Resupplied: RTF security troop ASLAV crew Tpr Rob Conway and Tpr Dale Stephan prepare to return to their reconniassance mission after being involved in a contact. Photo by Capt Cameron Jamieson
AN RTF security troop has successfully delivered two body blows to Taliban forces operating in the Sorkh Morghab district, about 10km north-northeast of their base at Tarin Kowt.
In the first contact, the diggers, mounted in four ASLAVs, soundly defeated a Taliban ambush. Two days later the same troop helped Afghan National Police and Dutch troops repel an attack by Taliban forces on an Afghan police outpost.
The first contact happened on July 8 during a reconnaissance operation. The Australian troops had moved into the area for the first time to conduct an engineer survey of Afghan security posts for a reconstruction task.
The contact was initiated by an RPG round fired from ahead of the RTF patrol, and was followed by small-arms fire. Lead vehicle commander Cpl Jason Hatcher said once the contact started everything worked as per their training.
“We were moving in formation through open terrain when there was an explosion at the rear of the troop,” he said. “To our front we saw the puff of smoke from where the round had been launched, and then we saw a guy move around from behind the wall of a compound. He had an RPG on his shoulder, and as he prepared to fire at us we engaged.
“All our training kicked in. Our vehicles moved into place, and the amount of fire was appropriate for the situation. Our drills worked excellently – it’s something we had rehearsed and trained for, and everything just fell into place.”
The combined firepower of the ASLAVs forced the enemy to flee their positions ahead of the follow-on infantry clearance sweep. Troop Comd Lt Owens said no casualties or vehicle losses were suffered by the RTF patrol.
“Once we returned fire they wanted to withdraw, because they knew we have a lot of overmatch on them,” he said. “They want to withdraw and fight another day.”
In the second action the Australians arrived at a police outpost not far from the first contact just as the Taliban launched an attack. Although the Afghan police held their ground the assistance of the Australians and some nearby Dutch forces was well appreciated by the policemen.
The swift employment of the ASLAV’s main armament was a dramatic wakeup call to the Taliban, who were forced to flee the battleground.
When the Australians drove up to the Afghan police the diggers were greeted with loud cheering and clapping. The fight was a great success for the Afghan police, and the Australian and Dutch soldiers, with no personnel wounded. The same could not be said for the Taliban.
RTF CO Lt-Col Harry Jarvie said the end result was a team effort. “We’re in a close partnership with the Government of Afghanistan and their police force as we try and re-establish security here in Afghanistan,” he said.
“Today was a perfect example of that cooperation.”
