Battle of Afghanya

Last updated
Battle of Afghanya
Part of War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
DateApril 8, 2008
Location
Result Coalition victory
Belligerents
Flag of Afghanistan.svg ANP
Flag of the United States.svg United States
Flag of France.svg French Foreign Legion
Flag of Taliban.svg Taliban insurgents
Commanders and leaders
Flag of the United States.svg N/A
Strength
10 Americans
3 Afghans
later reinforced by French Foreign Legion, Special Forces, 101st Airborne Division, ANA, and ANP troops
100
Casualties and losses
3 wounded unknown

The Battle of Afghanya occurred on 8 April 2008 when Taliban insurgents ambushed a patrol of ten Americans and three Afghans in the village of Afghanya, Kapisa Province. The Americans and Afghans fought until reinforcements arrived, beating off the Taliban insurgents at the loss of only three wounded compared to several killed and wounded for the ambushers.

Taliban Islamic fundamentalist political movement in Afghanistan

The Taliban or Taleban, who refer to themselves as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), are a Sunni Islamic fundamentalist political movement and military organization in Afghanistan currently waging war within that country. Since 2016, the Taliban's leader is Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada. The leadership is based in Quetta, Pakistan.

United States Federal republic in North America

The United States of America (USA), commonly known as the United States or America, is a country composed of 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories, and various possessions. At 3.8 million square miles, the United States is the world's third or fourth largest country by total area and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe's 3.9 million square miles. With a population of over 327 million people, the U.S. is the third most populous country. The capital is Washington, D.C., and the largest city by population is New York City. Forty-eight states and the capital's federal district are contiguous in North America between Canada and Mexico. The State of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east and across the Bering Strait from Russia to the west. The State of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U.S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, stretching across nine official time zones. The extremely diverse geography, climate, and wildlife of the United States make it one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries.

Afghanistan A landlocked south-central Asian country

Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in South-Central Asia. Afghanistan is bordered by Pakistan in the south and east; Iran in the west; Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan in the north; and in the far northeast, China. Its territory covers 652,000 square kilometers (252,000 sq mi) and much of it is covered by the Hindu Kush mountain range, which experiences very cold winters. The north consists of fertile plains, while the south-west consists of deserts where temperatures can get very hot in summers. Kabul serves as the capital and its largest city.

Contents

Background

Specialist Gregory "Scott" Ruske and thirteen Allied troops were on "presence patrols" inside Kapisa Province, Eastern Afghanistan. When they entered the village of Afghanya, they were not greeted, but rather given cold stares by civilians. Soon, a firefight began in the town when Taliban insurgents opened fire on the patrol. [1] The Americans found out that they disrupted a meeting of high-ranking Taliban officials, and two Afghans were wounded in the opening of the battle. Shortly after, Ruske was hit in the hip by a bullet and wounded as well. American planes arrived overhead, but were not allowed to attack because of the need to contact the men on the ground. Even a QRF (Quick Reaction Force) outside the city was ambushed and bottled up adding to the soldiers' woes. Eventually, the QRF broke through and reinforced the Americans and Afghans, as well as the French Foreign Legion, Special Forces, 101st Airborne Division, ANA, and ANP troops. The battle went on for nearly six grueling hours, with many Taliban killed or wounded. Ruske was rushed to nearby Bagram Air Base with the two wounded Afghans, all of whom were treated and eventually recovered.

French Foreign Legion military service branch of the French Army

The French Foreign Legion is a military service branch of the French Army established in 1831. Legionnaires are highly trained infantry soldiers and the Legion is unique in that it was, and continues to be, open to foreign recruits willing to serve in the French Armed Forces. When it was founded, the French Foreign Legion was not unique; other foreign formations existed at the time in France.

101st Airborne Division airborne division of the United States Army

The 101st Airborne Division is a specialized modular light infantry division of the US Army trained for air assault operations. The Screaming Eagles has been referred to as "the tip of the spear" by former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and the most potent and tactically mobile of the U.S. Army's divisions by former Chief of Staff of the Army GEN Edward C. Meyer (ret). The 101st Airborne is able to plan, coordinate, and execute brigade-size air assault operations capable of seizing key terrain in support of operational objectives, and is capable of working in austere environments with limited or degraded infrastructure. These particular operations are conducted by highly mobile teams covering extensive distances and engaging enemy forces behind enemy lines. According to the author of Screaming Eagles: 101st Airborne Division, its unique battlefield mobility and high level of training have kept it in the vanguard of US land combat forces in recent conflicts. More recently, the 101st Airborne has been performing foreign internal defense and counterterrorism operations within Iraq and Afghanistan.

Afghan National Army branch of the Afghan Armed Forces

The Afghan National Army (ANA) is the land warfare branch of the Afghan Armed Forces. It is under the Ministry of Defense in Kabul and is largely trained by US-led NATO forces. The ANA is divided into six corps, with the 201st in Kabul followed by the 203rd in Gardez, 205th in Kandahar, 207th in Herat, 209th in Mazar-i-Sharif and the 215th in Lashkar Gah. The current Chief of Staff of the ANA is Lieutenant General Mohammad Sharif Yaftali.

Aftermath

After his tour of duty, Ruske was promoted to sergeant and awarded the Purple Heart. He was also awarded the Silver Star by General Jack C. Stultz, Chief of the Army Reserve. Specialist Eric Segraves was awarded the Army Commendation Medal with "V" device for helping Ruske.

Sergeant military rank

Sergeant is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternate spelling, "serjeant", is used in The Rifles and other units that draw their heritage from the British Light Infantry. Its origin is the Latin "serviens", "one who serves", through the French term "sergent".

The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the president to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after April 5, 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, which took the form of a heart made of purple cloth, the Purple Heart is the oldest military award still given to U.S. military members – the only earlier award being the obsolete Fidelity Medallion. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York.

Silver Star military decoration of the United States Armed Forces

The Silver Star Medal, unofficially the Silver Star, is the United States Armed Forces's third-highest personal decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States.

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References

  1. Zullo, Allan:Battle Heroes: Voices from Afghanistan