World Watch
July 15, 2009 4:22 AM

Reporting from the Afghan Battlefront

Topics
Afghanistan
(CBS)
This Reporter's Notebook was filed by CBS News correspondent Mandy Clark.
We arrived in Barg-e-Matal at 4 a.m. by Chinook, running off the chopper and diving into a field under the veil of darkness. My first thought: "I hope there are no landmines."

There weren't, but there was sporadic gunfire high on the hills as Taliban took potshots at the Army helicopters. As the sun rose we walked to the village, where the soldiers set up camp in an empty mud brick house.

By dusk, the soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division had spoken to village elders and found a weapons cache. The Taliban had fled when U.S. and Afghan forces arrived, or so it seemed.

The village is picturesque, surrounded by mountains. I sat on a bench in the make-shift camp, against the house's earth-baked wall, enjoying the view and talking to a military reporter, Sgt. Matthew Moeller with the 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment. Most other soldiers were outside as well, sitting, talking, watching the sun go down, it was tranquil.

Then an explosion of sound. Gunfire was coming from everywhere, all at once.

I lay my back against an alcove of rocks. A soldier was right in front of me firing at the surrounding hills. I pointed my camera but had to turn my head away because my skin was being pelted by his spent bullet casings.

Click below to see Mandy Clark's Evening News report:
There were commands and curses flying all around, along with the bullets and rockets. I remember trying to just focus on what I was filming. I knew this was an important story and I wanted to tell it right, to get the pictures just right. If my shots were too sloppy, they wouldn't bring the viewer to the battle.

There was an explosion and a cloud of dust just several yards away — a rocket propelled grenade had hit a wall. It was the first time I overheard a soldier had been badly injured. Soldiers started firing mortar rounds, planes flew in for air strikes on the hills and as the sun had almost set, the battle was quieting down.

This is when I started to see the injured; an Afghan solider whose hand was shot, wrapped up in cloth, an American soldier hopping, shrapnel embedded into his bleeding leg, and then a soldier on a stretcher, four others had to carry him down the hill to the emergency medical chopper. He didn't make it.

Complete darkness filled the valley. I don't remember much sound, I just sat against the rocks for a long time.

The Army confirmed the death, but hasn't yet identified the fallen soldier, who was with the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment. At least 107 American troops have already been killed in Afghanistan this year. The death toll for all of 2008 was 151 American service members.


Add a Comment
by trackinlikeanrpg August 26, 2009 9:56 AM EDT
I just returned from a 3 weeks stay in Bargematal. OPs or not, it is extremely hard to see the enemy in that terrian. Thick corn fields and rocky woody steep slopes are perfect for conceling your movement. As for killing the innocent, the taliban be-headed an election offical who was coming into town to setup a polling site. They have cut the fingers off a lot of people who did vote all across the country. They use women and children to re-supply them, because they know we wont shoot them. As for us we can claim zero collateral damage in Bargematal. I'm sure you know many people that dont vote because they were just too lazy to go out. I'm sure you dont know anyone who didnt vote because they feared for thier life. And to answer Howers question about who started the war... I do believe it was the taliban when they decided to commit an act of terrorism on our country. And the big bad Americans also pay the villages for damages caused to their homes during the fighting. Even if it was the taliban that burned them down. But yea I get it we're all uneducated baby killers.
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by bajajohn1 July 15, 2009 2:55 PM EDT
I never am one to wish to criticize our militay, since I wore the uniform in Vietnam. But what I saw was questionably bad soldiering. To place an encampment below a hill and not have guards stationed at the top of those hills is almost negligence. Without knowing any more facts, our guys need to have guards stationed at high point to increase their line of sight and to prevent ambushes like the one on the film. Just some thoughts. Hua.
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by Aldymac July 15, 2009 2:01 PM EDT
Like I posted in another board, you fight your enemy where he presents himself, in the case of the islamic militants, they prefer to put civilians in the line of fire, perhaps hower would like to place him self in front of the NATO troops to help protect them. But the troops on our side are dedicated to protect all others, even if it costs themselves. But, we would not expect hower to understand the basics of the fight for freedom.
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by capellanus July 15, 2009 12:55 PM EDT
"This is when I started to see the injured; an Afghan solider whose hand was shot, wrapped up in cloth, an American soldier hopping, shrapnel embedded into his bleeding leg, and then a soldier on a stretcher, four others had to carry him down the hill to the emergency medical chopper. He didn't make it."

There is a saying, "Freedom has a price the protected will never know." Hower, your comments are painful to the men and family who are grieving the lost of one of our brothers in arms. SSG Eric Lindstrom was a great Soldier, leader and friend. He was also a proud father of two beautiful girls.

I get it, you don?t feel we should be fighting this war and many other Americans share your frustrations. However, the Soldiers and other Service Members who are here didn?t get to vote on which war our country would send us to. Most of us stand for values such as honor, courage, integrity, commitment, and sacrifice. We are Americans who want to provide and care for our families back home. We are Soldiers who choose to stand for and be a part of something greater than ourselves. We are American?s sons and daughters sent here by our Government in which persons like you voted into office. We don?t get to vote which battles we will fight. When we are called into the heart of the enemy we do everything in our means to protect each other on the battlefield and return home to our families. Most will return home. Some will not. If you are angry with your Government then go and do something about it. Change it, don?t complain about it or use forums like this to express your frustrations. Rather, share some words of condolence to Eric?s family and friends that will read this article and most likely your post. Offer words of comfort instead of words of hate.

RIP my brother, Against All Odds--Chosin
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by zoopster1 July 15, 2009 11:45 AM EDT
Way to go Hower. I hear the Taliban have an open spot in their propaganda division. Maybe you could put your anti-Americanism to use and record video and audio tapes that would show up on al-Jazeera. For your info those insurgents are most likely not FROM the village that the US soldiers were in. In fact most of them are probably not even Afghan, but Pakistani. The villagers themselves said the Taliban came to take their ID cards away so they couldn't vote in next month's election. In other words the Taliban wanted to deny them the freedom to choose. How does that fit in with your little "Americans are always the bad guys" dream world?

Guess what. It's war. In war, innocent people die, along with those not so innocent. Many times we have sent troops overseas to defend ourselves, or to defend others. Some of their actions were justified. Some, not so much. But it's all part of our history, the good and the bad of it. Judge if you want to, but remember you do so from the peace and comfort of a place that was given to you only through the sacrifices of others. Think about that the next time you look out your front door in that cul-de-sac you live in, or drive your kid to soccer practice. Pleasant dreams.
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by hower4 July 15, 2009 12:15 PM EDT
by zoopster1 July 15, 2009 11:45 AM EDT
Guess what. It's war. In war, innocent people die, along with those not so innocent.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
..... and who started this war in which thousands of the innocent have died - and for what reason?
by curiously1 July 15, 2009 11:18 AM EDT
American forces aren't killing the innocent. The muslim thugs are. US and UK forces are doing the best they can to prevent civilian casualty. The Taliban are hiding behind women and children and you know it. Typical PR move by the radical thugs. This is the same nonsense that they have been doing in Gaza and Lebanon. But thankfully, the world has opened its eyes and these barbaric tactics aren't paying off any longer.
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by hower4 July 15, 2009 10:37 AM EDT
What's the point of this story? American armed forces invade a foreign country and kill thousands of innocent people....... so the people who actually live there shoot back at them! What the hell do they expect?
Reply to this comment
by bajajohn1 July 15, 2009 2:58 PM EDT
You might could make that comment about the conflict in Iraq, but Afghanistan? Home of the terrorist training camp that prepared for 911. Come on, sometimes wars have to be fought and no one hates war more than the soldiers that have to fight and die in them.
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