FOB Keating attack repulsed

[jmm99]

Are "EN route clearance companies" = e.g., our local 1431st Engineer Sapper Company, which was in Astan during 2009:

1421st /107th deployed to Afghanistan:

Wednesday, November 26, 2008
1421st /107th deployed to Afghanistan

More than 100 members of the Michigan National Guard’s 1431st Engineer Company–former members of the 107th- Company A, are preparing for deployment to Afghanistan.

They will meet at the Calumet Armory on Friday, Nov. 28 to prepare for a Nov. 30 departure to Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg, MS. The Baraga and Calumet armories were separated from the 107th Engineer Company and given their own identity, the 1431st Engineer Sapper Company.

They will train for approximately two months at Camp Shelby before they deploy to Afghanistan. Once in Afghanistan they will provide route and convoy clearance and security during their tour.

and U.P. troops coming home (Nov 2009) and 1431st Sapper Company Freedom Salute (Mar 2010).

Regards

Mike

PS: from Soldier, husband, dad return home:

By Brad Soroka
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 at 7:57 p.m.

CALUMET -- They're the 1431st Engineer Sapper Company; between them: 42 Purple Hearts, 26 Bronze Stars and one newborn baby.

So, more tooth than tail from the PHs.

[JMA]

Are "EN route clearance companies" = e.g., our local 1431st Engineer Sapper Company, which was in Astan during 2009:

1421st /107th deployed to Afghanistan:



and U.P. troops coming home (Nov 2009) and 1431st Sapper Company Freedom Salute (Mar 2010).

Regards

Mike

PS: from Soldier, husband, dad return home:



So, more tooth than tail from the PHs.

So I assume then that they clear roads (routes) of IEDs?

[Cavguy]

So I assume then that they clear roads (routes) of IEDs?

Yep. Do a great job of it too.

[JMA]

Are "EN route clearance companies" = e.g., our local 1431st Engineer Sapper Company, which was in Astan during 2009:

1421st /107th deployed to Afghanistan:



and U.P. troops coming home (Nov 2009) and 1431st Sapper Company Freedom Salute (Mar 2010).

Regards

Mike

PS: from Soldier, husband, dad return home:



So, more tooth than tail from the PHs.

I did miss this one Mike, is this your unit?

[jmm99]

the 1431 Sappers are the "Copper Country's Own" (that coy based at the Calumet Armory about 10 mi North of me). The heritage goes back to the Houghton County Volunteers who fought in the Civil War. My best friend, when he retired, was acting topkick for the H&HC of the parent Bn (based at Ishpeming about 75 mi South of here).

Regards

Mike

[jmm99]

JMA: if you were asking, am I or was I a member of the 1431 Sapppers, the answer is negative. We (or at least many of us here) still have the "small town" American view of our NG units as being all part of the family.

Cheers

Mike

[JMA]

the 1431 Sappers are the "Copper Country's Own" (that coy based at the Calumet Armory about 10 mi North of me). The heritage goes back to the Houghton County Volunteers who fought in the Civil War. My best friend, when he retired, was acting topkick for the H&HC of the parent Bn (based at Ishpeming about 75 mi South of here).

Regards

Mike

Thanks Mike, would be interested at some point to hear how the guardsmen coped on the job after 2 mths preliminary training before jumping in the deep end.

[jmm99]

from all appearances, in a dangerous business: 42 Purple Hearts, 26 Bronze Stars (roughly 115-person unit).

A few Husky Herald newsletters give some idea of the morale (and are safe, haivng all been scanned for OpSec):

January, 2009 (Training)

March/April, 2009 (In Country)

September, 2009 (Tour Ending)

From the first one, CPT Tom LaFave (CO), on training:

So far the training here has gone well, we are well ahead of what I had expected when we left, and I know that we are getting better training than we had the last time we went to Iraq.

Of course, you have to realize that people from the Copper Country are like the Gurkhas who were overjoyed that parachutes would be issued for their first jump.

And this from one of our 2009 casualities - from Stars & Stripes, Landstuhl sees more casualties from Afghanistan than Iraq:

Army Staff Sgt. Derek VanBuren is just one of the 100-plus, battle-wounded troops from Afghanistan treated at Landstuhl this month.

The 29-year-old from Negaunee, Mich., suffered shrapnel wounds to his shoulders July 19 when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle during a route-clearance mission in Paktika province. Also wounded in the blast were the truck’s gunner, Spc. John French, and driver Spc. David Smith, who kept pressure on VanBuren’s wound while continuing to drive.

The firefight lasted 60 minutes, VanBuren said.

VanBuren’s unit, the 1431st Engineer Company from the Michigan National Guard, got to Afghanistan in January and action began picking up in the spring, he said.

“When we got into that contact, it was very routine for us to deal with it because it’s been happening,” VanBuren said. “We’re used to it.”

As they say: Good as Done.

Regards

Mike

[JMA]

from all appearances, in a dangerous business: 42 Purple Hearts, 26 Bronze Stars (roughly 115-person unit).

I must admit that was some 'tour'!

40% wounded, 20% bravery medals. How many KIA?

I'll bet those guys have some stories to tell.

[jmm99]

for which, everyone was thankful.

Regards

Mike