Photo By Sgt. Zach Zuber | Soldiers of the 1/23 Inf. rehearse for an air assault mission with the 2/19th Iraqi...... read more read more
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DIYALA, Iraq — Helicopters hovering overhead may be a common sight for Soldiers in Iraq these days, but for those in 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, and their Iraqi army partners, watching the skies on Feb. 17 provided an interesting sight.
In a rare occurrence, a massive air assault mission was carried out that morning to clear three small villages to which there was no other access. The cooperative effort required extensive planning, but with the partnership of both forces, it ended a success.
"Impeccable planning, hard work, and excellent rehearsals were essential to our success," said 2nd Lt. William Horan, a planning officer for the 1/23 Inf. "It was an exhaustive effort to coordinate even just the air assets required for the missions."
Providing enough helicopters was a major concern because of the nature of the operation. It required three Chinooks to provide transport for the Soldiers that completed the clearing, and four Blackhawks for the troops creating the security cordon. In addition, a team of two Apaches provided air security if needed.
"Once that part of the plan was figured out, we had to build a gigantic terrain model so we could do proper rehearsals," said Horan, a Wethersfield, Conn., native. "During rehearsals, the Iraqi commanders showed an immense knowledge of the plan and were a direct factor in the success of this mission."
The Iraqi soldiers, from the 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 5th Iraqi Army division, played integral role in the overall mission by memorizing locations and roles of U.S. Soldiers as well as their own.
"I learned from the training to try and make more active examples in rehearsals to provide a better understanding," said Sgt. Abbas Abrahim Jassam, a non-commissioned officer with the 2/19 IA. "Those things made us able to work together better to complete this operation."
All of the thorough planning proved fruitful at the end of the day, as the mission resulted in three arrests and the confiscation of a small weapons cache. It also improved the relationship between the U.S. and Iraqi forces.
"Our time with them was like being with one of our tribes," said Jassam. "They took care of us like family, providing food and a place to stay during training and before the mission."
Working together to accomplish such a positive result left a lasting impression on the Iraqi soldiers, building their confidence for unilateral operations in the future.
"This is the first time I have been on a mission like this, flying in with U.S. Soldiers instead of driving like usual," said Jassam. "It has been a great experience and I hope I can do it again soon."
| Date Taken: | 02.19.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 02.19.2010 13:54 |
| Story ID: | 45589 |
| Location: | DIYALA PROVINCE, IQ |
| Web Views: | 274 |
| Downloads: | 241 |
This work, Assaulting by Air Proves Successful for Partnered Forces, by SGT Zach Zuber, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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