Rockets fired at COP Cashe; 1 rocket seized

Photo By Staff Sgt. James Hutto | Six rocket rails and a battery with timer are displayed by the 789th Ordnance Company, from Fort Benning, Ga., currently attached to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, at a launch site, Oct. 23. Five rockets were fired at Combat Outpost Cashe from the site, but no soldiers were injured. Only one rocket managed to land inside the outpost perimeter.  

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, IRAQ

10.24.2007

Story by Spc. James Hutto 

3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division

By Spc. Ben Hutto
3rd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq - Insurgents fired five rockets at Combat Outpost Cashe, with one detonating inside the outpost perimeter, Oct. 23.

No Soldiers were injured in the attack, but one truck was damaged.

Troop C, 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, investigated the launch site and seized six rocket rails, one unlaunched rocket and a battery with timer. Rocket rails are fabricated from metal and used by extremists to aim and launch rockets.

The 789th Ordnance Company, out of Fort Benning, Ga., currently attached to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, disarmed the unlaunched rocket.

Further investigation indicated that the 107mm rocket had been manufactured in Iran in March, according to Maj. David Fivecoat, from Delaware, Ohio, the operations officer for the 3rd BCT.

"The capture of this 107mm rocket is another indicator of the Iranian logistics support to the insurgency southeast of Baghdad," Fivecoat said. "This is the 40th Iranian manufactured rocket that 3rd (H)BCT Soldiers have captured in the last four months. Over the coming weeks, we'll continue to hunt the cell that conducted this attack."

The 3-1 Cav. Regt. is assigned to the 3rd BCT, 3rd Infantry Division, from Fort Benning, Ga., and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March.

• Date Taken: 10.24.2007
• Date Posted: 10.24.2007 14:55
• Story ID: 13282
• Location: FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, IQ