|
The Insurgent Can't Hide in the Dark in Sangin
(June 22, 2011) | 
|
|
|
FORWARD OPERATING BASE INKERMAN, Helmand province, Afghanistan
(6/19/2011) - Sgt . Michael P. Hodge and Cpl. Nicholas D. Pelusio owned
the night in their slice of Sangin while conducting an observation post
in an abandoned compound, June 7.
|
FORWARD OPERATING BASE INKERMAN, Helmand province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan - Marines with 1st Platoon, Company B, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, patrol past Afghan laborers returning from a night observation post in Sangin, June 8,
2011. Night observation posts compounded with multiple patrols enable the Marines of 1st Platoon to provide a 24-hour security presence in their area of operations. |
|
Hodge and Pelusio are Marines from 1st Platoon, Company B, 1st
Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment operating in the district of Sangin, 300
miles southwest of the nation's capitol of Kabul.
These night
patrols limit the insurgent's movements, set an example for the Afghan
National Army at Patrol Base Fires and keep a 24-hour security presence
in the area.
When Marines are set in and observe a position it
prevents insurgents from maneuvering under the cover of darkness away
from patrol bases. It makes the enemy think twice before they attempt to
circumvent the patrol base since they don't know where the night
observation post will be.
“Night ops prevent the enemy from
putting in improvised explosive devices or pre-stage ammo and weapons in
staged fighting positions,” said Sgt. Michael P. Hodge, a squad leader
for 1st Plt. “Us being around at night also prevents the enemy from
being able to do their murder and intimidation campaigns against the
local people.”
The Marines defensive positions consist of
abandoned compounds and tree lines. This makes their positioning very
important. Squad leaders and team leaders must ensure that they are not
positioning their Marines on top of Improvised Explosive Devices. The
strength of the night op lies in the self discipline every Marine
learned at boot camp keeping them awake and vigilant against a shadow
enemy.
“We don't normally take the Afghan National Army or an
interpreter out with us on the night ops so we have to use the tree
lines or abandoned compounds since it is against their [Afghan] culture
for us to go into an inhabited compound without the ANA,” said Hodge.
The night posts also provide an extra measure of security for
the people. Hodge, from Lemoore, Calif., and a 2005 graduate of Lemoore
High School, says reactions to the additional security are mixed
depending on what area the Marines operate in.
“We are trying to
show the people that we will have security for them not only during the
day but also at night as well,” said Hodge.
The Marine's presence is
usually enough to deter the enemy from trying to move in the area, said
Cpl. Nicholas D. Pelusio, a team leader for 1st Plt.
“You see
people walking around sometimes, it is pretty boring but necessary,”
said Pelusio, from Las Vegas and a 2006 graduate of Bonanza High School.
“Despite the lack of enemy activity, we have to get off the base to
observe the environment. We are always trying to be one step ahead of
the enemy.”
“By going out on night ops we show the locals and the
ANA that we will go out there to provide security without fear of enemy
fighters,” said Pelusio. “We are also trying to show the ANA how to
better provide security for their country and what they need to be
doing. The best way to do that is by leading by example.”
The
platoon's efforts to set that example for the ANA can also be seen in
the execution of the commander's 24-hour security presence. The intent
is simple. Have boots on the ground 24/7 to show the enemy that they
cannot operate without being detected by the Marines. The end goal is
that the people see a constant stream of Marines. People feel more
comfortable talking to the patrols without fear of retaliation from the
insurgents with the added presence, explained Pelusio.
“A 24-hour
presence means that there is always a patrol out walking the area of
operations. We are trying to walk around and hit every area of every
sector at least once a day while talking to the people,” said Pelusio.
“We are constantly patrolling the area because we are seeing how the
enemy is reacting to us and our 24-hour presence.”
The ops are a
critical factor in earning the trust and confidence of the people in
Sangin.
“I expected to do night ops every once in a while before
coming out here,” said Lance Cpl. Christopher B. Grieg, an M-249 Squad
Automatic Weapon machine gunner with 1st Plt., from Los Altos Hills,
Calif. “Without night ops we would miss out on a large chunk of that
24-hour period and it would not work.”
For the Marines of 1st
Platoon, the goal of having night ops every night serves an extra
purpose; showing the ANA what it takes to create a secure environment in
Sangin. | |
Article and photo by USMC Cpl. Benjamin Crilly
Regimental Combat Team 8, 2nd Marine Division
Copyright 2011
Provided
through DVIDS
Comment on this article |
|
