CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan -- Marines and sailors with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, are tasked with the mission of protecting the Camps Bastion and Leatherneck. To achieve this crucial mission, the unit conducted a security patrol near the base, in Helmand province, Afghanistan, June 3, 2014.
“We conduct security patrols for several reasons,” said 1st Sgt. Brian Moody, company first sergeant and Greenwood, S.C. native. “One of the biggest reasons is to disrupt enemy forces so they never make it to the Bastion-Leatherneck complex.”
Security patrols give Marines and sailors the opportunity to travel into Afghan villages and interact with the locals. This helps Marines gather intelligence on who is living and traveling within the area of operation.
“Marines use an electronic biometric gathering device known as the Secure Electronic Enrollment Kit, or SEEK, that is used to gather finger prints, pictures and even retina scans,” said Moody. “This allows us to determine if the individual we are speaking to has had any involvement with known Taliban forces.”
The SEEK system is linked to a database that serves as a registry for all the collected biometrics from Afghanistan. If an individual is scanned and has been enrolled due to previous involvement with the Taliban, the SEEK system will notify the Marine.
“Being able to make a human intelligence map of the people in our area is a crucial key to the success of protecting Bastion-Leatherneck,” said Moody. “When we enroll someone in SEEK, it allows us to keep documentation of who we are speaking to, where we met them and if they’ve had any affiliation with Taliban forces.”
The SEEK system is just one tool that Bravo Company is using to secure the safety of coalition forces aboard the Bastion-Leatherneck complex.
“Bravo Company will continue to disrupt enemy forces in our area of operation,” said Captain Greg Dyson Jr., company commander of Bravo Co., and Beaufort, South Carolina native.
A continuous presence in the area helps the coalition forces aboard the Bastion-Leatherneck complex operate smoothly in order to accomplish their mission.