“The implications are huge for Marjah,” said Lt. Col. James Erwin, the advisor and mentor for Marjah District Gov. Majbor. “Marjah, one year ago, was a center of Taliban efforts, and the efforts of the narcotics industry in Central Helmand. No one would even fly helicopters over Marjah. Now, the District Center is packed with people from all over the district openly supporting the local govt, and looking to participate in the process of govt.”
Prior to the election, the provincial govt appointed an interim DCC for Marjah. Now, the newly-elected DCC represents between 120,000 and 180,000 people who are spread among 5 sub-districts. "The exact population isn’t known because district census data hasn’t been collected since 1979, before the Soviet era in Afghanistan," Erwin explained.
According to Erwin’s records, 75% of approx 1,500 registered voters participated in the recent election. Although the total turnout was low by Western standards, local coalition officials believe the voters represented most of the district. According to Bill Gillette, the PRT advisor for RCT 1, and an official with the US Dept of State, "most voters were village elders, mullahs and block leaders who spoke for entire communities. The election reflected a tribal, collectivist adaption of democracy -- different in appearance than US democracy, but functioning in a similar spirit."
Gillette added that, "the new reps will be able to procure funding to improve the district’s infrastructure, which will improve the democratic process." For example, he explained, "better roads and public transportation will make it easier for citizens to get out and vote."
According to Erwin, there were no security incidents on election day. The atmosphere was calm and cheerful, signifying greater freedom for local citizens and trouble for the Taliban. “Central Helmand was a bastion of Taliban support,” said Erwin, “and now this area is becoming hostile to them.”
The celebration gathered together about 500 men and women who play important roles in women’s affairs in Baghlan prov., including high ranking officials from the govt, ANSF and ISAF. The FET coordinator and RC-North gender advisor, Swedish Army Maj. Linda Johansson, said it was important for the FET to be present at the celebration “to show our support for the work we've established together with the head of women’s affairs, and the provincial council members.”
The FET has established a close working relationship with the provincial council members and the DoWA, to enable govt officials to better support and interact with the women of Baghlan prov. The FET and DoWA are currently working together on 4 different missions, helping conduct projects that support women’s critical needs. “One project we're helping with is supporting them with the women’s market or garden; an area where women are allowed to sell hand crafts, and receive education or health care,” said Johansson.
“The FET identified the need for this project and a civil affairs team (CAT) is working to employ the local population to complete it,” said Army 1st Lt. Rebecca Wagner, FET officer-in-charge. RC-North is supporting this project economically, and ensuring that the local govt is involved to provide security for the long term. Another project in the works includes cleaning the canals in Baghlan Prov. RC-North is also helping them to establish a women’s museum that will be open to the public.
The cross was founded in 1980 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Bundeswehr. It's uncommon to award foreign soldiers with this symbol of brave service and excellent soldiership. In this instance it is meant as a sign of gratitude and acknowledgement of performance, in terms of cooperation and comradeship.
“The honor signifies the effectiveness of both the presidential surge and the partnership with our allies,” Williams said. Germany and the U.S. are 2 of 16 nations contributing to the 11,000 soldiers in RC-North. They partner with ANSF in order to provide a safer nation for the Afghan people, and develop governance and socio-economic programs.
German Army Maj. Gen. Hans-Werner Fritz, former RC-N cmdr., highlighted the close partnership between Germany and the U.S. during a U.S. DoD news briefing, Jan. 4. “They came down, they recovered the wounded, and then they started again,” Fritz said, describing the actions of 2 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crews from the 4th CAB, after an insurgent attacked a German position. “Being in the air again, they became aware that there was a dead soldier on the ground; they came back under fire; they recovered the soldier, and they said, ‘we're taking home a fallen hero.’ This is the quality of the cooperation we're talking about.”
“Our partnership with the Germans has been based on mutual respect,” Williams said, “with shared sacrifices and shared triumphs.”
German Army Lt. Gen. Rainer Glatz, cmdr. of German Ops Command, presented the Silver Bundeswehr Cross of Honor signed by German MoD Karl-Theodor zu Guttenburg. In addition to Williams, Brig. Gen. Sean Mulholland, and Col. Willard Burleson, cmdr of 1st BCT, 10th Mtn Div, were also honored.
In a separate ceremony held at the 4th CAB HQ, Feb. 27, Maj. Robert Federigan, medical ops officer, HHC, 4th CAB, 4th ID, ISAF, received the gold German Military Skill Badge for medical personnel, further emphasizing the partnership between the U.S. and Germany at Camp Marmal.
“This award represents the hard work of all the personnel in the brigade who assisted in training the German Medical TF, and who contributed to the evacuation of patients,” Federigan said. “I accept it on behalf of the brigade.”
Cmdr. of the German Medical TF presented the joint-level badge, which is worn by select members of the German army and the U.S.’s Army, AF and Navy. The gold badge represents the highest level of military medical proficiency in the Bundeswehr.
“I don’t think people realize how many hands of different nations a patient goes through,” Federigan said. He received the award for increasing cooperation between the German Medical TF and the 4th CAB, which was evidenced by assisting the RC-N Patient Coordination Cell, and assisting the German Medical TF in MEDEVAC training.
“From injury to appropriate level of care, there's a large corps of people who only have one thing on their mind – to save the life of this person regardless of their rank or nation,” he said.
"The honors," Federigan added, "represent the deep bond between the U.S. Army and its NATO allies, and also the multitude of missions the 4th CAB has been entrusted with. Both represent hundreds of hands that go into achieving mission success.
“It's an honor to fight shoulder-to-shoulder with our allies from 16 nations, and our Afghan partners,” Williams, who also attended Maj. Federigan’s award ceremony, said. “And, an even greater honor for our soldiers to be recognized for their contributions.”
“This is the partial completion of our first Rule of Law Project,” said regimental contracting officer, 1st Lt. Ryan Porte. “We have 4 ongoing projects in support of Zabul prov. We delivered things like coats and blankets for the prisoners as well, as items to assist the guards in their duties,” Porte continued. “We delivered about 50% of the supplies; all that is left now is some of the big stuff.”
Among the big items is an armored car to help make transport of prisoners more secure. The prison project also includes structural improvements, like improving the electrical system throughout the complex, and adding a new septic system.
The prison upgrades and enhancements are but one aspect of the Rule of Law program. It's a vast reaching project that touches every aspect of law and order. The primary goal is to help the GoA integrate the courts, police and prison systems into a well oiled machine. By working together, these agencies will have a better understanding of each other’s roles within the due process of law. CF are working with the GoA to give the people a more consistent and impartial system, to help solve civil disputes and punish people convicted in criminal cases.
“The Rule of Law project is central to a safe and secure Zabul,” said 2SCR trial prosecutor, Capt. Harrison Kennedy. “We've been working in 2 areas; the courts dealing with the judges and prosecutors, and with corrections.”
“Our goal was, #1 - make sure the prison guards are properly equipped with the tools they need to do their job,” he said. “The 2nd was to improve living conditions for the prisoners.”
Whether it's providing blankets for inmates or forensic training for judicial prosecutors, the Rule of Law program is making great strides in helping the GoA establish a justice system that ensures the rights for the people of Afghanistan.
Approx 50 families showed up to receive distributed goods. “The Afghans took the lead in distributing the food, and the village elders assisted by ensuring the families in the greatest need received food first,” said Navy Petty Officer Jacob Dillon, a Special Ops spokesperson.
As the IA continues to develop its forces, U.S. advisors assigned to TF 225, focus the 25-day training cycles on getting Iraqi mechanics ready to assume independent ops. Staff Sgt. Roger Peterson, the BSB NCO-in-charge of the maintenance training, said that beyond the basic preventive maintenance checks and services (PMCS) procedures, the goal of the course is to get the Iraqis comfortable conducting in-depth ops by the book.
“We’re trying to show them not just PMCS, but taking them to the next level so they’re able to quickly identify the fault, fix the fault and get the truck back on the road, in order to go on with their mission,” said Peterson.
"American instructors teach the course employing a train-the-trainer concept," Peterson explained. "U.S. soldiers provide the guidance necessary to complete the task, and in turn, give the responsibility of teaching the class to the students."
Kalid Mosser, a jundi awaal, similar to an U.S. Army private, said that although the IA started using Humvees a few years ago, the IA never used technical manuals or systemized parts ordering for maintenance ops. “I’ve dealt with these Humvees for 3 or 4 years, but I need to learn more details about these trucks in order to complete our missions,” said Mosser, a mechanic. “Working with the manuals U.S. forces gave us makes the training very easy to go into detail, and do it step by step.”
After teaching the Iraqi jinood, (Arabic for soldiers), how to use the new guidebooks, Peterson required the Iraqi mechanics to go through a practical test. Peterson and BSB soldiers disconnected random wires, and unhooked parts as a test to see if the students retained their newly learned troubleshooting procedures.
Technical manuals in hand, the students poured over every angle of the trucks, looking for the fault. Peterson said, "the Iraqi jinood learned to conduct vehicle maintenance, using the methodical order prescribed step-by-step in the technical manual. We take them through the process of identifying the fault so that they're not just replacing parts that aren’t the actual issue,” he added, noting, "the mechanics will save the IA time and money by doing so."
Rather than ordering parts from local merchants, and paying on their own as they used to, the mechanics now utilize a database parts ordering system, through supply units within the division. Spc. Brooke Lohuis, a mechanic assigned to BSB, said, "Iraqi and U.S. leadership are collaborating on streamlining the parts ordering system to make it more efficient for units in the field.
Serving her 2nd deployment to Iraq, Lohuis tutors her Iraqi counterparts to take over her job once the U.S. withdraws from Iraq. Lohuis said that the 5th IA Div. mechanics work through language and cultural barriers with the BSB mentors, and quickly pick up the skills necessary to act autonomously.
“This isn’t their first time working on the trucks,” she said. “We’re focusing more on trying to get their system on how they order parts, how they fix parts, how they get their tools, and teaching them easier ways we know on how to fix the problems they have.”
After learning mechanic fundamentals as a civilian, Mosser said the more in-depth maintenance course at KMTB now completes his skill set. “I’m ready to deal with anything with these trucks now,” he stated.
"Soldiers of Co D are charged with the execution of the COB Speicher defense and force protection mission," said Capt. Wayne Stratton, cmdr. "The base defense mission can be broken down into 3 separate ops at COB Speicher: maintaining and running the entry control point, the base reaction force (BRF), and the command staff’s personal security detail," explained Stratton.
“If there are any significant events related to enemy activity or force protection, we push that info down to Co D, so that they can take the appropriate actions to increase security at the entry control point (ECP), and increase readiness of the base reaction force,” said Staff Sgt. Clayton Lam, BDOC NCO.
“There's a lot that goes into this mission,” said Staff Sgt. Philip Hackler, NCO-in-charge of the BRF. “We're a small company to begin with, so planning is a big part of making sure all the pieces are in the right place. The BRF has the task of ensuring the integrity of the COB perimeter, and acts as a quick reaction force should the base become the target of enemy attacks," Hackler said.
“We're on call 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week because the enemy is unpredictable, and we need to always be ready,” said Spc. John Rohrback, a cook. The BRF conducts routine patrols inside and outside the COB perimeter wire, to ensure the integrity of the base and the safety of its soldiers.
“The ECP is the main avenue on and off of the COB,” said Spc. Joshua Burch, a wheeled vehicle mechanic, who serves as a gunner and driver. “If someone with bad intentions is going to attempt to enter the COB, chances are they're not going to jump over the wire or do something crazy,” said Burch. “They're going to try to sneak through the ECP. That’s why we have to stay ready.”