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Army officer tells tales of Afghan war
Josey1
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Army officer tells tales of Afghan war
By Matt Kaffenberger, Staff Reporter August 16, 2002
Submitted photo
1st Lt. Aaron Williams stands along the perimeter in Kandahar, the city in southern Afghanistan where he was based.
A U.S. Army officer with close ties to Dearborn County is back from the battlefields of Afghanistan and sharing the story of his role in America's war on terrorism.
1st Lt. Aaron Williams, Clarksville, Tenn., spent 165 days in Afghanistan and received two medals of commendation for his service there, including a Bronze Star for his heroic actions during Operation Anaconda. Williams, 25, is married to Christy Tibbs Williams, daughter of Larry and Patty Tibbs, Dillsboro.
"I think the war is going pretty well. Everything we've been doing has been pretty successful," he said.
Williams conducted two combat air assaults in enemy territory and led his platoon in securing two strategic airfields during Operation Anaconda, the military's successful campaign against Taliban and al-Qaida fighters in eastern Afghanistan.
Hundreds of enemy fighters were killed by U.S. bombing and helicopter fire during the assault in March.
U.S. forces initially encountered unexpectedly stiff resistance. Williams and his platoon expected to be in the combat zone for 12 to 72 hours. Instead, they remained there for more than a week.
"You can have the best plan in the world, but the mission is always going to change," said Williams.
The mission called for rooting out a large concentration of Taliban and al-Qaida fighters who were holed up in a village near Gardez.
Securing the `FARP'
As U.S. and allied forces attacked the village, Williams and his men helped prevent the enemy from escaping into Pakistan through mountain passes.
Williams said the enemy ranged from hard-core fighters to hired guns who surrendered or fled at the first sign of conflict.
"The ones who stay and fight are fairly competent fighters. I think the ones who give up aren't 100 percent sold on the ideas they are fighting for," said Williams.
According to Williams' Bronze Star citation, the successful operation of securing both airfields, Forward Arming and Refueling Points in Army speak, was designated a critical task.
It was required for the success of the mission and minimization of American and allied casualties.
A FARP allows for the rearming and refueling of support aircraft closer to the objective area, said Williams.
Securing the FARPs allowed AH-64 Apache attack helicopters to remain on station and provide close combat air support for ground troops who were moving against the village, he said.
"We had to have them (FARPs). They allowed attack helicopters to provide overwatch and support for the infantry and transport helicopters. Without them, we would have had a lot more casualties," said Williams.
Williams, a Northern Kentucky native, is a platoon leader with C Company, 326th Engineer Battalion, 101st Airborne Division, stationed at Fort Campbell, Ky. The six-year Army veteran has about 25 men under his command.
His unit, known as "sappers" by the Army, supports infantry by providing mobility, countermobility and survivability assets.
Mobility is clearing obstacles including mines; countermobility is placing obstacles to slow down the enemy; survivability includes digging trenches and building bunkers, said Williams.
"We are the experts at building fighting positions," he said.
A year at war
Nearly a year after the United States began fighting in Afghanistan, fleeting and long-distance encounters have become more common than the massive airstrikes or large-scale ground assaults of months past.
With no known large concentrations of Taliban or al-Qaida fighters to attack, the U.S. campaign has evolved into a sweeping search for a mostly scattered, hit-and-run enemy that travels as easily and furtively as its pursuer.
Williams likens the guerrilla fighting to Vietnam and admits the war sometimes is frustrating.
"We would've liked to have seen and engaged more enemy. It was a patience game," said Williams.
U.S. forces can move at will and control any territory they choose, scaring off Islamic guerrillas unwilling or unable to mount a sustained counterattack, he said.
Yet for all their numerical and technological advantages, the Americans and their allies have yet to fully figure out how to battle a foe so practiced at concealment.
Mountainous terrain makes it easy for the enemy to disappear and hide, said Williams.
"They know what they're doing. You can tell they've fought for years and years," he said.
During their long and futile war in the 1980s, Soviet soldiers referred to their Afghan adversaries as dukhi, the Russian word for ghosts, invisible spirits who attacked without notice only to disappear again into the countryside.
Williams said the word still applies, and compared the style of warfare to a dangerous game of cat and mouse.
"After Operation Anaconda, they don't want to stand up and fight us. They know they will lose," he said.
A major challenge for Williams was to make sure that his younger and less experienced soldiers did not get carried away in an area heavily populated by civilians.
Under the rules of engagement, they could fire only at people who demonstrated hostile intent, loosely defined as any action that communicates a real and present danger, said Williams.
He called the rules for shooting restrictive but necessary.
"The Russians didn't win the hearts and minds of Afghan civilians. The majority of Afghanistan is pro-American. We don't kick in doors and shoot everything in sight. We're very selective in how we act and what we do," he said.
Another foe
When Williams and his men were not fighting human foes, they were battling the elements.
They went through blinding dust storms and an earthquake. During the summer, the days were extremely hot, reaching more than 100 degrees.
In winter, the nights were so cold that some soldiers could not feel their feet.
Further, the mountain air is extremely thin. One soldier in Williams' unit came down with a mild case of altitude sickness.
"Other than that, most of my soldiers did well," said Williams.
Williams is not privy to any information on the whereabouts of Taliban leader Mullah Omar or terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden, saying he "knows about as much as everybody over here knows about that."
Nonetheless, he said America is on the right track for winning the war on terrorism.
"Patience is the key. We need to take our time and root out the terrorists wherever they hide," said Williams.
cThe Dearborn County Register 2002
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=5070753&BRD=2076&PAG=461&dept_id=384100&rfi=6
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
By Matt Kaffenberger, Staff Reporter August 16, 2002
Submitted photo
1st Lt. Aaron Williams stands along the perimeter in Kandahar, the city in southern Afghanistan where he was based.
A U.S. Army officer with close ties to Dearborn County is back from the battlefields of Afghanistan and sharing the story of his role in America's war on terrorism.
1st Lt. Aaron Williams, Clarksville, Tenn., spent 165 days in Afghanistan and received two medals of commendation for his service there, including a Bronze Star for his heroic actions during Operation Anaconda. Williams, 25, is married to Christy Tibbs Williams, daughter of Larry and Patty Tibbs, Dillsboro.
"I think the war is going pretty well. Everything we've been doing has been pretty successful," he said.
Williams conducted two combat air assaults in enemy territory and led his platoon in securing two strategic airfields during Operation Anaconda, the military's successful campaign against Taliban and al-Qaida fighters in eastern Afghanistan.
Hundreds of enemy fighters were killed by U.S. bombing and helicopter fire during the assault in March.
U.S. forces initially encountered unexpectedly stiff resistance. Williams and his platoon expected to be in the combat zone for 12 to 72 hours. Instead, they remained there for more than a week.
"You can have the best plan in the world, but the mission is always going to change," said Williams.
The mission called for rooting out a large concentration of Taliban and al-Qaida fighters who were holed up in a village near Gardez.
Securing the `FARP'
As U.S. and allied forces attacked the village, Williams and his men helped prevent the enemy from escaping into Pakistan through mountain passes.
Williams said the enemy ranged from hard-core fighters to hired guns who surrendered or fled at the first sign of conflict.
"The ones who stay and fight are fairly competent fighters. I think the ones who give up aren't 100 percent sold on the ideas they are fighting for," said Williams.
According to Williams' Bronze Star citation, the successful operation of securing both airfields, Forward Arming and Refueling Points in Army speak, was designated a critical task.
It was required for the success of the mission and minimization of American and allied casualties.
A FARP allows for the rearming and refueling of support aircraft closer to the objective area, said Williams.
Securing the FARPs allowed AH-64 Apache attack helicopters to remain on station and provide close combat air support for ground troops who were moving against the village, he said.
"We had to have them (FARPs). They allowed attack helicopters to provide overwatch and support for the infantry and transport helicopters. Without them, we would have had a lot more casualties," said Williams.
Williams, a Northern Kentucky native, is a platoon leader with C Company, 326th Engineer Battalion, 101st Airborne Division, stationed at Fort Campbell, Ky. The six-year Army veteran has about 25 men under his command.
His unit, known as "sappers" by the Army, supports infantry by providing mobility, countermobility and survivability assets.
Mobility is clearing obstacles including mines; countermobility is placing obstacles to slow down the enemy; survivability includes digging trenches and building bunkers, said Williams.
"We are the experts at building fighting positions," he said.
A year at war
Nearly a year after the United States began fighting in Afghanistan, fleeting and long-distance encounters have become more common than the massive airstrikes or large-scale ground assaults of months past.
With no known large concentrations of Taliban or al-Qaida fighters to attack, the U.S. campaign has evolved into a sweeping search for a mostly scattered, hit-and-run enemy that travels as easily and furtively as its pursuer.
Williams likens the guerrilla fighting to Vietnam and admits the war sometimes is frustrating.
"We would've liked to have seen and engaged more enemy. It was a patience game," said Williams.
U.S. forces can move at will and control any territory they choose, scaring off Islamic guerrillas unwilling or unable to mount a sustained counterattack, he said.
Yet for all their numerical and technological advantages, the Americans and their allies have yet to fully figure out how to battle a foe so practiced at concealment.
Mountainous terrain makes it easy for the enemy to disappear and hide, said Williams.
"They know what they're doing. You can tell they've fought for years and years," he said.
During their long and futile war in the 1980s, Soviet soldiers referred to their Afghan adversaries as dukhi, the Russian word for ghosts, invisible spirits who attacked without notice only to disappear again into the countryside.
Williams said the word still applies, and compared the style of warfare to a dangerous game of cat and mouse.
"After Operation Anaconda, they don't want to stand up and fight us. They know they will lose," he said.
A major challenge for Williams was to make sure that his younger and less experienced soldiers did not get carried away in an area heavily populated by civilians.
Under the rules of engagement, they could fire only at people who demonstrated hostile intent, loosely defined as any action that communicates a real and present danger, said Williams.
He called the rules for shooting restrictive but necessary.
"The Russians didn't win the hearts and minds of Afghan civilians. The majority of Afghanistan is pro-American. We don't kick in doors and shoot everything in sight. We're very selective in how we act and what we do," he said.
Another foe
When Williams and his men were not fighting human foes, they were battling the elements.
They went through blinding dust storms and an earthquake. During the summer, the days were extremely hot, reaching more than 100 degrees.
In winter, the nights were so cold that some soldiers could not feel their feet.
Further, the mountain air is extremely thin. One soldier in Williams' unit came down with a mild case of altitude sickness.
"Other than that, most of my soldiers did well," said Williams.
Williams is not privy to any information on the whereabouts of Taliban leader Mullah Omar or terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden, saying he "knows about as much as everybody over here knows about that."
Nonetheless, he said America is on the right track for winning the war on terrorism.
"Patience is the key. We need to take our time and root out the terrorists wherever they hide," said Williams.
cThe Dearborn County Register 2002
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=5070753&BRD=2076&PAG=461&dept_id=384100&rfi=6
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878