New dispatch from Afghanistan: Troops continue to draw down

Maj. Aaron Angell, a Winsted native and operations officer with the United States Marines now deployed in the Helmland Province of Afghanistan, has sent two updates from the field to The Winsted Journal since issuing his first dispatch last month.In his most recent correspondence, Angell, 38, noted that his unit, Combat Logistics Regiment 2 (CLR-2) remains busy supporting the drawdown of United States troops in Afghanistan and hand over authority to Afghanistan’s national government. On Feb. 17, Angell sent a photo of a helicopter coming in for a nighttime rapid resupply mission at Camp Leatherneck, where he is stationed. What was unusual about the mission was the fact that the helicopter was unmanned.“This is a fairly new system which we have been using in Afghanistan for about 18 months,” Angell noted. “We call it the Cargo Resupply Unmanned Aerial System (or CRUAS).”The pilotless helicopter, operated by remote control, was able to pick up and deliver ammunition to a forward base where some marines had recently taken fire. Angell noted that night missions must be completed using night vision goggles and that the advantages and disadvantages of using an unmanned aircraft are still being worked out. He called the unmanned helicopter “a truly incredible capability” that will likely be used more in the future.Angell also noted that he has been taking questions from students while stationed overseas. One of the recent questions from a young penpal was, “What is the economy like?”“This is a deeper question than what you may think,” Angell wrote. “On our base we just use the American dollar, or on the British side they will also accept the Euro. Overall, we are trying to use less American currency on base, though, and instead use a special cash card for electronic funds transfer (like a credit card). Why? Having less American currency in use here means that less will be circulated into the local economy. We need to help the local economy by forcing them to use their own currency, where the paper money is called an ‘Afghani.’ Using U.S. currency in the local markets skews the value of the Afghani.”Angell also noted that local villages in Afghanistan often use a barter system.“Even today, there are many locals in the area who do not get paid much for a job, but instead barter with their own goods (agriculture or crafts). Since the Helmand River supports the growth of agriculture, the local crops can be used to barter. The final twist is that a major crop still be grown in portions of the Helmand Province is poppy. Thus, some bartering in markets is done by selling the pulp of poppy on the black market, for cash to use in the more traditional marketplace. This gets even more complicated, but hopefully helps to paint the picture in general.”In a Feb. 24 dispatch, Angell included two photos from the desert of the Helmland Province, where his unit recently worked to conduct tactical retrograde (dismantling) of a marine unit and bring equipment back to Camp Leatherneck.“This transportation operation is then typically followed by an engineer operation to flatten the base and make it look like we were never there,” he noted. One photo provides a view of the Helmland River Valley, where giant assault breacher vehicles (ABVs) were used to clear away improvised explosive devices to complete the mission. “These are essentially tank chassis with mine plows and some other specialized equipment, specifically built to clear a lane for vehicles and personnel to follow in trace,” Angell wrote of the ABVs. “These vehicles did their job. The mission was accomplished without a single injury to any of our coalition force personnel (our unit or any of the others involved).”Angell added that getting troops safely out of harm’s way is the greatest reward for his work. “UPS says, ‘We love logistics.’ I say that, too, but personally I like knowing that the immediate impact of the logistics our unit provides is related to supporting our brothers in harm’s way.”Finally, Angell included a press release from Marine Corps Commandant, Gen. James F. Amos, who had recently visited his unit. The release is as follows:Afghan troops in Helmand province have taken charge of planning and conducting operations against insurgents, the commandant of the Marine Corps said Thursday.“We don’t write plans anymore for an operation. We only write supporting plans,” Marine Gen. James Amos said at the American Enterprise Institute. “We are the force that will provide support as needed — sometimes it’s helicopter lift, sometimes it’s [reconnaissance] overhead. But we’re backup in case something happens.”Gen. Amos returned Monday from a week-long trip to southern Afghanistan, where Helmand province is located.The Marines now have just two infantry battalions in Helmand, down from seven last year. About 7,000 Marines are deployed there with about 10,000 troops from Great Britain, Jordan, Georgia and Estonia.Meanwhile, the Afghan National Security Forces there have grown to about 27,000, Gen. Amos said.Afghan forces taking charge of their nation’s security is a key necessity for all international combat troops to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014 as scheduled.“We are on track,” Gen. Amos said. However, he added: “You notice I didn’t say we are winning or losing. I didn’t say, ‘This is Nirvana, we’ve arrived.’ What I am saying is … the campaign plan is on track.”Angell noted that the Helmland Province is currently on the cusp of its rainy season and that temperatures have ranged from the 40s to 60s, Fahrenheit.“Since we are in the high desert, quick rainstorms usually mean flash floods, especially in the known wadis (dry riverbeds). On a very clear day I can see snow-capped mountains to the north. For a guy who loves the mountains, when I see these I feel refreshed.”