Task Force Baghdad Soldiers patrol Yusufiyah streets

Photo By Sgt. George Welcome | Private 1st Class Steven Green, B Co. 1-502 prepares to blast a lock off the gate of an abandoned home during a search of homes in Mullah Fayed on December 2.  

YUSUFIYAH, IRAQ

12.07.2005

Courtesy Story

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Spc. George Welcome
2/101st Airborne Division PAO

YUSUFIYAH, Iraq -- When Task Force Baghdad Soldiers get ready for a mission, a lot of things take place before the sun comes up. Soldiers are mobilized, ammunition is loaded, vehicles are prepped, briefings are conducted, maps are studied, and energy drinks are consumed.

These are a few of the many things the Soldiers of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division did to get ready for their patrol of the Mulla Fayyad area of Yusufiyah Dec. 2. This was a critical patrol for the Soldiers, as it would allow them to continue to establish their presence in the area that was rarely patrolled prior to their arrival.

Dogs barked incessantly as Soldiers from B Company, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment and elements of 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division began their patrol of their sector of Mulla Fayyad. This early in the morning, the Soldiers and the dogs were the only ones awake.

Humvees tactically dispersed and cordoned off the area to provide the Soldiers with security from anyone who might be trying to access the sector during the cordon-and-knock mission.

"Today's mission was to see if we could apprehend some insurgents who may have been in the area," said Sgt. Kenneth Casica, a team leader in 1st Platoon. "We want these folks to realize that we are here to help them."

In order to stabilize the area, the Soldiers and the citizens have established a basic trust, which is why during the patrol, the U.S. troops took care in searching people's homes.

The Soldiers searched for weapons, bomb-making materials and anti-Coalition or Anti-Iraqi Forces propaganda. The searches were thorough, yet the Soldiers still respected people's rights and their property.

"This was nothing like a big raid," Casica said. "We just asked people to open cabinets and looked around in their things."

Even though the Soldiers of B Co. did not find any weapons or terrorists, they know their presence helps reduce the chance of the insurgency gaining a stronghold in the city.

"I feel that our patrols make a difference," Casica said. "I guess the patrols make the insurgents nervous because they knowâ?¦we'll push them out of this area to make the people feel safe."

After nearly 13 hours on the streets of Mulla Fayyad, the B Co. Soldiers cleared the last house in their sector. Although they considered this just a routine operation, their effort was far from typical. It was a long successful day for the Soldiers but they knew more patrols awaited them the next day. When responsible for maintaining the peace of a city and reducing the effectiveness of the insurgency, there is no such thing as a day off for these Soldiers.

• Date Taken: 12.07.2005
• Date Posted: 12.07.2005 11:12
• Story ID: 3979
• Location: YUSUFIYAH, IQ