Tomahawks on the lookout

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Luisito Brooks | Staff Sgt. Baharri Weston, a 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division squad leader from Palm Bay, Fla., stands guard as his Soldiers search a building for bomb making materials southeast of Iraq.  

TAJI, IRAQ

01.02.2010

Story by Spc. Luisito Brooks 

4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division

TAJI, Iraq — As scavenger birds circled their position near a small community southeast of Taji, Soldiers from 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division navigated seemingly endless hills of trash, searching for materials that could be used to make improvised explosive devices.

"The insurgents like to use these less fortunate areas to hide and make IEDs," said Sgt. 1st Class Eric Richardson, the 1st Platoon, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Division platoon sergeant from Grass Valley, Calif. "By attacking these insurgents at their starting point, we could prevent attacks that could threaten the surrounding areas."

The Soldiers met with a few of the local leaders in this small community to develop a good relationship and let them know they would be searching through the area to provide security for their people.

"The people seemed very accommodating and they let us do our job," said Spc. Robert James, an infantryman with 1st Plt., Company B, 2nd Bn., 23rd Inf. Regt. from Detroit. "As we walked through, the children watched us for a while then they started playing soccer."

The area had many terrain issues for the Tomahawks to overcome in order to accomplish the mission.

"My guys looked through the village and searched through knee deep trash," said Staff Sgt. Baharri Weston, a 1st Plt., Company B, 2nd Bn., 23rd Inf. Regt., squad leader from Palm Bay, Fla. "The search even took everyone of us through a field of wild bamboo, which was very challenging to navigate."

As the sun set over the pile of trash and the end of the mission drew near, Soldiers said the people's security brought the most reward for them.

"The threat of having insurgents near these guys' families was something the people in this village took very seriously," said Richardson. "I see that we are affecting this area with a positive message and it is really getting through."

• Date Taken: 01.02.2010
• Date Posted: 01.07.2010 09:35
• Story ID: 43521
• Location: TAJI, IQ