On the front line with our boys - Blog Three
BELFAST soldier Wally Mahaffy gives his latest update from the front line in Afghanistan.
Ulster personnel are playing a key role in the ongoing military offensive against the Taleban.
Wally's Blog
"Go, go, go" shout the soldiers of 3rd Kandak, 3/205 Hero Brigade, Afghan National Army (ANA) as they run from the hillside to assault an enemy compound deep in the Green Zone (GZ) in Sangin, Helmand Province.
Hot on their tails move the soldiers of Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team 3 (OMLT 3) from the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment. It's 0420hrs and the Taleban have been preparing defensive positions as they dig trenches to defend their area from Coalition Force attack. Fifteen minutes and the battle is over.
The enemy have withdrawn, driven away in vehicles as quickly as possible having abandoned their weapons, ammunition, medical supplies and some food. "Medic, medic, medic" shouts the ANA Company Commander. The interpreter tells the OMLT team that the ANA soldiers are worried that one of the soldiers has been shot.
We expect the worst. As we attempt to move around the position we struggle to identify the wounded man. It is not easy when 100 Afghan soldiers are all shouting at the same time, the adrenalin rush of battle is hard to contain. As they identify the wounded man we radio to base to call the IRT (Immediate Response Team) helicopter.
Then a figure appears from the corner of the compound, limping on his left leg. The Afghan soldier has removed his helmet, his M16 Assault Rifle hangs by his side as his facial expression shows the pain. Why are all the other soldiers laughing and pointing at him.
"Taliban shoot him in the buttocks, sir" says the interpreter. This poor lad, barely in his twenties, had somehow been shot in the rear by the bad guys, in the crossfire.
We struggled to stem the flow of blood from the bullet wound but this shy young man would not let us see through embarrassment. "Fair one" we said. We mounted our trucks, drove away triumphant but what a pain in the butt, if you know what I mean, and all before breakfast.
That was just a typical morning in Sangin town. The poppy harvest has finished and the locals are becoming restless. The Taleban now seek to destroy the good people of the area and look to disrupt the Security Forces. There have been many problems in Sangin in the past few days. Two men of the local governor's militia have been killed by the Taleban only yards from our camp.
A young boy, no more than eight years old, was caught in the crossfire. The quick reactions of the soldiers and the British military doctor managed to save the child. Yes, we probably won the hearts and minds of the young boy's family, but that is a small achievement in the vast wilderness that is Helmand.
Recently the boys of OMLT 3 have become quite familiar with their ANA counterparts. Having lunch and dinner in camp together is now a common affair. We all attempt to talk each other's language. Dari, the language used by the ANA, sounds hilarious in an Irish accent, I can tell you.
Well, apart from fighting the enemy on almost a daily basis, life here in the town of Sangin has been good for the soldiers of the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment.
We continue to work alongside our brothers in the ANA, learning from each other as we take the fight to the Taleban.
It's getting hotter here in every sense but we keep our heads down and move fast in the hope that we can drive the enemy from this area and make it a safer place for the good and decent people of Sangin town.
On the front line with our boys - Blog Two
On the front line with our boys - Blog One
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Weather for Belfast
Monday 13 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 4 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 6 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North west
