Tip of the Spear

Tip of the Spear Tip of the Spear COMMANDER’s CORNER Produced by: 3rd Brigade, 0th Mountain Division A message from Spartan 6 Page 3 Public Affairs Office & the 5th MPAD Command Information Team CURRENT NEWS Ambassador visits Baraki Barak Page 4 Commander: General Petraus visit Baraki Barak Page 5 Col. David B. Haight Rule of �aw conference Page 6 Afghans Open Baraki Barak D.C. Page 7 Command Sergeant Major: COP Carwile makes improvements Command Sgt. Major Delbert D. Byers Mountain Warrior humanitarian Aid Page 8 Fuel Point at FOB Altimur Page 9 Editors: VETCAP corrals livestock Page 0 Sgt. Brian McGovern Artillery interacts with shopkeepers Page 11 Sgt. Rob Frazier Catamouunts distribute radios Page Spc. Matthew Thompson Culvert protection Page 3 Airmen provide connectivity Page 4 3BCT Public Affairs Office: 3 celebrates Thanksgiving Lt. Col. Steve Osterholzer-- Public Affairs Officer Staff Sgt. Amber Robinson – Public Affairs NCOIC THE YEAR IN PHOTOS Sgt. �aimé�� De �eon Print �ournalist Snapshots of Spartan Soldiers Page 5 Sgt. Christopher Baker – Broadcast �ournalist Pfc. Melissa Stewart – Print �ournalist HEADLINE STORIES FROM THIS YEAR Spartans arrive Page 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment First leaders conference Page Command Information Team: S.M.A.R.T. program Page 3 Sgt. Brian McGovern – Team �eader Toby Keith reenlistment Sgt. Rob Frazier – Broadcast �ournalist Cheif of Staff gets MRAP briefing Page 24 Spc. Matthew Thompson – Print �ournalist Wolfpack train Afghan artillerymen Page 5 AP3 Page 6 Cover Design by: OCCP opens in Wardak Page 7 5th MPAD Command Information Team 70 BSB hands out school supplies Captain Carlson Page 8 Tip of the Spear is the official newsletter for Kherwar mega shura Page 30 Task Force Spartan – 3rd Brigade Combat Team, Election day Page 3 0th Mountain Division. COP Monti Medal of Honor Page 3 Operation Extreme Make Over Page 33 Blackhawks forge on in Nerkh Valley Page 34 REMEMERING THE FALLEN A tribute to our Spartans Page 36 Tip of the Spear COMMANDER’S CORNER Fellow Spartans, medical and veterinary care, As we begin to close out this jointly working with their historic deployment for the 3rd government, and operating Brigade Combat Team, I want closely with the ANSF to make to briefly touch on several key them better each and every and important points. day. We all know this country is undeveloped and archaic: First is a look back at all through our efforts, many that we have accomplished miles of roads were built, here in Logar and Wardak. wells were dug; schools were Just 12 months ago, these refurbished. All of this is at two provinces were firmly the heart of counterinsurgency in control of the enemy. (COIN) doctrine. Whether I Several horrific acts and the was addressing the U.S. Army perceived threat to Kabul War College, an undergraduate “Sprint to the Finish!” led our nation’s leaders to class at Harvard, or an That’s the challenge that decide to place the Spartan elementary school class, my I set for each Spartan as Brigade at “The Tip of The articulation of philosophy on we transition responsibility Spear” in these two critical COIN wouldn’t be that much for Logar and Wardak to provinces. Our challenges different. Essentially we went the soldiers of the 173rd were immense: brutal terrain into a village and made friends Airborne. Impart every bit and weather, a determined with who needed help and of knowledge that you can to and ruthless enemy, and even became the worst nightmare your counterpart. I want you the challenge of the unknown. for those who meant us harm. to treat them like your own Unlike most other brigades brother, as if what determines moving into theater, we did It’s been said, however, if they live or die here not assume battle space that “You can’t kill or depends on you passing along from another brigade here in capture your way out of a every valuable lesson learned. force. It was up to us to move counterinsurgency fight, I expect this to be carried into new territory, determine but you also can’t get out out down to the most junior who the enemy was and how of a counterinsurgency fight Soldier, to the level of detail in they operate so we could kill without killing and capturing.” this example: where one of or capture him, and build Make no mistake, Spartans: you on a left-seat, right-seat relationships with villagers while the “soft side” of COIN ride might say, “if you come who initially were wary and was critically important, we around this corner and there occasionally hostile. were extremely lethal in are not kids playing soccer in removing the enemy from this field, STOP! There are We conducted an unparalleled the battlefield. In every always kids playing there…if Ground Assault Convoy just to single engagement in which they’re not, then something is get here, moving 500 vehicles the enemy chose to fight wrong.” and 1,500 personnel over a toe-to-toe with us, we were combined 4,500 kilometers overwhelmingly victorious. Be proud of what you have into our battle space. During While protecting the populace, accomplished here, finish this past year, we steadily our precision strike operations strong, and know that we did moved north to south, in all three provinces we exactly what we came here protecting Highways 1 and operate in (Wardak, Logar, to do: “To do good things for 2 and separating the enemy and 1-32 Infantry in Konar), good people and bad things to from the people. We gained yielded approximately 675 bad people.” their trust by showing that we enemies killed, 190 wounded, were here to stay, providing and 202 captured. “With Your Shield or On It!” – Spartan 6 3 Tip of the Spear CURRENT NEWS Ambassador tours village of Baraki Barak Story by Spc. Matthew Thompson 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment U.S. ambassador Karl Eikenberry, accompanied by Logar provincial governor Attiqullah Lodin and Lt. Col. Thomas Gukeisen, commander, 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, walked together down the busy street of the Baraki Barak bazaar, Nov. 10. Smiling faces, warm handshakes and even a cup of Chai tea were just a few of the indicators from the local nationals that the partnership efforts between the U.S. and Afghanistan has crawled from the battlefield and reached the local population in one of the busiest districts of the Eastern province. Eikenberry, a former U.S. Army Lt. Gen., previously served as the commander of the Combined Forces Command in 2006, remarked how protective measures had improved in the area. “After the past year, with the Karl Eikenberry, the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, discusses security in Logar province with hard efforts of the Afghan National Gen. Mustafa Husseini, the Logar province police chief, during a visit to the village of Baraki Barak, Army, Police, National Directorate Nov. 10. (Photo by Spc. Matthew Thompson). of Security, and I’ll say very proudly with the hard work of the U.S. and the “A lot of the development is and asked, “Are you a good student?” Czech military forces, there have been focused on the most secured area The smile and a nod from the noticeable improvements in the area,” around Baraki Barak,” Eikenberry smallest person in the crowd put a added the ambassador. “Last year, I explained. “In the last 4 months there smile on the ambassador’s face. could not have dreamed of walking has been more than $1 million of U.S. A few minutes later, the through the bazaar of Baraki Barak.” developmental assistance in Baraki ambassador stopped at a produce Echoing his statements, the Logar Barak.” stand. “Where do you get your chief of police, Gen. Mustafa Husseini At a shop, the ambassador noticed apples?” added, “Now we can maintain good a grade-school child attempting to The response was Logar. He then security. It’s all because of good peer through the crowd assembled at chose 10 from the pile and continued coordination and partnership.” the front door. his walk through the market. However, success for the Upon learning the young boy was According to 3-71 records provided ambassador wasn’t just limited to a in 3rd grade, the ambassador leaned in to the ambassador, other projects peaceful stroll through the crowded include 18 schools in the Baraki Barak market. district that have benefited from almost His interaction with local merchants “�ast year, I $7,000 for desks and repainting of the and several young children further schools and two greenhouses that will emphasized the success of the U.S. could not have improve agricultural development in and Afghan partnership which is Baraki Barak. paving the way for better commerce dreamed of The ambassador went into further and more education. detail of the completed projects the As a result of Operation Extreme TF Iron Titan Soldiers have finished Makeover projects in the area, Task walking through including the renovations of 24 Force Iron Titan Soldiers from 3-71 mosques in the area. have improved relations with their the bazaar of “That’s the United States of neighbors and security throughout the America that has provided assistance district. Baraki Barak.” to 24 mosques. The extremist Ambassador, continued on page 10 4 Tip of the Spear CURRENT NEWS Petraeus visits, sits down with Baraki Barak leaders to hear the voice of the people Story and photos by Sgt. Jaimé De Leon 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division “What do you think of your sub extremism that has caused problems governor?” and “How do you feel here and elsewhere.” Gen.

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