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“Total length, we're looking at 6 or 7 hours, so mentally prepare yourselves right now.”
It's a routine marine patrol. Sgt. Vinograski's squad gets trucked across central Marjah in
order to spend the day hiking back.
“As soon as it starts to heat up, around noontime, you'll feel how disgusting it starts
to get around here.”
The temperature exceeded 110 degrees Fahrenheit during this patrol through the center of Marjah,
Helmand province, southwest Afghanistan. Central Marjah is mostly stable now after a clearing
operation a year and half ago that drove the Taliban out.
This is the District Center, base of the growing civil government in Marjah. A year ago it
took fire every day, but it hasn't been attacked now for months.
“This is our stop.”
People are generally friendly with the marines.
The marines give out small solar powered radios.
“Tell him this is for him and his family, he turns it on and can listen to all the information
that is getting passed across the radio as far as what's going on in Marjah, so on and
so forth. “ All along the route, children flock to the
marines.
“Yeah, just rob me. That's fine.”
But the troops stay vigilant the entire time, despite the friendly atmosphere.
Along with handing out radios, the marines ask questions and look inside compounds. It's
what they call a “soft knock” approach-- meaning they try to be as respectful and non-disruptive
as possible.
The Sgt. asked when was the last time this man had seen an Afghan Local Police patrol
come by.
He said 'yesterday.' ”
“Yesterday? Alright!”
The relative stability here in Marjah is due in great part to the Afghan Local Police and
their support by the marines. Marjah is arranged in a block system with each block led by an
elder with specific ALP forces assigned to it. But the organization and discipline of
the local forces is sometimes not up to par.
This ALP member is out of uniform, and complains of not getting paid.
Who is your commander? We'll look into it.
This ALP member looks more the part.
“He said he and a couple of other ALP members are going to have a patrol on this block.”
“Ok, nice”
“I will fight the Taliban to my last breath. Before we were weak. They put IEDs outside
our home and we couldn't stop them. They threatened to kill us. They were preventing my children
from going to school and getting an education.”
This farmer brought up a pressing concern in Marjah, which is availability of clean
drinking water. There is water enough for crops in the wadis diverted from the Helmand
River, but it isn't safe for drinking although many Marjah residents have no choice but to
drink it. The marines have dug many wells since coming to Marjah, and have plans to
dig many more.
I do know there are projects to dig more wells...”
Back on the road, the marines search the locals.
“Walk back with the sickle!”
And constantly check for IEDs.
Burrito was here before with the 3/6 marines and says that things are very different, measured
by the attitude of the kids.
“It's a lot better now, the way these kids are. It shows a lot. They're more nice and
stuff like that but some areas we've been to not as nice. But they're getting better.”
But as the marines enter the busier market area, the kids are a mixed bag:
The marines are on high alert when they enter the market. It is easy to be distracted by
all the activity.
“Hop over and get him!” The marines stop when they see a boy across
the street recording them on a cell phone. The Taliban use children for smuggling weapons,
communication, and suicide bombing. “You cant be filming marines”
A couple doors down a shopkeeper talked about the turnaround in security.
“Business is good now that we have security. People come out to the market. “
When asked about the marines leaving by 2014 he said it was”in Gods hands. How can we
know?”
Past the market the marines stop by an ANCOP outpost. The Sgt. likes to drop in and build
up camaraderie, as he puts it. This commander served with 3/6 marines last
year when they cleared Marjah, out to the east.
“My commanders told me to keep Marjah secure, to keep the shops secure and to protect the
people.”
Marjah is stable, but that stability is not irreversible. The Taliban still operate on
the periphery and are a constant threat. The apparent good will between the marines and
populace, the marines and the Afghan police, is hard-earned day by day. Enormous amounts
of energy are spent patrolling and talking and listening and trying to meet the people's
needs in a way that the Taliban will not. Jeff Holden in Marjah, Afghanistan for the
NATO Channel.