Issue 86 Jan. 14, 2012
Serving the Soldiers, Civilians and Families of 2nd BCT, 4th Inf. Div.
Shoulder to shoulder
Soldiers, AUP work to keep Subdistrict 6 safe Story and photos by Sgt. April York 2nd Brigade Combat Team PAO
Pfc. Terrance Houston, a fire support specialist with 1st platoon, Troop A, 1st Sqd., 10th Cav. Reg., 2nd BCT, 4th Inf. Div., collects images and information from a citizen in Subdistrict 6.
Story and photo by Capt. Bonnie Hutchinson 2nd Special Troops Battalion
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oldiers from 1st Platoon, Troop A, 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, along with their Afghan Uniformed Police counterparts conducted searches in Subdistrict 6. “What we are hoping to do is put the AUP in the lead in Subdistrict 6 to show the people that the AUP are capable,” said 1st Lt. Matthew Baker, leader of 1st Platoon. “We are trying to disrupt enemy freedom of maneuver through Subdistrict 6.” The Soldiers and AUP set-up a check point on a busy street. The AUP conducted searches of motorcyclists while the Soldiers used a back scatter x-ray machine to scan vehicles driving by. The machine detects the radiation that reflects from objects and forms an image for the Soldiers to view, and allows them to determine if a vehicle is carrying anything suspicious. People who were passing by were also searched and some were chosen at random to be placed in the Handheld Interagency Identity Detection Equipment system. “We place guys in the HIIDE system to create a database to cross reference fingerprints when the (explosive ordinance disposal) guys lift a print off of weapons or home-made explosive materials when they are found,” Baker said. “The more people we HIIDE the larger the database becomes and the more secure Subdistrict 6 will be.”
MPs teach map reading skills to AUP
Staff Sgt. Joshua Murray, a squad leader with 1st Platoon, Troop A, 1st Sqd., 10th Cav. Reg., 2nd BCT, 4th Inf. Div., collects images and information from a citizen in Subdistrict 6. Murray is entering in information into the Handheld Interagency Identity Detection Equipment system, which stores biometric data that can be used as a reference to identify evidence recovered from weapons and home-made explosives found by Explosive Ordinance Disposal team members.
Entering a person into the HIIDE system can be a time consuming process. “The first thing I collect is the iris scan, which is the hardest part because I have to get their eye exactly in the right place,” said Pfc. Terrance Houston, a fire support specialist with 1st platoon who was running the HIIDE for the mission. “Next I run the fingerprints, only the thumb and index finger on both hands.” “After I do the fingerprints, I take a facial image and then I enter in their information including: name, age, height and weight,” he said. “Every time I enter in a new person it lets me know I’m doing my part to keep my country safe and protecting my fellow Soldiers.” The AUP are protecting their fellow countrymen as well. Ensuring the safety of the people in Subdistrict 6 is a priority for the AUP. By going out in the community and showing a presence they will deter the Taliban from setting-up shop in the area. “Whenever we go out we always ask people what we can do to help out to make the area more secure,” Baker said. “They have told us that in the past year the security has gotten better and that new families have moved in, which is a great sign.”
oldiers with “Jester” platoon, the military police element of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, taught a map reading class to Afghan Uniformed Police in Substation 2. “Teaching our AUP counterparts is no different than teaching our Soldiers,” said 1st Sgt. Gorden Larsen, the first sergeant for HHC. “It takes time and it takes practice, but that is how we build competent Soldiers, leaders and units.” Each class starts with a classroom portion taught by an MP Soldier and a linguist. Once the classroom portion is complete, the AUP move into a practical
Sgt. Robert Nemeth, a military police officer with HHC, 2nd STB, 2nd BCT, 4th Inf. Div., and Vinny, a linguist, point out coordinates on a map. The MP company gives classes on map reading to the Afghan Uniformed Police so they can accurately plot grids when significant events or actions occur and report the grid coordinates to their higher headquarters and Coalition partners.
exercise where they are expected to apply what they have learned in class. “The most important aspect of teaching map reading is the practical exercise,” Larsen said. The MP platoon has conducted several map readings classes in recent months to emphasize the importance of topographical skills. The focus has been on map symbols, terrain features and plotting points. Continued on page 2
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Warhorse Pride
Change of Command
Issue 86 Jan. 14, 2012
Talon helps secure northern Khakrez Story and photo by Sgt. Ruth Pagan 2nd Brigade Combat Team PAO
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Lt. Col. Thomas Munsey, the commander of 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, passes the guide on to Capt. Joe Pittard, the incoming commander of Company G, Jan. 9. The outgoing commander was Capt. James Barr.
Map reading
Continued from page 1
“As we continue to train the AUP on basic map reading skills, and they continue to improve, it is our hope that reports become more accurate and timely,” said Capt. Orande Roy, the commander of HHC. The intended end state of the training is for the AUP to be able to accurately plot grids when significant events or actions occur and report the grid coordinates to their higher headquarters and coalition partners. “Each time we conduct training the AUP continue to improve,” said Sgt. Robert Nemeth, a team leader in the MP Platoon. “With additional training and practical exercises, they will become more proficient and confident in their map reading skills.” “As they become more comfortable reading and plotting points on their maps, we hope to move them into increasingly challenging exercises that focus on real-world scenarios,” Roy said. “This will facilitate better intelligence sharing and response times to events in the future.”
Warhorse Pride Col. John S. Kolasheski...................2nd BCT Commander Command Sgt. Maj. Ralph Delosa..............2nd BCT CSM Maj. Kevin Toner................................................2nd BCT PAO Sgt. Seth Barham..................................................PAO NCOIC Sgt. Ruth Pagan......................................Layout and Design Sgt. April York.........................................Layout and Design
oldiers with 3rd Platoon, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division have moved from the inner city of Kandahar to the isolated mountain side camp, Village Stability Platform Lam. “Our mission out here is to support the (Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha) team in conducting operations in northern Khakrez and Ghorak districts,” said 1st Lt. Eric Richards, the platoon leader. “Basically, we take care of VSP Lam by doing base security and when operations are conducted by the ODA we reinforce them by providing Soldiers as extra riflemen on a mission.” The Special Forces team incorporates the platoon into each mission and has been making headway in eliminating the insurgent threat within the area. “There is actual Taliban held territory that we go into and we are pushing them out of that,” Richards said. “The main pass that we guard is one that is used to run drugs, money and guns,” said Staff Sgt. Geoffrey Miller, a squad leader. “They’ve gotten more aggressive because we are stopping the support for the Taliban in our area. They’re getting cut off because of the actions we’ve taken out here.” “It is just really satisfying when we go there and find caches and (hurt) the enemy,” Richards said. Besides working with the Special Forces team, the platoon also works shoulder-toshoulder with the Afghan National Army. “(The ANA) platoon has really been able to integrate in with my platoon because we are organized basically the same way,” Richards said. “Those guys are motivated and love going out so there are no issues.” The Warhorse Pride is produced in the interest of the Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. The Warhorse Pide is an Army-funded newsletter authorized under provision of AR 360-1. Contents of the Warhorse Pride are not necessarily the view of, nor endorsed by the U.S. government, Department of Defense, Department of the Army or the 4th Infantry Division. All editorial content of The Warhorse Pride is prepared, edited, provided and approved by the 2nd Brigade Combat Team Public
“We use the buddy system every time we go out and that instills confidence in them,” Miller said. “We want people to see that their military force is standing up.” “These guys here really know what they’re doing,” said Spc. Cesar Marmalejo, an infantryman in the 3rd Platoon. “They know what to do, for example, if a local comes to the gate, they know they have to search him and they automatically just do it.” The Soldiers want the local people to feel like they can come to them if there is any suspicious activity. “We don’t have a huge defensive posture here so that it is less alarming to the people,” Miller said. “Believe it or not, with less of a show of force, it’s more inviting to the people.” Miller added, “As far as the locals, they will come in when they have information because they don’t want their kids to get hurt or anything to happen to their area; it’s been pretty productive.” VSP Lam has beautiful scenery but has little in the way of comfort. “We don’t have bathrooms and you can’t take showers everyday but the stuff we get to do out here is awesome,” Richards said. “I know people must think living out remote like this must be terrible but I think it couldn’t be further from the truth.”
Spc. Cesar Marmalejo, an infantryman with 3rd Platoon, Company A, 2nd Bn., 8th Inf. Reg., 2nd BCT, 4th Inf. Div., stands guard at Village Stability Platform Lam. Affairs Office. The Warhorse Pride welcomes articles, commentary and photos from readers. The Warhorse Pride reserves the right to edit submissions selected for the publication. All issues of The Warhorse Pride can be viewed online from your home computer at www.facebook. com/2bct4id Submissions should be e-mailed to the editor: seth.barham@afghan.swa.army.mil