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COMBAT OUTPOST LION, Afghanistan (10/27/2011) - Somewhere in
the vast terrain between Panjwa'i and Zharay is the
birthplace of known Taliban leader Mullah Omar; the area has
been a launch pad for insurgent activity and home to Taliban
safe houses.
A compound in Do'ab, used as a checkpoint in the village, shows the destruction caused by insurgent activity in the area. However, the Afghan National Army now mans this checkpoint, as well as various other checkpoints around Do'ab and in Panjwa'i district. U.S. troops have also set up a new combat outpost in the area, allowing the soldiers and ANA to work together to uproot the Taliban and bring security to the area. Photo by
Army Staff Sgt. Lindsey Kibler, Oct. 19, 2011
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In the western tip of the Horne of Panjwa'i lies Do'ab,
where Taliban activity has become a way of life for the
villagers and farmers.
“Do'ab is a historic insurgent
engagement area. It is the last piece of terrain in the area
that allows the enemy freedom of movement,” said Maj. Jimmy
Kleager, operations officer with 3rd Battalion, 21st
Infantry Regiment “Gimlets,” 1st Stryker Brigade Combat
Team, 25th Infantry Division.
Since the beginning of
the war, the area had been under control of the Canadian
army, said Kleager, a Scottsbluff, Neb., native. In July, as
the Canadians departed, elements of 1st SBCT, 25th Infantry
Division settled into the area. The Canadians put great
effort into building roads within Panjwa'i. The goal was to
expand security and boost the economy. However, they did not
venture into the tip of the horne or into Do'ab.
Do'ab would be a pivotal for two reasons, Kleager explained.
First, by constructing and expanding roads
throughout the village, farmers would have a safer, more
direct route to larger cities. Villagers have been using
rugged trails, only the width of one donkey-led cart, as a
way to get to and from Do'ab.
“Building a road
through Do'ab would have a tremendous effect on access to
and from the village. It would economically benefit the
locals by allowing access to Kandahar, where their crops and
produce, like grapes, bring more of a profit,” added Kleager.
In addition, the return on grapes and other produce will
provide an alternative to harvesting marijuana.
“The
road will allow the farmers to bring crops to the market,
and allow them to expand their profits beyond drug crops,
providing the area with an agricultural boost,” said 1st
Sgt. Jeff Peppin, Company A, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry
Regiment, 1st SBCT, 25th Infantry Division.
Second,
by having a troop presence in the area, the Taliban would
face challenges while attempting to place improvised
explosive devices.
“By moving into the tip of the
Horne of Panjwa'i, the furthest west anyone has been, we can
take away the last piece of terrain where the enemy has
freedom of movement,” said Kleager.
Not only would
enemy terrain be taken away, the soldiers in the area would
be able to talk with the local villagers on a regular basis.
Building and establishing a presence would not be
easy, though, as the area was laden with IEDs. IEDs pose a
threat to local villagers and troops in the area, according
to Spc. Joshua Rinker, an intelligence analyst with
Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment.
“IEDs, in particular pressure plate IEDs, are the
biggest threat in Do'ab,” said Rinker, a Richmond, Va.,
native. “When the Taliban moved into this area, they placed
them everywhere— not just along the road, but in compounds
and orchards throughout the village.”
With the fear
of the unknown, villagers were wary of harvesting their
crops, Kleager said.
“It got to the point where the
locals were actually leaving their homes, their crops and
the village altogether because they feared for their lives,”
said Rinker.
Knowing what they would be up against,
the battalion enlisted the help of Afghan National Army in
the area and prepared to head into Do'ab.The goal of the
combined effort, Kleager said, is to bring stability to the
area and, in turn, boost the economy.
By September,
the Gimlets, along with ANA engineers, broke ground and the
transformation from Taliban stronghold to an active farming
village began.
More associated images in frame below
By Army Staff Sgt. Lindsey Kibler
1st Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Public Affairs
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2011
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Associated articles by
Staff Sgt. Lindsey Kibler >
Breaking Ground: Road to
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