Afghan, coalition forces deliver humanitarian aid to Shorabak

By Staff Sgt. Brendan MackieJuly 9, 2012

Afghan and American forces deliver humanitarian aid to Shorabak
1 / 17 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Maj. Roger Shaw, an officer with the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, listens to members of the local Afghan Border Police at a checkpoint during Operation Buffalo Thunder II, near Baradge Kotal, Afghanistan, June 29, 2012. Dur... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan and American forces deliver humanitarian aid to Shorabak
2 / 17 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A member of the 3rd Zone Afghan Border Police scans the horizon at a hasty checkpoint along a supply route during Operation Buffalo Thunder II in Baradge Kotal, Afghanistan, June 29, 2012. During the eight-day mission, Afghan and American forces clea... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan and American forces deliver humanitarian aid to Shorabak
3 / 17 Show Caption + Hide Caption – From left, Maj. Roger Shaw, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, and Maj. Gregory Sakimura, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, speak with the local Afghan Border Police during Operation Buffalo Thunder II... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan and American forces deliver humanitarian aid to Shorabak
4 / 17 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan and American forces deliver humanitarian aid to Shorabak
5 / 17 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A few jingle trucks transport humanitarian aid during Operation Buffalo Thunder II in the district of Shorabak, Afghanistan, June 30, 2012. During the eight-day mission, Afghan and American forces cleared more than 120 kilometers of rugged terrain an... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan and American forces deliver humanitarian aid to Shorabak
6 / 17 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A lone jingle truck transports humanitarian aid during Operation Buffalo Thunder II in the district of Shorabak, Afghanistan, June 30, 2012. During the eight-day mission, Afghan and American forces cleared more than 120 kilometers of rugged terrain a... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan and American forces deliver humanitarian aid to Shorabak
7 / 17 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Tim Martin, an infantryman with 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, provides security from the rear hatch of his Stryker vehicle during Operation Buffalo Thunder II in the district of Shorabak, Afghanistan, June 30, 201... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan and American forces deliver humanitarian aid to Shorabak
8 / 17 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Maj. Gregory Sakimura (fourth from right), operations officer with the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, speaks with the local Afghans during Operation Buffalo Thunder II, in a secure area at the district center in Shoraba... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan and American forces deliver humanitarian aid to Shorabak
9 / 17 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A member of the Afghan Border Police supervises the unloading of humanitarian aid during Operation Buffalo Thunder II at the district center in Shorabak, Afghanistan, June 30, 2012. During the eight-day mission, Afghan and American forces cleared mor... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan and American forces deliver humanitarian aid to Shorabak
10 / 17 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Two Afghan truck drivers stack bags of grain during Operation Buffalo Thunder II at the district center in Shorabak, Afghanistan, June 30, 2012. During the eight-day mission, Afghan and American forces cleared more than 120 kilometers of rugged terra... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan and American forces deliver humanitarian aid to Shorabak
11 / 17 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Afghan civilians supervise the unloading of a tractor load of humanitarian aid during Operation Buffalo Thunder II at the district center in Shorabak, Afghanistan, June 30, 2012. During the eight-day mission, Afghan and American forces cleared more t... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan and American forces deliver humanitarian aid to Shorabak
12 / 17 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Afghan civilians unload a jingle truck full of grain during Operation Buffalo Thunder II at the district center in Shorabak, Afghanistan, June 30, 2012. During the eight-day mission, Afghan and American forces cleared more than 120 kilometers of rugg... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan and American forces deliver humanitarian aid to Shorabak
13 / 17 Show Caption + Hide Caption – An Afghan civilian delivers a load of grain during Operation Buffalo Thunder II at the district center in Shorabak, Afghanistan, June 30, 2012. During the eight-day mission, Afghan and American forces cleared more than 120 kilometers of rugged terrai... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan and American forces deliver humanitarian aid to Shorabak
14 / 17 Show Caption + Hide Caption – An Afghan jingle truck filled with humanitarian aid is staged to be unloaded during Operation Buffalo Thunder II at the district center in Shorabak, Afghanistan, June 30, 2012. During the eight-day mission, Afghan and American forces cleared more tha... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan and American forces deliver humanitarian aid to Shorabak
15 / 17 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Afghan civilians unload two shipments of humanitarian aid during Operation Buffalo Thunder II at the district center in Shorabak, Afghanistan, July 1, 2012. During the eight-day mission, Afghan and American forces cleared more than 120 kilometers of ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan and American forces deliver humanitarian aid to Shorabak
16 / 17 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Afghan truck drivers pause after unloading bags of grain from a jingle truck during Operation Buffalo Thunder II at the district center in Shorabak, Afghanistan, June 30, 2012. Spc. Nathan Smith (lower left), an infantryman with 1st Battalion, 17th I... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan and American forces deliver humanitarian aid to Shorabak
17 / 17 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Two Afghan truck drivers stack bags of grain during Operation Buffalo Thunder II at the district center in Shorabak, Afghanistan, June 30, 2012. During the eight-day mission, Afghan and American forces cleared more than 120 kilometers of rugged terra... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

AFGHANISTAN (Army News Service, July 7, 2012) -- The 3rd Zone Afghan Border Police, together with units from Combined Task Force Buffalo, successfully cleared and secured 120 kilometers of rugged terrain and unimproved roadways in Shorabak, Afghanistan, enabling the safe passage for more than 60 trucks filled with humanitarian aid during Operation Buffalo Thunder II, which occurred from June 26 to July 3, 2012.

The mission started with the clearance of the extremely rough roadway from Forward Operating Base Spin Boldak to the district center at Shorabak. Soldiers of the 569th Engineer Company and 787th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, found and control-detonated four improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, during the operation.

"We're moving through a desert with significantly unimproved roads and in most cases, no road at all," said Maj. Gregory Sakimura, operations officer with the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. "There were less IEDs than we anticipated but there were still several IEDs found."

The 3rd Zone Afghan Border Police, or ABP, retained control along the route by manning dozens of permanent checkpoints. These checkpoints not only made the roadway safe for Combined Task Force , or CTF, Buffalo and the 'jingle' trucks loaded with humanitarian aid, but also served to deter Taliban activity in the area.

The fleet of trucks, packed with approximately 600 tons of grain, arrived and was unloaded at the district center in Shorabak, between June 30 and July 1.

Brig. Gen. Haji Abdul Razziq, chief of police of Kandahar province, and Tooryalai Samad Wesa, provincial governor of Kandahar, said the humanitarian aid would be distributed to locals throughout the month of July.

This operation marked an unprecedented success for the Afghan National Security Force, for whom it was the first time taking the lead in planning, resourcing and executing an operation of this size.

"The ABP had multiple battalions synchronized, operating together in close proximity," Sakimura said. "It was a real step forward in their development and all for the benefit of delivering supplies to people that were in need."

Afghan units that contributed to the operation included the 4th Kandak, 5th Kandak and the Quick Reaction Force Kandak of the 3rd Zone ABP, supplying more than 210 policemen strategically mounted and dismounted throughout the district.

CTF Buffalo consisted of Soldiers and airmen with the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division; 569th Engineer Company, 223rd Engineer Battalion; 787th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company; Security Force Assistance Team 5; and the 502nd Military Intelligence Battalion. Overall, roughly 125 service members participated in the operation.

"Shorabak is not an easy place to visit due to the terrain," said Capt. Daniel Capozza, company commander of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. "But [this operation] will show the people of Shorabak that the government of Afghanistan is capable of making a presence here, which is huge."

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