Photo By Master Sgt. Kevin Doheny | A Soldier from Alpha Company, 1st Special Troops Battalion, looks out at two UH-60...... read more read more
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By Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Doheny
1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division
TIKRIT, Iraq— It is 2 a.m., and the streets are empty as calm resides over the once restive city of Tikrit.
The only sounds are stray dogs howling and the echoing of messages transmitting from the speakers of local mosques.
In just a few hours the silence resonating throughout the city will be shattered with the thundering sound of helicopters carrying a combined force of U.S. Soldiers and Iraqi Police to a remote location where the enemy seeks refuge and plans attacks inside Tikrit.
The mission on this morning: to kill or capture extremists seeking safe haven in the desert areas west of the restive city.
The helicopter blades turn faster and faster as last minute checks are completed, and the stoic looks show men ready for battle.
The aircraft launch and are quickly hidden in the pitch-black Iraqi sky. During flight, the sky begins to turn to light gray as the sun begins to rise. As the suns peeks over the horizon, a reddish-orange glare engulfs the extremist hideout. From out of the waning darkness, the helicopters swoop down and its occupants swiftly dismount the aircraft and assault the al Qaida safe haven.
This operation named "Himera", a combined air assault with Soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team and Iraqi police, targeted al Qaida fighters seeking safe haven near Tharthar Lake in the western portion of the Salah ad Din province.
The operation showcased the ability of coalition and Iraqi security forces to assault multiple targets in different locations throughout the province during a single air assault operation.
"We are disassembling the terrorist network that is trying to negate any progress my Iraqi counterparts are making inside the city of Tikrit," said Capt. John Gabriel, Alpha Company commander.
While adept at fighting the enemy in the open desert, for the Soldiers of Alpha Company it is not always helicopters and bullets.
In the days leading up to this operation these same Soldiers were confronting the enemy threat using a different method; social interaction.
This technique has become synonymous with Soldiers in this counter-insurgency fight.
By getting out amongst the people to expand relationships and trust, these combat engineers can more effectively secure the population centers of Tikrit and Owja; while at the same time defeat the enemy outside of the cities.
"My Soldiers see the difference they're making by treating the people in our area with respect and dignity," Gabriel said. "The people in Tikrit and Owja have gone from a negative or neutral perception to coalition forces, to an extremely positive one."
The 1st Special Troops Battalion has a unique task and organization here in Iraq. A brigade special troops battalion, are designed to, support the brigade and its subordinate units with communications, intelligence, chemical reconnaissance, military police and engineer assets. For the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, the BSTB still provides the standard combat support to the brigade, but was also given the additional responsibility of securing a large portion of the Salah ad Din province, centered on the greater-Tikrit area. As a result of this nonstandard mission, the battalion was given the additional assets of two military police companies and an infantry company to help assist.
"Task Force Spartan brought together a diverse mix of companies and military specialties that have contributed to the overall mission success," said Maj.
Timothy Povich, 1st BSTB executive officer. "We have infantry, engineer, military police, intelligence and signal companies as well as a Headquarters company all working in harmony to accomplish the mission. Every company brings a unique perspective and skill to the fight which sets us apart from your normal maneuver task force."
The routine combat engineer mission in Iraq is often tied to conducting route clearance operations. This mission is extremely vital to safety of U.S. Forces traveling on the dangerous Iraqi roads as well as the overall safety of the local Iraqi populace. Upon arrival in Iraq in September 2007; Alpha Company initially had this task. Taking on more and more civic responsibilities, the company recognized it needed to focus on the people and their security, rather than tackling both tasks.
"Combat Engineers performing a maneuver mission is not new to the Army, however in the last few years our ability to provide mobility through route clearance has overshadowed the other skills we bring to the battlefield," said Gabriel. "Sappers pride themselves on their ability to fight like Infantry when called upon to do so, and still accomplishing their doctrinal tasks of providing mobility, counter-mobility and survivability to other maneuver elements."
Over the past several months, Gabriel's combat engineers have routinely conducted local leader engagements in addition to census and clearing operations in both Tikrit and Owja. Meetings with "mukhtars" or heads of villages or neighborhoods, occur almost daily. These meetings allow them to pass information along, as well as gather information on the needs of the people there.
"We realized early on that the majority of the population was either not informed or misinformed of their government's progress and the intent of coalition forces in their city," said Gabriel. "They also needed a chance to vent and discuss issues with us. We routinely go through neighborhoods to inform them of the progress being made in the city and to answer questions."
Although proud of the combat proficiency of his Soldiers and his Iraqi counterparts, Gabriel acknowledged that one day he hopes lethal operations won't be necessary and all of the focus can be placed on the populace.
"The population is pleased with the security their police are providing them," Gabriel said, "I look forward to the day when lethal operations are not needed."
| Date Taken: | 09.02.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 09.02.2008 12:42 |
| Story ID: | 23126 |
| Location: | TIKRIT, IQ |
| Web Views: | 305 |
| Downloads: | 263 |
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