Over the Berm Again, OIF 1 Veterans Return for OIF 3

CAMP WILSON, IRAQ

02.23.2005

Courtesy Story

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By Staff Sgt. Raymond Drumsta
42nd Infantry Division

CAMP WILSON, IRAQ¯"Crossing the berm" � to Soldiers, it means passing through the rough-hewn sand wall that separates Iraq and Kuwait ¯ the place, in space and time, that they begin to face potential combat.

Recently, some Soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division crossed the berm for a second time.

The division's 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, entered Iraq in early February on an approach march to its area of operations north of Baghdad. The march, which the battalion executed as a combat patrol, was close on the heels of the first free election in Iraq's modern history, and nearly two years after Operation Iraqi Freedom 1, when the brigade, along with Coalition Forces, fired the opening shots in the fight that made Iraqi elections possible.

Like all of the unit's OIF 1 veterans, Staff Sgt. Johnson of Mason, WV, had literally been down this road before.

"Coming across the berm the second time, you just think about what to expect," Johnson said. "You think about the enemy being there, waiting for you."

A veteran of Desert Storm as well as OIF 1, Johnson said he felt mixed emotions about retuning to Iraq for the third time.

"You never think you'll come back to the same place three times," Johnson said. "The only difference now is that this is a peacekeeping mission or humanitarian effort, compared to the first two times. We're trying to get them on their feet."

Unit member Spc. James Dalton of Mill Valley, CA, anticipated "a whole lot of nothing" when he crossed the berm the second time.

"That's pretty much what we saw the first time," he said.

The recent approach march was a far cry from Dalton's experience in OIF 1. Then, he was involved in "miles long, running firefight" in the northwest corner of Baghdad.

"As we were driving we were taking small-arms fire and [rocket-propelled grenade] rounds," Dalton said of his OIF 1 experience. He also recalled some horrific sights.

"Everywhere went, everything was on fire â?¦ there were bodies everywhere," Dalton said. "The country looks a lot better now."

"I was nervous, which is natural," said Sgt. Adam Marriott, a medic from Company B, about crossing the berm this time. "It's a different situation now, though. The attacks are different."

A Clarksville, Ohio, native, Marriott was with the battalion during the battle for southern Baghdad in OIF 1. According to Marriott, the fighting had caused a stockpile of enemy munitions to cook off, and long-range missiles "were spiraling over the column."

"You don't reflect on it until it's over with," said Marriott of his combat experiences in OIF 1.

That experience seems to have paid off. During a halt while driving through Baghdad this time, battalion Soldiers heard the distinct sounds of AK-47 fire. It turned out to be Iraqi authorities firing warning shots to clear traffic, but as veteran, Dalton said he knew immediately, from the sound, that the shots weren't aimed at him.

"I listened, because if you hear a whizzing sound it's coming toward you, but not near you," he said. "If you hear a crack, it's time to seek cover. I figured if I didn't hear return fire from our side, it wasn't a firefight. I've been under fire before. The first time is kind of a shock, but once you've been there and done that, it's easier to do the right thing."

The shooting occurred in an area Johnson recalled was the scene of heavy fighting during OIF 1. Johnson said he immediately began scanning his sector to find the source of the shooting.

"On a combat patrol, you're really alert, because you don't know what to expect," Johnson said. "You know it's out there, but you don't know where. It just pops up. You have to stay low, next to the truck, so at least you have cover."

You don't have to look hard to find combat patches in the battalion. Many soldiers wear the division's distinctive, diagonally striped square patch on both sleeves, signifying that they took part in OIF 1. Nearly 35 percent of his unit are veterans, said Battlion Commander Lt. Col. Gary Brito, who is from Hyannis, MA.

"They understand the harshness of war. They are hardened soldiers," he said.

Unlike OIF 1, OIF 3 is not a conventional fight, said Brito.

"This is more in the nature of stability and support operations," he said. "We have to engage with the people and make them realize the benefits of democracy. I do not think brute force is the answer. Having said that, our soldiers are prepared to secure the country and help develop an effective Iraqi Army and Police force. Unlike OIF 1, it's hard to tell the combatants from the non-combatants. Everyone's in civilian clothes."

Dalton agreed.

"It's not strictly combat anymore," he said. "It's a low intensity conflict. The rules of engagement are more restrictive, and you have to be real careful not to hit civilians."

Another change from OIF 1 is the unit configuration. As one of the Army's new Units of Action, the 3rd Brigade Combat Team fields a mix of maneuver elements, to include two infantry battalions, two armor battalions and a field artillery battalion. Brito described his unit as a "combined arms maneuver battalion."

"[The new configuration] gives the commander on the ground some of the combat multipliers he wouldn't normally have," Brito said.

Both Dalton and Marriott were guarded about the Iraqi elections.

"It's kind of up in the air," Marriott said. "I think it's a step forward, but I don't live here, so it's not my place to say if it's a good or a bad thing."

"It's a step in the right direction," Dalton said. "I don't have enough knowledge to predict how it will turn out, but it seems like we're trying to do the right thing over here."

Both Soldiers, however, are committed to the fight.

"I look at what soldiers have done before me, and I figure I owe them something," Marriott said. "Hopefully, my kids won't have to deal with this."

"We need to assist Iraq Security Force," Dalton said. "We need to train and support them until they're able to secure the country on their own. I take care of my little piece. If everyone does that, I figure everything will turn out ok."

• Date Taken: 02.23.2005
• Date Posted: 02.23.2005 10:39
• Story ID: 1186
• Location: CAMP WILSON, IQ