TOWR KHAM FIRE BASE, Afghanistan, May 26, 2006 — The “Fighting Deuce” rolled into eastern Afghanistan a little more than two months ago to try its hand at intercepting insurgents in some of the most rugged terrain the country offers.
More than 30 U.S. soldiers from the 272nd Military Police Company “Fighting Deuce,” based in Mannheim, Germany, are joined by a platoon from the 1st Battalion/188th Air Defense Artillery of the North Dakota National Guard at Towr Kham Fire Base, a remote outpost just minutes from the Afghanistan-Pakistan border crossing at Towr Kham.[snip]
The challenge is daunting, according to U.S. Army 1st Lt. Renee Ramsey, 272nd Military Police Company platoon commander. The more than 170 miles of border under the Afghan Border Police 1st Brigade’s watch has few vehicle crossing points, yet hundreds of foot and animal trails used for hundreds of years by locals and caravans.
Ramsey said the soldiers’ missions often involve grueling mountain ascents to spend several nights at listening and observation posts near the border.[snip]U.S. Army Spc. Rachel Carey, a 21-year-old native of Aurora, Ill., who joined the military to better herself as a person, said this deployment is no 9-to-5 job.
“You better know what you’re doing over here,” said the mother who takes pictures of daughter Madison on every mission. “It’s not only your life on the line, but everyone else in your truck.”
Read more about the 272nd Fighting Deuce:
'Fighting Deuce' MPs Patrol Afghan Mountains - DefendAmerica News Article
The 272nd Military Police Company soldiers, working under leadership of the 10th Mountain Division, support Task Force Vigilant, a combined border operations and police tactical training mission in conjunction with the Afghan Border Patrol.
A U.S. Army tradition allows soldiers to wear the “patch” or insignia of a unit they serve with in combat operations, even if they’re not permanently assigned to the unit.
“Our soldiers truly embody their platoon motto of ‘Stay Hard,’” said Ramsey, a Buffalo native. “They have definitely earned their ‘Mountain’ patch.”
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