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Small Rewards Program reduces munitions

  • Published
  • By Sgt. Jessica R. Dahlberg
  • 102nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan --  Colorful flyers are passed out to the Afghanistan population to give them tips such as staying hydrated, warnings to avoid touching landmines and what to do if one might happen to come across munitions that could be used against Coalition forces.

Approximately 24,000 of these flyers, which have a combination of pictures and images, tell about the Small Rewards Program. The idea behind the Small Rewards Program is that if anyone finds munitions, they can turn them into the Coalition in exchange for money.

"The flyers we distribute help get the word out and advertise the Small Rewards Program a lot better than Soldiers going out and telling the people about it," said Capt. John Bilski, 3rd Battalion, 103rd Armor Regiment information officer, with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.

As a result of the program, two children recently turned in an IED in the Quargehay District, and on Aug. 3, the 527th Military Police Company escorted a truck carrying a weapons cache to Forward Operating Base Mehtar Lam.

The cache was turned in by a member of the Law Enforcements Professional's surveillance team, who works together with the 527th MPs to train the Afghanistan National Police on informant development. The informant, who was trained by the ANP, told the member of the surveillance team about the cache.

The weapons cache consisted of dozens of 107mm rockets and rocket propelled grenades. The RPGs were brand new and taken out of the original packaging.

"These munitions getting taken off the street is a good thing," said Sgt. 1st Class Jody Brissette, 1st Platoon leader, 527th MP. "It means that they can't be used against us later on."

Due to the SRP, the service members at FOB Methar Lam received everything from RPGs to hand grenades and even a couple of suicide vests, said David Lemoine, a member of the LEP. 

"The cooperation from everyone on the FOB has led to us recovering more artillery than all of Afghanistan combined," Lemoine said.