Lull in Afghan war ending, Iowa Guard commander says

As the deaths of two soldiers and serious wounding of four others this week would seem to indicate, the danger level has recently risen for Iowa National Guard troops deployed in Afghanistan, according to their commander, Col. Ben Corell.

“When we arrived here last fall we knew there would be a lull in enemy operations during the winter months due to unfavorable weather conditions,” Corell, 49, a Strawberry Point native, said.

With the arrival of spring, “kinetic activity has increased everywhere we have soldiers,” he said.

Corell said Guard leaders expected the enemy to rely more on roadside bombs, as they have in separate attacks that killed Spc. Don Nichols, 21, of Shell Rock, and Spc. Brent Maher, 31, of Honey Creek, earlier this week. They were the first two Iowa Guard soldiers killed in action since the current Afghanistan deployment began last fall.

“All of us are deeply saddened by the loss of our Red Bull soldiers and concerned about those who have been injured,” said Corell, commander of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, which includes about 2,800 Iowa Guard troops, supplemented by a few hundred soldiers from the Nebraska National Guard.

Notwithstanding state-of-the-art protective equipment and combat strategies yielding tactical advantages, “the reality is that we operate in a deadly environment,” Corell said.

“Even when we do everything right, bad things can and do happen… This is the nature of our business,” he said.

Since arriving in Afghanistan last fall, the Iowa Guard troops have taken advantage of the winter lull to acclimate to local conditions, put pressure on enemy safe havens and to build relations with local leaders, Corell said.

The enemy, which has operated “in a defensive manner” through the winter, is expected to become more aggressive, he said.

While the Iowa Guard and the affected communities care for the families of this week's casualties, Corell said the deployed Red Bull soldiers will “hold memorial services for our fallen heroes here in Afghanistan.”

They will also remain focused on their mission to help secure the Afghan people, connect them with their government, develop their economy and improve the services available to them, Corell said.

“We will do our best to take care of each other along the way, and we all look forward to the day when we can all be reunited with our families back at home,” he said.