KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - July marked the departure of the 4th Brigade, 10th Mountain Division and the arrival of the 207th Infantry Brigade in Regional Command South (RCS).
Army Col. R. Stephen Williams, 207th commander of this Alaska National Guard unit was more than ready to make a difference in RCS under his command.
The 207th is one of the largest Guard units in Alaska. In support of Operation Enduring Freedom units from South Carolina, Wyoming, Puerto Rico Delaware and California have been assigned to support the 207th during their deployment.
In an effort to support the people of Afghanistan, Williams has made a personal commitment with locals to improve safety in this region of the country.
One month after taking command, Williams gained the trust of Kandahar residents, who support the U.S. and their humanitarian aid, medical and village outreach programs.
In August, Williams gathered some of Task Force Grizzly Soldiers and traveled to Kandahar City, where he paid a visit to students at the Albironi Institute of Information and Technology and attended a Shura (meeting) with Afghan government officials.
Albironi Administrative Deputy Director, Esmate Muslin, and school Principal Haji Qassam Assadullah, met with Williams to discuss how the U.S. could assist these students.
“We found that they needed transportation to drive the women around, mainly for security reasons,” said Williams, from Chugiak, Alaska.
Many Afghan women in Kandahar City have made attempts to study and find jobs, but enemy extremists have taken this opportunity to target them. Utilizing public transportation to get to school made it difficult for some to attend school, so the civil affairs team agreed to help.
For security reasons, the Albironi institute has security guards and a barrier all around the premises to protect those women currently enrolled.
Army Lt. Col. Raleigh Jones, headquarters advisor, with the 405th Civil Affairs Battalion currently attached to the 207th, has approximately 30 projects that will benefit Afghans throughout RCS and helping out the Albironi institute was one of them.
Jones, from Anderson, S.C., coordinated with Williams to donated two mini-vans to transport the Afghan women to the institute. Williams’s second visit was a success because he was able to facilitate transportation for the women. In addition, they brought school supplies and stationary bicycles for the students to workout.
Army Pfc. Lydia Edwards, logistics clerk with the 207th, had the opportunity to meet with some of the women at the Albironi institute.
“I learned a lot from them and their culture,” said Edwards, whose hometown is Kenai, Alaska. “They are driven, intelligent and strong Afghan women and I was impressed by them.”
Sakina Sekanadira, 21, an English teacher at the Albironi institute, is one of the brave Afghan women who enjoys teaching and feel a great pride because she is contributing something essential to this society.
She said that the women in her class were happy to learn and interact with one another. Education to her is very important for the development of the country.
The success of this small contribution boosts the moral of the locals and U.S. Soldiers who assisted during this humanitarian aid mission, but the CA team didn’t stop there.
On Sept. 3, the CA team coordinated with local contractors a bid conference hosted the U.S. National Command Element in support of Operation Medusa.
According to NCE officials, Operation Medusa’s main objective is to eliminate enemy insurgents in the Panjwayi and Zhari districts. These two areas are known to be Taliban strong holds.
Residents from these two districts are in need of humanitarian aid and the CA team had developed many projects to help build roads, schools and medical clinics. In addition, food and clothes would be donated to those who suffered from the Taliban’s tyranny.
Army Staff Sgt. Albert Beyer, project purchasing officer, coordinated the bid conference and gave local contractors guidance on how to prepare a proposal to get a contract with NATO/ISAF.
As a result, 12 local contractors, interested in helping the Afghan community, attended the bid conference with the intent to help their neighbors from Panjwayi and Zhari.
Representatives from Umer Nangialai Construction and Trading Company and Ariana Popal Construction Company, both based in Kandahar, will be providing support to rebuild roads, school and medical clinics in RCS.
Mugeed Rahaman, a contractor, said that being able to help gave him a great sense of pride because he was contributing in a small way to rebuild his country.
In the mean time, Operation Medusa had taken its course. TF Grizzly Soldiers had set camp in a strategic area in Panjwayi where they conducted aggressive operations to push the Taliban out of their strong hold.
To support this operation, Afghan National Army, Canadian Army and other Coalition forces, together with TF Grizzly, fought against the enemy.
Army Maj. Richard Koch, chaplain, went out to support the troops and to give them guidance from the Lord.
“We ask that you bless them (TF Grizzly Soldiers) to do their duty and fall back upon their training to do what they need to do,” said Koch, whose hometown is Anchorage, Alaska.
In the middle of the service, Koch paused after an explosion shook the mountain where these Soldiers were as if the vibration was a result from a volcano eruption. Only miles away, Operation Medusa was going as planned without any casualties or severe injuries.
Army Maj. Jeffrey Roach, 207th operations officer, met Williams in Panjwayi to monitor operation and coordinated strategic movements together with intelligence personnel supporting TF Grizzly.
“TF Grizzly played a vital role in moving Operation Medusa forward and defeating the enemy in the Panjwayi district,” said Roach, from Fairbanks, Alaska.
Army Maj. Gen. Benjamin Freakly, commander of the Combined Task Force 76, and Canadian Brig. Gen. David Fraser, RCS commander, visited the troops in Panjwayi. After a briefing by Williams and his staff, Freakly gave the thumbs up to TF Grizzly and Coalition forces to move forward with the operation.
On Sept. 13, NATO/ISAF/ released an Operation Medusa update saying that troops had successfully moved forward in Panjwayi meeting little resistance from the enemy.
After finishing the dangerous part of the operation, Williams said the Task Force in Pashmul had been fighting nearly 1,000 Taliban for the last 20 days.
Williams recognized the hard work made by all of TF Grizzly Soldiers, Canadian Army and ANA, which helped the coalition accomplish such a tasking with minor difficulties.
Currently, humanitarian aid missions have been initiated in the Panjwayi and Zhari districts by NATO/ISAF forces and the 207th continues with its mission to help the people of Afghanistan.