Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan- One of the units of the 10th Mountain Division, 1st Brigade Combat Team, US Marine Corps worked recently to train with members of the New Zealand Combat forces. The joint services worked with members of the Afghanistan Army to fight criminal activity in the Eastern part of the country.
There has been a marked increase in crime, especially robbery in the eastern part of Afghanistan, and it appeared to be the work of criminal and insurgent activity. So as a direct result, the 10th Mountain Soldiers joined up with the New Zealand Soldiers to fight this new insurgent activity.
They are now working together to conduct and perform joint patrols in the region, as well as searches of all persons at checkpoints that are scattered across several areas of the province.
The forces will also conduct armed escort duty and patrols along the Gandak Highway, and will work to identify and confront any different types of insurgent activity that they encounter. Coalition forces, of which the New Zealand Soldiers are a part of, have been working to establish more of a visual presence in the region, as well as being on tap for use and coordination with the members of the Afghanistan Security Forces.
Nice to see the New Zealanders having a hand in it. Unlike other Commonwealth countries at the time, New Zealand and Australia joined in with the US Forces for Vietnam, so it is good to see the Downunder troops, including New Zealand working in Afghanistan with everyone else.