82nd Airborne Division Begins Operations in Tall Afar

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class James Wilt | 050914-A-7186W-006 - Pfc. Michael Fairburn, an infantryman with 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd airborne Division, gazes across the street as his platoon came to a halt to search a house in Tall Afar, Iraq. Fairburn is a native of Phoenix, Ariz.  

TAL AFAR, IRAQ

09.16.2005

Story by Sgt. James Wilt 

82nd Airborne Division

Pfc. James Wilt 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs Office
Sept. 15, 2005
TALL AFAR, Iraq -- Approximately 700 paratroopers from the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, arrived here Sunday and immediately began combat operation in the evacuated city.

The paratroopers, working with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, are attempting to bring the troubled city under control before the upcoming constitutional referendum in October and the national elections in December.

Over the past several days, the unit has been conducting patrols and searching homes in the nearly deserted city, as well as questioning the few local residents who failed to leave.

The city was emptied of people prior to the operation.

The paratroopers arrived in the city ready to fight, but opposition was far less than what the newly arrived Soldiers had expected.

"It was less resistance than we had anticipated from the (intelligence) reports that we received," said 2nd Lt. Steve S. Taylor, fire suppression officer for Company B.

Even with the lack of opposition at the onset of the mission, the paratroopers are
prepared to face any upcoming challenges when the local populace returns to their homes.

"Once these people start moving in were going to have a lot more responsibilities, and we're going to have to keep our guard upâ?¦not all of these people coming back are the good guys," Taylor said. "We just have to keep our guard up, make sure we get out there and conduct patrols."

As temporary residents of the city, the "White Falcons" will be striving to build friendly relations with the people of the war-damaged city, Taylor said.

The 2-325 hopes the future relationships they build will help identify any remaining insurgents, he added.

To help build those relationships, making repairs and cleaning up the city will be one of the mission focuses for the paratroopers during their stay here.

"There is a lot of damage to the city and their homes. Now we have to help rebuild it," Taylor said.

The "White Falcons" already completed a portion of their mission here. They made the city safer.

"We did the best we can on getting rid of all the bad guys, cleaning up the IEDs (improvised explosive devices) and the booby traps," Taylor said.

In the first four days of the operation, the 2-325 found seven IEDs, said Capt. Jonathan Norman, the battalion intelligence officer.

Several elements of the battalion also found weapons caches and extremist propaganda, Taylor said.

The length of the paratroopers" mission here is undetermined. They will stay in the city as long as the situation calls for but are able to relocate to other parts of the country.

The Department of Defense announced the battalion's deployment only days before the paratroopers boarded planes bound for South West Asia.

As America's Strategic Response Force, the 82nd Abn. Div. is capable of deploying within 18 hours of notification to anywhere in the world.

The unit's deployment to Iraq is expected to last for 120 days according to the Department of Defense but the paratroopers are prepared to extend their deployment if conditions make it necessary, said Lt. Col. Gibson, the 2nd Bn., 325th AIR commander.

Gibson hopes to complete the "White Falcon's" assignment in the allotted time frame, which would have the troops returning home in early January.

"I'll tell you, in my house, we're going to leave our Christmas tree up," Gibson said. "We're going to get this mission done and get home."

This is the second time the 2-325 has deployed to provide security for elections in Iraq.

The "White Falcons" were deployed from December 2004 through March 2005 to support the country's inaugural elections.

The paratroopers are taking a hard line against those who would like to see the elections fail but also realize the need to support and protect the people of Iraq.

"No surprise to you my intent for the counter insurgency, ruthless on the enemy, helpful and compassionate to the Iraqi people," said Gibson.

The 2nd Bn., 325th AIR also deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from February 2003 to February 2004.

• Date Taken: 09.16.2005
• Date Posted: 09.16.2005 12:07
• Story ID: 3030
• Location: TAL AFAR, IQ