WEBVTT 00:04.040 --> 00:07.080 uh , well it's actually a 15 sold unit 00:07.090 --> 00:09.090 we ripped with Blackfoot , which is 00:09.090 --> 00:12.510 bravo , 15 part of the reason why k 93 00:12.510 --> 00:16.410 7 kg was just that simple fact that no 00:16.410 --> 00:19.840 sharing A bit of history of 15 and 00:19.850 --> 00:21.961 uh , they're , they're very helpful . 00:21.961 --> 00:23.461 Their squad leaders , very 00:23.461 --> 00:25.517 knowledgeable , started Marlowe star 00:25.517 --> 00:28.530 nelson , a couple more , all very 00:28.530 --> 00:30.920 knowledgeable beans , passed a lot of 00:30.920 --> 00:34.190 the knowledge on a lot of key points of 00:34.190 --> 00:36.420 key terrain in the area . Just had to 00:36.420 --> 00:39.600 maneuver and things that we already 00:39.600 --> 00:41.910 know , but just kind of refine them , 00:41.930 --> 00:44.280 make them a little bit easier so that 00:44.280 --> 00:46.336 we're not roughing up guys and doing 00:46.336 --> 00:48.391 things that , you know , that you've 00:48.391 --> 00:50.550 heard of other units doing kids , you 00:50.550 --> 00:53.500 know , they're real big sign and , and 00:53.500 --> 00:55.556 you know what , what we do , You see 00:55.556 --> 00:57.611 the kids out there and they're happy 00:57.611 --> 00:59.833 with you and there , you know , they're 00:59.833 --> 00:59.790 tugging on you and asking you how 00:59.790 --> 01:01.920 you're doing and ask me for chocolate 01:01.930 --> 01:05.610 and pens , You know , you're doing good 01:05.620 --> 01:07.787 because they keep coming up to you and 01:07.787 --> 01:09.787 they always give you high fives and 01:09.787 --> 01:12.120 things like that . So 15 taught us that , 01:12.120 --> 01:14.342 you know that It's not like when 37 was 01:14.342 --> 01:16.287 your last time where it's constant 01:16.287 --> 01:18.410 threat . And uh , we're in singing 01:18.530 --> 01:21.950 singing Afghanistan right by the river . 01:21.960 --> 01:24.016 I mean there's not really much , you 01:24.016 --> 01:26.127 know , other than using that military 01:26.127 --> 01:28.293 jargon , uh , or grids and things like 01:28.293 --> 01:30.349 that . But yeah , we're right by the 01:30.349 --> 01:32.250 Helmand river . Second tune is we 01:32.250 --> 01:35.260 rotate out of this little PB year . Um , 01:36.440 --> 01:38.950 it's a , a lot of farmers , there's a 01:38.950 --> 01:41.006 lot of farmers out here , you know , 01:41.006 --> 01:43.410 nomads are rolling in , coming from the 01:43.410 --> 01:45.770 mountains and it's a lot of new faces . 01:46.440 --> 01:49.390 Um , but other than that , it seems to 01:49.400 --> 01:52.320 be a very friendly area . I think it's 01:52.320 --> 01:53.987 when we don't see that that's 01:53.987 --> 01:56.153 revolution , you will definitely raise 01:56.153 --> 01:59.350 the eyebrow uh this deployment we hope 01:59.350 --> 02:01.350 to accomplish just maintaining that 02:01.350 --> 02:03.461 security in the area , you know , not 02:03.461 --> 02:05.683 really , definitely not backing down or 02:05.683 --> 02:07.739 stepping back from anything . Uh you 02:07.739 --> 02:09.794 know , keeping keeping that presence 02:09.794 --> 02:08.880 with the locals , you know , we've made 02:08.880 --> 02:11.220 a lot of a lot of friendships out here , 02:11.230 --> 02:13.950 a lot of a lot of relationships with 02:14.340 --> 02:18.080 elders , mullah's uh shop owner's uh 02:18.090 --> 02:21.510 even some of the younger males , they 02:21.520 --> 02:25.050 were actually uh gain 02:25.060 --> 02:27.171 someone's trust with them to where we 02:27.171 --> 02:29.430 can count on them to , you know , uh 02:29.440 --> 02:31.551 help us out while we're out there . I 02:31.551 --> 02:33.773 want to point out uh point out any kind 02:33.773 --> 02:35.940 of danger area or something that might 02:35.940 --> 02:39.390 be a it might be a threat to coalition 02:39.390 --> 02:43.320 forces , but that along 02:43.320 --> 02:45.542 with being able to hand over this whole 02:45.542 --> 02:47.700 this battlespace today and a allowing 02:47.700 --> 02:49.756 them to further their operations and 02:49.756 --> 02:52.180 keep it secure uh so that what we do , 02:52.180 --> 02:54.700 so the locals don't see , you know , U . 02:54.700 --> 02:56.867 S . Forces just backing out . They see 02:56.867 --> 02:58.978 it's a it's a joint operation , we're 02:58.978 --> 03:01.089 kind of trading and handing over back 03:01.089 --> 03:03.144 to them and they see that it's now , 03:03.144 --> 03:05.256 it's , you know , it's in their hands 03:05.256 --> 03:07.422 and they can trust the A . The N . P . 03:07.422 --> 03:09.644 And the cops . So that's mainly what we 03:09.644 --> 03:12.250 are hope to accomplish . And so far we 03:12.250 --> 03:14.194 haven't had too many problems . Uh 03:14.200 --> 03:16.367 We've been doing a pretty good job you 03:16.367 --> 03:18.533 know with the help of our interpreters 03:18.533 --> 03:21.980 uh R . E . T . T . Teams . 03:21.990 --> 03:24.212 Uh They've been they've been helping us 03:24.212 --> 03:26.101 out making sure that we have that 03:26.101 --> 03:29.420 relationship established . Um at least 03:29.430 --> 03:31.541 been going pretty pretty well . We've 03:31.541 --> 03:35.130 had Tremendous success I would say with 03:35.140 --> 03:37.270 turnout . The local shuras starting 03:37.270 --> 03:40.360 with our during our rip with 1 5 um 03:41.440 --> 03:44.850 Increased within the next seven days of 03:44.850 --> 03:46.794 the first sure that I did with the 03:46.794 --> 03:49.520 platoon commander from 15 . He ended 03:49.520 --> 03:51.690 the next one that we had when we 03:51.690 --> 03:55.300 actually uh post transfer authority . 03:55.310 --> 03:58.800 We had about 35 to 40 locals 03:58.810 --> 04:02.500 representing each of the 55 villages in 04:02.500 --> 04:05.200 our A . O . So they seem to be pretty 04:05.200 --> 04:07.480 happy with the work that 15 had done 04:07.490 --> 04:10.270 prior to us getting here . I think it 04:10.270 --> 04:13.380 was a pretty smooth transition um from 04:13.380 --> 04:16.600 our platoon taking over for theirs . 04:16.930 --> 04:19.740 And then the locals seem to be pretty 04:19.740 --> 04:21.907 satisfied with the security that we've 04:21.907 --> 04:23.962 been providing . And they seem to be 04:23.962 --> 04:26.129 content in terms of reaching out to us 04:26.129 --> 04:28.500 letting us know you know when they're 04:28.500 --> 04:30.556 doing certain things their fields to 04:30.556 --> 04:32.611 let us know that they're not they're 04:32.611 --> 04:35.240 not taliban . And uh just kind of doing 04:35.240 --> 04:37.407 everything that we've asked them to do 04:37.407 --> 04:39.500 uh to mitigate any issues that we we 04:39.500 --> 04:42.630 could have , you know , not looking at 04:42.630 --> 04:45.620 them is Taliban , but recognize them as 04:45.620 --> 04:47.676 the local people that should be here 04:47.676 --> 04:49.731 versus Taliban , that's been kind of 04:49.731 --> 04:53.570 infiltrating parts . The overall 04:53.570 --> 04:56.420 are kind of mission is to provide 04:56.420 --> 04:58.587 security for the locals right now . To 04:58.587 --> 05:00.142 prevent Taliban coming in , 05:00.142 --> 05:02.680 establishing this , establishing a base 05:02.690 --> 05:05.690 to operate from 15 , did a really good 05:05.690 --> 05:08.650 job , taking over 35 , which took over 05:08.660 --> 05:12.200 37 last year um after they cleared 05:12.210 --> 05:14.360 pretty much the most of the Sangin 05:14.360 --> 05:17.980 Valley . Um And uh at this 05:17.980 --> 05:19.758 point , we just kind of want to 05:19.758 --> 05:21.970 continue on those gains in terms of uh 05:21.980 --> 05:23.780 keeping the Ao clear of Taliban 05:23.780 --> 05:25.947 influence , making sure that the local 05:25.947 --> 05:28.169 people are protected , making sure that 05:28.169 --> 05:30.113 they feel secure , they're able to 05:30.113 --> 05:32.169 continue on with their daily lives , 05:32.169 --> 05:34.340 whether it's uh farming or teaching 05:34.340 --> 05:36.340 their kids are wanting to establish 05:36.340 --> 05:38.780 more of an infrastructure uh in the in 05:38.780 --> 05:40.947 the area such as , you know , building 05:40.947 --> 05:43.310 roads , um getting schools up and 05:43.310 --> 05:45.890 running , getting river crossings , 05:46.030 --> 05:48.070 bridges and things like that allows 05:48.070 --> 05:50.410 them to facilitate their way of life , 05:50.420 --> 05:53.770 you know , a more efficient , way more 05:53.770 --> 05:56.680 productive way . Uh and ultimately , us 05:56.680 --> 05:58.736 partnering with our patrols with the 05:58.736 --> 06:00.847 local a and a to eventually turn over 06:00.847 --> 06:04.390 to them . So when , when us forces 06:04.400 --> 06:07.440 pull out of Afghanistan . Um Ultimately , 06:07.450 --> 06:09.780 the goal is to , for the afghans be 06:09.780 --> 06:12.002 able to protect themselves and continue 06:12.002 --> 06:14.002 on the job that we've we're kind of 06:14.002 --> 06:16.224 helping them to do now . It's , I think 06:16.224 --> 06:18.280 it's been relatively quiet , which I 06:18.280 --> 06:20.280 think is a success . I think it's a 06:20.280 --> 06:22.447 tremendous um I think speaks highly of 06:22.447 --> 06:26.280 the work that 35 in 1515 did 06:26.290 --> 06:28.880 prior to us getting here . Um 06:28.890 --> 06:32.790 You know , you kinda , in my mind , 06:32.790 --> 06:35.068 it's it's kind of what you want to see . 06:35.068 --> 06:37.012 Um The AO has been pretty quiet in 06:37.012 --> 06:39.179 terms of uh , we haven't had any small 06:39.179 --> 06:41.490 arms fire , direct fire incidents with 06:41.500 --> 06:45.200 any enemy uh or any insurgents . Um 06:45.210 --> 06:48.130 I think that could change any day . I 06:48.140 --> 06:50.196 like to think that we're prepared to 06:50.196 --> 06:52.880 handle it . Uh you know , if at any 06:52.880 --> 06:55.060 point along any patrol , it goes out 06:55.540 --> 06:58.450 any time of the day . Um that said , 06:58.460 --> 07:00.460 you know , it's not something we're 07:00.460 --> 07:02.738 hoping for . Hopefully that , you know , 07:02.738 --> 07:04.960 we're doing a good enough job providing 07:04.960 --> 07:07.127 security that the Taliban doesn't want 07:07.127 --> 07:09.071 to come back , but the locals feel 07:09.071 --> 07:11.349 secure in us being here and there were , 07:11.349 --> 07:13.349 you know , effectively um providing 07:13.349 --> 07:15.020 security to the whole area . 07:17.640 --> 07:20.110 Nothing . We've got a great group of 07:20.110 --> 07:22.330 young young guys here to do the job 07:22.340 --> 07:25.490 were tasked to do . Um you know , I'm 07:25.500 --> 07:27.556 proud of the work that we've done so 07:27.556 --> 07:29.611 far . It's only been a month . We've 07:29.611 --> 07:31.833 got another five and six to go , but at 07:31.833 --> 07:33.889 this point , the employment , um you 07:33.889 --> 07:36.510 know , we've managed to stay safe . And 07:36.510 --> 07:39.060 I think continuing to provide , uh , 07:39.840 --> 07:42.510 security , the locals in this village , 07:42.520 --> 07:44.770 especially the reaction that we've had 07:44.780 --> 07:47.002 from them , which has just been nothing 07:47.002 --> 07:50.460 but but positive reinforcement of the 07:50.460 --> 07:52.571 work that we're doing . The fact that 07:52.571 --> 07:54.627 they feel they can come to us at any 07:54.627 --> 07:56.910 point and talk to us here at R . R . O . 07:56.910 --> 08:00.870 P . Um , and show us around the lead us 08:00.870 --> 08:02.981 through their fields without worrying 08:02.981 --> 08:05.092 about the threat of IEDs . Every step 08:05.092 --> 08:06.926 they take , I think is it speaks 08:06.926 --> 08:10.040 volumes about the relationship that we 08:10.040 --> 08:12.262 established and hopefully will continue 08:12.262 --> 08:14.207 to maintain throughout the rest of 08:14.207 --> 08:13.450 deployment .