But here significantly improved security. The outpost in the north-eastern mountains which province of Paktika, has not since the end of last summer, been provided largely, fired on soldiers here believe, to a shift in tactics, which started when a new unit and began relentlessly patrol the surrounding mountains, always on foot, and usually at night. Which took the incessant patrols insurgents vantage points, and they have hardly been engaged.
Now the unit, company E of the second battalion, Division - tried Regiment - a part of the 101st Airborne 506th infantry, are these by pressing the Taliban out of several surrounding villages, who believe American commanders among the last to consolidate their sanctuaries in the area before the warm summer months, when insurgents activity is heaviest.
"It aims, they fight back in to make, and we have taken that to heart," said Captain Henry Hansen, the company commander. "The may time frame, we may get some of these foreign fighters, the persecution was not what we have done, but we are ready for them."
Military can not say whether the company has simply pushed the insurgents underground or they sold elsewhere. And everyone expects an uptick in the fight against this summer.
But now, the improved security promotes further advantages. More and more oldest miles trek from surrounding villages across rugged terrain, weekly Reconcilables or meet, in an Afghan police link attached at the base to visit. Last week a recalcitrant tribe agreed to come to connect to the root, with the rival of wood dispute, sit makes it possible to provide the Afghan army.
In a province where such problems often by conflict or by the Taliban shadow justice have been resolved, the meeting was a victory, a show of faith in the coalition - and by extension the Afghan Government.
"It is the theory of Inkblot," said Captain Hansen. "You focus on an area and it spread out."
The company was part of the recent "surge" Brigade in the country to block part of the initiative under American leadership down the rebels and start the Foundation security responsibility to the Afghan security forces until the end of 2014 transfer arrives. Last year, a single battalion was responsible for the backup of the entire province. Now the same area is covered by almost a full Brigade makes about six times the combat.
Half a million people is perhaps the province as a strategic crossing record entry of militant hideouts in North and South Waziristan in Pakistan. The base, an ungainly collection of dirt barriers, watch towers and command posts, plywood is used as a launch pad for securing villages and beaten Taliban in the province in the Northeast cut off mountains.
While America have - been-led troops in other isolated mountain valleys give up, the Korengal and Pech valleys in the North-Eastern Province of Kunar - the turnaround here in this robust part of the country was remarkable.
Company s came in August amid almost daily attacks. Almost half the soldiers in the company replaced receive purple heart. A television "60 minutes" to visit that summer footage of based attacked captured mortar and then came it under itself triggered because it accompanied an armored vehicle convoy to a nearby village.
Collected bits of jagged steel and mortar fill tails "shrapnel Garden" in the middle of the connection, a testament to past attacks. But since arrival, company E, it has added little.
The company's patrols under sporadic shots came already early. "If we 24 hours in a place of SA, the enemy attacked," said first Sgt. Steve Chandler Jr., 40. But the patrols - 211 in the first 150 days - had their intended effect. Intelligence begins was an enemy of confused how many American troops have been scouring hills.
Sgt. Anthony Web page, 27, Indianapolis, one of the few companies is E-members, who was with the unit when it was stationed in this same outpost from March 2008 to March 2009.
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