Photo By Spc. Alexis Harrison | Soldiers from Troop C, Task Force 1-14 attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st...... read more read more
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By Spc. Alexis Harrison
2nd BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs
BAGHDAD – The troops from Task Force 1-14 Cavalry (1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment) operating in the Iraqi capital as part of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, have had to go through many changes.
They moved from Forward Operating Base Falcon to FOB Union III after the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division showed up a few months ago from Fort Riley, Kan.
The squadron of cavalrymen who ride on their fleet-footed Strykers then received the mission to go down south of the capital about 80 miles to Diwaniyah and help take back a community on the brink of peril.
Finally, the boys from Fort Lewis, Wash., got to come back and begin their newest mission: stand up a combat outpost and patrol the volatile streets of Karkh and Haifa Street, near the city's center.
According to one platoon leader, 1st Lt. Courtney Dean, even though the weather is scalding hot and they have been all over Iraq, things are improving and he said they hope to make the same improvements in Karkh as they did in Diwaniyah and Abu Discher.
Dean and the rest of his 3rd Platoon, Troop C, was out on mission just like any other day, even though the temperature peaked at 110 degrees. Sweat poured off the troops during their reconnaissance of a rail yard and warehouse compound on the north side of Karkh near the Baghdad train station.
"You get used to the heat," said Staff Sgt. Zachary Tooman from Salt Lake City. "There's not much you can do other than drink lots of water."
Dean said that since they are new to the area, they want to get to know what is happening in and around places that could be used to store weapons or hideouts for anti-Iraqi forces.
About one dozen huge warehouses sit near the rail yard. Dean said that the yard used to be one of the main railroad hubs in all of Iraq. Its size still shows of the commerce that once traveled into and out of the capital, but the dust and debris covering the area tells a tale of inactivity.
Inside the warehouses guards kept a watchful eye over stockpiles of items like rice, oil or sugar. As the troops approached the first building, the air drastically changed from the usual smells of the city to a fragrant, flowery smell. The warehouse was filled with laundry detergent.
Dean said that many of the warehouses are owned by the government and are used as distribution centers for supplies needed by the residents of the community. Some of the buildings, however, are privately owned, but hold the same purpose.
Before the Soldiers made their way to the warehouses, they had to make a vital stop at their new combat outpost along the river. They delivered supplies like insect repellant, mosquito netting and ice to their comrades already manning the post.
Tooman said that everyone will have a turn manning the post, and it's best to get it equipped with everything they'll need during the blazing summer months.
Dean said that the new outpost offers them a way to keep a constant, 24-hour presence in the area to keep the quiet that's been won by many battles in months past.
"Having the combat power projected into the area will make the enemy think twice about doing anything," he said.
After several hours of patrolling in the heat, the fatigue was shown by the sweat-soaked uniforms. Although several of the troops remarked about the heat, none of them stopped or slowed down other than to take a drink of water. The troops kept moving forward to accomplish the mission.
Even after being moved all over Iraq, making it through one grueling summer and getting extended, Dean said that the mission is still the most important thing.
| Date Taken: | 05.30.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 05.30.2007 13:34 |
| Story ID: | 10591 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 1,471 |
| Downloads: | 1,399 |
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