Operation Valiant Strike

Operation Valiant Strike was a major American military ground operation in Afghanistan announced on 19 March 2003. It involved 600 men of the 2nd and 3rd battalions of the 504th parachute infantry regiment of the 82nd airborne division, along with Roumanian and Afghani troops. The combined forces moved through parts of Southern Afghanistan to eliminate enemy forces and weapons caches while also attempting to gather intelligence on Taliban activity in the area. The operation removed more than 170 rocket-propelled grenades, 180 land mines, 20 automatic rifles and machine guns, and tons of rockets, rifles, and launchers. The operation concluded on March 24th, 2003.