BAGRAM AIRFIELD – Based on the success of Op Jaeza, Regional Command East (RC-E) is running a 2nd installment of the promotion campaign, encouraging local Afghans to use community safety call-in lines to report on weapons, IEDs, and criminals, in exchange for rewards.
The goal of the program is to provide security to the Afghan people by cutting down the amount of IEDs on the roadways, IED facilitators, key insurgent leaders, and their weapons storage areas.
Lt. Col. Steve Manber, dir., Info Ops, RC-E, encourages the local population to call into the local observation command and control post when they have info.
“If you don’t have a phone and you see a policeman, give him the info. You will still receive the rewards,” Manber said.
Over the past 3 months, RC-East received over 560 info tips, and of those tips, there were 99 reports of caches, and 18 reports of key insurgent leaders.
Last week, local nationals provided info that assisted with the recovery of a Manpad, which is an anti-aircraft weapon, in Parwan Prov., and received $1,200 US dollars, stated Master Sgt. Adam Matuska, 741st EOD Bn., ops NCO. “We’d really like to see the local population be able to take ownership of securing their country, and to be able to safely travel the road which assists commerce,” Matuska said.
In the coming months, RC-E will continue to actively promote community safety lines through television, radio, and billboard advertisement. These messages are tailored to the local Afghan audience and emphasize the danger unexploded ordinance and IEDs pose to the people in the area.
