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CAMP LEATHERNECK, Helmand province, Afghanistan (11/16/2011)
– The third day of the Nawa Victory Walk began early.
Marines with 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, woke as the
sun rose, then filled up on energy bars for breakfast. They
checked their equipment, refilled water containers, met up
with their Afghan National Army counterparts, and headed for
the front gate.
The third day of the four-day, 30-mile
patrol was in full swing. The battalion commander of 1/9,
Mercer Island, Wash., native Lt. Col. Tyler Zagurski, joined
Afghan Lt. Col. Gul Ahmad, the commanding officer for 1st
Kandak, 1st Brigade, 215th Corps, to continue their trek,
meeting with local elders and Afghan residents along the way
to promote confidence in Afghan security forces.
Lynn, Ark., native Sgt. Jeremy Cooney, a ground element commander during foot patrols, prepares to lead his Marines on patrol outside the town of Khalaj. Cooney, with 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, was responsible for all dismounted Marines during the Nawa Victory Walk, a patrol across the district with Afghan National Army soldiers to instill confidence in Afghan security forces.
Photo by USMC Cpl. Jeff Drew |
The Marines' aching shoulders and sore feet seemed to be a
thing of the past, as they had grown accustomed to the
weight and pace of the movement during the previous days of
patrolling.
In the last two days the Afghan soldiers
and Marines had seen a lot. On the first day they moved
hundreds of meters into the desert to aid local forces if
necessary after hearing gunfire in the distance, an event
that highlighted the readiness of Afghan police to maintain
security.
“During the movement to contact (the
enemy), I think the ANA and the Afghan Local Police did
excellent,” said Lynn, Ark., native Sgt. Jeremy Cooney, the
ground element commander for the patrol. “I was impressed.
They immediately set out flanking movement and got online
and pushed out straight toward (the gunfire). They didn't
hesitate and they didn't shoot at anyone because, at the
time, we didn't know who was good and who was bad.”
A
groundbreaking ceremony of a local health clinic marked the
second day. Key leaders, including council members, local
elders, and the district governor, arrived at the Loy Kolay
Precinct, an Afghan security outpost, to cut a ceremonial
ribbon and place the foundation bricks.
Morale was
high as the group set out the third day, marked by a shorter
distance of eight kilometers.
As they exited the
door that led to the surrounding town of Khalaj, Cooney took
charge of his Marines, and they fell in line behind the ANA.
“I think we are setting out to do what we intended,”
said Cooney. “The biggest part of this was being able to go
to the different (patrol bases) and let (the Afghan
soldiers) see that their commanders are out here with them.
The ANA and the Marines are walking the streets and keeping
it safe – I think, so far, this has been a success.”
As the ground element commander, Cooney is in charge of all
Marines walking in the patrol, taking charge of all security
aspects and ensuring coverage in all directions. His
southern drawl matched with the surrounding sea of
cornfields and farms highlighted his southern upbringing,
and he spoke of his family as the soldiers and Marines
walked down the dirt roads. He described his five children
and how he couldn't wait to finish the mission and go back
to the United States so he could go fishing and hunting and
ride horses with them.
Nawa's security stands on the
cusp of transition to Afghan control, and as the Marines
patrolled to the various patrol bases and outposts, Cooney
spoke of some of the district's progress.
“The
people were pretty supportive of us when we got here, but I
think we've been able to build on that relationship a lot,”
said the 31-year-old Cooney. “There are many more patrol
bases being run by ANA than when we got here; that, in
itself, is a big accomplishment. (Afghans) are starting to
take care of security and do things themselves.”
“You
reach a point in a place like Nawa where continued growth
and progress is impossible until you take a step back and
encourage your partners to fill the gap,” said Zagurski.
“We won't let them fail; we haven't let them fail. We've
watched them very carefully, and they have been very
successful.”
The ANA soldiers and Marines patrolled
to Patrol Bases Luy Jolah, Jangeali, and Toor Ghar. At each
stop Afghan security forces welcomed them, offering food and
chai tea. From Toor Ghar the Marines jumped into vehicles
and moved to Patrol Base Kharaman, an abandoned mansion
turned into an outpost where they would sleep for the
evening. With one day left on the scheduled patrol, the
service members were excited. They tucked themselves into
sleeping bags to fend off the dropping temperatures and fell
asleep under the stars.
“I couldn't be prouder of my
men,” said Cooney. “They keep pushing on without complaint –
some have blisters, or their shoulders ache, but they don't
show it.”
Editor's note: First Battalion, 9th Marine
Regiment, is currently assigned to Regimental Combat Team 5,
2nd Marine Division (Forward), which heads Task Force
Leatherneck. The task force serves as the ground combat
element of Regional Command (Southwest) and works in
partnership with the Afghan National Security Force and the
Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to conduct
counterinsurgency operations. The unit is dedicated to
securing the Afghan people, defeating insurgent forces, and
enabling ANSF assumption of security responsibilities within
its area of operations in order to support the expansion of
stability, development and legitimate governance.
More photos available in frame below
By USMC Cpl. Jeff Drew
2nd Marine Division
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2011
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