MAZAR-E-SHARIF, Afghanistan - On a long, dusty road littered with potholes and winding ruts, one Afghan National Army unit came into its own by conducting its first ever route-clearing mission.
Soldiers from Camp Shaheen's 209th Corps Route Clearing Company tediously cleared more than seven miles of road here recently with assistance from their Embedded Training Team mentors from Georgia National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. The mission was the culmination of nine months of training and providing a new capability for the unit in the northern regions of the country.
When recent intelligence called for a route-clearing mission, the Afghan soldiers were given the opportunity to spread their wings and display the fruits of their mentors.
Staff Sgt. Nicholas Ives, the training team non-commissioned officer in charge, and his team have had the daunting task of training the ANA soldiers through interpreters, but the need for training required no translation.
"IEDs are our biggest threats," he explained. "Route clearing teams will be important to all ANA, U.S., and other NATO forces because they are the tip of the spear - before operations begin they will go clear routes."
"We heard a couple of reports that this route is suspicious," said Capt. Mohammad Ali Yazdani, commander of the 209th RCC. "The Taliban are so weak that they cannot directly fight with the ANA or U.S. troops, so they are trying to put in mines [improvised explosive devices] or ambushes, and that's why we are trying to clear this route."
Providing safe passage for Afghan and coalition forces will also have benefits for the country as it struggles to grow and its people look for new opportunities.
"We clear this route for the civilians too, so they can cross easier," Yazdani commented, adding that the citizens are also able to see the ANA trying to provide help for the people of Afghanistan.
Afghanistan's history has created a need for the 209th RCC, which is just one of six ANA teams currently being trained.
"During the previous wars in Afghanistan, there were bombs dropping all over, lots of ammo, IEDs; that's why we are trying to help the people," said 1st Lt. Mohammad Farrazad, commander, First Platoon. "We are clearing the route to save someone's life. It is very important for everybody because if it isn't clear, it's going to be dangerous for everybody."
Hurdles lay ahead as the ETT continually learns new ways to effectively train new Soldiers in the fledgling Afghan army. The challenges often force the team to start with the basics.
"They could barely drive a vehicle or shoot and now we are out here clearing live routes," said Ives, who has been with the group since their initial training in Kabul. "We started in the crawl phase at Kabul, now we are getting to the run phase and trying to get them to run missions on their own."
Yazdani explained how training with the Americans has left a memorable impression on his Soldiers. "I am appreciative of the training team because they are training us well and they are now our friends."
Farrazad agreed. "We are lucky to have trainers from the USA, and we hope when they leave that we will be able to clear our routes all over our country," he said. "We are like brothers."
"We were hoping to stay longer with them," said Ives. "I feel that we've actually done something. It's really good seeing these guys start from the bottom, and now they're up at the top."
The ANA 209th Corps is proving the ANA is truly a national Army representing all the people of Afghanistan. By training and growing with coalition forces, they will soon be able to take the lead in securing and defending the independence, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity of their home.