BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (August 11, 2008) — Coalition forces recently patrolled a village in the Paktika province in an effort to build relationships and gain support from local villagers in a part of the country thought to be a Taliban safe haven.

According to one team member, the mission was a success and they found the Afghans in a key village they visited had a shared interest in eradicating anti-Afghan forces from their area.

The village in question was set in the mountains above Combat Outpost Zirok, which received several rocket and mortar attacks in the past few months.
Logically, it would seem the village condoned the attacks as they originated in or near it.

“When you have this many attacks, you usually have at least some sort of accepting attitude by the villagers allowing that sort of behavior,” explained Army 1st Lt. Matthew Hapke, 3rd Platoon, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment (Task Force Currahee).

Hapke’s team initially thought the village was actively participating and supporting the anti-Afghan efforts. However, after talking to more than 50 villagers, they learned this was not the case.

In fact, this particular village suffered many losses at the hand of the Taliban, said Hapke. Several sons of the village elders had volunteered to serve with the Afghan National Police. As a result, all were beheaded.

History has proven that in areas lacking in education, the Taliban have flourished. This concerned the village elders as well as Hapke’s team, because the village lacked a public place for village children to be educated.

The Currahee team put an immediate plan into place to find a safe place for the children to study.

Supporting the people will win their support of the team, said Hapke. Only when you have the support of the people and work with them jointly to make Afghanistan a better, safer place to live, will this war be over.