DoD Rewards Program making a difference in Cyclone’s AO

 BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - The Department of Defense Awards Program is designed to pay individuals for information that leads to the capture of illegal weapons or high value targets. 

After the illegal weapons or the high value target has been taken into custody by Coalition forces, the individual who provided the information will receive the payment. 

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Brent Nelson, from Indianapolis, In., assigned to Task Force Cyclone has been working with the DOD Rewards Program since he arrived in Afghanistan in August 2009. 

“The program has been very successful in our area, especially around Bagram Airfield,” said Nelson. This program rewards the citizens of Afghanistan for taking part in their own safety and security, and it shows that they care about our safety, said Nelson. 

In one instance, one Colonel visited a local village where the elder said he knew the location of a weapons cache.  As a result the explosive ordinance team was called to recover the cache and the village elder was paid for his efforts.  It benefited the village and coalition forces by assisting in security around the village.

More than $100,000 has been awarded during Task Force Cyclones deployment here. 

This program allows Afghan civilians to work side-by-side with Coalition forces to help defeat threats to the citizens of Afghanistan and Coalition forces.