Thanksgiving passes in war for this CC
SSgt. Luis Agostini with Afghan children while on patrol in an Afghan village.
(Photo by SSgt. Luis Agostini)
Staff Sgt. Luis Agostini of Haverstraw, a combat correspondent for the Marines, recently was deployed to Afghanistan and has been writing about his experiences for The Journal News and LoHud.com. He was deployed in August 2004 to Anbar province in Iraq, where he covered the battle of Fallujah. Agostini graduated from North Rockland High School in 1999. He and Marine Sgt. Heidi E. Loredo were married Sept. 11.
By SSgt Luis Agostini, LoHud.com
Marines throughout Afghanistan spent their Thanksgiving in different ways. Some spent it training and patrolling alongside the Afghan army and police. Others spent it enjoying a Thanksgiving meal with our commandant, Gen. James T. Conway, and our sergeant major, Sgt. Maj. Carlton Kent. They are the top Marine leaders of the corps, and they came to visit their Marines throughout Afghanistan.
A few weeks after I came back from visiting the Marine I am supervising with 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, I headed to another part of the country to see one of my younger guys, Lance Cpl. Dwight Henderson, a combat correspondent attached to 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, at Forward Operating Base Delhi, Afghanistan.
It feels about 10 degrees colder in the evenings and mornings at Delhi than where I am based out of, Camp Dwyer. At night, I literally had to be inside my sleeping bag, from head to toe, with sweat pants, a sweatshirt and a beanie on, to stay warm. I think it’s because of the moisture in the air.
The chow hall consists of a large, open room, where at one end, Marines serve preheated food out of plastic containers. After the Marines circle the line and grab drinks, fruit and salad, they head outside, to where they can either sit on any one of four wooden benches, or place their cardboard trays on top of a nearby generator to eat.
The Marines shave and brush their teeth outdoors. A long, wooden ”sink“ sits on gravel. Openings fill several portions of the sink, large enough to where a Marine can grab a nearby tin pot, fill it with water, place it in the hole, and use it to rinse out his toothbrush or razor. A large, open tent sits a few feet away, which serves as a shower for the Marines there.
After getting settled in and meeting Henderson’s battalion leaders, it was time to step out again.
Out on patrol
Our first trip outside the wire was with the 2/2 commanding officer, Lt. Col. John E. McDonough, and a patrol of Marines into the nearby Garmsir district compound, where the Marines met with the Garmsir district governor, and senior leaders with the Afghan Border Police, Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police.
Collectively, they are known as the Afghan national security forces, or ANSF. The men convened for a security ”shura,“ where leaders from local villages convene to discuss issues and concerns affecting their respective areas.
We patrolled through the local bazaar on our way to the shura. Afghans lined the streets, manning their butcher shops, bakeries and fruit stands. They stared at us with curiosity, indifference or both.
An Afghan child looked at me and said, ”Woosh! Woosh!“ and his friends started laughing. I probably just got made fun of without even knowing it.
During the shura, the ANSF leaders voiced their concerns regarding delivery trucks, mechanics and gas stations filling the narrow streets of the bazaar, potentially disrupting business activities in the area. They requested joint patrols between Marines and Afghan National Army soldiers be stepped up, due to increased traffic and bazaar patrons.
Speed bumps were requested to slow down speeding vehicles through the bazaar. Waste management and traffic control are becoming an issue.
So in a nutshell, business is good. The bazaar, and other areas of Garmsir, were not like this earlier this year. The Taliban held strong influence throughout the area, through intimidation, misinformation and propaganda, making the bazaar a virtual ghost town. With civil affairs and economic stimulus projects along with counterinsurgency efforts, places like the Balaclava bazaar are experiencing an economic rebirth.
The governor and McDonough pledged their support to the security and stability of Garmsir through joint efforts, starting their relationship on a positive note.
The following day, we spent the night with 2/2’s Police Mentoring Team. The Marines live within the Garmsir district compound, outside of the FOB. They’re a tight-knit unit of military policemen from Camp Lejeune, N.C., and now they’re training Afghans in how to police their villages and man checkpoints. The Marines buy their own food for dinner from the local bazaar, and cook chicken, rice, potatoes and corn for their evening meals.
High-fives from kids
We patrolled a local village the following morning with the ANP, clearing a local road of any possible roadside bombs, and then distributed pencils, coloring books and hand-cranked radios to local Afghan children. They seemed very happy to have us around, and are pretty used to seeing our faces. The kids always ask for pencils. They’re willing to exchange a high-five upon command.
The Marines have a regular visitor to their compound, an 8-year-old boy named Lali. He’s become somewhat of a mascot, errand boy and friend to the team.
He hangs around the Marines, picking up English phrases, tosses a football around and takes food orders from the Marines into the bazaar.
The Marines have returned the favor on numerous occasions.
One Marine, Lance Cpl. Joshua Smith, handed Lali money to buy the usual items on the grocery list. Smith told Lali to buy himself a new ”camiece,“ a traditional one-piece Afghan garb, and a new pair of sneakers.
Lali always seems happy, but when I asked him if the Marines make him feel safe, he said, ”I don’t feel safe anywhere in Garmsir.“
Lali is a reason why the Marines are where they are today.
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