By Pfc. Adam Carl Blazak
11th Public Affairs Detachment
MOSUL, Iraq -- After countless hours of patrolling the streets of Mosul with the Iraqi army, Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment finds comfort at their home away from home, Combat Outpost Knight.
Nestled within the IA IMN compound, COP Knight is where this company recuperates after long missions in the Younis al Sabawi neighborhood.
Life on a COP is not the same as life on a Forward Operating Base. Soldiers don't sleep in two-man container housing units. Also, the place where the Soldiers eat will not have a salad bar. There is no running water, showering is out of the question, as well as flushing a toilet.
Soldiers at COP Knight dispose of all their waste the old-fashion way; by burning it. An unpleasant task, but one needed to prevent health risks.
In addition to their routine of patrolling, each Soldier has guard duty twice a day while at COP Knight, said Sgt. Joshua J. Stern, a Soldier performing COP security at the entry control point.
"It's like a man vs. the wild series out here," said Spc. Josh A. Donaway, another infantryman for D Co.
"I like to spend my time out here by cleaning my weapon or calling home at night," said Cpl. Marcus S. Owens, an infantryman for D Co, who uses his own cell phone to make calls.
The good news is Soldiers at COP Knight stay there on a short rotational basis. None of the Soldiers have to spend their entire tour at Knight.
On the other hand, most Soldiers agreed they got more rest while at Knight opposed to FOB Marez, where they work long hours to maintain their wheeled and track vehicles.
At the end of the day, whether they are out on a night patrol, securing COP Knight or back at FOB Marez catching some shut-eye, Delta Company Soldiers understand the importance of their mission and are willing to make the sacrifices.
Date Taken: | 05.22.2008 |
Date Posted: | 05.22.2008 12:45 |
Story ID: | 19698 |
Location: | MOSUL, IQ |
Web Views: | 203 |
Downloads: | 155 |
This work, Life on the COP, by SPC Adam Blazak, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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