New Hampshire Soldiers in Harm's Way in Afghanistan

SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK NATIONAL GUARD SOLDIERS FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE LEAVE THEIR SMALL BASE TO TRAIN THE AFGHAN NATIONAL ARMY AN POLICE.

SERGEANT FIRST CLASS PATRICK CREAMER COMES FROM WOODSVILLE NEW HAMPSHIRE

HE’S SERVING WITH THE VERMONT NATIONAL GUARD.

HE’S WORKED IN SEVERAL PROVINCES IN WESTERN AFGHANISTAN.

HE SAYS HERE IN FARAH PROVINCE THE AFGHAN POLICE ARE SPREAD THINLY.

AND THEY NEED ADVICE ON HOW TO GET VILLAGERS ON THEIR SIDE.
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Sfc Patrick Creamer, Woodsville NH
205 We Try to talk about what the correct thing is it for the police officers to do to gain the populations respct and support. And we try to talk to them about what they should be doing to disrupt and get rid of the insurgency in Afghanistan

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A DOZEN NEW HAMPSHIRE SOLDIERS ARE SCATTERED ACROSS AFGHANISTAN, ASSIGNED TO SEVERAL SMALL TEAMS OF 15 OR 20 MEN.

HERE IN FARAH, AFTER MOST DAY PATROLS THE SOLDIERS HEAD BACK TO THEIR BASE.

IT’S TINY…. ONLY ABOUT A HUNDRED YARDS ACROSS.

IT IS ONE OF THREE US BASES CLUSTERED TOGETHER NEAR THE PROVINCIAL CAPITAL.

ONE NIGHT, INSURGENTS FIRE ROCKETS AT THE BASE.

AFGHAN SOLDIERS FIRE BACK.
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CREAMER STANDS ON THE ROOF, LOOKING OUT.

THE INSURGENT'S ATTACK IS DIRECTED TOWARD THE SOLDIERS.

BUT CREAMER SAYS IT’S MEANT TO SEND A MESSAGE TO THE CIVILIANS AS WELL.
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Creamer
052 i think this is what the talbian likes to do. They like to harass coaltion forces and take away any kind of confidence of the people in their own forces. The Taliban are trying to take away the legitimacy of an Afghan national army and Afghan national police and make the people feel they are not safe intheir own neighborhood.

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A FEW DAYS LATER THE SOLDIERS GET READY TO HEAD OUT ON THE ROAD AGAIN.

THEY ARE VISITING THE PROVINCIAL POLICE HEADQUARTERS IN DOWNTOWN FARAH A COUPLE OF MILES AWAY.

COMMANDERS BRIEF THE EARLY-MORNING PATROL BEFORE IT CLIMBS INTO THE HUMVEES.
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NATS if we get hit use the smallest weapons possible
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THE GUARDSMEN HAVE VISITED ALL 12 DISTRICTS IN THIS PROVINCE.

IT CAN BE RISKY.

THE HUMVEES BUMP ALONG ROADS, PICKING THEIR WAY BETWEEN THE WALLS AND FIELDS OF SCATTERED VILLAGES.

NH NATIONAL GUARD SERGEANT BILLY SAVAGE FROM NASHUA SITS IN THE GUN TURRET.

SAVAGE HAS AN EASY-GOING NATURE, BUT THAT WAS TESTED A FEW MONTHS AGO.

HIS CONVOY CAME UNDER INTENSE FIRE AS IT DROVE THROUGH A VILLAGE AT NIGHT.

INSURGENTS WERE ONLY YARDS AWAY, FIRING AT THE HUMVEES.

42 They couldnt have been more than a couple of feet from us on the side of road in ditches. The buildings were on the side of the road so they wre beside the buildings. They just popped out. There were no illums. It was dark. They started firing. We had guys jumping in the midle of the road firing RPGs at us. They were right on top of us.

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SAVAGE SAYS THE FIRE WAS SO INTENSE SEVERAL BULLETS FOUND THEIR WAY UNDER THE FACEPLATE OF HIS MACHINE GUN.

TWO BUILETS HIT HIS FLACK JACKET, SETTING IT ON FIRE.

ONE DEFLECTED INTO HIS ARM NEAR THE SHOULDER.

SAVAGE WAS KNOCKED DOWN, THEN GOT BACK UP AND STARTED FIRING AGAIN.

THE AMBUSH LASTED FOR OVER A MILE

Savage
731 They kept firing at us. I kept firing. We kept pushing. They blew a tire sop we were only going 5 miles an hour. Its a long road when you have 3 tires. Ha ha.

THAT NIGHT SERGEANT SAVAGE WAS THE ONLY SOLDIER HIT.

A FEW MONTHS LATER HE IS STILL IN THAT TURRET, STILL GOING OUT ON PATORLS.

HIS ARM IS FINE - INCREDIBLY IT ONLY TOOK A COUPLE OF WEEKS TO HEAL.

BUT SITTING IN THE TURRET AS THE PATROL DRIVES THROUGH THAT VILLAGE STILL MAKES HIM NERVOUS.

922 The only village that does is where we got shot at. I still get a knot in my stomach when we go through it. I dont trust that village when we go through even though i know we are safe. That village still gives me the knot.

THE SOLDIERS SAY THEY’VE SEEN CHANGES IN THE 7 MONTHS THEY'VE BEEN HERE.

ITS NOT ALL GOOD.

ACCORDING TO THE ARMY'S OWN NUMBERS, THERE ARE TOO FEW ADVISORS HERE IN FARAH PROVINCE,

THERE ARE NO LARGE UNITS OF AMERCIAN FORCES AND SECURITY IS SPOTTY.

FOR ALL THAT, THE SOLDIERS SAY THEY LIKE THEIR JOB.

PATRICK CREAMER SAYS ITS WORTH DOING EVEN IF PROGRESS IS SLOW GOING.
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238 We are a few years into the mission now. I think the police know what they need to do and they are trying to doing it. I've seen some progression here in farah in the short tiem Ive been here. Yeah it's difficult but it's not unobtainable.
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THE SOLDIERS WILL MISS CHRISTMAS BUT THEY OUGHT TO BE HOME IN JANUARY.

THEY SAY UNTIL THEN, THEY EXPECT THE PACE OF OPERATIONS WILL BE HEAVY.

SO IT WILL BE HARD WORK RIGHT UP UNTIL THE TIME THEY HEAD BACK HOME.

FOR NHPR NEWS IN FARAH PROVINCE WESTERN AFGHANISTAN, I’M DOUG GRINDLE.