Our Reporter on Pakistan-Afghanistan Border: Drones and Diplomatic Efforts

Jan. 12, 2010— -- In Afghanistan, the convoys, mortars and battles are constant reminders of the American military presence on the ground. But 15 miles from here, across the border in western Pakistan, people associate American force with the sky, and one distinctive sound: the buzz of a Predator drone.

In western Pakistan that low buzzing hum, like a distant lawn mower, lets people on the ground know of the lethal machine overhead. And when they strike, the aftermath often brings public and frenzied anger.

Back in Afghanistan, Predator video feeds come into tactical command centers, like the one found at Combat Outpost Michigan, on the floor of the deadly Pech Valley in Kunar province. On Monday, soldiers from the 2-12 Infantry, Dagger Company, tracked movement on a six-foot screen, watching the ghostly silhouettes of five individuals carrying heavy objects through an area known for sniper fire and rocket attacks.

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As they huddled together looking down on an American patrol, the soldiers in this room showed remarkable restraint, insisting that a squad on the ground make visual confirmation. Moments later, it's confirmed. Those five silhouettes turned out to be children gathering firewood.

"We cannot replace those guys on the ground. And that's an essential piece that's been amplified by the engagement that we're in. We can't rely on technology as much as we thought," says Capt. Tim Eastman.

Eastman says that killing those children would have undone months of work winning over local elders.

Despite its menacing moniker, several members of a battalion known as "Lethal Warrior" have said that in order to win, they have to be less lethal and more helpful.

The best example is Lt. Mark Zambarda. In the last week, the 24-year-old West Point graduate has marched his men into fighter-infested mountains under a blazing sun and on an airborne raid under a freezing moon. Zambarda has been awarded a Silver Star, the Army's third highest honor, for once bringing captured insurgents through a day-long ambush with no water or radio contact.

But Zambarda's most important mission involved a trip to a local village, where he promised to help the school obtain flush toilets.

"We'll do that bathroom first, then that one," Zambarada says, during a tour of the premises.

"500 kids go to this school and some hike four kilometers to get there. If they can spread the message that 'Hey, the coalition forces built new toilets,' it makes us seem that much more legitimate and makes them more willing to work with us."