A Soldier's Letter

U.S. Army Lt. Gerard Larotonda, who is serving in Afghanistan, has agreed to write periodic letters to us, sharing what he can about working in a combat zone less than 50 miles from the Pakistan border. With much of the nation’s attention focused on combat operations in Libya, we think it’s important to also tell the stories of our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

By Lt. Gerard Larotonda

My unit, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, is based in the Southeast corner of Afghanistan, near a major city called Kandahar. We are less than 50 miles from the Pakistani border and can see the large mountains clearly.

Thankfully we are not operating high within their peaks, but rather in a largely flat area filled with farmland. The locals grow grapes, pomegranates and various plants. Our main job is to train and work with the National Army and Police forces in order to secure their families and homes. The goal is to create a self-sustaining, Afghan force that can establish and enforce laws and regulations to better provide for and protect the population.

We constantly conduct presence patrols and population engagements, similar to what local law enforcement does back home. We talk with locals, listen to their main concerns and try to develop solutions. Building schools, creating irrigation ditches for crops and placing large concrete barriers in commercial districts for security are just some of the tasks we are currently conducting to help facilitate their growth as a culture.

When our unit returns home sometime in June, another Brigade will take our place and continue where we left off. I do not know how long the United States will have a military presence in Afghanistan, however we are making extreme progress and receiving high praises from the local nationals.