bobdina
07-23-2010, 10:55 AM
Casualties Hit Bragg Unit Hard
July 21, 2010
Fayetteville Observer
Army commanders say there is no clear explanation for a rash of roadside attacks the past month in Afghanistan that have killed eight soldiers from a single Fort Bragg battalion.
The casualties suffered in recent weeks by the 20th Engineer Brigade's 27th Engineer Battalion come during a particularly bloody period in Afghanistan, as thousands of new forces fan out across insurgent strongholds in an effort to swing the nine-year-old war.
But the NATO troop surge and stepped-up attacks by Taliban fighters don't fully explain the string of fatalities suffered by the combat unit, said Col. Richard G. Kaiser, commander of the 20th Engineer Brigade.
Sporadic and unpredictable attacks are just part of the unit's mission, the commander said.
"This unit is operating in the most challenging and dangerous place on earth," Kaiser said. "They are doing the most dangerous job that soldiers do."
Click here to find out more!
The battalion travels routes ahead of convoys, pinpointing what are often homemade bombs and clearing them from the roadway. The soldiers use state-of-the-art equipment to detect possible explosive devices and then detonate the bombs remotely.
The work is essential in the ongoing effort to stabilize the country, Kaiser said.
Six of the battalion's eight casualties in the past month were the result of two roadside bombs. The other two fatalities occurred during separate insurgent attacks.
Sgt. Mario Rodriguez, 24, was the first to be killed. Until his company was attacked in Powrak on June 11 with small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades, the 27th Engineer Battalion -- composed of about 700 soldiers from the 18th Airborne Corps -- had served the first six months of its yearlong deployment without suffering a single casualty.
A week after the fatal attack, Spc. Joseph D. Johnson, 24, and Pfc. Gunnar R. Hotchkin, 31, were killed in Kunduz Province after their vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device, the sort of bomb the men were trained to detect and destroy.
Just days later on June 21, Spc. Scott A. Andrews, 21, was killed as a suicide bomber attacked his convoy in Zabul Province.
On July 14, roughly a month after the battalion suffered its first casualty this year, four of its members -- Spc. Chase B. Stanley, 21; Spc. Jesse D. Reed, 26; Spc. Matthew J. Johnson, 21; and Sgt. Zachary M. Fisher, 24 -- were killed when they drove over a large roadside bomb, also in Zabul. All four men were from the same platoon, which included about 16 other soldiers.
"It was a difficult month for this entire unit," Kaiser said. "There's no doubt about that."
Army officials have struggled to explain the sudden spike in casualties in the battalion, Kaiser said. There doesn't seem to be a clear trend or explanation, he said, calling the line of incidents an anomaly.
The string of attacks, four in total, were spread across three distinct regions, Kaiser said, and all the incidents were unrelated.
The unit hasn't reported finding more bombs in recent months, the commander said, and the number of insurgent attacks has been consistent throughout the deployment.
"We've looked for trends to help us understand (the surge in casualties)," Kaiser said, "and (for this particular unit) there are none."
The incidents have sent shock waves through the entire brigade, Kaiser said.
"It hits us," Kaiser said. "When we lose a soldier, we all feel it."
But the tragedies haven't deterred his soldiers from continuing their mission, Kaiser said. A few soldiers might be hesitant to patrol for bombs the next time out, he said, but unit commanders are working to help them through that.
Click here to find out more!
Family readiness groups were deployed to counsel families back home, Army officials said. Chaplains and other mediators are available for the soldiers overseas.
Most of the battalion's members are undeterred, Kaiser said.
"When you suffer the stinging loss of one of your comrades during your mission that you know is so important and so noble, it impacts you," Kaiser said. "They know how important their mission is, and despite these tragic losses, they are ready to go back out there."
The string of casualties has come during one of the deadlier periods since the war began in 2001.
So far in July, at least 58 NATO coalition troops have died in Afghanistan, 42 of them Americans. The death toll continues the upward trend from last month, the war's deadliest so far, with 103 international soldiers killed.
July 21, 2010
Fayetteville Observer
Army commanders say there is no clear explanation for a rash of roadside attacks the past month in Afghanistan that have killed eight soldiers from a single Fort Bragg battalion.
The casualties suffered in recent weeks by the 20th Engineer Brigade's 27th Engineer Battalion come during a particularly bloody period in Afghanistan, as thousands of new forces fan out across insurgent strongholds in an effort to swing the nine-year-old war.
But the NATO troop surge and stepped-up attacks by Taliban fighters don't fully explain the string of fatalities suffered by the combat unit, said Col. Richard G. Kaiser, commander of the 20th Engineer Brigade.
Sporadic and unpredictable attacks are just part of the unit's mission, the commander said.
"This unit is operating in the most challenging and dangerous place on earth," Kaiser said. "They are doing the most dangerous job that soldiers do."
Click here to find out more!
The battalion travels routes ahead of convoys, pinpointing what are often homemade bombs and clearing them from the roadway. The soldiers use state-of-the-art equipment to detect possible explosive devices and then detonate the bombs remotely.
The work is essential in the ongoing effort to stabilize the country, Kaiser said.
Six of the battalion's eight casualties in the past month were the result of two roadside bombs. The other two fatalities occurred during separate insurgent attacks.
Sgt. Mario Rodriguez, 24, was the first to be killed. Until his company was attacked in Powrak on June 11 with small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades, the 27th Engineer Battalion -- composed of about 700 soldiers from the 18th Airborne Corps -- had served the first six months of its yearlong deployment without suffering a single casualty.
A week after the fatal attack, Spc. Joseph D. Johnson, 24, and Pfc. Gunnar R. Hotchkin, 31, were killed in Kunduz Province after their vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device, the sort of bomb the men were trained to detect and destroy.
Just days later on June 21, Spc. Scott A. Andrews, 21, was killed as a suicide bomber attacked his convoy in Zabul Province.
On July 14, roughly a month after the battalion suffered its first casualty this year, four of its members -- Spc. Chase B. Stanley, 21; Spc. Jesse D. Reed, 26; Spc. Matthew J. Johnson, 21; and Sgt. Zachary M. Fisher, 24 -- were killed when they drove over a large roadside bomb, also in Zabul. All four men were from the same platoon, which included about 16 other soldiers.
"It was a difficult month for this entire unit," Kaiser said. "There's no doubt about that."
Army officials have struggled to explain the sudden spike in casualties in the battalion, Kaiser said. There doesn't seem to be a clear trend or explanation, he said, calling the line of incidents an anomaly.
The string of attacks, four in total, were spread across three distinct regions, Kaiser said, and all the incidents were unrelated.
The unit hasn't reported finding more bombs in recent months, the commander said, and the number of insurgent attacks has been consistent throughout the deployment.
"We've looked for trends to help us understand (the surge in casualties)," Kaiser said, "and (for this particular unit) there are none."
The incidents have sent shock waves through the entire brigade, Kaiser said.
"It hits us," Kaiser said. "When we lose a soldier, we all feel it."
But the tragedies haven't deterred his soldiers from continuing their mission, Kaiser said. A few soldiers might be hesitant to patrol for bombs the next time out, he said, but unit commanders are working to help them through that.
Click here to find out more!
Family readiness groups were deployed to counsel families back home, Army officials said. Chaplains and other mediators are available for the soldiers overseas.
Most of the battalion's members are undeterred, Kaiser said.
"When you suffer the stinging loss of one of your comrades during your mission that you know is so important and so noble, it impacts you," Kaiser said. "They know how important their mission is, and despite these tragic losses, they are ready to go back out there."
The string of casualties has come during one of the deadlier periods since the war began in 2001.
So far in July, at least 58 NATO coalition troops have died in Afghanistan, 42 of them Americans. The death toll continues the upward trend from last month, the war's deadliest so far, with 103 international soldiers killed.