Jack Gruber

SPECOPS

2/23/04 -- SPECIAL FORCES A-TEAM -- ORUZGAN PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN -- The contents of one of the Oruzgan District headquarters bunkers after Capt. Paul Toolan, 36, of Bristol, RI, (left) commanding officer of an A-TEAM with the 3rd Special Forces Group walks arm in arm with a "worried" Oruzgan District Chief Ubai Dullah towards the district chief's compound after the district chief disclosed and showed the contents of locked bunkers below the compound. The Captain and officers of the Afghan National Army, 1ST Company of the First Battalion, Third Brigade spent an entire day and night applying "Afghan Diplomacy" by drinking many glasses of tea and finally asking what is behind the locked doors in the bunkers below. Ubai Dullah's response was, "Nothing for soldiers.....just some bullets...." After initial inspection of the bunkers, nearly ten tons of mortars, rockets, land mines and ammunition was trucked away for disposal. Negotiations between the district chief and the A-Team came to brief but tense “stand off” as soldiers began to remove the weapons when the district chief called in armed militia. Between talks and calling in an U.S. Air Force B-1 Bomber to make low passes over the valley, matters were resolved with some ammunition allowed to stay in the hands of the district chief but all mortars and rockets had to be surrendered. (Photo by Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)

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2/23/04 -- SPECIAL FORCES A-TEAM -- ORUZGAN PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN -- The contents of one of the Oruzgan District headquarters bunkers after Capt. Paul Toolan, 36, of Bristol, RI, (left) commanding officer of an A-TEAM with the 3rd Special Forces Group walks arm in arm with a "worried" Oruzgan District Chief Ubai Dullah towards the district chief's compound after the district chief disclosed and showed the contents of locked bunkers below the compound. The Captain and officers of the Afghan National Army, 1ST Company of the First Battalion, Third Brigade spent an entire day and night applying "Afghan Diplomacy" by drinking many glasses of tea and finally asking what is behind the locked doors in the bunkers below. Ubai Dullah's response was, "Nothing for soldiers.....just some bullets...." After initial inspection of the bunkers, nearly ten tons of mortars, rockets, land mines and ammunition was trucked away for disposal. Negotiations between the district chief and the A-Team came to brief but tense “stand off” as soldiers began to remove the weapons when the district chief called in armed militia. Between talks and calling in an U.S. Air Force B-1 Bomber to make low passes over the valley, matters were resolved with some ammunition allowed to stay in the hands of the district chief but all mortars and rockets had to be surrendered. (Photo by Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)