On Patrol

He starts his day before the sun, combing out his beard and donning his shalwar kameez, traditional Afghan garb consisting of a pair of loose fitting pants and an oversized shirt. He finishes the ensemble with a black and white scarf. Judging by his appearance you’d never know he is currently one of the few, one of the proud—a Marine deployed to Afghanistan to perform a high-profile yet extremely unique mission.

Gunnery Sergeant Fredrick Sloan, left, rides in a convoy along with members of the Afghan National Police from the airport in Maimana, Faryab, to the governor’s house. All photos courtesy of Gunnery Sergeant Fredrick SloanGunnery Sergeant Fredrick Sloan is by trade a logistician. But, he deployed to Afghanistan in June to work with a small team of soldiers, sailors, and contracted Afghan civilians affectionately known as TRADCOMM, short for Traditional Communication. TRADCOMM’s mission—in partnership with the Afghan government and international community—is to conduct counterinsurgency operations through traditional Afghan communication networks in order to connect the government of Afghanistan with its people.

Their primary vehicle for supporting the Afghan populace is through four separate outreach programs—Youth Outreach, Religious Outreach, Sports Outreach, and Borders and Tribes Outreach.

“The outreach programs are designed to foster relationships between Afghans and government officials as well as assisting them with developing programs for each of the four outreach areas,” Sloan said.

The team, which consists of two officers—one Army and one Navy—two interpreters, and Gunny Sloan, wins the hearts and minds of their local counterparts by looking thef part. They wear traditional civilian clothing, growing beards and long hair, riding in an unmarked vehicle and lodging, eating, working, and traveling alongside their Afghan partners. While on mission, they exercise a no-double-standards policy, travelling alongside their counterparts in Afghan National Security Forces vehicles.

Sloan serves as the senior staff noncommissioned officer and outreach planner for the team. He is responsible for planning the logistics behind the different missions and developing programs to further the outreach activities.

Gunnery Sergeant Fredrick Sloan, right, wears a trad­itional Afghan chapan that rep­resents the tribes of northern Afghanistan at the close of a jirga in Maimana, Faryab province.Planning for a mission begins weeks prior to its execution. Travel throughout Afghanistan always has the potential to go from good to bad in the blink of an eye, so preparation starts with arranging a mixture of fixed-wing and rotary aircraft support for the team throughout the area of operation. Due to the unique mission, much of the security, lodging and other logistical matters are provided solely by Afghans.

The team does everything possible to mitigate risks within their control, like identifying the nearest support force, plotting grid coordinates and assessing security and rallying points at the locations in case of emergency. It also carries extra ammunition, combat lifesaver bags, and other essential survival items.
Sloan begins this particular day at 4:45a.m., a time when most people are still comfortably in their beds.

The team packs the vehicle and makes final preparations before departing ISAF Headquarters at 5:30 a.m. to convoy to the airport with the deputy minister from the Office of Border and Tribal Affairs, his envoy in tow.

Their military flight departs Kabul at 7:30a.m. and lands in Maimana, Faryab province, two hours later. Here, their mission to support three peace jirgas in different locations over a course of three days begins.

At the airport, security is tight and a host of government officials are there to greet the team and Afghan officials as they arrive. After a brief welcome, they are ushered into vehicles surrounded by a mixture of Afghan National Army soldiers and Afghan National Police and driven to the governor’s office for tea. Shortly thereafter, it’s off to the first jirga.

“A jirga in Afghanistan closely resembles that of a town hall meeting held in the [United States],” Sloan said.

Gunnery Sergeant Fredrick Sloan travels in an Army Blackhawk Helicopter to Sar-e-Pul to attend a peace jirga.The purpose is to assemble tribal elders and make decisions based on the consensus of the group. The topic of the impending series of jirgas is peace in the region.

After arriving, Sloan quickly assesses the security of the site and provides exit and rally points to all members of the team.

“Maintaining security is one of the most important aspects of our mission due to the fact we travel in small groups,” Sloan said. “I generally look to see how they have their security set up and determine quick exit points and possible safe room locations.”

The jirga opens with the Afghan National Anthem and a prayer. Various speakers, including the governor of the region, the police chief and the deputy—who has traveled to the jirga with the team—present their remarks. The team listens and takes notes on the needs and concerns of their Afghan partners to pass on to ISAF officials.

“Our role revolves around partnership,” said Army Lieutenant Colonel Kelly Brown, the TRADCOMM team chief. “The ministers, governor, and elders expect us to listen to their concerns, understand their perspective, and offer support where appropriate.”

The meetings can last up to two hours and often conclude with votes on topics discussed. Afterward, the team joins the government officials for a traditional Afghan meal.

“One of the highlights of the day was being presented a colorful chapan [coat] that represented the tribes of northern Afghanistan from the governor of Maimana, Faryab, in appreciation of our partnership,” Sloan said.

With business and lunch complete, the team convoys back to the airport where two Army Black Hawk helicopters are waiting to take them to Sar-e-Pul, for the next jirga. The flight goes as planned and the team is again greeted at the airport by a welcoming party of Sar-e-Pul officials. The jirga is scheduled for the following day, so arrangements have been made for the team to stay at the governor’s guest house. Although the compound is surrounded by armed guards, a security assessment is still conducted and the entire team is made aware of exit and rally points.

The governor hosts a dinner that evening on his roof, overlooking the city’s skyline, where the team interacts and works to further build relationships.

Staying at a governor’s house, one might expect lavish accommodations. But this is not the U.S. The majority of the team stays together in a small room covered with rugs and a thin mat for each to sleep on. As they call an end to a long and eventful day, the team members joke with each other as they discuss the nuances of their experience and briefly plan for tomorrow. Although the sun set a long time ago, the sweltering heat of Afghanistan permeates the air-conditionless room. Despite the heat, the team rests easy feeling they have done their part to contribute to peace and freedom and knowing when they go home they’ll have stories to tell of a mission unlike any other.

“Although I’m not out on combat patrols I feel our mission is just as vital to saving the lives of Afghans, and American and Coalition soldiers and contributing to the overall mission success,” Sloan said.