In Country With Our Troops in Afghanistan

Army Capt. Paul Roberts, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 6th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, commander, gives the night security plan to Army 1st Lt. John Grant, 3rd Platoon leader for A Troop before dark. The scouts had to wait out the night in the location, securing it for transports coming through the area.

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Combat Outpost: exclusive film from the Afghan frontlineAs US and the UK forces struggle for a way forward in Afghanistan, John D McHugh’s unique film from one of the US military’s most dangerous outposts shows just how western forces are losing ground to the Taliban
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO WACTH VIDEO

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And there is also this article……….
6-4 Cavalry Scouts Take Tough Mission to Northeast Afghanistan
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division
By Army Staff Sgt. David Hopkins
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division
BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan
Cavalry Scouts of Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 6th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, along with the Afghan national army, perform regular missions along the unpaved roadways in the Konar province of northeastern Afghanistan.

“We do about 20 to 25 missions a month,” said Army Capt. Paul Roberts, HHT commander, an Altus, Okla., native. “We do Combat Logistics Patrol over watch, night patrols, route recon.”

Recently, the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Soldiers conducted a CLP over watch at one of the most frequently attacked locations along the main road running through their area of operations. They were called on to guard a convoy of supply trucks and military vehicles as they passed through the dangerous stretch to transport supplies to out posts in the region.

“CLP over watch missions are the hardest. They require the most combat power and there are a lot of moving parts,” Roberts said.

The location the scouts were watching has been attacked several times over the preceding months, including a large attack on a convoy last October wounding four American service members in a close-range ambush.
During the latest mission, the scouts sat on a plateau along the river where they have a vantage point along the road, while a group of Afghan national army soldiers headed up a mountainside to set up a position with a view from above.
As they scan the road, the valley and the hillsides, they watch cars and trucks, children playing in the small village, goat herders or any other movement for possible threat. They use binoculars, laser range-finders and the naked eye, and they watch and wait for the convoy to come through.
The scouts saw some suspicious signs along the road and on the mountain ridges, but the mission went off without incident. The supplies were delivered and no shots were fired. This is not always the case for the cavalry scouts. They are frequently attacked and have to counterattack. However, the scouts are well trained for such attacks and for the mission, and they are gaining experience with every operation they perform.

“I’m really proud of my guys,” Roberts said. “They’ve been doing exactly what I expect of Cavalry scouts. They are out there all the time doing a tough job.”

The scouts’ leadership has many hopes for the future of their troop, but their main hope is for the Afghan national security forces.

“My biggest hope for the future of the unit is for the ANSF guys,” Roberts said. “My hope is that all the ANSF guys get better and take on more responsibility, extending the face of the government, take the fight to the bad guys. Until then we’ll be there doing our job.”

A Headquarters and Headquarters Troop , 6th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, humvee sits on a plateau overlooking the route of a Combat Logistics Patrol that is coming their way to deliver supplies to the area. The scouts were there to watch for enemy activity and protect the patrol from attack.

Wild Thing’s comment…….
Prayers for our troops and for all those fighting against the terrorists. I am praying too that Obama will see we cannot fight this war without giving our military all they need. He HAS GOT TO realize this and stop with the cut backs.
This is from Military news updates:

There are 38,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan today and about 19,000 other troops from 42 different countries.

The 10th Mountain Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team was the most recent reinforcement to Afghanistan. The Fort Drum, N.Y.- based unit has begun operations in Regional Command East.

In addition, the 82nd Airborne Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade based at Fort Bragg, N.C., will deploy to Afghanistan later this spring. Aviation assets are needed in the rough terrain of Afghanistan.

Army Gen. David D. McKiernan has asked for another brigade combat team, or its equivalent. McKiernan is the commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces Afghanistan.