82nd find largest weapons cache to date
by Sgt. Reeba Critser
KHOWST, Afghanistan (Army News Service, Oct. 24, 2002) - It took soldiers from Company B and a platoon from Company C, 3rd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment two days and 35 truckloads to move the ammunition found in a cache in the Khowst region of Afghanistan.
The cache, found Oct. 11 in Little Takhtebeg, was the largest found to date. It took the soldiers most of each day to remove the ammunition to an undisclosed location, only stopping because it was dark and too risky to move, according to officials.
"This was requested by local authorities who didn't have the power to do it," said Lt. Col. Martin Schweitzer, battalion commander.
The problem, according to an Afghan National Army soldier, stems back to last year when a local warlord, Pacha Khan of the Zadran tribe, helped remove Taliban and al Qaeda forces in the Khowst region.
Once Hamid Karzai was elected president of Afghanistan, Khan, known as PK, thought he would be selected as regional governor. However, Karzai chose Taliwan, and Khan declared himself as governor.
Khan was expelled from the region, but before he left, he shelled Khowst for four days to make a statement. As a result, his tribe no longer wanted him. Khan's nephew, Jon Baz of the Zadran tribe, and commander of an Afghan Militia Force, also wants him out of the region.
A few days ago, military intelligence reported that PK was in the region and heading toward Little Takhtebeg.
On Oct. 12, Gen. Khayalbaz, commander of the 25th ANA Division, told American forces in Southeastern Afghanistan that artillery in Little Takhtebeg was aimed at his fort on a nearby hill - Big Takhtebeg.
"We came to evict PK personnel and remove the tons and tons and tons of ammunition," said Schweitzer.
The 505th isolated, breached and flooded the compound with soldiers before setting up perimeter while Apache helicopters circled the area.
"The Apaches were timed perfectly and were an incredible deterrent," Schweitzer said.
The ammunition was meant to be sold to Taliban and al Qaeda supporters, he said.
"Gen. Khayalbaz and Gov. Taliwan know this place is unsafe," said Capt. Patrick Willis, battalion S-2. "We're just taking it out so it won't go to the Taliban."
An AMF commander said he had never seen anyone take Little Takhtebeg without firing a single gunshot.
"We're taking away the source," said Willis. "The Taliban and al Qaeda know (the ammunition) is here. It gives them a prime opportunity to attack us, so we're taking it out of place."
Among the ammunition transported was 4,162 82mm mortar rounds, 2,000 Rocket Propelled Grenade boosters, 1,800 RPG rounds, 75 120mm rockets, more than a 100,000 .50 caliber rounds, 240,000 anti-tank mines and explosives.
"I knew there was a lot, but I didn't know there was that much," said Capt. Clay Novak, Company B commander.
"There were two rooms with dynamite leaking nitroglycerin on the ground," said Schweitzer. "Another room had the mines which were eating themselves from the inside out."
An Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit sealed those rooms. The building will later be collapsed, according to Willis.
"No one's going to use these ammunitions again," Schweitzer said. "They were for sale to the highest bidder, but no longer."
"The boys were excellent," said Novak. "We did our wartime mission and transitioned to heavy-lifting mode. We did everything we could to get it out."
(Editor's note: Sgt. Reeba Critser is with the 28th Public Affairs Detachment.)
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