Perilous patrol through heart of Taliban territory

HUTAL, Afghanistan | Villagers stared at the Americans as they made their way into a small bazaar where goat meat hung from hooks amid stands of used clothing, pots, pans and various trinkets.

For the Afghans, the big Americans in full battle gear looked like beings from another planet. At each turn of the road, soldiers on the point knelt on the ground, automatic weapons ready. The men and women on the security walk were staggered in zigzag formation to keep casualties low in case Taliban sharpshooters were in the area and taking aim. Capt. Casey Thoreen, 30, the commander of the unit, monitored his radio for intelligence.

Fifteen minutes later, the unit arrived at a local clinic. It was empty and ominous looking with an open gate. Villagers in the bazaar began to leave. Shopkeepers closed their shops, throwing tarps over their goods. Children who had been cadging the troops for candy and pencils scattered.

“A suicide bomber is in the area,” Capt. Thoreen said after receiving a radioed intelligence report. “We’ve got to move, now!”

Last month, President Obama ordered an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan, which will bring the total contingent to about 100,000 by fall. For those already here, the hope is that the reinforcements will turn the momentum in an eight-year war that insurgents appear to be winning.

A reporter and photographer from The Washington Times who visited southern Afghanistan recently witnessed the hardships the Americans face. It’s an especially difficult security situation for the men and woman assigned to the small Combat Outpost Rath in the heart of Kandahar province’s Taliban territory.

“We haven’t been back here [the bazaar] since a suicide bomber took the life of several of our guys, ” said Staff Sgt. Daniel Paul Rabidou, 24, of San Bernardino, Calif., who was on protective duty that day. “You never know out here, who’s around what corner. We’ve lost some good men, and we need more out here to get the job done.”

Members of the Blackwatch unit, Bravo Company 2nd Battalion 1st Infantry Regiment, with the 5th Stryker Brigade, recall what happened to Capt. Ben Sklaver, 32, of Medford, Mass., in October. Capt. Sklaver was attached to the Stryker brigade but assigned to the 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion, U.S. Army Reserve, out of Greensboro, N.C.

A suicide bomber surprised Capt. Sklaver, Pfc. Alan H. Newton Jr. and an interpreter, killing all three, while they were in the town trying to improve relations with the locals.

Capt. Sklaver “was the kind of guy that cared about everyone,” said Staff Sgt. Joshua Yost, 27, from Shelton, Wash. “Of all the people to lose their life that day, the suicide bomber took the one guy who truly cared and dedicated his life to the poor and someone who really believed that one day we’d find peace with each other.”

The psychological impact of losing those who have become a second family is part of what changes “us from young boys to men,” Sgt. Yost said.

Staff Sgt. Yost said he garners strength from his wife Kristen and their three young children: Aiden, 6; Kaylee, 5 and Riley, 6 months old — a family that has provided support during his multiple tours to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Staff Sgts. Rabidou, Yost and James Cross add that their longtime friendship keeps them grounded amid the daily dangers so far from home. Sgt. Cross and Sgt. Yost have been best friends since the 9th grade and were both born at Mason General Hospital in Shelton, Wash. Sgt. Rabidou first met Sgt. Cross when they joined the Army, and both men served two tours of duty together in Iraq before coming to Afghanistan.

“We call ourselves the trifecta of power,” Sgt. Cross said. The three men laughed.

“None of us want to let each other down,” he said. “We’re here for each other no matter what — we fight for each other and we’d die for each other.”

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