Afghan, U.S. forces 'clean the way' for residents in Shinkai district

By Sgt. Christopher McCulloughOctober 3, 2012

Afghan, U.S. forces 'clean the way' for residents in Shinkai districts
1 / 15 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Spc. James Covington repairs the starter on a Caterpillar D8 Bulldozer at Forward Operating Base Sweeney, Afghanistan, Feb. 19, 2012. The bulldozer will clear the roads from FOB Sweeney to the villages of Menden Kheyl and Shinkai, allowing residents ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan, U.S. forces 'clean the way' for residents in Shinkai district
2 / 15 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Nick Lightwine and Sgt. Rob Logue, 5th Battalion 20th Infantry Regiment, Task Force 1st Squadron 14th Cavalry Regiment, make their way to their mine resistant ambush protected truck following a successful snow clearance patrol through the villag... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan, U.S. forces 'clean the way' for residents in Shinkai district
3 / 15 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Residents from the village of Meden Kheyl are glad to see the Afghan National Army opening the route - 'cleaning the way,' as they call it - from their village to the local bazaar, allowing them to move back and forth to the bazaar so they could get ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan, U.S. forces 'clean the way' for residents in Shinkai district
4 / 15 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Philip Vota, Sgt. Robert Logue and Sgt. Nick Lightwine, Battle Company, 5th Battalion 20th Infantry Regiment, Task Force 1st Squadron 14th Cavalry Regiment, interact with some of the children from the village of Meden Kheyl, Feb. 19, 2012. Battl... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan, U.S. forces 'clean the way' for residents in Shinkai district
5 / 15 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A Caterpillar D8 Bulldozer, operated by an Afghan resident, helps clear the road through the village of Meden Kheyl, Feb. 19, 2012. The bulldozer will help clear the roads from Forward Operating Base Sweeney to the villages of Menden Kheyl and Shinka... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan, U.S. forces 'clean the way' for residents in Shinkai district
6 / 15 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Robert Logue, Battle Company, 5th Battalion 20th Infantry Regiment, Task Force 1st Squadron 14th Cavalry Regiment, tosses snowballs back and forth with some of the children from the village of Meden Kheyl, Feb. 19, 2012. Battle Company partnered... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan, U.S. forces 'clean the way' for residents in Shinkai district
7 / 15 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Philip Vota and Spc. Patrick Intorre, 5th Battalion 20th Infantry Regiment, Task Force 1st Squadron 14th Cavalry Regiment, ground guide their mine resistant ambush protected vehicle through the village of Sadu Kala, Afghanistan, Feb. 19, 2012. B... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan, U.S. forces 'clean the way' for residents in Shinkai district
8 / 15 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Philip Vota and Spc. Patrick Intorre, Battle Company, 5th Battalion 20th Infantry Regiment, Task Force 1st Squadron 14th Cavalry Regiment, ground guide their mine resistant ambush protected vehicle through the village of Sadu Kala, Afghanistan, ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan, U.S. forces 'clean the way' for residents in Shinkai district
9 / 15 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Spc. Patrick Intorre, Battle Company, 5th Battalion 20th Infantry Regiment, Task Force 1st Squadron 14th Cavalry, pulls security while non-commissioned officers from Battle Company, 5th Battalion 20th Infantry Regiment, Task Force 1st Squadron 14th C... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan, U.S. forces 'clean the way' for residents in Shinkai district
10 / 15 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Philip Vota and Sgt. Robert Logue, Battle Company, 5th Battalion 20th Infantry Regiment, Task Force 1st Squadron 14th Cavalry, shovel away snow from a shopkeeper's entrance so he could resume his business, Feb. 19, 2012. The snow was pushed ther... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan, U.S. forces 'clean the way' for residents in Shinkai district
11 / 15 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Philip Vota and Sgt. Robert Logue, Battle Company, 5th Battalion 20th Infantry Regiment, Task Force 1st Squadron 14th Cavalry, shovel away snow from a shopkeeper's entrance so he could resume his business, Feb. 19, 2012. The snow was pushed ther... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan, U.S. forces 'clean the way' for residents in Shinkai district
12 / 15 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Shopkeepers from the Shinkai Bazaar do not know what to make of all the snow that was pushed aside during the snow removal there, Feb. 19, 2012. Noncommissioned officers from Battle Company, 5th Battalion 20th Infantry Regiment, Task Force 1st Squadr... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan, U.S. forces 'clean the way' for residents in Shinkai district
13 / 15 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A Caterpillar D8 Bulldozer, operated by an Afghan resident, clears the road through the Shinkai Bazaar, Afghanistan, Feb. 19, 2012. The bulldozer will help clear the roads from Forward Operating Base Sweeney to the villages of Menden Kheyl and Shinka... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan, U.S. forces 'clean the way' for residents in Shinkai district
14 / 15 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A Caterpillar D8 Bulldozer, operated by an Afghan resident, clears the road through the Shinkai Bazaar, Afghanistan, Feb. 19, 2012. The bulldozer will help clear the roads from Forward Operating Base Sweeney to the villages of Menden Kheyl and Shinka... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan, U.S. forces 'clean the way' for residents in Shinkai district
15 / 15 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Spc. James Covington repairs the starter on a Caterpillar D8 Bulldozer at Forward Operating Base Sweeney, Afghanistan, Feb. 19, 2012. The bulldozer will clear the roads from FOB Sweeney to the villages of Menden Kheyl and Shinkai, allowing residents ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SWEENEY, Afghanistan (Oct. 2, 2012) -- Old man winter has Afghanistan's Shinkai district -- a remote mountain community situated 6,343 feet up in the eastern fringes of the Sur Ghar mountain range -- in its frosty grip. Here, the Afghan mountains normally bring about long, cold winters, though this year the deep chill is longer and colder than usual, according to the locals.

Most recently, a three-day storm dumped snow in excess of 24 inches in parts of the district, affecting the movement of local residents and leaving many of the outlying villages completely isolated.

Not content to leave their community homebound, the 1st Kandak, 205th Corps of the Afghan National Army, set into motion a mission to clear the roads to and from the local bazaar, in conjunction with Battle Company, 5th Battalion 20th Infantry Regiment, Task Force 1st Squadron 14th Cavalry Regiment.

"The snow clearance was actually conducted at the request of the ANA," said Capt. Joe Mickley, commander, Battle Company, 5-20 Infantry. "They wanted to enable the population to gravitate to the local bazaar so they could get the basic goods and services that they're accustomed to during the winter months."

So the ANA teamed up with Battle Company and did a combined mounted patrol utilizing a contracted bulldozer to clear the four-kilometer route from Forward Operating Base, or FOB, Sweeney, through the Shinkai Bazaar, all the way to Menden Kheyl, one of the major population centers in Shinkai district.

"We also plowed up to the village of Shinkai, which is just to the east of FOB Sweeney. It's also another major population center here in Shinkai district," said Mickley.

Overall, the assistance from the ANA, and Battle Company, 5-20 Infantry, was received with overwhelming support from the villages, where locals were very appreciative.

"They were glad to have us out there," Mickley said. "They were glad to see the ANA out there opening the route -- 'cleaning the way,' as they call it -- allowing them to traffic back and forth to the bazaar."

Since that day, the snows have largely melted and the locals here have resumed their normal movement throughout the district. However, should old man winter decide to pummel Shinkai district again, the local residents here can be sure that their local ANA unit - the 1st Kandak - together with Battle Company, 5-20 Infantry, will be on hand to clear the roads so that people here can make the trip to the bazaar and get the goods or services they need.

"They said this was a good thing, and they would like us to continue to do it in the future," said Mickley.

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