Bastogne Soldiers optimistic about security in southern Salah ad Din town

Courtesy Photo | Soldiers from 3rd Platoon, Alpha Battery, 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery...... read more read more

Courtesy Photo | Soldiers from 3rd Platoon, Alpha Battery, 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), dig at a possible site for a weapons cache in Ad Dujayl, Iraq, during a joint operation between Alpha Battery and the Iraqi police on Jan. 7, 2008. During their joint operation, Soldiers from 3rd Platoon and the Iraqi police discovered a weapons cache that contained over 350 rounds that contained mortars, artillery rounds, and grenades. (U.S. Army photo/1st Lt. Jonathan J. Springer)  see less | View Image Page

AD DUJAYL, IRAQ

01.14.2008

Courtesy Story

1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA) Public Affairs

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By 1st Lt. Jonathan J. Springer
2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment

AD DUJAYL, Iraq - The future of Iraq depends on the will and determination of its people, and of course, the strength of its Iraqi security forces.

Right now, according to an American Forces Press Service article, there are nearly a half million ISF members, 158,000 Iraqi army soldiers and over 300,000 Iraqi police.

With the recent increase in members of both the IA and IP, it's a priority of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Soldiers, to get these ISF members trained to the standard that will allow coalition forces to begin to redeploy back to their respective countries, and allow the ISF to assume the mission of securing Iraq's people.

Since assuming its battle space near Ad Dujayl, Iraq, in early November, the Soldiers of Alpha Battery, 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st BCT, 101st Airborne Division, are making it a high priority to train and work with the Iraqi army and Iraqi police to achieve a high-level of security within their area of operations.
According to the artillerymen, the future of the town looks very promising.

Hard work and long hours paid dividends Jan. 7 for Alpha Battery and the Iraqi security forces in Ad Dujayl. After a local citizen from the town came forward about details of a possible weapons cache, Iraqi police immediately contacted key-leaders from "Automatic" Battery. The IPs gave details of a cache that contained numerous rockets and explosives, and also other weapons and rounds that could possibly be used against security forces in the area.

"The Iraqi police were informed of a substantial weapons cache in the town of Ad Dujayl," said Capt Adalberto Rodriguez, commander of Alpha Battery. "After getting all the information about the cache, the IPs contacted us, and we then sat down together and worked on a plan to find this cache; it was a priority for coalition forces and the ISF to find these weapons so that they wouldn't fall into the hands of the enemy."

During an operation that spanned over eight hours, Soldiers from 3rd Platoon, Alpha Battery, and members of the Iraqi police, finally found what they were looking for.
Buried beneath three feet of rough Iraqi soil, they discovered a weapons cache that contained seven 120 mm mortars, 24 60 mm mortars, 13 fragmentary grenades, one 82 mm mortar, one 122 mm artillery round, and over 300 14.7 mm rounds.

"A find like this is always a good thing. My Soldiers are always ready to work with the Iraqi police, and the success of this mission just goes to show how far CF and the ISF have come in the fight against terrorist and insurgents here. I'm so proud of my guys," said Rodriguez.

Alpha Battery's main mission in Iraq is securing the population in and around Ad Dujayl. Another mission priority is to continue to provide support to and integrate with the ISF in order to discourage enemy activity in the area.

So far, the battery has exceeded all expectations. Since arriving in November, enemy attacks in the battery's area of operations have gone down 30 percent. The battery's success relies heavily on that of the success of their Iraqi counterparts in and around Ad Dujayl.

Private Khazal Hady Aswadi, an Iraqi policemen born and raised in the predominantly Shiite town, said that he and his fellow policemen have come a long way since joining the force over three years ago. He said the IPs are training constantly with coalition forces, and finding this cache was a big morale booster for the IPs in the town.

"I'm very happy and very proud of what we did today," said Aswadi. "I'm glad we are keeping these weapons out of the hands of the insurgents. Finding these mortars and explosives helps keep my family and my people safe."

Private 1st Class Charles Wogerman, an ammo-team chief for 3rd Platoon, said this joint-operation was the perfect opportunity to show the Army and the folks back home the good things this battery is doing in the fight against insurgency.

"This ISF mission is a huge priority for all of us here. My leaders are constantly preaching about how important it is to properly train these guys," said Private 1st Class Charles Wogerman, an ammo-team chief for 3rd Platoon. "While we're deployed, it's our job to train these guys to the best of our ability so they can take over this fight when we leave, and I think we're doing a great job."