page_title: 9th Engineer Battalion (United States)
section_title: Afghanistan
hierarchical_section_title: 9th Engineer Battalion (United States) / History / Afghanistan
caption_attribution_description: English: Alpha Company, 9th Engineer Battalion conducts a mechanized route clearance patrol partnered with an Afghan Army Route Clearance Company through the mountains of Paktika, Afghanistan in the spring of 2012. A US RG-31 with mine roller leads the convoy. Afghan Army forces are seen utilizing up-armored HMMWVs.
context_page_description: The 9th Engineer Battalion is a unit of the United States Army that deploys to designated contingency areas and conducts combat and/or stability operations in support of a brigade combat team. It is a divisional mechanized combat engineer unit, composed of three line companies and a headquarters company. Its mission is to provide assured mobility, counter-mobility, general engineering, and survivability support with well trained sappers ready to deploy anywhere at any time. The unit's history spans service in 1917 in the US southwest, World War II in France and Germany, multiple deployments to the Balkans, and multiple deployments in support of the Global War on Terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is most famous for the capture of the Ludendorff Bridge across the Rhine River. As of 18 May 2015, the battalion exists as the 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion in Fort Stewart, GA under 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division.
context_section_description: The 9th Engineer Battalion, designated as Task Force Gila, deployed to eastern Afghanistan in July 2011 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan under the 172d Infantry Brigade. For the Deployment, the 172d Brigade Headquarters Company, the 504th Military Intelligence Company, and the 57th Signal Company fell under the Command of Task Force Gila.
  The Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) of the 9th Engineers operated out of Forward Operating Base Rushmore (Sharan District, Paktika Province). In addition to providing Command and Control of TF Gila, HHC conducted training and partnership operations with the Afghan Uniformed Police (AUP) and the Afghan Local Police (ALP) in Paktika. HHC was augmented by a platoon from the 554th Military Police Company who were the main effort in the training of AUP and ALP throughout the province. HHC's Support Platoon also conducted partnered patrols throughout the province in order to allow key leaders of the AUP as well as TF Gila to conduct battlefield circulation to outlying AUP checkpoints.
  Alpha Company, 9th Engineers served as a route clearance and route improvement Company based at Forward Operating Base Sharana (Sharan District, Paktika Province). The Company's two route clearance platoons (coded RCP 5 and RCP 6) helped maintain freedom of maneuver throughout Paktika province and as far north as Ghazni City and operated extensively with the Afghan RCC (Route Clearance Company) from 2nd Brigade, 203 Corps, who took complete responsibility for device detection and clearance by the end of the deployment. Notable achievements included arriving by land to COP Curry, COP Tillman and COP Waza Khwa for the first time in over a year. The RCP platoons also performed construction security, logistical support, and traffic control point missions routinely. The company had a construction section that partnered extensively with Afghan engineers to accomplish road improvement, culvert repair, and facilities construction. They were known for their ability to move a small team to a remote COP by helicopter, repair significant structural damage to buildings using only materials at hand, and leave within two weeks. Two additional platoons from Alpha were detached to assist with the handover of COP Waza Kwah in southwest Paktika to Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). Following the handover, those two Platoons augmented Able and Venom Companies of TF Black Scarves (1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment) in Andar, Ghazni with the mission to fight as Infantry.
  Bravo Company, 9th Engineers, fell under the 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, operating out of Combat Outpost Curry (Gomal District, Paktika Province) with the mission to fight as Infantry. While stationed in Gomal, Bravo Company worked with ANSF to increase security, governance, economy, and partnership in the district. ANSF partnership was the primary mission for Bravo Company, and they worked daily with the Afghan National Army (ANA), Afghan Border Police (ABP), and Afghan National Police (ANP). The Sappers went on security patrols throughout Gomal District, both mounted and dismounted. Despite rugged terrain, the ANSF and Bravo Company successfully patrolled throughout the largest district in Paktika Province. Bravo leaders and Soldiers trained ANSF Soldiers and Policemen to enhance their capabilities, allowing ANSF to conduct unilateral patrols by the spring of 2012. Because of COP Curry's remote location in Paktika, resupply was accomplished via the Air Force's Air Delivery Systems (ADS). Bravo regularly received food, water, fuel, and ammunition via air drop. During the deployment, they also received the largest air drop to date in operation Enduring Freedom, accepting a 4K all-terrain forklift.
  Charlie Company served under several successive Task Forces from 2011 to 2012: TF Warrior, TF Thunder, TF Gunner, and TF Black Scarves.  Charlie operated out of COP Sayed Abad (Sayed Abad District, Wardak Province), COP Dashe Towpe (Chak District, Wardak Province), and COP Band E Sardeh (Andar District, Ghazni Province) w
caption: Alpha conducts route clearance patrol partnered with an Afghan Army Route Clearance Company through the mountains of Paktika, Afghanistan in 2012
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