Friday - December 09, 2005

Photo Du Jour

“Donkey Borne”
-by-
Spc. Mike Pryor

The Story Behind The Picture ....
October 12, 2005
MIANASHIN, Afghanistan (Army News Service)

Paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division, along with Afghan National Army troops, were conducting an operation in the Mianashin region north of Kandahar in early October when an airdrop of supplies fell short of its mark. Water bottles and boxes of food were strewn for hundreds of yards across the mountain and paratroopers from Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment spent the afternoon carrying boxes down from the ridgeline, but there were still several large loads that needed to be transported. With daylight rapidly disappearing, A Company seemed to have run out of options.

Luckily, that is when the “Donkey Man” showed up.

Spc. Daniel Boyle spotted the old man as he led a team of donkeys up a hill in the distance. Boyle realized the donkeys might be the solution to A Co’s transportation problem. He beckoned the man over and began to negotiate. They reached an agreement, and soon each donkey was loaded with a bundle of supplies and was ready to move out. Staff Sgt. Matthew Sheppard mounted the lead donkey and with a gentle jab he spurred the animal forward. “On a mission like that, you never know what situation you’re going to find yourself in. That’s why we just try to stay flexible and make the most out of whatever breaks we get,” said Shaw.

The five-day operation resulted in the detainment of three Taliban leaders and the destruction of two enemy safe houses. It began with a pre-dawn air assault into the town of Lwar Kowndalan Oct. 1. Two Chinook helicopters with an Apache gunship for support delivered the paratroopers in a clearing just outside the village. They exited the helicpoters and as the dust settled, the paratroopers could see they had landed in a graveyard.

The paratroopers moved out quickly and encircled the town by squads. Their objective was to capture several high-ranking Taliban operatives known to live in the village. After they searched several houses, three Taliban members were captured. Meanwhile, paratroopers were also on the lookout for a safe-house used by Taliban forces. After several hours, Capt. Michael Shaw, A Co. commander, decided to set up a patrol base from which to continue the search. He chose a high-walled, fortress-like compound. Ironically, soon after occupying the building, the paratroopers realized it was actually the safe-house they were looking for.

- Read the rest of what happened on Operation Donkey Tales here ....

Posted by The Skipper     on 12/09/2005 at 04:51 PM   
Filed Under: • Art-Photography • Military • War-Stories •  
• Comments (3) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

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