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Task Force Viking Soldier Treats Afghan Child 2012/04/10

Print Post Story and photo by Spc. James Simpson





Pfc. Kyle Koblinski, medic assigned to Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment, 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, examines a 4-year-old girl March 23, 2012, as others look on. The father brought the girl to the Soldiers because she was not feeling well. The 37th IBCT is deployed to northern Afghanistan in support of the International Security Assistance Force in order to build Afghan National Police capacity. (37th IBCT photo by Spc. James Simpson)
KUNDUZ PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Pfc. Kyle Koblinski, a combat medic in 3rd Platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment, 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, was on patrol with his fellow Soldiers when an Afghan father approached them with his sick daughter.

Koblinski, eager to assist the Afghans, did a basic examination of the child and determined that she was suffering from stomach pains. He believed this was due to a diet relying heavily on grain. Koblinski spoke with the girl’s father and advised him to have her take additional fluids and citrus fruits to ease her stomach and alleviate her pain.

“It shows a remarkable amount of trust from the Afghans,” said Pfc. Tyler King, a driver for the patrol. “If the Afghans trust us with their children, all our efforts over the past ten years have not been in vain.”

Soldiers from Alpha Company routinely assist Afghans whenever feasible. The first rule of counterinsurgency operations remains protecting the Afghan people.