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U.S. vehicles roll out of Afghan base
12/01/2001
By DOUG MELLGREN SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN — A long column of U.S. military vehicles rolled out of
the new American base here and headed into the Afghan desert Saturday, its
destination a secret. Seen from a U.S. Marine outpost high on a sand dune outside the base, the
column, which included light armor, stretched about a mile and a half. It left a
plume of dust as it drove across the powdery sands. U.S. officials would not say where the vehicles were going or state their
purpose. ``But I don't think anything here is an exercise,'' said Capt. Stewart
Upton, a spokesman for Task Force 58, which combines the 15th and 26th Marine
Expeditionary Units with air and naval support for Operation Swift Freedom. He
said he could provide no other information. The American base seized a week ago is within striking distance of Kandahar,
the Taliban's last stronghold, and anti-Taliban tribal fighters are battling
toward the city. But a military official who spoke on condition of anonymity
said Saturday that there had been no movement of U.S. Marines toward Kandahar
yet. So far, light armor has been used for patrols, a defensive tactic to keep
the base secure. The head of the U.S. war effort, Gen. Tommy Franks, has said the base aims to
bring U.S. forces close in for operations toward destroying the Taliban and
Osmama bin Laden's al-Qaida terror network. But he said the Marines weren't
deployed for an assault on Kandahar. Since Marines took the desert airstrip without resistance last Sunday night,
helicopters and transport planes including giant, roaring U.S. Air Force C-17s
have landed nightly with more equipment and troops. The Associated Press was allowed to deploy with the early forces on the
condition that it did not divulge the camp's location, troop strengths or other
sensitive information. Reports from Washington and the Afghan capital, Kabul, have said the Marine
base is about 70 miles southwest of Kandahar. Once the private airport of a wealthy Arab, the compound is relatively
modern, with buildings of high-quality brick and smooth plaster surrounded by a
high wall with guard towers. A tiny mosque sits at an angle from the other
buildings and has been cordoned off by tape to ensure it is not disturbed. Now, as Marines test-fire weapons outside the walls, the 133rd Construction
Battalion of the U.S. Navy Seabees is busily improving the runway and the camp
inside. The only confirmed engagement came Monday night, when friendly jets and U.S.
Marine Cobra helicopter gunships attacked a column of 15 vehicles near the base.
Capt. David Romley, a Marine public affairs officer, said Saturday there had
been no significant encounters between U.S. troops and Taliban or other forces
during the past 24 hours. Another military official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said there
were pockets of Taliban forces between Kandahar and Lashkargah, 80 miles west of
Kandahar. Out on the sand dune outpost held by Charlie Company of the 15th
expeditionary unit about 1 1/2 miles from the base, 1st Sgt. Phil Fascetti, 38,
of Spokane, Wash., said he is aware Taliban forces could be near. He said a major assault would never get close to the base, but his troops are
particularly on guard for night assaults by small units that might try to slip
through to aircraft on the ground or into the base. ``They kind of have the home-field advantage,'' Fascetti said. But he added
that the Marines have the training, weapons and technology, such as night vision
goggles and laser scopes, to stop infiltration attempts. The troops at the dune were surprised Saturday by fresh cookies and a visit
from their task force commander, Gen. James Mattis, who made combat-zone field
promotions. Matthew J. Swiggum, 24, of Dallas was promoted to corporal at the ceremony
near the fighting holes his platoon dug in the sand for their mortars, machine
guns and other weapons. ``I am speechless. It was a big honor,'' said Swiggum. ``It was awesome.''
Associated Press Writer