Afghan Fight Not Over Says New Commander

June 5, 2002

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan  — A rocket attack against the U.S. base in Kandahar demonstrates that the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban is not over, the new commander of the American task force in southern Afghanistan said Wednesday.

Col. Michael S. Linnington took over as commanding officer of the 3rd brigade, 101st Airborne, one day after four rockets were fired at the base just outside the southwestern provincial capital.

"We took the rocket attack very seriously and took measures," Linnington said. "There is still a threat. If there was no threat we wouldn't be here... there are attacks to be conducted in the future and we hope to prevent them."

Two of six rockets aimed at the base struck within two miles of the Kandahar airport's runway, apparently the intended target. Two other missiles fell short and two failed to fire. They were found by a Canadian patrol.

Linnington said his job was to conduct combat operations "to prevent those attacks from happening and to try and find those people responsible prior to them initiating them."

He said the U.S.-led coalition's mission had not changed following the pullout of some Pakistani troops assisting with operations on their side of Afghanistan's porous border for possible deployment to the Kashmir area due to tensions with India.

"Our mission here remains the same. We're here to defend the airfield and to conduct future combat operations as required and we're prepared to do that," Linnington said. "We're prepared to conduct an operation tomorrow if we have to."

The change-of-command ceremony was attended by Kandahar provincial Governor Gul Agha and Afghan military officials. Agha's offices were the target of a bomb attack last week that injured one man. Attack helicopters flew overheard during the short ceremony.

It was the brigade's first command change during combat since the Vietnam War. Known as Task Force Rakassan, the 3rd brigade is based in Fort Campbell, Ky.

"Our work is not done. We will continue to send this great combat team into harm's way, into combat," said Maj. Gen. Richard Cody, who commands the 101st Airborne.

Col. Frank Wiercinski, the outgoing Rakassan commander, asked troops to continue the "fight of our generation."

"You are in a combat zone, you continue to fight," Wiercinski said. "Keep up the fight of our generation to rid the world of this scourge. You are the high moral high ground."
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