Afghan Lightning Strike Part 2 Story by Sgt. Daniel Schroeder 25th Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs FORWARD OPERATING BASE WOLVERINE, Afghanistan - Two Afghan Soldiers from 4th Kandak, 2nd Brigade, 205th Corps who graduated from the first Rado Barq Zadan "Lightning Strike" Pathfinder Academy last month, returned to help teach seven new 4th Kandak Soldiers during the second Pathfinder Academy at Forward Operating Base Wolverine, Afghanistan, July 12. The two instructor Soldiers from 4th Kandak, along with the Pathfinder instructors from Company F, 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, provided a 1-1 student-to-teacher ratio. During the training the Afghan instructors aided in teaching the sections of sensitive site exploitation, sling load operations, combat care instruction, and small unit tactics to their Soldiers. "The classes are designed to help the Afghan Army sustain outlying Combat Outposts (COP) and FOBs once Coalition Forces leave Afghanistan," said Sgt. 1st Class John Jackson, the Platoon Sergeant for F/2-25 AVN, 25th CAB, originally from Coolville, Ohio. "With the time available for training, we taught them what they needed to know in order to accomplish the mission." During the final field training exercise, the Soldiers were taken to FOB Apache to conduct a sling load operation to support Soldiers of 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division and a Romanian Army unit at FOB Atgar. All the soldiers who participated in the class expressed thanks to the Pathfinders for conducting the training. The Afghan instructors helped the Soldiers understand how to perform the tasks correctly, effectively and efficiently. After the graduation of this academy, Afghan National Army Brigade commanders have requested the Pathfinders to conduct future academy classes at Afghan FOBs in Zabul Province. -

Freelance Journalist Naweed Yousufi