N.Y. Native Betters Himself and the ANA
FOB DELARAM II, Nimroz province - An Afghan soldier walked through a minefield. Behind him was a convoy of U.S. Marine and Afghan vehicles, depending on his vision. The tall steel vehicles lumbered and creaked, rolling at a slow speed. The Afghan soldier turned around to make eye contact with the U.S. Marine driving the vehicle behind him, and pointed to yet another IED.
Cpl. Juan Montoya was driving the lead vehicle. Montoya has devoted his time and risked bodily harm to help develop the ANA’s 2nd Bde, 215th Corps. They've returned the favor.“If he didn’t find the IEDs, then I couldn’t find them,” said Montoya. “He would point and say, ‘there’s an IED right there,’ when I couldn’t see anything. We marked it and called EOD, and they confirmed that he was right.”For Cpl. Juan Montoya this event is just one small example of the partnership his ETT forges everyday with their Afghan partners.One accident in his 8 months of deployment has earned Montoya a good reputation among the ETT. Montoya has distinguished himself as a driver early in the deployment. He has currently performed more than 30 convoys throughout Helmand province in RCT-8’s area of operation (AO). Every mission Montoya has performed has been successful with the exception of the one particularly dangerous event.“Our new team leader, without even asking who used to drive the previous team leader, wanted Montoya to be his driver,” said Marine 1st Lt. John Bailey, the logistics advisor to the brigade. “We've had 3 different team leaders, since we've been out here, and they always had Montoya as their driver. He’s always got a positive attitude, no matter what’s going on. His professionalism, for his peer group, is the best on his team.”The team is a small unit with a large workload, making it necessary to diversify the responsibilities of the individual Marines. Bailey said that their roles have "kind of moved and shifted as this deployment has progressed, to adapt to what the ANA need."Montoya is currently working with the ANA to establish check points along dangerous roads, so the Afghan soldiers can secure them and prevent insurgents from lacing them with IEDs.
Materials need to be collected, inventoried, stored, and constructed to build these checkpoints. Montoya supervises the logistics effort required to complete the assembly.Two checkspoints have been made, while an additional 5 are slated for construction in the near future. ANA 1st Lt. Kam Aluddin, supply officer, works with Montoya daily. Together they learn the proper procedures to order, track and monitor equipment coming to the ANA's newest Helmand province-based bde.“As a cpl. he's basically advising an entire bde., which is over 4,000 soldiers, on how to maintain proper accountability of all their equipment,” Bailey said.“I've been working with him for a long time,” Aluddin said. “He's advising me in everything, and supporting me in every issue. He taught us how to record the materials in the property books, and advised me how to use forms necessary to accomplish my job.”Montoya’s polite and reserved personality makes him a good partner to his Afghan counterparts. Born in Columbia, Montoya understands the impressions that an American, especially a Marine, can give to someone not familiar with the culture.“Because he's more cordial, more professional as a Marine, he tends to get along with the Afghan soldiers, better than most Marines,” said Bailey. “Marines are more extroverted, where as the ANA are more relaxed; they’re paced. They take very well to Montoya, because they take very well to his personality.”Montoya is slated to leave Afghanistan in early 2012. It will mark the end of his 2nd combat tour, the first being Ramadi, Iraq. He's a year into his 2nd enlistment in the Marine Corps and said that he's going to stay in as long as they'll let him.Montoya has spent 8 months in the Afghan desert, successfully performing multiple jobs that aren't within his field of expertise. “I take it one day at a time,” Montoya said. “These guys [ANA] are good soldiers. They've come a long way, and I’m glad I could be here to help them.”
Mom and Son Serving together
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD -- “It’s a good feeling.” says Jessie. “I enjoy seeing him every so often.” The 2 have the opportunity to see each other every few months, when the younger Horn comes up to Kandahar as part of his duties.
“It’s always nice to have family.” says Antonio. By the end of Antonio’s deployment, the 2 will have spent several months in country together. “It’s a plus to have her here.” continues Antonio. “Whenever I need help she's always there."“She has been supporting us since she put foot on the ground,” Antonio said, “especially when you need that suck it up kick.” “I enjoy supporting soldiers, whether it’s my son or all soldiers; that's what I enjoy doing.” responded Jessie.-30-
Story by Capt. Kevin Sandell
ZHARAY DISTRICT – Combined TF Spartan soldiers combined with their Afghan counterparts discovered a large cache of marijuana seeds and hashish, during a search of a compound south of Sa’dullakhan, Aug. 23.
While conducting a patrol in the area, the combined element searched a suspicious compound, and inside the building they found over 1,000-lbs of marijuana seeds, and up to 2,500-lbs of hashish stashed inside. The soldiers continued searching the building, which was otherwise empty.
Marijuana and opium production is a key source of revenue for insurgents operating in Zharay and Maiwand Districts, and from May to June this year, CF in those 2 districts seized nearly $400,000 worth of illegal narcotics and supplies.-30-
DVIDS
Joint Air Assault Op Leads to High-Level Insurgent Capture
ZHARAY DISTRICT – ANSF partnered with CF, conducted an air assault op, August 22, to disrupt insurgent networks in the area, while detaining a high-level insurgent, and seizing a sizeable homemade explosive cache, from a homemade weapons lab.
Upon reaching the objective north of Howz-E-Madad, soldiers detained a high-level insurgent who was believed to be a Taliban cmdr., in central Zharay district, and possibly played a role in the catastrophic deaths of 5 American soldiers, Aug. 11. They also seized 2 bags of ammonium nitrate, 20-lbs of hashish, and various other IED components. Eight males at the scene were also detained for further questioning.Approx 40 ANA soldiers partnered with 120 Soldiers with Combined TF Spartan’s 2nd Bn, 87th Inf Regt conducted the rapid op.
An air assault op is a swift military insertion by helicopter, which denies the insurgents freedom of movement throughout Zharay and Maiwand districts of Kandahar prov., while also finding and detaining their leaders and destroying supplies.CAMP LEATHERNECK, Helmand province - Citizens of the Nawa District took matters into their own hands last week, as they stoned 2 insurgents in retaliation for the killing of a local elder. The insurgents claim the elder was cooperating with officials of the GoA.
According to the district chief, Haji Khan, a number of the villagers of Sra Qala, including the 2 sons of the elder, first disarmed the insurgents, taking their rifles, and then stoned them to death.As this event indicates, Afghan citizens are increasingly dissatisfied with insurgent activity. They continue to work with CF against the insurgents, and their efforts to undermine the legitimate GoA.Insurgents also demonstrate a complete disregard for the safety of Afghan citizens, as insurgents attempt to destabilize the legitimate govt. In southern Helmand, a family traveling near Khan Neshin ran over an IED in their vehicle, killing 2 young children, 2 women and 3 men. The explosion also injured 5 others. CF were the first people to come across the incident, and provided initial treatment to the injured. While waiting for a medical evacuation helicopter to arrive, CF discovered a 2nd IED in the area, and provided personnel to neutralize it.KANDAHAR PROVINCE -- In Kandahar city, a combined Afghan and coalition SecFor detained multiple suspected insurgents, while searching for a Taliban facilitator, yesterday. The facilitator moves ammo and money for insurgents in a local Taliban network, and continues to monitor ANSF ops in the area.
East GHAZNI PROVINCE -- A combined Afghan and coalition SecFor detained several suspected insurgents, while searching for a Taliban leader in Ghazni District, Aug. 26. The leader directs tactical ops, surveillance and recon against ANSF.
IqAF members perform vehicle searches at Kirkuk Air Base. The Iraqis searched the exterior and interior of the vehicles to look for bombs, or anything that doesn't belong on base, that could jeopardize the safety of any personnel. (AF photo by Senior Airman Tristin English)
KIRKUK AIR BASE - ISF members at Kirkuk Regional AB recently completed base defense training. taught by U.S. AF and Army advisors. The training helped build a strong, successful sqdn of Iraqi defenders, and taught them how to better provide base security.
AF Master Sgt. Daren Kelly and Army 1st Lt. Andrew Marshall led the training, which included lessons on base defense, vehicle search and small weapons training. “The underlining theme was not just teaching the IqAF how to do these tasks, but why,” said Marshall, an access control plt. leader, deployed from Fort Riley, Kan. “We wanted them to understand why it was so important to perform the different skills correctly, and the background as to why the U.S. would do them. That way, when the Iraqis are teaching, they can understand why certain aspects of the training need additional emphasis.”According to Kelly, the 321st adviser, this class was the first time these ISF members received formal weapons training. After 3 days of training with AK-47s, Kelly said, "the Iraqis showed significant improvement."
The Iraqis even demonstrated successful completion of a weapons qualification course. “We had a 100% qualification rate, and 70% shot at the expert level,” said Kelly, deployed from Barksdale AF Base, La. “It was a tremendous success to go from never touching a weapon to shooting expert.”
COB WARRIOR – Maj. Gen. David Perkins, 4th ID and USD – North cmdr., recognizes Soldiers from the 1st AATF, 1st ID, for their outstanding contributions to OND. Perkins presented coins in a ceremony held at the 1st AATF HQ, Aug. 22, 2011. “As you prepare to withdraw from Warrior, it's important to remember the Soldier that has carried us this far,” said Perkins, addressing awardees and their leadership. “Your continuous efforts and hard work reflect great credit upon yourselves, TF Devil and TF Ironhorse.”