Engineers keep U.N. compound safe

Courtesy Photo | Pvt. Matthew J. Ennis, a combat engineer with E Company, 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, mans his machine gun while watching the perimeter of the United Nations compound from a guard tower Aug. 11. Ennis is from Westfield, N.Y.  

RUSTAMIYAH, IRAQ

08.26.2005

Courtesy Story

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Sgt. Andrew A. Miller
2nd Brigade Combat Team PAO

CAMP RUSTAMIYAH, Iraq -- Since their arrival in Iraq, combat engineers with 2nd Brigade Combat Team have served their time in an especially Spartan way.

Soldiers in E Company, 1st Battalion, 64th Armor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division are charged with guarding a huge concrete wall, isolated from comfort and distanced from the rest of their unit at Camp Rustamiyah.

To civilians it's called Canal Hotel. Service members call it Dog Base. On a biweekly basis, E Co. Soldiers call this crumbling United Nations compound home.

Staff Sgt. Perre Echolz, a squad leader with E Co., pointed out a large section of a building that was destroyed by a car bomb in 2003. That section of the compound represents the reason for E Co.'s mission, Echolz said.

Before and since that bombing, the compound has served as the main logistical base for U.N. personnel working out of the International Zone in Baghdad.

"(1/64 Armor) battalion knew this was going to be an important mission before we got here," said Captain Todd S. Duncan, E Co. commander, "This has been the main focus for our company since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom 3."

To secure the compound, engineers are posted in guard towers at intervals along the perimeter. Though their presence is considered a deterrent, the engineers have seen attacks. The Soldiers have been assaulted by rifle fire, mortars and snipers, said 1st Lt. Adam Smith, a platoon leader with E Co.

However, the walls of the compound have never been breached since E Co. took the job.

With security measures tight, Soldiers not manning the gates or towers have taken the fight to the enemy.

Using armored humvees, personnel carriers and tracked earthmovers, the engineers conduct missions in the area around their base. By day or by night, they are out gathering intelligence and looking for roadside bombs.

Echolz, a Brooklyn, N.Y. native, said the key to their offense is based on building relationships with local Iraqis.

"We went out into our sectors and cleaned them up," said Echolz. "In the last six months we turned the whole area around."

By establishing their presence and displaying a willingness to act on intelligence, E Co. has shown the locals that the U.S. Soldier are there to help, he said.

"The people trust us and if something happens, they're not afraid to tell us," Echolz said. "They don't want us to leave, you know?"

For now, no one has to worry about the engineers leaving. Unlike any other unit before them, E Co. has been assigned to the U.N. compound for the duration of their tour.
"All other previous units never took ownership of it," Duncan said. "When we got here, it was dirt piled upon dirt."

Despite making improvements, Soldiers at Dog Base live in humble conditions without some of the conveniences found on larger installations. A few engineers said they miss creature comforts like laundry service, telephones and a choice of food while at the compound. Yet none of the engineers spent much time complaining.

"We're in Iraq, I'm not at home," said Spc. Gary Blair, a combat engineer with E Co. "You just deal with it."

Dealing with rough living conditions is part of what the Spartan Brigade engineers do. Since arriving at their temporary home, the Soldiers have spent a great deal of their down time making improvements there, Smith said.

The engineers fixed electrical wiring that had been shorting-out and damaging their personal appliances. Large equipment, back from when the base was a cooking school, had to be moved out. The engineers also built a gym and fixed local roads. They even set up and continue to maintain an internet connection for themselves.

Smith said great improvements have been made to the building the engineers sleep in, and they are now working on the structure next to it.

"So the next people who come in to guard the compound have a better place of living," he said.

Smith mentioned something else that makes life at Dog Base more comfortable.
"We have a lot of support from people back home," said Smith, of Hudson, Wis., "They take time out of their day to they send care packages, they send e-mails, they send letters, and I just appreciate them doing that for my Soldiers. It makes it easier and it's nice to know that people actually care about you."

• Date Taken: 08.26.2005
• Date Posted: 08.26.2005 13:06
• Story ID: 2834
• Location: RUSTAMIYAH, IQ