What Really Happened in the Tagab Valley?
A Response to Second Lieutenant James Parker
by Joshua Foust
What Really Happened in the Tagab Valley? (Full PDF Article)
I read with great interest the September 22 post on PSYOP in the Tagab Valley of Kapisa Province. As both the author of several articles on the province, including a study of counterinsurgency operations there, and considering that province was where I spent the majority of my deployment earlier this year, I was excited to hear a bit about how the area was doing.
What I found, however, caused me to scratch my head. 2LT Parker made several assertions that clashed with my experience and understanding of the area, and after asking several ex-colleagues and other contacts in the area, there are a few points that should be disputed.
What Really Happened in the Tagab Valley? (Full PDF Article)
Comments (4)
BlackSheepIntel - I deleted your post. As right as you might be your comment was a scathing personal attack on the author of the original article - containing accusations I do not have the ability to verify. Please stick to the issues.
IntelTrooper - Deleted yours too - though your commentary wasn't quite as scathing...
Thanks,
Dave
Posted by SWJED | September 25, 2009 3:32 PM
Dave,
I completely understand. Good for you for keeping it about the issues and not letting it devolve into bickering and personality conflicts. I'll form a proper rebutle to his post.
Thanks,
BSI
Posted by BlackSheepIntel | September 25, 2009 4:27 PM
Good copy.
Posted by IntelTrooper![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 25, 2009 5:25 PM
I would like to rebuttal a few of the statements made in the articles.
I am with 158th Infantry Arizona National Guard.
We we were the first real combat force in Tagab, We under the 82nd built both Morales Frazier and Pathfinder or Kuschbauch who was in 10th SF and I was on the mission the day he died.
Also I was camp Mayor for Morales Frazer and was the reason we got the 2 100k generators and the well dug.
Oct 1st 2007 our Infantry company with the 82nd where the first to ever do a combat operation in Tagab, and we actually were in charge of Alasay. Operation Naraz Jahad, where on the 8th day we were involved in a 8 hour firefight.
We held Alasay till we handed it over to the Pennsylvania national guard and 101st where after one ambush they quit and gave it to the french.
Our platoon also was the platoon the rescued Sen Kerry, Sen Hagal, and now VP Biden.
I just wanted to help get some of the facts straight.
Posted by Brian Genthe | May 25, 2010 3:20 PM