170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
03.27.2011 Story by Pfc. Nathan Goodall QEYSAR, Afghanistan -- It was a little after 1 p.m. when soldiers with A Battery, 1st Battalion, 84th Field Artillery Regiment, 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team walked out the front gate for a routine foot patrol here March 27.
Sgt. Eric J. Kabana, a Beaver County, Pa., native, now a squad leader with A Battery, 1st Battalion, 84th Field Artillery Regiment, 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conducts a foot patrol in Qeysar, Afghanistan, March 27. Photo by Pfc. Nathan Goodall
It was cold outside and rain was already starting to fall, but the soldiers were more than happy to begin the patrol - they were looking forward to every minute of it.
“We went out with the battery commander to visit the village leaders of Qeysar to find out what we could help out with,” said Pfc. Loren G. Gaboni, a San Juan Batista, Calif., native, now a forward observer with A Battery.
The air was dense with mist, and rain was falling off-and-on, but it was vital the soldiers conducted the patrol as if it were a bright, sunny day, said Gaboni.
Pfc. Dominique D. Smith, an Ozark, Ala., native, Photo by Pfc. Nathan Goodall
“It was cold, everything got soaked. I was freezing,” said Gaboni. “But it was important to go out just to make sure that the people know that no matter what, we’re still here to help them.”
While the patrol was routine, the soldiers saw new evidence of their progress.
“The last time I went out we saw people digging holes, and this time we came back and those holes had trees planted in them,” said Rabacal. “Right outside the COP people were building the wall for a playground we planned.”
“A lot of the projects that the battery commander has talked about are happening,” said Rabacal. “We’re making progress and showing people that we’re helping.”
Spc. Michael Rabacal, a Manila, Philippines native, now a signal support systems specialist with A Battery, 1st Battalion, 84th Field Artillery Regiment, 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, and Pfc. Loren G. Gaboni, a San Juan Batista, Calif., native, now a forward observer with A Battery conduct a radio check during a foot patrol in Qeysar, Afghanistan, March 27. Photo by Pfc. Nathan GoodallFor A Battery soldiers like Pfc. Patrick L. Spray, a Covington, Tenn., native, and Pfc. Eric D. Garcia, a Redding, Calif., native, the patrol was a new experience altogether.
Pfc. Eric D. Garcia, a Redding, Calif., native, and Pfc. Patrick L. Spray, a Covington, Tenn., native, Photo by Pfc. Nathan Goodall
Even though it was cold and wet outside, Spray and Garcia said they were very happy to be out on a foot patrol, rather than in large armored vehicles, separated from the people they help by inches of steel and thick glass.
“You get to interact with [the people of Qeysar],” said Garcia. “When my sister was deployed she said one of the things she liked most about deployment was interacting with the kids. I haven’t been able to do that until today, because I’ve been in the truck the whole time. You get to see more. You get a different perspective of things.”
Pfc. Loren G. Gaboni, a San Juan Batista, Calif., Photo by Pfc. Nathan Goodall
“The more I get outside the wire the happier I am,” said Spray. “[When we patrol people can] feel safe. They’ll know that they’re actually protected, that we’re here if it’s raining or not.”
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