Phoenix troops end diverse mission

Photo By Sgt. David Hodge | Spc. Timothy Birk, a cable systems installer and maintainer assigned to the Company B,...... read more read more

Photo By Sgt. David Hodge | Spc. Timothy Birk, a cable systems installer and maintainer assigned to the Company B, 1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division-Baghdad, keeps an eye on the horizon while chatting with three Iraqi boys, July 26, 2008, in the Radwaniyah neighborhood of southern Baghdad. Soldiers from the 1st STB, 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div., MND-B, worked closely with many local leaders in the Rashid district to create a youth sports program.  see less | View Image Page

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

02.26.2009

Story by Sgt. David Hodge 

1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

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FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, Iraq – Nearly one year ago, Soldiers of 1st Special Troops "Phoenix" Battalion became the first unit of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, to begin its mission in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 07-09 and Multi-National Division-Baghdad.

Troops of the "Phoenix" battalion worked diligently to improve conditions for fellow Soldiers, Iraqi security forces and citizens in southern Baghdad. The battalion's approximately 565 Soldiers conducted operations both on and off Forward Operating Base Falcon in the Rashid district, said Lt. Col. Dave Hill, the battalion's commander.

"Perhaps the most unique aspect of the "Phoenix" battalion was the diversity of its mission," explained Hill, a Pittsburgh native. "Six companies with six completely different missions, and various platoon and detachment-sized organizations, worked across the entire brigade's operating environment."

Soldiers from the battalion's Headquarters and Headquarters Company conducted a variety of missions, to include personnel security details, FOB defense, operating the dining facility and working in the Infrastructure Coordination Element, all while providing command and control for the battalion, stated Hill.

The ICE Team worked to synchronize civil-military operations and local reconstruction efforts to decrease a coordination gap between the government of Iraq, coalition forces, District Council leaders, and ISF.

"The ICE Team prioritized, developed, and managed Rashid's projects, resulting in a partnership that directly contributed to increased Iraqi ownership of coalition-funded construction projects," Hill said, adding the team managed more than 300 projects valued at approximately $125 million.

One of HHC, or "Hurricanes," major accomplishments during the spring and summer months of 2008 was the Rashid Olympics, a youth sports program that offered basketball, volleyball and soccer to more than 10,000 Iraqi boys and girls.

"'Hurricane' Soldiers were indispensable in the [1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division's] transition to a non-kinetic fight by conducting more than 900 combat patrols across the Rashid district in order to perform critical engagements with Iraqi officials," Hill said.

Company A provided intelligence information throughout the brigade via a signals intelligence platoon, tactical unmanned aerial vehicle platoon, human intelligence platoon and a platoon dedicated to FOB security.

Hill noted the Soldiers of Co. A, "Sentinels," directly contributed intelligence information to battalion, brigade, and division-level commands with timely and accurate intelligence assessments in support of ongoing combat operations.

Company B, "Big Dawgs" managed communications for more than 20 headquarters elements throughout Rashid, such as the 1st BCT headquarters, four battalion headquarters, an Air Force detachment headquarters and multiple Military and National police transition teams.

The brigade's only signal company also contributed to the welfare of Soldiers by operating and maintaining 24-hour internet cafés around the FOB, said Hill.

"We managed 60 computers, 30 phones and 15 webcams in three different locations on the FOB for the Soldier's morale," said Capt. Michael Peterson, commander of Co. B.

One-on-one video teleconferences with spouses and family back home proved to be a good option for promotion ceremonies, said Peterson, an Atlanta native.

"My Soldiers have done awesome...I couldn't have asked for a better group. They ran the network very well, managed FOB communication and upgraded our network several times. We completed our mission and completed it with great success."

Soldiers of the "Phoenix" battalion welcomed other units to their ranks during the deployment; two engineer companies, two explosive ordnance disposal companies, two civil affairs companies and two psychological operations detachments.

The two engineer companies conducted more than 600 route clearance and sanitation missions, finding multiple roadside bombs and clearing approximately 20,000 kilometers of roadway in Rashid.

Often working in conjunction with the engineers, the attached EOD companies successfully conducted more than 500 missions, collecting more than 12,500 pieces of enemy munitions from 102 weapons caches.

Company D, 404th Civil Affairs Battalion, attached to the 1st STB, 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div., handled most civil-military operations in direct support of the maneuver battalions, conducting more than 200 combat patrols throughout Rashid.

"From day one, "Phoenix" Soldiers were dedicated to improving the lives of the men and women in the Rashid district of Baghdad," Hill explained. "Their tireless efforts and dedication to duty directly enabled the success of the Raider Brigade's combat operations in Iraq."

The Soldiers of the 1st STB will complete their yearlong deployment in March. Upon return to Fort Hood, Texas, the Phoenix Bn., will relocate to Fort Carson, Colo., and reset, refit and begin training for their next mission.