Pressure Plate: A Perspective on Counter Ied Operations in Southern Afghanistan 2008-2009

This book provides one perspective on the operational activities associated with executing offensive counter-IED operations in Southern Afghanistan during 2008-2009. This period of the war experienced more IED attacks on US and coalition forces than another time during the war. The comments and observations made by the author, Colonel Ed Toy USA are drawn from his personal experience while serving as the Chief of Counter-IED operations in Regional Command-South and the Deputy Commander for Joint Task Force Paladin at Kandahar Airfield. COL Toy's perspective is not necessarily the official viewpoint of the US military or the contributing nations to the International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) - however much of the research and commentary are taken from actual events either drawn from the authors own personal experience or directly from US and ISAF forces conducting C-IED operations during this the bloodiest year of the Afghan war.

Colonel Ed Toy was selected to serve as the chief of staff for Joint Task Force Paladin in 2008 as part of the Combined Joint Task Force 101 and the International Security Assistance Forces branch chief for counterimprovised explosive device at the Regional Command South, Afghanistan. Fighting a determined enemy who mastered the art of using IEDs as a principle weapon of choice, Colonel Toy and his international team of warriors launched an aggressive CIED campaign in RC-South to defeat this threat. His small but effective staff made up of coalitions forces installed a progressive CIED campaign that resulted in an increase number of IEDs destroyed, insurgent networks attacked and eliminated, and untold number of US, Coalition, and Afghan lives saved!