Three Afghan National Army soldiers are missing from a Cape Cod military base where they had been taking part in a training exercise.
The Massachusetts National Guard reported that the three were reported missing by security personnel at Joint Base Cape Cod late Saturday, and said there is no indication that they pose a public threat. A statement identified the soldiers as Maj. Jan Mohammad Arash, Cpt. Mohammad Nasir Askarzada, and Cpt. Noorullah Aminyar.
U.S. military officials told The Associated Press that the men arrived at Camp Edwards on Sept. 11. They were last seen during a day off at the Cape Cod Mall in Hyannis.
Massachusetts National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. James Sahady told the Cape Cod Times that the men “had the freedom to come and go.â€
"If they were off-duty, they could go to McDonald's or the mall,†he said.
Base and exercise officials were working with local and state authorities to locate the soldiers, who were taking part in a U.S. Central Command Regional Cooperation exercise.
The exercises have been held annually since 2004 to promote cooperation and interoperability among forces, build functional capacity, practice peacekeeping operations and enhance readiness.
Col. George Harrington, battle group commander for the exercise, told the Cape Cod Times that the day the soldiers disappeared was a chance for participants to visit Cape Cod beaches and be treated to a traditional lobster boil back on the base.
This year's exercise, which involves more than 200 participants from six nations including the U.S., wraps up on Wednesday. There are about a dozen Afghan soldiers still taking part in the exercise.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/09/22/three-afghan-soldiers-reported-missing-from-cape-cod-base/
