Alpha Company, the authorities in combined action

PAKTYA PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Tiny Combat Outpost Hererra sit poised on high ground, about 7,500 feet above sea level, overlooking the villages of Jaji and Ali Khel, and within miles of the Pakistan border. COP Hererra provides the ideal perch for the Soldiers of Company A, of 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment who call the remote outpost home. From the outpost the Soldiers are perfectly positioned to operate their three-fold mission, which includes mentoring and working shoulder-to-shoulder with the Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police and Afghan Border Police to provide security for the nearby villages in support of the Government of the Independent Republic of Afghanistan.

“What we do here is convince the people that they are better off with an independent government, army and police force then they are with insurgents,” said U.S. Army 1st Lt. Micah Kidney, from Enosburg Falls, Vt., executive officer of the company.

Part of what makes the company’s mission so essential is their proximity to the Pakistan border, from where most of Paktya province’s insurgent presence comes. Their location allows them to act as a choke point for the influx of insurgents, weapons, and munitions.

Just three weeks into their mission, they found that they had already begun to gain the trust of the local people, which lead to their first major victory against invading insurgents.

During a joint operation between the company’s first and third platoons, the Afghan Border Patrol and police and the Soldiers acted on a tip from a local boy and found an enormous cache.

“We were providing security on the outer cordon, and a boy walked up and pointed at a house and said ‘Taliban.’ So, we alerted the ABP and assisted them in searching it. What we found was basically a bomb-making factory. There was everything from Sodium Nitrate to claymore mines,” said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jon Carbonneau, from Colchester, Vt., a squad leader with the third platoon.

“That put an enormous dent in the enemy’s ability to attack us throughout the summer,” added Kidney.

During another recent combined operation May 22, they searched a local village near where an improvised explosive device had been set off the ANP, and Company A Soldiers found several pairs of military uniforms. The uniforms, usually worn by the ANA, were used by the insurgents to disguise themselves as Afghan soldiers. This was another important discovery.

In addition to the importance of these combined operations to their security mission, they also used them as examples in their mentorship role.

“They are always the first ones to go in. We let them take the lead and then we critique afterward,” said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. George Thompson, Barre, Vt., a squad leader. Their goal is to build upon what the Afghan police already know, and impart a tactical mindset so that their training becomes second nature, he added.

Their ultimate goal is to help them become a self-sustaining force capable of protecting their citizens without coalition assistance. They have also had success and seen improvements in this endeavour.

In order to help the police become professional for that the civilian population can rely upon, they are working on setting up standard operating procedures and learn from not only the Company A Soldiers’ example, but also from veteran ANP units outside the area, said U.S. Army Sgt. Nick Ash, Jericho, Vt., a squad leader with the company.

“So far we have sent four guys (policemen) through the Afghan National Police Academy,” Ash said. He hopes eventually to send more, but in the mean time the Soldiers have another ace in their pocket.

About 12 of the company’s Soldiers are full-time police officers in their civilian life, according to Kidney.

In Ash’s platoon, he has three civilian policemen, and their knowledge and experience is a critical tool in helping develop the fledgling police force into a professional one, Ash said.

“We all work together and we draw off our experiences,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Scott McCullough, a fire team leader and civilian patrol officer in Morrisville, Vt.

They use their experiences to help teach basic police fundamentals like how to conduct traffic control points and personnel searches, he added.

“We work with the ANP and ANA so hopefully one day they don’t need us here. We’ve noticed they take more initiative and I think that’s a step in the right direction,” said McCullough.

In addition to the police, the Soldiers also work with the ANA, who according to Ash are already “pretty squared away.” The ANA soldiers attend a basic training, where they learn fundamental soldiering skills. So, the Company A Soldiers focus more on conducting combined operations with them.

Overall, one of the biggest achievements that the Soldiers have accomplished with their Afghan counterparts is the camaraderie they have built.

“We have seen they are willing to lay everything down for their country. That isn’t something that we expected when we first got here. We have learned that they have a lot in common with American Soldiers,” Kidney said.