Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Marcus Butler | Paratroopers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 501st Airborne, 4th Brigade Combat Team...... read more read more
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By Sgt. Marcus Butler
4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Public Affairs
ISKANDARIYAH, Iraq – Moving under the cover of darkness, Iraqi soldiers and coalition forces soldiers conducted a joint operation in southern Baghdad on Aug. 9, in search of suspected insurgents linked to an explosively formed projectile cell.
Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 8th Iraqi Army Division and Company C, 1st Battalion, 501st Airborne, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, joined forces for Operation Copperhead Road, an air assault into Hor Hussein where three different locations were raided almost simultaneously.
"Our mission was to conduct an air assault into the Hor Hussein area to disrupt EFP cell operations in our area of operation," said Capt. Donald Kingston, commander, Company C. "Our main purpose was to disrupt these known operations and gather intelligence to enable targeting and destruction of those networks."
After a swift exit from the helicopters, each team moved through clouds of dust and debris to their respective positions.
"I could barely see anything," said Sgt. Stuart Kortus, Tampa, Fla., native and team leader for one of the assault teams. "But once we got off of the helicopters and made it to the target location, all I could think about was security."
Waiting for the call to go, the assault teams stacked against the wall for a brief moment. The silence was then broken by the blast of a shotgun as the target building was breeched.
"While we were waiting, all that was going through my mind was just get in," Kortus said. "I was expecting a lot of enemy contact since the target we were going after was said to have a relatively large personal security force, but luckily there were no incidents."
Once inside, suspects were separated and the location was thoroughly searched.
The paratroopers executed their mission with excellence, said Staff Sgt. Phillip Jean Rhinelander, a squad leader with Company C. "They all showed precise action on the scene and executed every aspect of their mission flawlessly."
Operation Copperhead Road yielded 14 detainees, weapons, ammunition and $3,700.
"This mission was executed without any hitches," Kingston said. "Every aspect was executed well and everyone came home safe."
Copperhead Road was another operation conducted in support of Marne Avalanche.
| Date Taken: | 08.13.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 08.13.2007 16:12 |
| Story ID: | 11794 |
| Location: | ISKANDARIYAH, IQ |
| Web Views: | 235 |
| Downloads: | 146 |
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