Comanche Troop's hard work = improvements in Abu T'shir

Photo By 1st Sgt. Brent Williams | Staff Sgt. David Pena, a section leader from Grand Junction, Colo., and Sgt. 1st Class...... read more read more

Photo By 1st Sgt. Brent Williams | Staff Sgt. David Pena, a section leader from Grand Junction, Colo., and Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Yaudas, platoon sergeant, both assigned to Red Platoon, Troop C, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad, conduct an early morning dismounted patrol through the Abu T'shir markets, Aug. 16, 2008, as part of their daily security operations in southern Baghdad's Rashid District.  see less | View Image Page

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

08.18.2008

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Brent Williams 

1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

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By Staff Sgt. Brent Williams
1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, Iraq - When he looks at a map of Baghdad and sees the muhallahs that form a little block in the south known as Abu T'shir, he realizes how tenuous a position his platoon and fellow Soldiers are in.

For Staff Sgt. David Cox, a section leader for Blue Platoon of "Comanche" Troop's mortar section, it is an area where his Soldiers patrol every night as they strive to make a difference for the Iraqi people.

"People come out and tell us that they appreciate us being there, and they appreciate what we're trying to do," Cox said. "And the ones who don't appreciate what we're trying to do are usually the guys [we are detainin] at two in the morning."

As the Soldiers of Comanche Troop, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, make their presence known in the neighborhoods and communities in southeastern Baghdad, so do the special groups extremists, said Cox, who hails from Fresno, Calif.

The gangs and militia are putting out propaganda and attempting to intimidate the local populace by creating the perception that they are in control, he said.

"They have some influence," he explained. "Any murderer is going to have clout with a potential victim, but the [special groups extremists] are losing that with the people to a certain extent."

Now, the enemy is adjusting its tactics and techniques to get away from Iraqi security and coalition forces, he added.

"The bad guys are moving out," he said. "They have changed their operations from night time to day time to avoid us. They don't own the night – we do."

The Iraqi citizens are starting to see that they don't want to be involved with those kinds of people anymore, he said.

"They don't want them chasing their daughters, influencing their sons," he said. "The people are getting tired of that stuff, and I don't think their influence is that big here anymore."

Cox said that he first realized things were about to change in Abu T'shir after Troop C first assumed its mission in southeastern Baghdad when the Soldiers from the mortar section entered an Iraqi home to conduct an assessment with the citizen late one night in April.

Coined as a "Close Encounter," the engagement provided the concerned citizen, who was clearly upset by the hour of the visit, the opportunity to voice his complaints, address serious problems and offer praise for the U.S. Soldiers.

"In other words, it was a normal conversation," said Cox, a veteran of more than 16 years experience in the National Guard and active duty. "He wasn't trying to give us a lot of baloney. He was laying it straight, and he trusted us to be able to have that conversation without fear or reprisal. He even told us where the bad guys were and everything."

The Blue Platoon is the only element of Comanche Troop that patrols every night, said Spc. Joseph Henley, an infantry mortarman assigned to Troop C, 7th Sqdn., 10th Cav. Regt.

"Our mission differentiates every night, but our main goal is to clean up the streets and help rebuild Abu T'shir and give Abu T'shir back to the people so they can live a free life," said Henley, a former collegiate athlete from Hoboken, N.J., who played college football for Rutgers, the State University for New Jersey, for more than three years before he joined the Army.

Even though the unit's presence on the streets is relatively small compared to its area of responsibility, Henley said that the nightly security patrols have cleaned up the neighborhoods and, as a result, the special groups extremists have been less effective working around the muhallahs and intimidating the people.

"Right now, it seems like nobody is out here, but we know that [special groups extremists] are somewhere around, and when we come through the muhallahs, they scatter," he said. "They scatter like the rats when they see the headlights."

The Soldiers of White Platoon only have one mission – to bring peace to Abu T'shir, said Staff Sgt. Jason Kennedy, section leader, Troop C, 7th Sqdn., 10th Cav. Regt.

"That is our only focus, no matter what it takes to get it done," said Kennedy. "That's the end state."

When Comanche Troop first assumed its mission in Abu T'shir, the people were not very receptive, explained Kennedy, a native of Watervliet, Mich. The Soldiers have seen a dramatic change since taking charge of security in the predominately Shia community that is home to approximately 75,000 Iraqis.

"The people went into their homes," he said. "They acted like there was a curfew in effect – even though there wasn't. They didn't mingle; we didn't see the kids out playing; we didn't see smiles. I think they were really scared of what they had coming."

Kennedy credited much of the unit's success and the current security and stability in Abu T'shir and greater Baghdad to the surge of U.S. Forces that began in 2007 and ended little more than a month ago.

"I believe that it was a great idea," he said. "The strategic planning put us exactly where we are at today. Even though the public and lot of government officials didn't have faith, it really pulled us through."

He also said that the real transition in the attitude of the citizens started when the Soldiers of Comanche Troop began to meet face-to-face with the local Iraqis in hopes of establishing working relationships with the people, listening to their needs and talking candidly with them about basic problems, such as lack of electricity and employment.

"We try to keep them updated as far as what we know is happening and what is in the works," he said. "If we can keep them in a good flow of information, we hope that buys a little more patience, and that patience is our survival."

Little acts of kindness have also played a huge part in endearing the Soldiers to the local community, he said, citing one incident earlier in the week, when the Soldiers in his section collected $5 apiece and bought nearly 100 ice cream cones for a group of Iraqi children lined up outside a local vendor in Abu T'shir.

Kennedy said that he looks forward to handing over the security responsibilities to the ISF in the next couple months as his unit will be one of the last to transition into the role of providing tactical over watch.

"These are some of the best Iraqi national police I have ever worked with – the best Iraqi security forces I have ever worked with," said Kennedy, who is currently serving his third deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"I do believe that they're getting it," he said, "and I believe they're getting it from our example."
Staff Sgt. David Pena, a section leader from Grand Junction, Colo., assigned to Red Platoon, said that his Soldiers conduct combined patrols daily with ISF to validate their presence within the Abu T'shir community.

"The national police also go out on their own; they do their own patrols," added Pena, who is assigned to Troop C, 7th Sqdn., 10th Cav. Regt. "They are really high speed. I would compare them to a Joe – the way that they react is like a regular Army Soldier."

Pena, who is serving his third deployment in support of OIF, also noted that the Iraqi police and NPs responsible for the Rashid District provided 100 percent of the security for the pilgrimage routes Shiites use to travel to Karbala in observance of the Ascension of the 12th Imam, which occurred, Aug. 16, 2008.

Pena said that he believes the current levels of security can be maintained as long as the coalition forces and ISF continue to work with the citizens of Abu T'shir.

Abu T'shir's reputation was pretty bad when the Soldiers of Comanche Troop assumed responsibility for the area, and that reputation proved itself a couple times the first weeks of their mission, said Pena.

"But as we started doing 'Close Encounters' and started talking to the people, I don't think that reputation is true anymore," he explained.

Pena said that on average, his Soldiers meet with more than 100 Iraqi citizens per week, and the residents of Abu T'shir continue to provide good tips about improvised explosive devices, weapons caches and the enemy.

"We're always going to have spikes [in enemy activity], but I think overall we're going to be able to maintain," he said. "People are changing. They're accepting our help and at the same time they want us out of here, so I think they are starting to realize that, if they work with us, we'll help them a lot more."