More than 1,000 residents of Ud Kheil village were treated by Afghan medical staff and received medicine, vitamins and personal items through a joint assistance operation on Aug. 7.

This is the latest project in a growing partnership between the community and its closest neighbor – Camp Phoenix in Kabul, home of Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix - and Afghan National Security Forces and coalition allies.

The operation was held at the girls’ school, a project completed along with the boys’ school in the spring. That work is part of Camp Phoenix’s ongoing outreach efforts and support to the Afghan government and its people.

“We actually requested that Camp Phoenix provide us medicines,” Haji Farid, the village elder and district representative, said through an interpreter. “That is why the people are happy that U.S. forces are doing this.”

“They have asked for our assistance, and we have been able to provide it,” said Capt. John Shannon of Elmira, project coordinator with Task Force Phoenix. “And the reason we are able to provide it is because we have this great cooperation with the Afghan Army, the police, our British allies and, of course, our troops are out here doing a fantastic job, as well.”

On the morning of Aug. 7, a team of security force, medical and support staff left Camp Phoenix in an armored convoy and moved the short distance east to the village. The team was joined there by units of the Afghan National Army, Kabul Military District and Afghan National Police.

Afghan security personnel were already on checkpoints as the team from Camp Phoenix arrived. Providing additional security were members of the 2nd Scottish Regiment, Royal Highland Fusiliers, British Army.

“We have worked with the U.S. before at the Ali Khail School, when I first got here in May,” said Capt. Lizzie Winchester, education and training service officer assigned to the 2nd Scots. Her Kabul patrol company conducted mounted surveillance around the site, while Task Force Phoenix security force personnel established an outer cordon. The inner cordon around and inside the school was run by Afghan personnel.

Capt. Winchester said her troops discovered a suspicious device along the road, which meant that plans were working. In addition, female soldiers from her command were searching women coming to the event, while Afghan soldiers were searching men to ensure that no weapons or explosive devices would threaten the operation.

“This one’s working really well,” Capt. Winchester said, adding that she and her team was “enjoying working together once again – supporting each other and the Afghan National Security Forces to make things a bit safer.”

“Our security measures are paying off for us today,” said Capt. Shannon, who was quick to point out that Afghan units had leading roles. “We are just the outer piece, and they are doing the real hard work of making sure that anyone who gets into the clinic to be seen, incidentally by Afghan doctors, are secure,” he said.

“We go to the shuras [meetings] to talk to the elders about the health problems of the men, women and children of the community,” said Lt. Col. Martin Scott, a nurse from Long Island who is deployed at the Camp Phoenix clinic. His team meets later to plan and identify the right combination of medicine and supplies that will be needed. At the event, they mentor and support the Afghan medical staff.

“We allow them to take care of their people. We provide the medications and advice on prescribing and then dispersing them,” he said.

“The primary thing we need built in our area is a clinic,” said Farid, expressing gratitude that both a boys’ and girls’ schools have been built. His community has more than 4,500 homes with an estimated population of 25 to 30,000 people.

“And now, we are happy that the U.S. forces will build a clinic in the village for us, and they are already starting to work on it,” he added.

“They are doing good things. Camp Phoenix is our neighbor. When we are meeting and discussing different issues – security and clinic, schools, bridges, ditches - they are the only organization helping us. And, when we need to talk about the issues, if we give them a call, they invite us, sometimes we invite them because we think they are from our own village. They are part of our own people.”

Lt. Col. Fanning is submitting photos to accompany this blog in a gallery, "Pictures from the Front." To view the most recent photos, which accompany this blog entry, click here. To view the entire gallery, click here.