TF Warrior transitions Combat Outpost Tangi to Afghan security forces

By Sgt. Cooper T. Cash, Task Force Patriot Public AffairsApril 11, 2011

Rickard tours COP Tangi
Lt. Col. Thomas S. Rickard, commander of 2nd Battalion, 4th infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Task Force Warrior, shows Afghan National Police Chief Abdul Ghafoor Aziz around Combat Outpost Tangi, April 8. G... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

WARDAK, Afghanistan, April 11, 2011 -- Task Force Warrior Soldiers made final preparations to transition Combat Outpost Tangi to Afghan National Security Forces, April 8.

Lt. Col. Thomas S. Rickard, commander of TF Warrior, toured the Combat Outpost, or COP, and discussed details of the transition with Sayed Abad district Afghan National Police Chief Abdul Ghafoor Aziz.

The eventual reduction of U.S. forces and the vast area of Afghanistan within his unit's area of operations led Rickard to realign his Soldiers to reach the most Afghan people.

"As we lose U.S. personnel, we have to concentrate on the greater populations," said Rickard.

Although U.S. troops assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, will no longer run the outpost, there will still be a coalition presence.

"U.S. forces will still patrol the area," said Rickard. "We are going to continue to hunt insurgents in Tangi and prevent them from having a safe haven."

Leading up to the transfer, Afghan National Security Forces, or ANSF, and U.S. forces secured the route to COP Tangi during Operation Tangi Smash. TF Warrior Soldiers patrolled the route, and ANSF manned checkpoints and searched homes.

"As a result of Operation Tangi Smash, the [Afghan National Police] shut down a HME (homemade explosives) lab and seized nearly 24 kilograms of marijuana," said Rickard. "The Afghan National Police have already demonstrated their resolve by placing permanent check points at each end of the valley."

Because TF Warrior will still be active in the valley, the ANSF can work on familiarizing themselves with the community.

"It will be beneficial to have coalition support while ANSF patrols and builds relationships," said Ghafoor. As the ANSF become more independent and effective, U.S. Soldiers will be able to transition areas to them and move to areas coalition forces have frequented less. Once Soldiers have handed COP Tangi over to ANSF, TF Warrior will push northwest.

"The MOD (Ministry of Defense) and the ANA (Afghan National Army) made the decision to move forces into Chak," said Rickard.

Chak is an area of Wardak province is much more populated than Tangi, and securing it could provide improvements to Wardak's residents, he said

"The dam in Chak is important," said Rickard. "Engineers tell me it can produce significant amounts of electricity for the area after a couple of the turbines are repaired."

ANSF will soon run COP Tangi, and TF Warrior will increase operations in Chak. If this trend continues, within a few years, local residents in Chak will be able to look solely toward other Afghans for security and guidance, said Rickard.

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