The commanding officer of Arbroath’s 45 Commando says the Royal Marines on the Afghan frontline are waiting to see what the fighting season may bring.
Lieutenant Colonel Oliver Lee said the threat will be clearer at the end of this month when the wheat has been gathered.
Afghanistan’s traditional summer fighting season has yet to materialise, likely due to the unusually harsh winter and last year’s poor harvest, which has meant that the insurgents have had to focus more on this year’s crops.
The unit has assumed responsibility of Combined Force Nad-e Ali South, which it will command until September.
Lt Col Lee said, “We are holding our breath to see what the fighting season may bring, but this is a real opportunity for us to prepare and dig in.
“We will be relentless in keeping the pressure up. Working alongside the ANSF (Afghan National Security Forces), our main effort is to prevent summer fighting this year.
“The longer the enemy is off the field, the more difficult it is going to be for them to rejoin the game. I’m keen to point out that it’s not just 45 Commando doing this.
“For example, the Royal Gurkha Rifles are doing a fantastic job mentoring the police and the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards are partnering the Afghan National Army.”
The Condor contingent is part of Operation Herrick 14, on their fourth tour of duty to the country, with a key role in continuing the stabilising work of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
With the security around Nad-e-Ali seemingly enduring, after 30 years of summer fighting there is increasing reluctance among locals to allow the insurgents to turn back the clock.
Locals are embracing their own security forces, offering intelligence about weapons caches and the whereabouts of insurgents.
So far, as 45 Commando approach the halfway point of their tour, things have been relatively quiet, especially in comparison to the firefights that were prevalent until only a few months ago.
Lt Col Lee said Nad-e-Ali South has made a lot of progress in a short time, but it is not quite out of the woods yet.’Bearing fruit’He said, “We shouldn’t be in any doubt that all of this is reversible, which is why the coming month is so important.
“To have a no-fighting season would be a good indicator that all our efforts, ours and the Afghans, are bearing fruit.
“And for me, that, and to be able to take all of my guys home unhurt, would be the measure of a successful tour.”
Lt Col Lee said that the Afghan National Army’s success in tracking down IED caches now outweighs the number cleared by coalition forces.
This was seen at a recent National Directorate of Security-led operation to the south of Shin Kalay, which resulted in a big arms find including a PKM belt-fed automatic weapon, several IEDs and grenades and various other items of the bomb-maker’s trade.
Lt Col Lee said, “Schools are opening, markets are beginning to thrive, and the locals are showing that they are less fearful of intimidation.
“It is our intention to use every lever we have to the max. That means meeting the people, cajoling them, mentoring them, building their confidence in themselves.
“After all this is not our popularity contest to win-it is a popularity contest for the people and their government.”
The Taliban declared the start of a spring and summer fighting season on May 1, promising to attack military bases and government institutions as NATO prepares to hand over security to Afghan forces next month.
However, in Taliban strongholds, insurgents are laying down their arms to help bring in crops including opium poppies, which yield the sticky paste used to make heroin.