The Donkey Ambush
During the summer of 2008, the 173rd Airborne had the Afghan Army Company that I was advising conduct an air assault with them around a town that was well known for sending fighters into the Korengal Valley. Our role was to search the town while the 173rd covered us and conducted kinetic operations on the hills around us. It was pretty memorable. After one day , and plenty of artillery and air support, a lot of Taliban were dead. We detained some kid that had some old Soviet PMN AP mines and some semtex on him. His mom waived a scythe in my face. Some Taliban sniper described me over a radio (creepy). We interviewed a ton of locals. They wanted to know just as much about us and I’m pretty sure most of them were down-low Taliban that had given up on the near-fight when an AC-130 precluded our arrival and smoked a DShK position on night one and a day of artillery pretty much pounded anyone else that wanted to fight. We finished searching the village and were pretty much out of water on day 2.
173rd wanted to extend the operation an extra day so we were helo-lifted into the mountains to join the U.S. Army to continue the fight. At this point, even with the “speedball” resupplies, the ANA was not really trained and equipped for an Op to go on this long away from food, water, batteries, etc. The helos dropped us at the top of one of the many the mountains in the middle of the night. We were now tied into the U.S. Army position although we were so spread out, I never really saw them but I would hear what was going on over the radio, mostly snipers and artillery punishing any Taliban that was dumb enough to maneuver with weapon in hand. Later the next day, the Army wanted to patrol with the ANA. My Staff Sergeant was going to go with them. We were low on radio batteries but not a huge problem if they stayed in contant contact with the 173rd. We didn’t account for one thing… The ANA Lieutenant was flaky… I mean REALLY flaky. He had some of the best ANA NCOs with him but I underestimated how bad this guy could get.
I was positioned on the far flank, so far at times that I wondered if I was the only one left on the mountain. The ANA and 173rd left from my position over a ridge line that has a rock wall across it to proceed down the hill. At the bottom, they met with locals and searched a few houses I think. At one point, comms went dark with the ANA and the Lieutenant was too tired to go on. This is where it gets weird and details get fuzzy because I was still up on the hill. My understanding is this… He commandeered a donkey and just started riding back up the hill with his soldiers, an interpreter, and U.S. Marine Staff Sergeant trying to keep up with him. I guess he sent the donkey on its way when he got to the top of the hill but as my Staff Sergeant approached me, the ANA were spread out across the ridge line and the 173rd was somewhere else. As I remember it, right as the whole story was being relayed to me, a Taliban PKM gunner started shooting at us from the hill above the ridge line. DAMN IT. We ran up top but this is where things are a little squirrel, the Army was still outside friendly lines. I relayed to the 173rd where the shooting was coming from, knowing that at least they know where their patrol is located.
What came next was the most awesome thing I have ever seen… 105mm and 155mm howitzers from two separate FOBs and Kiowa gun runs just started going the F off. It was wild. You could have played the 1812 overture during this and it would not have disappointed. This was once in a few occasions in my life where I was in a mission where there were tons of assets available. When the Army patrol returned with the Able Company Commander, I’ll I could do was shrug emoji the guy. Do you anticipate an Officer just deciding to to grab a donkey and ride back up the hill?
Luckily, no one was hurt. The ANA platoon commander went internal in a way I have never seen in my life. At a time when we were near mutiny because we were rationing food and water (ANA had never done this), the platoon commander was curled up in the fetal position, making a low ranking soldier feed him hand to mouth. I shit you not, he would say “biscuit” and this dude was placing the crackers in his mouth. I was beyond furious. I pretty much told him that he was relieved of command until he got his shit together. We boarded the helos that night and the mission was over. The 173rd kicked butt for 2 1/2 days and the ANA enlisted were also really on top of it. Lots of Taliban died and the rest gave up but dammit if I don’t remember that mission for a donkey-riding ANA Lieutenant almost getting a bunch of people killed.
