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Operation Valiant Strike

Soldiers of Bravo Company 3rd of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division along with soldiers of Delta Company 1st of the 504th (PIR), 82nd Airborne Division head back to their vehicles as they prepare to convoy back to the observation post after completing searches in the Kandahar Providence, Afghanistan during Operation Valiant Strike, on March 19, 2003. Their mission there is to search various villages for suspected Taliban and weapon caches and prevent the reemergence of terrorist and further attacks against coalition forces and equipment.

82nd ‘Devils’ Make ‘Valiant Strike’

Operation Valiant Strike kicked off in the pre-dawn hours earlier this month when members of the 82nd Airborne Division’s 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, deployed from Fort Bragg, N.C., air assaulted into the Sami Ghar Mountains. “Don’t let them bring it to you, you bring it to them,” said Army Lt. Col. Charlie Flynn, commander, 2nd Battalion, 504th PIR “White Devils,” referring to the enemy in a pep talk to his soldiers. The troopers then boarded a fleet of Chinooks that dropped them off in various locations in eastern Kandahar province.

The purpose of Valiant Strike is to clear and search villages, gather intelligence, search for weapons caches and seek out remaining al Qaeda and Taliban forces, according to 1st Sgt. Brian Severino, Company B, 3rd Bn., 504th PIR “Blue Devils.”

By the end of the third day, the long days, sleepless nights, and sore feet paid off with four people, more than 50 rifles, two heavy machine guns, 170, 107mm rockets, 400, 82mm mortar rounds under control, according to Combined Joint Task Force-180 spokesman Col. Roger King. During the first day of Valiant Strike, B Company troops spent a greater part of the day searching the village of Laday.

The company commander, a civil affairs specialist and some soldiers locate village elders and ask them to tell the heads of households to declare any weapons they have. Through a translator they explain that women should be separated, in order to be searched by female searchers; and the houses will be searched for contraband. “The ones they don’t identify we are taking away from them,” said Severino, in reference to hidden weapons sometimes found in the compounds.

In Laday, a village consisting of four small compounds, several goats, donkeys and large dogs, several weapons were found hidden in manure piles and haystacks, including two AK47’s with bags of ammunition and a dirty syringe. Akter Mohammed a 40-year-old shepherd said the reason they did not declare their weapons was because they were scared. “We don’t know because we are mountain people,” he said. “We need the guns to protect our sheep from the wolves, or they will eat my sheep.”

Severino explained to the villagers that they do not need AK47’s to protect their sheep against wolves. Friday morning B Company air assaulted into a riverbed near the village of Narai, a large village with about 100 families. It was one of the wealthiest villages encountered, according to the village elders, with two wells and its own school building. “For the most part, these are the most friendly villagers we’ve found,” said Severino. “They actually came out to offer assistance to us.”

Shahghsy, a 50-year-old village elder, said his people know the Americans come as friends. “The Americans come to make peace in Afghanistan,” he said.“When the Russians were here the Americans helped push the Russians out.” Although the village was friendly and the villagers brought pot after pot of tea out to thirsty soldiers, some houses were found to have more than simple, single-shot home-security weapons.

Severino said they found some RPG’s and mines. The man of the house said his brother is a militiaman and he left these things here the last time he was in town, but failed to tell the man who owned the house. “This is one less rocket that might be fired against us and coalition forces,” said Flynn. While the Blue Devils were finding RPG’s in the village of Narai, further down the riverbed, the White Devils of 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment were finding weapons, in the village of Luikely.

1st Sgt. Craig Pinkley, B Co., 2-504, and his men found ammunition, two antipersonnel mines, training rounds, Taliban recruiting documents, Taliban pamphlets, military uniforms, sleeping bags and bandoliers after the two men in the compound said they had nothing to claim.

U.S. Army Spc. Marie Schult. 82nd ‘Devils’ Make ‘Valiant Strike’. DefendAmeria - U.S. Defense Dept. War on Terror. March 2003.

Paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division, deployed from Fort Bragg, N.C., empty a room of rocket-propelled grenades and take inventory. According to officials, “literally tons” of munitions and weapons were confiscated during Operation Valiant Strike, which ended March 30.

82nd’s ‘White Devils’ Make ‘Valiant’ Return

Last weekend marked the completion of Operation Valiant Strike with hundreds of 82nd Airborne Division soldiers returning from their mission in the Sami Ghar Mountains. The operation ran more than eight days and pitted soldiers from the 2nd and 3rd Battalions, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, against southern Afghanistan’s rough terrain and elements. Their goal was to seek out enemy forces, weapons and tactical intelligence. “The mission was an overall success,” said Lt. Col. Charlie Flynn, 2-504th PIR “White Devils” commander. “We’ve continued to disrupt and deny any enemy activity and have not allowed them to plan and coordinate attacks against our larger bases.”

Operation Valiant Strike wasn’t the first time these soldiers have been sent out into the Afghan mountains; they’ve participated in Viper and Mongoose, improving their abilities with each operation. “We get better with every operation because we know more about ourselves and more about our enemies,” Flynn said. “This type of operation shows our resolve for Afghanistan’s government and the Afghan people. It shows that we will not stop; we will continue supporting Afghanistan.”

Capt. Michael Gonzalez along with Staff Sgt. Luis Pena of Delta Company 1st of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division examine weapons that were found a compound in the Kandahar Providence, Afghanistan during Operation Valiant Strike, on March 19, 2003. The mission there is to search various villages for suspected Taliban and weapon caches and prevent the reemergence of terrorist and further attacks against coalition forces and equipment.

The “Devils” were able to clear the Sami Ghar Mountains of a significant amount of weapons and explosives. They found caches covered with hay, buried in orchards, hidden in wells and in piles of manure. “One compound was like a maze,” said Pfc. Erick Guevara, B Company, 2-504th PIR. “We had to leave pieces of paper in certain rooms to designate for everyone the areas we had already cleared, but the Afghans kept picking up the papers we were leaving behind.”

The international mix of weapons and explosives gleaned from the Sami Ghar Mountains reflected Afghanistan’s history of wars and conflicts. The operation removed more than 170 rocket-propelled grenades, 180 land mines, 20 automatic rifles and machine guns, and tons of rockets, rifles, and launchers with a full range of accessories. Such stockpiles resulted in a handful of Afghans being taken into custody for questioning. “We found something major every day,” said Capt. Andrew Zieseniss, B Company, 2-504th PIR commander. “There were compounds that resembled arms rooms on the inside — full of explosives and weapons systems. Our battalion actually got its largest find since we’ve been in country — four truckloads worth in one cache alone,” said Zieseniss. “Most of the locals seemed extremely pleased when we cleared their village or detained any of the bad guys. They seemed relieved — like they felt safer,” he added.

B Company’s fire support officer also reinforced the importance or ridding the region of so many weapons. “Finding all the caches made the walking worthwhile; we had our (explosive ordnance disposal) guys take care of all the mines and ordnance we found,” 1st Lt. Jeff Pickler said. “They had some pretty big booms out there, but I’ll remember Valiant Strike more than any other operation I’ve been on for its positive feedback. The villagers were out waving and smiling in the streets at us and saying, ‘Hi.’ It’s a good feeling. That is definitely one of our main reasons for being here,” Pickler said.

The soldiers returning from Valiant Strike were eager to enjoy some warm chow and catch up on a little rest, but one squad-automatic-weapon gunner was quick to emphasize the importance of continuing operations like Valiant Strike. “We’re always ready to go out; we know it’s serious every time we leave the wire. It’s our job,” said Spc. Robert Monroe, B Company, 3-504th PIR. “I believe our mission (in Afghanistan) is very important, we are not only taking out the terrorist threat to those around the world, we are making the country better, we are sharing our democracy and helping to improve their way of life.”

U.S. Army Spc. John Slosser Combined Joint Task Force-180. 82nd’s ‘White Devils’ Make ‘Valiant’ Return. DefendAmeria - U.S. Defense Dept. War on Terror. April 2003.

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