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October 2008
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ADVISORY: STRONG VISUAL CONTENT After three days in Panjawi the soldiers and equipment were sent to a staging area an hour to the east. This was to be the beginning of the biggest phase of Mountain Thrust, a joint operation of British, Canadian, American and Afghan soldiers. The British had already moved one of their units into place, to a northern point in the Helmund Province. The Canadians coordinated the move; American and Afghan units were under Canadian command. The assembly area seemed like any other area of deserted landscape in this part of Helmund Province. Flat, dry, and littered with stones, life seemed to have left this place long ago, offering itself now as a parking lot for the columns of vehicles lined in a row. We had left early to get here, with the instructions that we would move again in a few short hours. However, the British, in what was to become a recurring pattern during this phase of Mountain Thrust, had failed to plan, leaving their pre-positioned unit in the north without adequate supplies of water. With flights of their Lynx helicopters grounded due to its inability maintain aerodynamic stability in the hot atmosphere of the Afghan summer, the British had failed to provide effective resupply alternatives. Complicating matters further was their lack of armored vehicles. Fielding open topped Land Rovers with two machine guns mounted forward and aft, it was not unlike viewing a scene from the series "Rat Patrol." Thus, lacking the needed assets to move supplies or to ferry troops safely, the unit that had been pre-positioned to lead the attack, became the Achilles heal. With only 67 bottles of water remaining amongst the 120 men, and with temperatures pressing above 120 degrees F., the entire operation was postponed while American and Canadian assets were coordinated to resupply the British troops. With the mission now on hold, Canadian command took advantage of the amassed military assets, redirecting their focus to a target a few kilometers away. Intelligence reports had identified a bomb making factory a short distance to the east. Plans were quickly drafted, a reconnaissance team sent forward, and the battle plan briefed. Under the cover of darkness, the units began to move.
Alpha Company, 2d Platoon is from Edmonton, Canada. They are part of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. They go by "Red Devils." For the previous five months they had been assigned to a fire base north of Kandahar. It was an area wrought with the dangers of roadside bombs and a seemingly invisible enemy. A few months ago during a movement in an armored personnel carrier, one of their vehicles ran over what the military calls an IED or improvised explosive device. The explosion was so powerful that it penetrated the armor plating, severely wounding the platoon's Captain and one of their fellow squad members. The bones in the Captain's leg were turned to dust. As the soldiers pulled the other squad member from the vehicle, they found that he had lost both of his legs. There was no medic with them, so they applied tourniquets, stabilized him as best they could and called for Medivac. They waited for nearly two hours before Medivac arrived, during which time their friend and fellow soldier was held between them, screaming in pain. 2d Platoon, Red Devils, was chosen to be the lead element for the operation that was to begin at dawn.
The initial plan was to allow the reconnaissance and sniper teams to complete their mission, and then assist them with an extraction. The platoon had now moved to within a thousand meters of the targeted compounds, waiting patiently in the dark of the early morning. With little warning, the word to move was suddenly given. The platoon quickly loaded themselves back into the vehicles and made a rapid advance into the area. Lt. Colonel Hope, the field commander for the Canadian Forces, or Task Force Orion, referred to combat in this type of environment as "dynamic chaos." A place of continually changing realities that require perpetual adaptation and flexibility. Part of his vision for success for these battle conditions is to empower and rely on the decisions of his Company and Platoon commanders who are in the field doing the fight. As the Red Devils arrived into the area, the reconnaissance team called back that they had come under fire from one of the compounds. It was then that Hope's vision became reality, as the Lieutenant of 2nd Platoon made the spot decision to attack.
The doors in the back of the armored troop carries dropped open. The sun was just rising, as the squads assembled in the haze of twilight, automatic weapons fire and the crackle of rounds snapping overhead. Squad leaders began calling out; the assault had begun. The powerful 25mm guns of the armored vehicles echoed amongst the earthen walls and grassy knoll that bordered our position; tracer fire from the guns cutting through the dim of the early light like bolts of lightening. The Bravo team squad leader lead the charge taking his men to an over watch position several hundred meters away. The sounds of gun fire continued to resonate as grenades exploded amongst the trees. Then he stood up, looked to his men, and with a courage and focus from which histories are written, the squad leader called out, "Bravo! Bravo! With me! We're going to find a way across."
Down into the tall grass, over the dusty road, across a small bridge and to the sight of the main assault. Alpha squad had moved to a flanking position behind an earthen berm and was receiving heavy enemy fire. Bravo moved forward. "Anyone have grenades. I'm already out of grenades!" The squad members quickly redistributed their loads and prepared to continue their advance forward. Using the armored personnel carriers as moving cover, Bravo squad moved towards the compound. The earthen construction of the huts and villages are nearly impervious to small arms fire. Walls are typically 2 to 3 feet thick, and are a mix of rock and mud. With the large 25 mm guns leading the way again, the squad assaulted the row of earthen huts. "I see movement, I see movement!" The soldier ran to the edge of the opening that led deep into the domed roof dwelling. "I'm going to frag it!," as he pulled the pin on the grenade and lobbed it inside. "Frago, frago!!" There was the deep thud of the explosion as dust and rock blew out of the opening. Seconds later, the squad leader sprayed the interior with automatic fire. As the squad continued to move forward, yet another maze of doorways and rooms was discovered. The squad leader pulled his men back, reorganized and then attacked again. "I'll cover you," as automatic fire was targeted at the opening of one of the interior rooms. Pressing himself to the wall, the squad leader pulled the pin on yet another grenade and again launched it into the room. The detonation sprayed fire out of the doorway.
The compound was on fire. It was like looking into two sunrises, as the glow of the burn and the glow of a new day danced together on a surreal stage of life. Here the orchestra was clad in desert fatigues, the musicians created their rhythms with guns, and all moved in a practiced choreography to a performance known as war. It was a dance of death for some, life for others. The squad was now overlooking the open field and tree line to their front."We have to move back. We're receiving indirect fire!" They pulled back, offered protective fire for the other squad to move, and then pulled back again to an assembly area in the rear. Standing in front of the Platoon Sergeant, the squad leader took a moment to catch his breath, "We've got go in a muck'm out. We can't just stay here." Twenty minutes passed while ammo was redistributed and equipment checked. Soldiers talked amongst themselves, the banter of victory, the adrenaline of war. Then they were called together, briefed on the next phase of the plan, and sent back in, from where they had just left. Bravo squad took the lead.
A few days after the raid I asked a few of the soldiers how they felt about this war, a war that had begun with an attack on American soil. How did it feel being Canadian leading the fight? The answers were nearly all the same, "It's time that someone else steps up. The United States shouldn't have to carry the fight alone. We may be Canadians, but the attack was an attack on our common values and beliefs. The attack of 9-11 was an attack on all of us." For video, Hydarabad - Dawn Raid: Click here Videos: Click here for video page Archived blogs: RSS feed: Click here Copyright, Scott Kesterson- 2006 9 CommentsLeave a comment |
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Thank you, Canada! You must be very proud of your brave soldiers.
Godspeed men, from an American who is proud of you and Thanks you.
Many thanks to the soldiers from Canada. Your help in this fight will not be forgotten by Americans like me.
To Scott,
Damn fine site, I'll visit often.
To any Canadian Soldier that ever reads this site or was in this unit,
You boys can f#cking fight.
Anytime, anywhere fellas...and I love your beer.
Dear Scott,
What more can I say but thank you and your comrades for you service and sacrifice.
Another appreciative American !
I'm glad that the Canadian Forces are finally being appreciated for what they do, instead of denegrated by pundits and wags who don't know what the hell they're talking about. We have a long and proud military tradition in Canada, something that many people conveniently overlook. Politics aside, soldiering is soldiering.
I am proud that the other Canadian soldiers shown on this site are from my hometown...Go VP!
Hello ... great site!
Great reporting, I am proud to say my son is a member of The Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry portrayed here. Fighting together, Nato forces will prevail and bring peace to this region and happiness to the Afghan people. Keep up the good work Mr. Kesterson
Scott
As a Canadian, I thank you for telling the story of the brave & skillful soldiers of the PPCLI. I greatly admire their courage as soldiers & your courage telling their story. Best wishes to you all & return safely.