Story by Sgt. Shawn Coolman
Date: 04.14.2010Posted: 04.21.2010 01:08
COMBAT 3rd squad, Security Platoon 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, , Helmand province, Afghanistan - Marines with 3rd squad, Security Platoon 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, conducted a patrol of the surrounding area and discovered an improvised explosive device, April 14.
The Marines began this routine patrol by speaking with the local Afghans while collecting census data for future patrols in the area.
"The people have kind of turned over to us, they give us the benefit of the doubt," said Sgt. Nathan A. Goodland, platoon sergeant, 4th LAR. "They don't like the trouble that the Taliban have been bringing with them so they have been cooperating with us."
The Marines collect information on the Taliban presence from the locals to use later, but sometimes patrols don't go according to plan.
"It started off like a regular patrol, but a lot of unexpected things happened like running out of water and finding an IED, which happens every once in a while," said Cpl. Juan M. Perez, 24, Security Platoon from San Diego.
The Marines continued and occasionally stopped at local Afghan compounds to speak with the household elder.
Before the Marines could make it safely back, they checked on a possible IED located off a traveled road a mile away from their present position.
The order, which came four hours into a foot patrol, caught the Marines a little off guard due to the amount of water each Marine had left.
"Water conservation really kicked us in the butt," said Goodland, from Redlands, Calif. "Searching for the possible IED wasn't the original mission. We got [intelligence] once we were out there to go check out the possible IED."
The Marines patrolled to the possible IED site and conducted sweeps of the area until the possible IED was found. A cordon was set around the possible IED and a quick reaction force and an explosive ordnance disposal team was sent to eliminate the threat.
"Its pretty hard to find an IED. All of our patrols are foot patrols, and if we don't have solid intelligence then it's basically on us as the foot patrol [to find an IED]," said Sgt. Daniel Yim, 3rd squad leader, Security Platoon, 4th LAR, 28, from Huntington Beach, Calif.
The possible IED turned out to be an actual IED, and was eliminated by the EOD team.
"We take each patrol day by day and after the debrief we see what we can work on and what we can't," said Yim.
"We have to prepare for the worst," said Perez.
The Marines began this routine patrol by speaking with the local Afghans while collecting census data for future patrols in the area.
"The people have kind of turned over to us, they give us the benefit of the doubt," said Sgt. Nathan A. Goodland, platoon sergeant, 4th LAR. "They don't like the trouble that the Taliban have been bringing with them so they have been cooperating with us."
The Marines collect information on the Taliban presence from the locals to use later, but sometimes patrols don't go according to plan.
"It started off like a regular patrol, but a lot of unexpected things happened like running out of water and finding an IED, which happens every once in a while," said Cpl. Juan M. Perez, 24, Security Platoon from San Diego.
The Marines continued and occasionally stopped at local Afghan compounds to speak with the household elder.
Before the Marines could make it safely back, they checked on a possible IED located off a traveled road a mile away from their present position.
The order, which came four hours into a foot patrol, caught the Marines a little off guard due to the amount of water each Marine had left.
"Water conservation really kicked us in the butt," said Goodland, from Redlands, Calif. "Searching for the possible IED wasn't the original mission. We got [intelligence] once we were out there to go check out the possible IED."
The Marines patrolled to the possible IED site and conducted sweeps of the area until the possible IED was found. A cordon was set around the possible IED and a quick reaction force and an explosive ordnance disposal team was sent to eliminate the threat.
"Its pretty hard to find an IED. All of our patrols are foot patrols, and if we don't have solid intelligence then it's basically on us as the foot patrol [to find an IED]," said Sgt. Daniel Yim, 3rd squad leader, Security Platoon, 4th LAR, 28, from Huntington Beach, Calif.
The possible IED turned out to be an actual IED, and was eliminated by the EOD team.
"We take each patrol day by day and after the debrief we see what we can work on and what we can't," said Yim.
"We have to prepare for the worst," said Perez.
