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SANGIN DISTRICT, Afghanistan (12/20/2011) - The dirt along
Route 611 has been pulverized to dust, turned to a trail of
fine powder dotted with boot prints belonging to the Marines
of Company A, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment. The
footprints cover the landscape, blown away by wind, convoys
of armored transports and civilian caravans, only to be
replaced the following morning by another series of
exhausting patrols.
Lance Cpl. Brian Castillolinarez, an M249 squad automatic weapon
gunner, from Brooklyn, N.Y., provides security during a patrol here,
Nov. 30, 2011. The Marines of Company A, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine
Regiment, take part in counterinsurgency operations in the Sangin
District, limiting support for an insurgency with longstanding ties
to local communities. Photo by USMC Cpl. James Clark
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Each day the Marines and sailors of 1st Platoon depart Patrol Base
Florida and make their rounds through their area of operations in
the Sangin District.
When they first arrived, their presence
was greeted with malevolent intent, in the form of small arms and
indirect fire. Even the patrol base itself became a target. In the
months following their arrival, the insurgency has been pushed to
the fringes – replaced by a local populace struggling to find a
voice after a long silence due to past fear and intimidation.
Traveling roads and footpaths that have become as familiar as
the streets where they grew up, the Marines of Company A, have come
to recognize the faces of the men and children they pass during each
patrol. They know histories and stories, having literally exchanged
words while breaking bread.
The key to their success, the
Marines say, lies in their |
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understanding of counter insurgency operations – not the bland and
dry version presented at press conferences or
during presentations, but something more tangible and raw, something
more simple and honest – that, when done right, will keep them safe. |
“It's Marines doing what Marines do and the knowledge that
COIN on the small scale will bring them home,” said Cpl.
Henry Kornegay, squad leader, from Cullowhe, N.C., and a
2008 graduate of Smokey Mountain High School. “Be decent and
they'll keep [improvised explosive devices] out of the
village.”
The cornerstone of counterinsurgency
strategy lies in empowering the public, and in doing so
making the insurgency irrelevant.
“When we first
arrived it was pretty kinetic for the first week or two,
even the patrol bases were getting shot at. (We) pushed out
a pretty aggressive patrol rotation,” said 1st Lt. Edward
Yoo, a platoon commander from Bronxville, N.Y., and a 2009
Bowdoin College graduate. “People began telling us that
security has improved.”
However, with the end of
their deployment in sight and their area of operations
seeing steady improvement, the Marines must fight a
different threat – complacency.
“In a COIN fight,
security comes first,” said Yoo. “By doing the basic things
and building trust, the area has calmed down a lot, which is
the result of doing the less flashy things each day. It's
easy to lose focus so close to the end...need to focus on
shuras and collecting as much data as possible to bring [our
replacements] into a good place.”
Though they have
come far, the Marines of Alpha Company understand their time
is not yet up and there is still a job to do, explained
Kornegay, knowing that though the area has seen a break in
the violence, it can return at any moment, and only their
instincts and self discipline will keep it from spilling
over when and if that time comes.
“(I'm) really
fortunate to have a squad where complacency isn't a threat,”
continued Kornegay, who is now on his second deployment with
1/6. “Everyone acts the same as if we're taking contact
every day. People talk about having a switch – I think it's
something that's built in. Marines are still Marines. If you
give them a mission, they're still going to do it.”
More photos available in frame below
By USMC Cpl. James Clark
Regimental Combat Team 8, 2nd
Marine Division
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2011
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