home

"......finally at Manas in Kyrgyzstan (http://www.manas.afcent.af.mil/). Arrived around midnight on the 20th (my time), it's 6am and I can't sleep because our tents are ice chests. Not sure how anybody is sleeping in theirs actually. So, we're not supposed to leave Manas until noon my time on the 22nd. our eta is 10pm Campbell time on the 22nd. yes, I know this constant change is getting really, really old...... It's crazy seeing all our replacements here...... there are a ton of them! I can't believe I looked like them a year ago. Manas doesn't appear to have changed that much......It is like being back in the States, except it's cold and rainy here. I heard Tennessee is in the 80s. The Air Force really knows how to rough it. They made serveral large common areas on the base wifi, and they have a two drink max per airman per night......unfortunately we can't enjoy this privilege.

Its really strange seeing soldiers from different countries here, I have yet to see another NATO soldier. the only foreign troops I've seen here so far are the Pols and the Mongolians (yes, Mongolia has an Army, which they've deployed to this theater). I wonder if all the Brits and Canuks fly straight into Kandahar from a different location......"

Goodbyes

The Afghan National Army took a major step toward responsibility for their country’s security when it assumed control of FOB Blessing in eastern Afghanistan’s Kunar Province on March 4, 2011. (http://www.cjtf101.com/en/regional-command-east-news-mainmenu-401/4247-ana-assumes-responsibility-of-fob-blessing.html )  With the turnover, soldiers from Task Force Bull Dogs, 1-327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division are making preparations for redeployment in COP Honaker Miracle, FOB Wright and other nearby posts.  Here are their messages:

" Honaker Miracle isn't so bad, and it's actually a point of pride having worked in this valley. Soldiers and commanders at JAF allegedly call us the "Pech Valley soldiers"... it reminds me of the 3rd infantry division during WWI - who's battles in the Marne earned their unit the moniker "rock of the Marne" and their soldiers "dog-faced soldiers". maybe the distinction will emphasize to some just how much "different" some units' deployments have been than others......Honaker Miracle is just  like a Blessing-lite, except they don't get attacked as much as Blessing does. what's weird is that there's much more of a "fishbowl" feel here with greater standoff.   We're at the bottom of some very high mountains but the mountains are far off enough to make attacks a little less effective......"

"Speaking of goodbyes, we also said goodbye to our home for the last 11 months: FOB Blessing.  As part of a realignment of forces throughout the region, FOB Blessing has been handed over to the Afghan National Army, while our company has moved to FOB Wright, several miles east near to the Pakistan border.  Admittedly, life has gotten a little easier: better food, more time to work out, better living conditions, and no more constant threat of indirect fire attacks. Of course, we don't allow ourselves to get too comfortable; as we've still got a couple of weeks left in Afghanistan and we continue to conduct operations in order to allow a smooth transition for the next unit that is replacing us.

That being said, it's hard not to get excited about coming home, because now more than ever the end is in sight.  I think all of us are looking forward to being back home and reuniting with you all: our friends and family.

Upon our return to the USA, I and many others from the platoon will go on to different units and continue to serve our country in various capacities, passing on our experiences and leading the next generation of soldiers and officers.  For the rest, they look forward to the dream of civilian life, including an education afforded to them by the Post 9-11 GI Bill.  But no matter where we go, the bonds of brotherhood that we forged here in Afghanistan will forever remain.  Every warrior in this outfit has done his part and more; and they have greatly honored themselves, their unit, and their country by their service, courage, and sacrifice.

I hope that this blog during this deployment has helped to inform you and reveal in small part the accomplishments of these soldiers that are worthy of our great country, it's warriors,  it's history, and it's traditions.  I'll certainly remain forever thankful of the opportunity that I had to lead them into combat.  As their platoon leader, I pray that I have acquitted myself in such a manner as to be worthy of standing in the company of such heroes, and that I played a small role in their success. "

Night Flight

Flew back to Blessing last night on the fastest chinook ride in memory. there was practically 100% illumination (ambient night light from the moon) which made flying that much more enjoyable. looking out the back we could see the landscape and mountains contrast against a luminescent sky. the moon was so bright you could see the distinction between the terraces among the farms.

New Year

I hope New Year's eve was great back home.

New Year here was pretty nonexistent. Nothing too different than what we normally do. Considering life in our part of Afghanistan hasn't really changed......there are several hubs before I make it to Dallas: Blessing to Jalalabad air field (JAF); JAF to Bagram air field (BAF); BAF to Kuwait; Kuwait to Atlanta/Dallas. Guys have been making this entire leg in 3-4 days time, including the day they "regain" as they fly back to the States......

From Blessing, LT Alex Pruden also wrote in his blog today:

"... We keep waiting for things to slow down a little bit, but as it turns out in the Pech Valley, the term "fighting season" is kind of a misnomer.  It seems like every season is the fighting season, and Winter no less so....... so much so that we barely even noticed the holidays (except for getting Christmas off to relax).  But we still managed to find a little time to celebrate......"

Merry Christmas

My PSG flew out on leave last night. We have a lot of visitors - combat stress doing their usual run through our AO, physical therapy will be coming and the division psychiatrist......speaking of visitors the Chief of Staff of the Army is coming to one of our remote outposts around Xmas......should be presenting some valorous awards while he's there. Our medic's family who was KIA in november will receive a posthumous silver star. We put our other medics on that operation in for bronze stars w/"v" (valor). We have a group of amazing guys. It's both inspiring and humbling to be a part of this platoon.
 
Lt. Alex Pruden also wrote from Blessing:

 " Whew...made it to Christmas! Honestly, it would be easy to forget about if it wasn't for all of the wonderful support and packages that you all have sent over. Thanks to the deluge of shortbread cookies, candy canes, and Christmas lights we received in the last few mail drops, it's even beginning to look a little bit like Christmas (at least inside our buildings...outside we opted to keep our camouflage netting). The weather is also getting colder...sort of. Lows of about 30 degrees at night give way to highs of 65 degrees during the day. Frankly, those of us from the Southwest don't mind a bit, although some of the guys are definitely missing the white Christmas.

A lot of events have occurred in the last month that I haven't had time to go into detail about. The enemy has continued fighting into the winter months, and we've seen a good share of the fighting here at FOB Blessing......Again, from all of us here at FOB Blessing, we hope you have a merry Christmas......Please keep these men and all of America's servicemembers deployed overseas in your thoughts and prayers during the rest of the season. And most importantly, celebrate and enjoy the holidays!"

Giving

Lt. Alex Pruden wrote today from FOB Blessing:

" Back home, I guess the holiday season is in full swing. Thanksgiving is over, as is Black Friday and "Cyber Monday" (whatever that is). Although I'm glad that I am missing out on the Christmas shopping spectacle, I as well as everyone here will certainly miss the times of celebration with friends and family. But Christmas is about giving, and thanks to the gracious and generous support of Lynn Clark and her family, we were able to embrace the Christmas spirit a little bit by getting to be Santa Claus.

Lynn sent several boxes of toys, which we handed out to about 30 local orphans. Donning Santa hats, we went outside the gate and had the kids line up and cycle through the line, where they could pick a toy of their choice. Despite the overwhelming popularity and name recognition of Jon Cena, surprisingly the hottest item was the toy microphone. I guess they've been piping in the re-runs of "Middle East Idol". Jon Cena statues and action figures took a close second, with the chalk and chalkboards finishing third.

We enjoyed giving back to the community in a tangible way. Because of the amount of fighting that we do, it can be easy to adopt a hardened attitude against the people here. But looking into the eyes of these kids, I saw the future of Afghanistan. Their words, deeds, attitudes, and actions will shape this country long after we're gone and forgotten. In reality, a simple act of gift-giving may be one of the most significant contributions that we've made here so far. And as an added bonus, seeing smiles on all those faces brings a little bit of Christmas cheer to our hearts.

Thanks again to Lynn Clark for her donation and generosity. Without here the above would not have been possible."

Thanksgiving

This part of Afghanistan is getting a bit chillier. in the distant, higher peaks we can see some snow. Nothing too crazy though - right now the weather is nice, not too hot, not too cold.

Thanksgiving was here at Blessing as well. The food was quite good - turkey (of course), prime rib, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, creamed green beans, corn on the cob, stuffing, and lots of pie and ice cream. They brought out the food for lunch and we had the majority of the medics all at one table. it was nice getting the platoon family together, seeing our guys come off missions and welcoming the new medics to the platoon.

Memorial

Yesterday was the memorial ceremony for our recent KIAs - 6 total in one operation, 5 of which occured in the same firefight. The memorial was conducted at a smaller base that the soldiers lived at. For the spartan environment, it was very well conducted. It was good to gain some closure on our medic who was killed. We saw a bunch of our other medics from the other bases - a little mini reunion - but it is unfortunate that it took an incident like this to gather everyone. One of the NCOs (Daniel, you met him) and I flew to the base and on the flight over, I couldn't help but notice how beautiful the countryside is. The stunning terrain belies the violence implemented upon it. It is a strange, unfortunate duality of this country. It's crazy to think of how much we've accomplished during our year+ back at Campbell, and how much we've accomplished in our nearly 7 months here.

In FOB Blessing, Lt Alex Pruden also wrote about the cost of war " Just to give you all a quick update, 3rd Platoon and the "Above the Rest" Battalion have been very busy this month. As I've alluded to in the past few posts, we've stepped up our efforts to root out Taliban presence in the Pech and its tributaries...and security has greatly improved for the people of this area. Unfortunately, these victories have borne a price: on the last major operation, 6 soldiers were killed and many more wounded...It was a solemn reminder to all of us of the danger we face and the risks we take every day. Thank you all for your prayers and support, I'll bring you up to speed soon."

Fighting intensifies

Indeed the fighting intensifies. The battalion was engaged in a 4-day battle in what was once one of our quietest valleys. It started as a company air assault, and within 24 hours one platoon became combat ineffective. three of the key leaders were wounded, as well as my medic attached to that platoon, who was killed. The article is at this link:

 http://www.wtxl.com/content/topstories/story/Chihuahua-family-opens-up-about-their-loss/Mglrwyr-Mku5v6fk72KJqQ.cspx


After the first day, the brigade poured in asset after asset - two more companies, a ranger platoon, an Afghan commando unit and two special forces teams, and all the aircraft possible. all medics out there dealt with a mass casualty situation at one point or another.

Operaiton Bulldog Bite, now five days long, has resulted in the deaths of more than 50 enemy fighters and the discovery of two or three "large" weapons caches, but has cost six lives of 101st Airborne Division soldiers and others injured.

The operation is penetrating deep into the Pech River Valley and is involving several nighttime air assaults to root out enemy fighters from the remote mountain villages.

On another note, we've continued to get a lot of care packages, letters, and support from all of you. Again, we want to tell you that we greatly appreciate it. We have reached the halfway point in the tour, and many of us are looking forward to leave over the holidays, and our thoughts reach back to home, family, and friends. So getting a letter or a package does wonders for keeping spirits up.

Challenges

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..."

Kids

" Election day was made for a very kinetic day. All our OPs got hit at once, every US element got hit, shot at etc... 15,000 people turned out to vote (or so we were told) and none of the polling sites were attacked. WE were attacked, but none of the polling sites. I guess democracy was defended that day, albeit Afghanistan democracy.

Today was quite eventful, starting around 1500 this afternoon. We got a report of a small child playing up by our range who evidently picked up an unexploded grenade that detonated. We watched as he was carried down by the Afghan security guards, and they brought him to our aid station.

I was the first to receive him and at first, I thought he was dead. There was a huge crowd of local workers and security guards when the kid was offloaded, and I think everyone was in too much shock to do anything, because it took a good 3 seconds for anyone to move him from the back of the truck to a stretcher. So he was pretty badly injured. He'll lose a foot, an arm and perhaps the other hand. He made it alive out of here and last I checked he was still alive at the forward surgical team and Bagram accepted him.

It's sad that this is such a horrible place for kids to live in....to be accurrate, the kid was doing something he shouldn't have been doing. Kids will chase after convoys for spent brass - they can sell it. Kids get hurt all the time doing that, but this was likely the worst. From a medical perspective, this was probably the ultimate casualty for medics. We saw and treated everything you could possibly imagine. The medics did well though...but i was also too busy running around dealing with the medevac and the father, who looked pretty hopeless. He wanted to see his son while he was being treated, but it was a bit too bad for us to bring him in. Later on when we had him packaged up we let him in and explained everything that was going on.
 
On a more positive note, the ANA battalion commander came to the aid station and invited all the medics specifically to have dinner with him because "he was grateful that we've been helping his soldiers so much".....but the food was very well done. It was high dining Afghan National Army style."

Snow

" This morning we were greeted with much cooler morning temps (less than 70 at 6 AM) and a dusting of snow on the distant mountains. By noon the snow had melted and temperatures were back to summerish highs.

Last night a cool front blew through and clouds built up overhead, a few spits of rain here and there."

Lull

Messages received from FOB Blessing in the last couple days indicate that soldiers over there are all aware of the pastor's planned action in Gainesville, FL and are taking proactive measures for damage control. 

On the recent battle of Omar, LT Alex Pruden wrote in the blog:

“...3rd Platoon came into the landing zone under fire, and proceeded to fight their way through the extremely difficult terrain of eight-foot high cornfields, ten foot terraces and a river (at nighttime). Fortunately, we had excellent support from our comrades in the sky, and the Apaches and Kiowa warriors rained hell down on insurgent positions in order to cover our assault.

Once we’d seized the village, the majority of the enemy resistance was broken, though we continued to take sporadic sniper fire throughout the day. Overall, the mission was clear success, with 19 insurgents confirmed killed. In addition, our platoon detained four wounded insurgent fighters. A major cache of rockets was also found and destroyed. No friendly casualties were sustained by the platoon, other than the platoon leader’s pride when he tumbled face first off of a farm terrace. But perhaps most impressively, the entire operation resulted in zero civilian casualties. This statistic is a testament that the soldiers of 3rd platoon not only know how to display courage and aggression, but also judgment and restraint...
Read about this in the press on the links below


http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2010/08/19_taliban_fightersphp

http://www.dvidshub.net/news/55448/afghan-coalition-forces-conduct-air-assault-kunar

There was one casualty of the battle that I do want to recognize: Private First Class Ethan Kirkwood of LaPlace, Louisiana. He was wounded when an 82mm mortar round landed on COP Michigan during the battle. Before being transferred to serve as a member of Lieutenant Colonel Ryan’s personal security detail a couple of months ago, PFC Kirkwood served in this platoon as a rifleman and grenadier. He was also selected among all the soldiers in the platoon to be the radio telephone operator. PFC Kirkwood is currently recovering from his wounds at Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital. His dedication, courage, and sacrifice are an inspiration to the men of this platoon and in keeping with the honorable tradition of the U.S. Army Soldier."

Battle Raging

LT Marcus Lai wrote from FOB Blessing:

"...We're in the midst of Ramadan and though it is a holy holiday, attacks haven't abated. Rather, it is quite the opposite. we sorta predict that this trend will continue and likely peak during elections. Such is life in the Pech Valley. but with these trends, we have the opportunity to identify when the "enemy" is most vulnerable and take the initiative...the medics are moving along just fine,though not without drama..."

LT Alex Pruden wrote from FOB Blessing:

" The Korengal Valley is one of the most dangerous places in Afghanistan. It's people, an insular ethnic group known as Korengalis, are famously isolationist and warlike, and the terrain is unforgivable to the extreme. U.S. outposts there from 2006-2010 suffered some of the highest casualty rates anywhere in the country, earning the valley the nickname "Valley of Death". In the end it was decided that a permanent presence there just wasn't worth the cost. Unfortunately, since the U.S. withdrawal earlier this year, the valley has become a base from which the insurgents routinely disrupt convoys along the Pech River Valley and conduct attacks against the FOB's and COP's there. COP Michigan, which sits at the mouth of the Korengal valley, has seen almost daily attacks and mounting casualties since our battalion has been here. Basically, it was time to "clean house". And that's exactly what we did.

Because of the importance of the mission and the risk involved, the platoon spent the entire day before preparing. Equipment was prepared, contingencies were planned for, and the soldiers rehearsed the tasks they were to perform. After a few hours of rest and final equipment checks, we loaded aircraft and embarked on the an operation which was to be "the most kinetic fight" in the province for the past 9 months.

I can't speak to what everyone was thinking, but I can tell you that we were all pretty focused at that moment. For me, I am not going to say I had a lot on my mind; in fact, I had very little on my mind. I wanted to get on the ground and get off the aircraft as soon as possible. Given the element of surprise and the fact that we had escort aircraft, I assumed that there wasn't a huge chance that we would take contact in the first moments. That assumption pretty much went out the window as we flew over our LZ and I see muzzle flashes flicker along the ridgelines. The Apaches are calling over the radio that they are taking fire from RPG's and our returning fire to cover our approach. About the same time I see a tracer round zip through the sky behind us, the crew chief turns around, grabs me on the shoulder, and yells above the noise of the aircraft: "WE'RE TAKING SMALL ARMS FIRE. DO YOU STILL WANT TO LAND?".."

Attacks

On August 24th, 2010, LT Alex Pruden wrote from FOB Blessing, Afghanistan:

"Fighting season is in full swing. During the past week, FOB Blessing has been the target of several rocket attacks, and insurgents have been engaging U.S. forces throughout the Pech River Valley. Even our observation post, OP Avalanche, was recently attacked by insurgents with small arms and RPG's. Fortunately, no one in the platoon was hurt, and we've been able to continue operations, if a little more cautiously than before.

In addition, a much greater number of people from our valley have been calling about an increase in Taliban activity, including illegal checkpoints and kidnappings. We've stepped up our operations accordingly. On patrol, the Taliban radio chatter that we monitor seems to go on nonstop. It's a little more than disconcerting to hear the enemy talking about your movement and your position as they observe you from hidden locations, while trying to maneuver on you.

On that subject, I want to recognize the extraordinary contribution of our interpreters. We have three interpreters; two from Jalalabad and one from Kamdesh, Nuristan. In addition to being our ears and voices for the people, they also are indispensable when translating Taliban radio traffic. They always come with us on every patrol, some of which are extremely physically challenging. They do this with little to no advance notice, and they do it despite the fact that they neither drink nor eat during the day, when temperatures can climb to over 100 degrees. Although sometimes there is frustration that comes with dealing with the Afghan Army or Afghan Police, the work ethic and dedication of our interpreters reminds me that the people of this country are good people. Its an honor to fight beside them, and I hope they can look forward to a peaceful, prosperous country someday."

Two messages

A compiled excerpt of recent messages from Alex and Marcus in FOB Blessing, Afghanistan:

Things are crazy, but just fine. Things are somewhat picking up here. We got a local the other day claiming to have been caught in the crossfire between us and the taliban.  He had very minor wounds but when we swabbed his hands and face, we picked up a lot of gunpowder residue, which indicates that he was firing at us. we turned him over to the ANP, but he was probably released that same day...The guys are doing well too.....I feel very lucky to have some very quality soldiers at all ranks. We are very busy taking care of patients, making aid station improvements and growing as medics....Other than that, we're making progress and seeing positives in many small ways, which in this environment you can never take for granted.

Its always gratifying when you get to take down some bad guys. Recently, we got to be part of an operation (which included some special operations units) that ended up netting several enemy detainees. These men were part of an RPG cell, responsible for numerous attacks against coalition forces...so hopefully their capture will make this valley a safer place for us in the short term, and more stable for Afghanistan in the long term.

Besides that bit of excitement, we've continued doing our normal patrols. One of the biggest enemies a deployed unit always fights is complacency. It becomes easy to take things like security for granted. "Getting lulled into a false sense of security" is how many people put it. Bottom line, its easy to lose the edge. Just as units that see constant combat become attrited, so do units that see sporadic combat. In fact, the sporadic nature of the fighting here makes it more dangerous, again, because it is easy to get complacent. So we fight this by changing up our patrols, doing things a little differently, trying to keep our minds fresh and the enemy off balance. Also, the squad leaders, platoon sergeant and I make sure that the platoon is as physically fit as possible, and we use these mountains to our advantage, fitness-wise. Staying physically strong keeps us mentally sharp.


In the meantime, we're thinking about all of you back home, and we hope that you are doing well. We just got another shipment of mail in, so I'll just go ahead and say a collective "Thank you" from all of us.

Ramadan

Here is a compilation of messages from LTs Alex Pruden, Marcus Lai and Veterinarian Tom Vermeersch in FOB Blessing, Afghanistan:

" Today is the eve of Ramadan, a religiously significant time for the people of the Pech and Waygul Valleys, as well as for the Islamic world as a whole. Ramadan is the nineth month of the Islamic calendar (a lunar-based calendar)...Typically, observing Muslims fast during daytime for the entire month, consuming neither food nor water. In addition to fasting, Muslims are expected to pray and read / recite the Q'uran. In fact, many mosques have a mullah recite 1/30 of the Q'uran every night for the entire month, so that the entire thing has been recited by the end. These practices are supposed to encourage closeness to God and to show their faith.

For us, Ramadan means that we have to take many extra considerations into account. Probably the most important of these is being sensitive to the fact that all the people are fasting, so it would be impolite to chow down on a Cliff bar in the middle of a village patrol. Also, because the Afghan soldiers practice fasting as well during this month, we have to accommodate them as well. The lack of food and water will certainly compromise their physical abilities somewhat.

That being said, this is a time that we as U.S. soldiers are extra vigilant. In Iraq, Ramadan marked a significant uptick in violence. In this area of Afghanistan, that has not been the case; however, we are taking precautionary measures just in case...For our loved ones back in the United States, I hope this post finds you well. Know that all of us here are thinking about you and look forward to coming home after proudly doing our part here."

" Here are two views of our room from opposite corners and fairly typical of most of the housing on FOB Blessing. Most of the buildings are brick and mortar with a cement floor and no windows; we have heating / airconditioning / ventilation units called chigos that provide for our comfort. Our building has about 6 rooms like this on the north side and 8 similar rooms on the south - some with bunk beds, others like this. Ours is the only civilian room in the complex, the rest being occupied by soldiers. Then there are two more buildings just like this next to ours. On the grand scheme of things in Afghanistan this is pretty good housing; discussions with others reveal tents, b- huts, and even hesko - houses are in use and are vastly inferior.

Three months

Today marks the three months since deployment. Thanks to everyone who has mailed a package to support the soldiers. The show of support from home is astounding, and definitely keeps everyone motivated. Your letters, comments, as well as emails, or even simple prayers and thoughts are also very much appreciated. It is our hope that the blog posting is providing all back home with a window from which to view the little slice of the conflict that the soldiers experience, and hopefully gain insight into and awareness of the successes they experience and the challenges they face.  Recently, LT Pruden wrote:

" The FOB is surrounded by mountains, but the most dominating terrain feature is the mountain in whose shadow the FOB rests. Because of its location and the tactical advantage it would provide, we have long suspected there to be enemy fighting positions and caches there. We did an air assault to an adjacent ridge line in the middle of the night, and waited for daybreak before pushing to the top. The air up there (altitude of the LZ was about 6700 feet) was nice and cool, though it was thinner, a fact I noticed as my heart and breathing rate picked up on the walk. After about an hour of steady walking, we made it to the top (7750 feet).
 
Unfortunately, due to time limitations, we weren't able to stay up there long enough to find any caches. There was plenty of evidence of enemy movement, however, and we made certain to take down the grid locations of various trails and fighting positions for future observation or artillery strikes (on that note, there was a surprising amount of trees up there considering how often that hilltop is targeted by the 155's and 120's).

After we finished at the top, we began the long walk back to Blessing. We took no contact, but it was eventful in many other ways. Suffice it to say that the Afghan Army soldiers talk a big game about being more fit than the U.S. Army, but that claim was disproved yesterday. In any case, everyone was happy to be back at base when we finally arrived at around 2 in the afternoon. The 4500-foot descent spread over about a kilometer and a half was brutal, and everyone's knees, hips, and feet are pretty sore today. I'm extremely proud of all the men in the platoon: they accomplished a physical task that no other platoon in the company was able to accomplish, and they did it under a lot of weight and in extremely hot conditions. Its a testament to the NCO leadership in the platoon as well as individual discipline and preparation. We proved to the enemy and ourselves that we are willing and able to do what it takes to seize the high ground, and we will continue to do so in the year ahead."

Blockade

Following is excerpted from messages received from 1LT Marcus Lai in FOB Blessing on 7/27/10:

" There's a giant boulder blocking the alternate route from our supply convoy.... An IED is blocking the main route. Its been raining here the past two days and the roads are collapsing to our east and west... we probably won't be getting anything anytime soon!


We had to evac a local dude today and convinced a hospital to take him....turns out he had tuberculosis... I think we've just ruined the entire AO for taking local nationals.  We saved his life, if not made life more difficult for us..."

COIN 101

Following is excerpted from a post by 1LT Alex Pruden in FOB Blessing on 7/23/10:


"Although my platoon is tasked with providing security in the Waygul Valley, combat and security operations actually make up a relatively small amount of what we do. A successful counterinsurgency campaign is like a tripod: it stands upon good security, governance, and development. So although the security is very important (and in many ways is prerequisite to the other two), governance and development are also deserving of our time and resources. Unfortunately, just as the insurgents we face are clever and resourceful enemies, so are there major obstacles which must be surmounted in the other areas of governance and development as well.

Ironically, one of the biggest obstacles in the development of the Afghan government and the development of the country has been us. Or rather, I should say that we were an important part of the reconstruction process in the beginning, our involvement is netting diminishing returns over time. The onus of responsibility for government and development (and security as well) really needs to fall on the Afghan government. Our assistance, financial and otherwise, in this valley has I think historically been a crutch that gets leaned on, rather than the kick in the ass that it needs to be. Fortunately, we are putting a lot of emphasis on GiROA led initiatives. Putting the onus on the Afghan government is the only long-term solution for all parties involved.

There's no easy way to go about it without breaking a few hearts, however. The village elders expect coalition forces to help them out with cement and other projects, the Afghan security forces expect us to take the lead on planning and executing missions while they tag along, and the government often tries to pin its problems on us. Changing perceptions and expectations is a difficult task, but I have no doubt that the work we are doing towards that goal will pay dividends for the U.S. long after we leave this valley."