The 49th MDD, consists of only a handful of Soldiers who are responsible for conducting clearance ops alongside multiple route clearance patrols, and many other missions that TF Dolch Sappers execute. Sappers are elite Ranger-like combat engrs who work with demolitions.
The dogs are tested regularly to ensure they can maintain the high find rates required of their job. Using actual land mines and munitions found around Bagram that coalition EOD members rendered inert, the handlers built training lanes designed to help keep their companions mission ready at all times.
“We have anti-personnel mines, anti-tank mines, and anti-personnel landmines that are used as boosters for anti-tank mines, hand grenades, artillery rounds, and everything in between,” said Sgt. John Bornhoff of the 49th MDD.
There are 10 training and testing lanes, which are one meter wide by 10 meters long each. Bricks divide the lanes, and random ordnances are buried throughout. “The dogs will key on even the slightest explosive scent, that when combined with a visual signature, will give the dog more than it needs to know that something is there,” said Bornhoff.
“Just being able to be around the dogs makes the morale of the Soldiers that much better,” said Chaplain (Capt.) William Robinson Jr., chaplain for the 54th Engr. Bn.
Yet, the frail Afghan, who walks with a cane, travelled several kms to the Health Care Center next to the Sherzad District Center, to get checked out by combat medics assigned to TF Panther, and their ANA counterparts.
The Soldiers brought medication, worked side by side with Afghan doctors, and held an informal clinic for the villagers who travelled from villages throughout the region to receive aid.
“I came here to get some medicine,” said Alam, his voice raspy and hoarse from yelling constantly due to hearing loss. “We're happy to see the U.S. and ANA soldiers here because we need help.”
Dr. Mohammed Deen, director of the clinic, agreed with Alam. “The people are happy when U.S. and Afghan doctors work together,” said Deen, who studied medicine at Nangarhar University’s Medical School. “They're most happy for the medicine we can give them.”
Men, women and children lined up outside the small clinic compound waiting to be screened by ANA combat medics in the courtyard, before being led into one of the examining rooms. “I’m going to take your blood pressure one more time,” said Sgt. Robert Serrano, as he rolled up Alam’s sleeve to reveal a wiry arm.
As Serrano checked his diagnostics, he conferred with Deen about the status of the patient.
“He’s hypertensive, too? For how long? Do you know?” Serrano said to Deen. "Most of the patients came to the clinic in poor health, because of lack of nutrition and lack of proper medical care," added Serrano, a combat medic from Troop B.
Serrano explained that he was there to help the Afghans, but also he was there to try to change some people’s impressions. “Everyone thinks an American doctor is a super doctor, and we have the magic pill for everything,” said Serrano. “So when they see us working side by side with Afghans, they have faith that their doctors are just as good as us. For the coalition, it definitely puts some trust in us, because we haven’t been here for quite a while. Taking only a few moments to show some genuine interest and concern might be all it takes to help change one villager’s perception," added Serrano.
“I hope they’re going to say, ‘Let’s not help out the Taliban, let’s help CFs, because they’re helping us and not destroying our roads,’” said Pvt. Brandon Potvin, a combat medic assigned to Troop C. “I hope that’s the message they’re bringing back to their families and friends.”
Whatever message Alam and the other villagers bring back, they also brought back plenty of medication, hope and candy for the children. “It’s good that we can bring some happiness to their day, and make it that much better with just a piece of candy and some medical care,” said Potvin.
As supplies began to run low, the line continued to grow. Serrano explained that there just wasn’t enough medication to give to everyone in the area, and that was the sad part. “It’s Christmas, and I’m cold, tired and hungry,” added Serrano. “But I’d rather be doing this than anything else. It’s a great job. It makes me feel happy that I’m a medic for one. Others don’t get the chance to do such things and talk to people. We’re actually doing something to make it work.”
As Alam slowly hobbled down the rocky, unpaved road back to his village, the clinic closed its doors for the day. Soldiers shook hands and shared smiles with the Afghan doctors, as they put their gear back on. Just then, another elderly man stuck his head in the door and spoke to Deen in Pashtu.
Deen waved him inside the examining room and the man took a seat holding his head. Serrano looked at the man, set his gear back down, pulled out a piece of paper and said, “We seeing one more?”
The tour was guided by Dr. Ziay, the dir. of Animal Health and Welfare at CV RDL, and Dr. Amir, the Chief Executive Technical Dir. for the Dutch Committee for Afghanistan, VetServ. Dr. Halimi, the Dir. Gen. of Animal Health and Production from the Afghan Ministry of Agriculture Irrigations and Livestock (MAIL), also attended.
“Local vets are key players in responding to animal disease, a constant threat to Afghanistan, which is largely an agricultural country,” said Col. James Floyd, a vet with the Kentucky ADT-II. “Most Afghan families outside of urban areas keep livestock, and in order to prevent disease in these animals, vets in those locations must reliably be able to diagnose their causes.”
The CV RDL, which opened in 2009, is the main lab controlling 13 provincial labs and 6 regional labs in Afghanistan. The labs are used to diagnose and document diseases in livestock, and report the findings to the MAIL. Fast, proper detection and documentation of these issues, helps to ensure the livelihood and health of the Afghan people.
“This is about the future of Afghanistan,” said Ziay. “The country needs to establish a standardized system designed to properly track and take samples from livestock, then test and diagnose diseases, reporting the findings to the govt., and we have done that; all that is left is implementation.”
The CV RDL confirms the diagnosis made in the field by Afghan vets in the smaller provincial and regional labs, as well as conducting training and drafting standardized regulations for those facilities. The facility has depts specializing in histopathology, toxicology, biochemistry, drug analysis, public health, and a school to train lab techs. The public health dept deals with monitoring and testing products for import and export, making sure they’re safe for human consumption or use.
ANDAR DISTRICT -- Joel works on FOB Ghazni, TF White Eagle, where he is a liaison for TF Iron Rakkasan. His job is to coordinate ops conducted by TF White Eagle and TF Iron Rakkasan in Ghazni Prov. His younger brother, James, has been in Kandahar most of his deployment, but recently, due to the need of more troops in Ghazni prov., was deployed to Andar District.
Brig. Gen. Andrzej Reudowicz, TF White Eagle cmdr, visited Polish and U.S. soldiers at their bases with Christmas wishes, Dec. 23 and 24. When he learned there were brothers who served so closely, but hadn`t seen one another for almost a year, he decided to take Joel to Andar where James serves.
“It was good to see him, to see he's doing OK. He was surprised, as he didn’t know I was coming. It was good” said Joel.
The brothers have 5 sisters. Joel joined the Army when he was 19. Two years ago, brother, James joined the Army too. Their father is also in the Army and was deployed to Khowst Prov. 2 years ago. Now, Master Sgt. Borchardt is back in the U.S., still in the Army and serving in Phoenix. “He's very proud of both of us,” said Joel.
Joel works with the Polish military every day. When his battalion has a question about info ops, communications, intel ops, or any time they need air support, he goes to the Poles.
“Every day we go to the morning meetings, and we report what we’re doing in the battle space, our area of ops. It was a little rough at first, but now everything is going very smooth,” he added.“I think our cooperation is very good.”