Vancouver native battles insurgents in Afghanistan

Vancouver — A Vancouver native and improvised explosive device detection dog handler with the U.S. Marine’s Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, spent the Fourth of July weekend fighting Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan. Lance Cpl. Daniel Buzalsky and those in the 1st Battalion’s 7th Marine Regiment found themselves under fire from insurgents while in the Helmand province of Afghanistan. The soldiers were investigating compounds to disrupt Taliban activity, and subsequently engaged the insurgents in numerous gun battles over the course of three days. The Taliban members eventually retreated. No marines were injured. “A lot of coalition forces haven’t been present in that area recently,” Bravo Company Platoon Commander 1st Lt. Robert Kay said in an article by the Defense Video and Imagery Distribution System. “The Taliban start getting comfortable in places and think they can do whatever they want. We told them that they are not safe there. I don’t care if they go north, south, east or west; the Marines are going to find them.”