1-15 teams with Iraqis at traffic control point

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Carlos Lazo | Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment aid members of the Iraqi army in traffic control point operations, Aug. 1, near Wahida, Iraq.  

COMBAT OUTPOST CLEARY, IRAQ

08.06.2007

Story by Staff Sgt. Carlos Lazo 

302nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

By Staff Sgt. Carlos J. Lazo
Multi-National Division-Central Public Affairs Office

COMBAT OUTPOST CLEARY, Iraq - Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment spent time working side-by-side with Iraqi Emergency Reaction Forces, running a traffic control point, Aug. 1, near Wahida.

The Emergency Reaction Force (ERF), said Maj. Jeremy Moore, of Portland, Ore., Iraqi security force (ISF) chief for 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, is a battalion-sized ISF unit that conducts security and checkpoint operations along coalition-traveled key routes.

"They are comprised of previous Iraqi special forces units," Moore said. "They are tactically proficient enough to operate autonomously. They are also skilled at gathering intelligence because they know the area."

"What we did today was not so much supervise, but assist ERF with running a traffic control point," said 1st Lt. T. Clay Groton, 3rd platoon leader, Company C, 1-15 Inf. Regt.

Soldiers assisted with site security and searched vehicles and people along with the ERF. This was not the first time such an operation has been conducted by 1-15 Inf. Regt. Soldiers.

"We've been out here a couple of times before," Groton said. "They have many traffic control points around this area."

Traffic control points help in maintaining the overall security of the area.

"Being that weapons commonly come into Baghdad from Al Kut, coming out of Iran, this is a major highway to stop weapons and insurgents," Groton said.

An ERF member working at the site said his duty is to search, not only for weapons, but for improvised explosive devices and foreign fighters as well. It is a job appreciated by his U.S. counterparts.

"They (ERF) are pretty 'squared away' and they're also reliable," Groton said. He added that ERF assistance has led to weapons cache finds. Groton said the goal was to show the ERF members that coalition forces support what they do.

The 1-15 Inf. Regt. is assigned to the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division from Fort Benning, Ga.

• Date Taken: 08.06.2007
• Date Posted: 08.06.2007 15:39
• Story ID: 11668
• Location: COMBAT OUTPOST CLEARY, IQ