Cavalry Scouts and Iraqi security forces sweep Golden Hills for extremists groups

Photo By Rick Rzepka | Soldiers from 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st...... read more read more

Photo By Rick Rzepka | Soldiers from 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, clear a room during an operation near Balad, Iraq. (U.S. Army photo/Spc. Rick Rzepka, 1st Brigade Combat Team)  see less | View Image Page

BALAD, IRAQ

04.25.2008

Story by Master Sgt. Kevin Doheny 

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

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By Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Doheny
1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) PAO

BALAD, Iraq -- The benefits of the overall increasing security situation in the Balad area over the last few months has yielded an economic surge not seen in many years to the people there.

The swell in security has allowed the city to open up to the local communities, giving farmers an outlet for their crops.

The impending opening of the canning factory near the city also promises incredible potential for the area, increasing the commercial lines of communication throughout the nearby provinces and Iraq.

Ensuring the gains from this surge are sustained without disruption, the Bandit Soldiers of the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, alongside their Iraqi security counterparts, conducted Operation San Jacinto April 21-25, in an effort to eliminate the enemy extremists from the Golden Hills area.

The joint operation, which resulted in the killing of three enemy extremists and the apprehension of 22 detainees, was conducted in order to further the stability and increase safety for the citizens in the southern-Balad area.

The operation kicked off with a full-scale air assault as the Bandit Soldiers vigilantly moved toward their objectives in order to surprise any al Qaida and Ansar Al Sunna fighters who may have been seeking safe haven there.

"We conducted this operation to kill or capture enemy extremists in the Golden Hills, but also to evaluate essential services for the people there," said Capt. Anthony Keller, Bravo Troop commander.

During the five-day operation the joint force located eight caches, netting numerous weapons, ammunition, explosives, propaganda and communication and detonation devices.

According to Keller, the disrupting of AQI and ASA in the Golden Hills is crucial for the security of the people there. Since the Golden Hills isn't a population center, enemy extremist have used the vast area of farms and groves to maneuver throughout, going unnoticed by the limited security forces there.

"This area has allowed freedom of movement for extremists groups from multiple areas because of how open it is," said Keller. "Extremist groups in the past have been able to travel from the Uzaym river valley and all the way down south to Tarmiyah." The Bandit Soldiers believe conducting this operation was vital in giving the people in the Golden Hills area the same opportunities and benefits most of the people in Iraq are enjoying from the newfound security throughout the country.

"This rural area stands to reap great benefits with open and secure roads and the people should be unafraid to work," said 1st Lt. Scott Marler, 1-32 Cav., speaking on the daily attacks against civilians there.

Also during the five-day operation, the joint force was able to discover several pieces of infrastructure damaged by enemy fighters, including the destroyed Ahbab water tower and a large improvised explosive device (IED) hole, blocking traffic on a major road in the area.

According to Marler, the mayor of Balad has rounded up a civilian task force to repair damages to infrastructure by enemy fighters over the last several weeks.

"The engineers improved routes that were previously inaccessible to most large vehicles and opened up routes to facilitate movement," said Sgt. Jeremy Wortman, Charlie Troop.
The squadron gives credit to the success of this mission to the people in the Golden Hills, area and said the local citizens received their Soldiers and Iraqi security forces with enthusiasm, pointing out caches and speaking about extremist group activity.

"I have never seen local people as happy as the families were in the Golden Hills," said 1st Lt. James Blackburne, Bravo Troop platoon leader. "I had expected a cold welcome, but the local people were very receptive to our presence, especially since we were there for several days."

In recent weeks, insurgents in Balad have begun to reconcile with Iraq's government. By laying down their weapons against coalition and Iraqi forces, the prospect of becoming productive members of society again, exists to them.

"The government of Iraq has made strides in recent weeks to reconcile with former insurgents in the Balad area, giving them the opportunity to rejoin civil society in exchange for ceasing violent and criminal activities," Marler said. "Those willing to reconcile would no longer be targeted by the coalition and Iraqi forces."

Since the local citizens of the Golden Hills area were receiving daily attacks from AQI and ASA, it is hopeful to the Cavalry Soldiers that this operation is deterrence to future terrorist activity there, bringing calm and stability to the people.

"One local man told me it was the first time he saw his kids running in the yard playing and laughing," said Wortman. "Another man told me it is the first time he hasn't worn his AK-47 in many months."