1st Battalion 22nd Infantry A Company patrols March 2011

Staff Sgt. William Livengood, weapons squad leader,
2nd Squad, 1st Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion,
22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team,
4th Infantry Division, searches through the contents
of a weapons cache found during their patrols
March 10, in sub-district seven of Kandahar City.

Photo by Pfc. Nathan Thome

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – Afghan National Security Forces, in partnership with International
Security Assistance Forces, conducted joint-patrols March 9 – March 14 throughout sub-district seven
of Kandahar City to find improvised explosive devices, caches, and collect atmospherics
of the surrounding communities

The goals of these partnered patrols are to keep residents safe and to gain information on any insurgent activities.

“The main purpose of these patrols is to keep the people safe,” said Staff Sgt. Nate Osborne, squad leader,
1st Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
“Their safety takes precedence over everything else.”

Osborne added when the soldiers go out on these patrols, they are teaching the Afghan National Civil Order Police
to look for signs of tampered structures and roads because they could be indicators
of possible IEDs or hidden caches.

“We look for IEDs because it isn’t just security forces that are being harmed by them,” said Capt. Ryan Calhoon,
commander, A Company, 1st Bn, 22nd IN, 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div. “These IEDs are meant for us,
but are injuring the men, women and children who take a step in the wrong spot.

Calhoon added, the partnered patrols also look for the source of these IEDs by finding caches
which could contain materials to fabricate them.

Throughout seven patrols, the joint-security forces searched every orchard and abandoned compound
for hidden weapons caches.

“When we look for caches, we collect and destroy anything that could be used to harm the Afghan people
or hinder security forces,” said Osborne. “One of the ways we find these caches
is with the help of the Afghan people.”

ANCOP and 1st Bn, 22nd IN soldiers would sit down with the Afghan people to talk with them
about their views of the security forces and about any information they might have on IEDs,
weapons caches or insurgent activities.

“The main things we want to know from the people is if they are being threatened by the insurgents to set IEDs,
hide weapons or not help security forces,” said Osborne. “

When security forces sit down with the residents, they’re building a rapport with them, said Osborne.
They ask questions about the area and what they need to improve security.

To provide better security, we ask the people if they have seen anyone out of place
or other suspicious activity in the area, said Calhoon.

Residents are encouraged to go to the police sub-stations and checkpoints if they have any information
on IEDs, caches or any other insurgent activities Calhoon added.

“The main message we reiterate to the Afghan people is that we are here to protect them,” said Calhoon.
“The information they provide us will not only keep them safe, but bring them one step closer to living
in a safer, more secure life in Afghanistan.”