"The women of Jaji Maidan possess the skill to turn a common plant in the territory into rope and use it to make intricate beadwork. It's a skill the CF and govt members hoped could be leveraged into small business opportunities for the women and surrounding area," said Lt. Col. Pam Moody, 3-19th ADT.
By bringing GoA reps, such as the dir. of Women’s Affairs, the participants hope to create a sustainable project. Reed said that the reps got the chance to speak directly to the women in their region, and hear what challenges and issues these women face. "The idea for the shura began when the provincial gov. requested that something be done for the local women," Reed said. It took lots of coordination between many different units to be able to hold a shura of this magnitude. “The shura is a very traditional way to solve problems,” she said.
Shuras are a way for elders and key leaders in the community to address issues in the area. In the U.S., it would be the equivalent of attending a meeting between council members of a town. Since the area is tribal, their members are elders who've been elected to represent the tribes and villages in the area. Shuras can cover a wide range of topics such as security, law issues and in this case, women’s rights.
“We've some very important women here,” Moody said. “It's important to show the women at Jaji Maidan that women can be strong, can be studious, can go to high school and better themselves and their families.”
The meeting wasn’t just a 1st for the women of Jaji Maidan. For the female Soldiers attending, it was the 1st time they'd conducted an all-female mission. "The mission entailed escorting the VIPs to the meeting, clearing the building where the meeting was conducted, and securing the immediate area from all threats," said Sgt. Priscilla Salazar, NCO-in-charge for the PSD of the 330th MP Co. “None of us had pulled high security on high females,” Salazar said. “It lets Afghan women know that females are strong enough to do what we’re here to accomplish.”
"It was by no means easy getting the number of women required for the mission," Reed said. The Army has no all-female companies. The planners for the meeting faced a challenge of gathering enough women with the capabilities and specialties needed to secure the site, providing security for the govt officials and women attending the meeting, and conducting the shura. Since in Afghanistan only women can engage women, they had to reach out to sister companies all over Khowst Prov., to get the women they needed.
“It’s hard to be a female in the military, period. So, being able to come out here with no males, with only a few weeks training, and not knowing the area to do this, feels pretty good,” Salazar said. To be part of the PSD team, the females had to be at the top of their game. For Spc. Araceli Carrill, who served as point for the PSD, 330th MP Co., the mission was different from any other she’d undertaken, in the 10 months she’s been deployed to Afghanistan. Being picked as point meant her team felt safe enough with her in that role.
“The shura is important so people know, not just Afghans but Americans, too, that women are coming up, that they do have rights, are important, and have a role in society,” Carrill said. To prepare for the mission, her team trained on how to keep their VIPS safe, and how to move as a unit. Although it was the first time they'd done an all-female mission, she said the training was not much different than the preparation she’d received back home, and in basic as an MP.
While simply having the shura was progress from previous years, the participants found themselves having to take a step back once the meeting got started. Although they'd a turnout of about 60 women, the women had more urgent concerns than economic growth. "Many of them were suffering from medical needs such as diarrhea, malaria, skin problems and asthma," said Col. Marilyn Moorse, 3-19th ADT. For the next meeting, the team promised to bring a doctor to address the women’s health concerns.
One of the things the Soldiers learned was how important it was for the women to have a meeting before the shura. There are 21 villages in Jaji Maidan. "For everybody to have their voice heard, the Afghan women decided that 2 reps from each village would be elected to bring the concerns of their area to the DOWA at the next meeting," said Moody.
“I’m honored to give these women of the govt., the opportunity to engage members of the population,” Reed said. “The dialogue has been initiated. Now these women have a better understanding of what these people need, and will be able to develop projects to help them.”
Farid began the class with a lesson on introductions. Farid, who is fluent in Farsi, introduced herself, and the Panjshir PRT and TF Red Bulls public affairs servicemembers, who assisted in the workshop. To learn more about the attendees, Farid had the women pair up and introduce each other to the rest of the group, an exercise requiring them to use their interviewing and public speaking skills.
“The conversation exercise really helped us out,” said Naziya Rizai, the principle for Sangona High School in Panjshir, through an interpreter. “The best activities are those that have practical application.”
“This session was rough on them. It's hard for them to speak in public,” Farid said. “It's important for them to learn good public speaking skills, so that when they need to present themselves in front of important people, they can do well and get the jobs, or grants, or accepted into schools.”
Other classes for the workshop included photography and writing skills. By day 2 of the workshop, the women completed their 1st assignment: a written proposal on a goal they're working for in their life, whether that was a job request, school attendance, or grant proposals.
“This was a learning opportunity,” explained Rizai. “I could use the skills taught to write and speak; the class resolved some of the written issues the women had.” Farid said that she was very proud of the women for working so hard on the assignments.
“Communication in Afghanistan in general is very ineffective due to the wars, the lack of transparency and censorship,” said Farid. “When it comes to women affairs, it's much worse, because women aren't allowed to express themselves freely.”
Farid said that teaching courses like this 2-day seminar is a passion of hers. She explained that she loves to visit the communities and help these women in any way she can to give back to Afghanistan, and to truly make a difference in their lives.
“My hope is that we can build capacity, and provide these women with educational tools,” said Farid. “They can use these tools and make something of themselves with what they’ve learned.”
After lunch the 2nd day of the workshop, the women were presented certificates of training. To show community support for the class, Panjshir Dep. Gov. Kabiri gave a small speech, and thanked Farid and the others for teaching the course. He said he appreciated the respect displayed for their culture, by ensuring that the class was for women, by women.
After the men left, the women swirled around the room, sharing laughs and taking pictures before they had to leave. “If there are classes in the future, on topics like these,” said Rizai, “I would most definitely attend again.
“I know that we must not only achieve security – we must then build on that foundation with economic development and improvements in basic services, and all the other activities that are necessary for the people to support this govt,” Patraeus said.
Petreaus began his visit with a meeting between Red Bulls military leaders, as well as leaders of the Laghman Province PRT, the Kansas ADT, and other units from nearby FOB Mehtar Lam, who work with the local population.
“At the end of the day, you have to go after the enemy wherever the enemy is. He doesn’t care whether it’s key terrain or non-key terrain,” Petreaus said. “If they can disrupt whatever it is you’re doing, that’s a problem. We can't let them have safe-havens anywhere we can prevent it.”
After the morning meeting, Petreaus visited with Azizi at his compound. The gov. expressed his happiness and gratitude for the coalition’s efforts in the prov. “The team working with me is exceeding my expectations,” Azizi said. “They're very precise.”
Petreaus told the gov. that the coalition is working to minimize damage to the infrastructure of the prov., as military ops continue. He said that one of the ways he plans to do this is by planting more trees.
“We have destroyed trees as part of military ops; that’s something that’s inescapable,” Petreaus said. “But, we'll plant many, many more. I'm going to have an order that says if you cut one tree, you plant 2 more somewhere else.”
Petreaus said that the highlight of his visit to the prov., was his visit to the Mastoori Girls School in Mehtar Lam, where Azizi took him after their meeting. There, he met some of the more than 2,500 girls who attend the school, as well as one of their teachers.
“The most enjoyable moment of the day for me was seeing the young girls at the school, and hearing the excitement in their voices about the education they’re now receiving -- something that was impossible in the days of the Taliban,” Petreaus said.
“In a mass casualty situation, we'll activate the walking blood bank,” said Maj. Michael Stany, TF Gladiator bn surgeon. “We're a long way from the Red Cross,” said Stany. “In the States, we give packed red blood cells that have been stripped of their antibodies, but out here we have to give whole blood.”
Unlike packed red blood cells, whole blood recipients must be specifically matched to their donors. "After donor and recipient are matched, the blood goes directly from the bag to the injured," said Stany.
Medics from across FOB Lightning gathered at the TMC to screen donors, and to be screened as donors themselves. “We’ve trained on this before, but this is our first time executing,” said Sgt. Timothy Neuzil.
By Navy Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class John Pearl, RC-W
According to Medrano, OP OMID 1390 will serve as the main reference for all ops in RC-W for the life of the document. OMID 1390 has been in the planning stages since Sept. 2010. Medrano praised those who contributed to OMID 1390, and said that moving forward, the high level of cooperation exhibited during planning should be maintained and built upon.
“It’s important because they’re the basics and fundamentals of everything that we’re teaching them,” said Murphy. “They’re going to need to know the basics, because it’s all inclusive in all the things we teach.” Murphy and fellow “Long Knife” soldiers offered a brief class, demonstrating the drills, including the low crawl, high crawl, and 3-to-5 second rush.
Undeterred by mud from recent rain, the students hit the ground to practice their newly learned skills. Staff Sgt. Clifton Hunter, an instructor and cav scout of Troop C, noted the Iraqi soldiers seemed better prepared for this iteration of training, demonstrating proficiency in the basic infantry techniques, quicker than anticipated.
“If they’re motivated, they’ll train harder,” Hunter said. “They’re willing to learn more.” In an effort to move away from the localized COIN ops of recent years, IA and U.S. Forces partnered to provide modernized military training for Iraqi bns., to build a self-sustaining force capable of defending Iraq.
"Many of the Iraqi soldiers undergoing training are not new to the military or inexperienced with infantry battle drills," said Sgt. Nathaniel Chance, also an instructor from Troop C.
Chance explained that experienced Iraqi soldiers contribute to the training, by offering feedback on their own techniques and experience. “We’re training the conventional warfare aspect, so that way, when we leave, Iraqi soldiers can defend their country as a whole.”
In the coming weeks, the Iraqi soldiers will progress from individual and small squad-based skills to larger, more complex exercises with their companies, in preparation for a battalion-level exercise at the conclusion of their cycle.
“These officers now have a broader idea of what real policing is about,” said Staff Sgt. Dustin Portillo, a training supervisor with the 253rd MP Co. The academy is operated under the direction of members of the 253rd, and assisted by civilian police advisors from the DynCorp Int'l Co. The MP Co. primarily augments security and force protection ops for the 3rd ACR around Kalsu.
Throughout the course, instructors presented training on properly conducting a vehicle checkpoint and vehicle inspections. Officers learned how to arrange a site to maximize security, proper standoff distances during inspections, and the importance of slow, methodical searches. “A slower, more deliberate inspection, ensures that no contraband or other illegal item is missed,” said Portillo.
Instructors also covered the specifics of securing a crime scene, how to properly tag evidence, and the importance of taking detailed photographs before anything is touched. This ensures a court case can be built and upheld.
“The training these officers receive is based upon traditional policing,” a civilian advisor with DynCorp Int'l remarked. “We teach them to get involved with the community so they'll gain the commitment and trust inherent in a uniformed police officer.”
An officer graduating the course said that he and other officers really enjoy the training. They have great faith in what they’ve learned, and can now provide greater security to those who work and live in their neighborhoods.