3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs

Story by Zachary Mott

By Sgt. Zach Mott
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

PATROL BASE COMANCHE, Iraq – In the three months since the Iraqi Army began patrolling inside the Sadr City district of Baghdad, the soldiers conducting these patrols have worked hard to cultivate a relationship with the people there.

Constant patrols, handing out food and water as well as providing medical services have helped advance this new relationship. In recent weeks, that relationship has also begun to pay dividends for the 11th Iraqi Army Division – the Iraqi army unit responsible for Sadr City.

A tip gleaned from a resident of the northeastern Baghdad district, Aug. 14, 2008, alerted an IA soldier of the location of a significant cache there – which is something that has been occurring with more frequency as the relationship blossoms.

"This is the nineteenth cache we've found. Before this cache, we found another cache that was rockets – but this one was also a big cache," said Lt. Hussein Mohammed Khaddam, a platoon leader with the 3rd Battalion, 42nd Brigade, 11th IA Div., who routinely follows up on tips and leads about caches.

Smiles spread quickly across the faces of the Iraqi army soldiers as items from the cache were sorted, counted and placed neatly in rows at Patrol Base Comanche.

"Our soldiers were very excited," said Maj. Nassar Alwahn, the intelligence officer for 3rd Bn., 42nd Bde., 11th Div.

The cache, which consisted of: 22 foam-encased explosively formed penetrators, 30 packets of one-quarter-inch steel ball bearings, 35 boxes of commercial one-quarter-inch steel ball bearings, three 12-inch plastic cylinders, two 5-inch plastic cylinders, six automotive car alarms, 92 12-volt rechargeable batteries, 26 M112 1 one-quarter C-4 demolition charges, 51 4-inch copper disks, 44 5-inch copper disks, 61 12-inch lengths of angle iron, 13 electrical blasting caps, two spools of unknown length of electrical wire and various electrical and bomb-making components.

The cache find removed a large threat to the Iraqi security forces operating in the area and the civilians who call Sadr City home as well as the Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers who patrol the streets here.

"Imagine how many lives we saved out there," said Col. Faris Khaleel, commander of the 42nd Bde., 11th Div. "That's our job while we're here is to protect their lives. We are working hard to provide security for the people."

Sadr City, which is rapidly becoming vibrant with market activity, is taking small steps toward recovery from years of neglect.

"The people out there, they are providing us with a lot of information because they want to kick the evil out of their neighborhoods because they want to live their normal lives," said Khaleel.

With each tip comes the renewed hope of a bright future for this region that has known its share of tumult. And, members of the ISF will continue to hunt down those opposed to this influx of security and prosperity.

"We are checking them; we are coming after them. Whatever they're going to hide, any kind of weapons, we are after them. We're going to capture them, and we're going to find those caches," said Maj. Gen. Muzir, commanding general of the 11th IA Div., when speaking about criminal elements operating in his area of responsibility.

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