FOB SHARANA, Afghanistan - The active duty Army and National Guard members of a new route clearance patrol formed here last month would experience many "firsts" in their maiden voyage.

For many of the members of the 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery (the 5-3), 17th Fire Brigade, based at Fort Lewis, Wash., last week's opening mission marked the first time they served as part of a route clearance unit - a job typically left to combat engineers. Becoming route clearance personnel means taking on a substantially different role than manning MLRS - multiple launch rocket system - batteries, the 5-3's core mission.

For the members of the 203rd Engineer Battalion, Missouri Army National Guard, it was also their first time serving in a route clearance capacity in Afghanistan with an active Army element. When the 203rd was ordered to mobilize last August, these particular citizen-soldiers initially were slated to perform a personnel security role but that changed once they arrived here and the need for more route clearance patrols (RCPs) became evident.

For all of them - who are collectively nicknamed the "Black Jacks" - the mission marked the first time they worked together "outside the wire" as a team.

And the first time they went out, they had their hands full.

While these route clearance Soldiers were already prepared to expect the unexpected, no one could have predicted they would engage in a three-hour vehicle recovery operation not caused by an IED detonation but was, instead, caused by bad luck. But the experience proved to be extremely valuable and helped the unit come together as a team.

A few hours into the mission the Black Jacks were preparing to turn around and begin the second phase of their operation when the lead MRAP (mine-resistant ambush protected) vehicle, an RG-31, suddenly sank three feet into a ditch that had been hidden by road work and softened by two days' worth of rain and snow.

"Leader, this is Two," said the convoy's second vehicle, which had watched the incident unfold just ahead. "One is stuck. They're buried on their right side in mud up to their axle."

"Can we pull them out?" Leader responded.

"I don't know," said Two.

Unbeknownst to the convoy prior to the start of the mission, the local villagers had begun a project to lay new pipe across the roadway, which forced local traffic onto a much softer bypass. The smaller cars and trucks driven by Afghans had little problem negotiating the obstacle, but for the much heavier MRAPs the soggy, muddy bypass became a vehicle trap.

"We didn't have any intelligence that the roadway was out," said First Lt. Phil Kirk, originally from Waterloo, Ill., the RCP platoon leader whose unit is attached to the 203rd Engineer Battalion, Missouri Army National Guard. "When we got up there we discovered the route was completely torn out."

"I thought our people on the ground definitely took charge and developed plans and made it happen," Kirk said, noting that a few of his soldiers who had route clearance experience from Iraq took control of the situation right away and began implementing possible solutions.

Local nationals also took an immediate role in helping the Americans - much to the surprise of a number of convoy team members. One Afghan offered the use of his road grader, which was parked nearby. And several ANP (Afghan National Police) officers also arrived to lend assistance by helping the Americans keeping crowds at bay and locate more heavy equipment to pull their vehicle out.

"It was great how the (Afghan National Police) were able to go into the village and get the construction operators to bring their equipment, rollers and graders out to assist in helping us get our vehicle out," said Kirk.

Initial attempts to dislodge the heavily armored vehicle using only the road grader proved unsuccessful, as the mud gripped the right side of the MRAP like a vice. But the Americans and the Afghans soon realized they would need more than one vehicle - and other road-building support - to free the RG.

By the time the vehicle was freed more than three hours had passed, it was well after dark and the temperature had fallen well below freezing. But Kirk's RCP, and their Afghan supporters, never gave up. When one idea failed, another was tried. When one plan fell through, another was quickly implemented. When the situation seemed hopeless, the Soldiers were at their most professional and adamant.

"It could've gone better, maybe, but it was our first time out as our own element. It wasn't that bad," said Staff Sgt. Nathanial Muller, an MRAP vehicle commander and member of the 5-3 FA Company who is originally from Vancouver, Wash.

Indeed.

In a combat zone no plan is ever perfect and few conditions are ever ideal. What's more, every Soldier will tell you there is always a first time for everything, and how a unit collectively handles those unforeseen problems can be indicative of the way they will deal with future mission-related issues, both big and small.

If their first-time performance is any indication of future success, perhaps "Black Jack" is a new synonym for accomplishment.