Showing posts with label RC-East. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RC-East. Show all posts

Monday, November 10, 2014

FOB Shank Transferred to ANA

Forward Operating Base (FOB) SHANK (also known as Tactical Base Shank), located in Logar province (south of Kabul) has been transferred to the Afghan National Army (ANA). 3rd Cavalry Regiment handed over the 'keys' to the base during a transfer of authority ceremony on October 23, 2014. At one time Tactical Base Shank was the third largest U.S. base in Afghanistan - housing nearly 5,200 personnel. Not only was the base turned over but a lot of excess equipment was transferred to the Afghans as well. Read more in "3d Cavalry Regiment hands over last major US base in southeast Afghanistan", DVIDS, November 2, 2014.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

TAAC-East Replaces RC-East

Regional Command East is no longer with us. It has been replaced by Train, Advise, and Assist Command East or TAAC East. The RC had a two-star commander; the TAAC has a one-star commander. U.S. Army BG Christopher Bentley will lead TAAC East - an organization comprised of 60 division staff officers and Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division (Fort Stewart, GA) and 1,000 Soldiers from the 3rd Cavalry Regiment (Fort Hood, TX).

TAAC East's mission is to train, advise and assist (TAA) the Afghan National Security Forces in eastern Afghanistan. The TAAC is no longer advising at the tactical level; the organization will work to strengthen ties between the operational and strategic levels - providing the connective tissue between corps-level Afghan units to the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior.

The 201st ANA Corps is located in Laghman province and advisors will be stationed at FOB Gamberi to provide advise and assistance on a daily, persistent basis. It is believed that this is called "Level I" advising. The 203rd ANA Corps is located at FOB Thunder near Gardez; however, there is no "advisor platform" from which to project an advisory effort. Perhaps TAAC East will conduct "Level II" advising -which is basically a visit once or twice a month and some phone calls. (I wonder how that will work out?).

Read more in "3ID, 3CR form TAAC-E in eastern Afghanistan", DVIDS, November 5, 2014.

Friday, October 24, 2014

Withdrawal Under Fire in RC East

A recent news article paints a worrisome picture of the security situation in the south-eastern sector of Regional Command East (RC East). As the remaining Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) have been closed down or transferred to the Afghan National Army (ANA) U.S. Soldiers find that the Taliban have become increasing aggressive. Some observers say that the Taliban want to project the image that these attacks in the closing days of the U.S. presence are causing the U.S. to close up shop. Others say that these attacks are a sign of a deadly fighting season ahead in 2015. Read more in "Parting shot: No fond farewell for 82nd paratroopers in Afghanistan", Stars and Stripes, October 23, 2014.

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Battlefield Correspondent Writes and Sketches in RC East

I am not sure what Regional Command East is calling itself these days. It might be called a "Train Advise Assist Command" or TAAC. RC North has transitioned to TAAC North (going from a two-star to one-star command) and soon the other RCs will do the same. Anyway  . . . a correspondent and "sketcher" is traveling through RC East and as he travels around eating chow, finding cots to sleep on, and taking up seats on helicopters he does a little writing and sketching. His latest visits were to a small outpost called COP Koh-e-Safi and then later to a larger base called FOB Fenty. Read his observations and check out his artwork in "Where pencils dare", The Washington Post, September 30, 2014.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

RC East to Go on Offensive

A recent news report provides information on the upcoming offensive that will soon take place in Regional Command East in Afghanistan. Read about it in "Details emerge on coming U.S. offensive in eastern Afghanistan", Government Executive, April 4, 2012.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Reintegration in Laghman Province

Laghman Province has reintegrated 223 former fighters, with more than 100 in the first half of March 2012 alone. The success, in part, can be attributed to the efforts of Gov. Mohammad Iqbal Azizi and the Provincial Peace Committee.
Read the rest of the article in "Afghan reintegration program works toward long-term peace and stability", RC-East.com, March 26, 2012. Read more reintegration news here.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

1st Infantry Division to Command Regional Command East in Afghanistan

The 1st Infantry Division will take over command of Regional Command East in Afghanistan from the 1st Cavalry Division. The switch takes place in April 2012. RC East includes 14 provinces and a 450 mile border region with Pakistan. Even though ISAF is starting to withdraw forces the emphasis on the fighting is supposed to switch from RC South to RC East this fighting season. The commander of the 1st Infantry Division, MG William Mayville, is a very experienced Afghan hand - with three previous Afghan tours. His most recent tour was in 2009-2012 as the operations chief for Gen. Stanley McChrystal. RC East consists of five U.S. combat brigades and two ISAF brigades (one Polish and one French). Read more in "Storied Army unit moving into Afghanistan's east", Fox News, March 20, 2012.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

ANA Commandos and Special Forces Conduct Operation in Tangi Valley of Afghanistan

"CAMP MOREHEAD, Afghanistan— A force of more than 100 Afghan National Army Special Forces, Commandos, U.S. Army Special Forces, and soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division recently completed a two-day joint operation in the Tangi Valley of Eastern Afghanistan.

The goals were to uproot and remove an insurgent force consisting of improvised explosive device builders, a logistics cell that supported anti-coalition activities, and a large fighting force, all of which had been present in the valley for some time."
Read the rest of the article in "ANA Commandos, US Forces, partner to complete mission", DVIDS, January 26, 2011.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Senator Webb Disagrees With Army Version of the Battle of Wanat, Afghanistan

Nine U.S. Army Soldiers died in the Battle of Wanat in July 2008.  The Army has recently released the historical record (Adobe Acrobat file) of the battle but many are finding fault with its conclusions.  This includes Senator Webb of Virginia.  Read more on this in "Sen. Webb decries Army's flawed history of controversial Wanat battle", The Washington Post, January 7, 2011.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Should We Leave the Pech Valley in RC-East?

A video is circulating around the blogs about the upcoming decision on whether to withdraw from the Pech River Valley in RC-East (Afghanistan).  James Foley of Global Post interviewed members of a battalion from the 101st Airborne Division on the merits of the U.S. military staying in the Pech River Valley.  Some members of the battalion believe that the presence of U.S. forces provide a common enemy for the various anti-government forces to come together against - giving them a unity of effort and a reason for existance.  The Pech River Valley is sparsely populated and the value of "owning" the valley is in question.  If the military were to secure the valley it certainly would be a modest military gain but would come at a high cost utilizing resources that might be more valuable elsewhere in Afghanistan.  It would appear that much of the valley will be left to the Taliban as early as May 2011 when the battalion pulls out - putting into the question the work and effort (and lives) expended thus far by U.S. military members.  It is possible that the Afghan security forces would remain to secure the valley - but . . . .   Click on the link below to view the video.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/afghanistan/110103/afghanistan-war-video-pech-valley

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Comments on Wanat Battle Report: Don't Rely on Technology

A lot of commentary has ensued with the release of the Army's version of the Wanat battle in Afghanistan.  Some comments pertain to the over-reliance on technology.  See "Lesson From Wanat: Don't Rely on Tech", DefenseTech, December 30, 2010.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Leaving the Pech River Valley to the Taliban

The military decision-makers in Afghanistan will be soon deciding on what to do with the Pech River Valley.  Some say the valley is not important while others say we need to secure it as it is a transit area for Taliban supplies and individuals.  Read more in "Abandon Pech to Save It (And Ourselves)", Registan.net, December 27, 2010.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Army Provides a History of Battle of Wanat

The Army's official history of the battle of Wanat - which took place in 2008 in a remote valley outpost along the Pakistan border - is now out.  It can be viewed or downloaded at the weblink below on the Command and General Staff College website (an Adobe Acrobat PDF file).

http://www.cgsc.edu/carl/download/csipubs/Wanat.pdf

The Washington Post recently published an article on this battle and how the Army has assigned blame for the loss of nine men.  See "Army edits its history of deadly battle of Wanat" (December 29, 2010).

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Fighting for the Pech Valley in Eastern Afghanistan - Victory is Elusive

The U.S. military and the Taliban have been fighting for control of the Pech Valley since the introduction of U.S. forces in 2006.  Now it appears that the U.S. is on the verge of leaving the valley to inexperienced Afghan security forces . . . and the Taliban.  The goals and objectives of the U.S. forces are a bit confusing as recent reports indicate that the U.S. may pull out of the Pech Valley  - transitioning the area to Afghan security forces.  Read more in "U.S. troops battle to hand off a valley resistant to Afghan governance", The Washington Post, December 27, 2010.

Monday, December 27, 2010

The Fight for Andar District, Ghazni Province

While the fight in the south (Helmand and Kandahar Provinces) appears to be showing coalition gains the same cannot be said of areas of eastern Afghanistan.  Resources, enablers, and manpower has been shifted south to Kandahar and the east has seen less attention from the military leaders planning the overall campaign in Afghanistan.  This lack of attention is having results with the Taliban controlling many areas.  One such area is Andar District in Ghazni.  Read about the fight for Andar District in "Taliban Challenge U.S. in Eastern Afghanistan", The New York Times, December 25, 2010.

Friday, December 17, 2010

MG Campbell Talks about Regional Command East in Afghanistan

Major General Campbell of the 101st Airborne Division provides some insight on the fight in Regional Command East.  See "Commander Describes Nature of Eastern Afghanistan Fight", DoD, December 15, 2010.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Regional Command East on Twitter

Do you want to keep pace with events in Regional Command East Afghanistan?  You can follow along on Twitter.  Click on the link below:

http://twitter.com/rcea

Thursday, October 28, 2010

MG Campbell Provides Info on RC East in Interview (October 2010)

Major General Campbell, the 101st Airborne Division commander, has provided an interview on how the war is going in Regional Command East along the Pakistan border.  See "Update from Maj. Gen. John Campbell, 101st Airborne commander", The Leaf Chronicle, October 26, 2010.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Strategy for Securing Eastern Afghanistan

The strategy for securing the eastern portion of Afghanistan from the Taliban revolves around choking the "ratlines" of the Taliban and security district centers and the highway network.  That is the essence of the campaign plan of the Regional East Command.  Read the details in "East Afghan Plan: Choke the 'Rat Lines,' Secure the Roads", Wired.com Danger Room, August 23, 2010.