Photo By Staff Sgt. James Hunter | Pfc. Kyle Stout, a native of Texarkana, Texas, places concertina wire around their...... read more read more
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By Sgt. James Hunter
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division
BAGHDAD – Well before the sun came up, Soldiers from Battery B, 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, were out of their beds and patrolling Rathwaniyah.
This may sound like an everyday patrol for these Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers; however, things were much different this time around as they pushed into sector and set up a combat outpost in an abandoned Iraqi home on April 29.
The house, which sat only one-story high with stairs leading to the roof, was filled with Soldiers and surrounded by concertina wire.
"Our main purpose out here is to disrupt enemy movement coming through the (area of operations)," said Capt. Geoffrey Gorsuch, commander, Battery B, 1-320th FA. "Also, it shows our support for the locals in our area."
One of their main goals is to be in sector to push small patrols out to react, to any situation and engage with the local nationals, said Gorsuch.
Normally, the Soldiers patrol the very rural area of Baghdad in an attempt to meet the needs of the local Iraqis through home assessments as well as to halt any enemy activity in the area through constant mounted and dismounted patrols.
However, after finding two improvised-explosive devices and hearing reports that criminals were using foot bridges along the canal in the area to transport weapons, the Soldiers believed the best option was to place a outpost within Rathwaniyah, said Gorsuch, a native of Peoria, Ill.
The Soldiers, who operate out of the COP, patrol and monitor the foot bridges daily in an attempt to halt any criminal movement or activity, said 1st Lt. Christopher Robertson, a native of Clarksville, Tenn., who is the platoon leader for 3rd Platoon "Spartans," 1-320th FA, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.
"Putting this here for a significant amount of time would stop that flow of enemy activity across the canals," said Gorsuch.
Although they are trying to halt the enemy's use of this region for transporting weapons and terrorizing the law-abiding citizens in the area, the Soldiers are also using this home to build an even stronger relationship with the local Iraqis within the community, said Gorsuch.
Granted, they already interact with the Iraqis in the area on a daily basis; however, Gorsuch said he believes living among the people will bring them closer in trust and with respect for one another.
"I hope they see that we are out here living with them and that it builds their confidence and trust that we are really out here to help with their security," Gorsuch said.
During a dismounted foot patrol on a very humid, dusty afternoon on April 29, the Soldiers left the combat outpost and moved house-to-house, talking with some of the local citizens regarding their living conditions and any difficulties they face with their water.
Electricity and water remain the two major problems in the area, said Robertson.
"It's a common theme," he said. "Everyone I talk to either has electricity or water problems."
The problem mostly stems from a persistent drought in the area, he added; however, part of it deals with them being uneducated on using the canals as a resource for harvesting their crops.
"The people out here really like us. In our area, we have started up drinking water for the first time in two years so they are extremely happy about that," Gorsuch said. "We are working really hard on the irrigation water because we found that through all the problems, their number-one worry is safety – and they feel we have accomplished that.
"However, their number-two worry is water. If they don't have water, they can't grow their crops; it's a very rural area. It might take some time because it's very complex."
The only way to help them solve these problems is to get to the bottom of it by talking with the Iraqis.
"Talking to people is completely essential," Robertson said. "The thing is, when you go and talk to someone randomly and have no real agenda in mind, as long as you treat them with respect, they are so willing to talk with you."
On April 30, they met up with Abu Mohammed, a local sheik in Rathwaniyah, about the ongoing projects, current problems and everyday life in the area. They even shared a delicate breakfast – made up of salted eggs, cucumbers, tomatoes and hard-boiled eggs – prior to getting down to business.
"You're responsible for this area, and any time we have a problem, we can come to you," said the elderly, yet energetic sheik.
"We have their trust and confidence. We have been working with them for six or seven months now," said Gorsuch. "They like us coming over. We have fun with them and joke around with them, but then we get down to business. They trust we are going to work until we can complete the mission."
Sheiks play an important role in the community, almost acting as the voice within the community, said Gorsuch. The sheiks know all the problems within the community and can voice it to Gorsuch and his platoon leaders during their weekly meetings.
They seem to have a real working relationship with sheiks. It is a bond built over time. Even Robertson said he considers a sheik he deals with on a daily basis a very close friend.
"You never want to be too close to someone necessarily because anyone could betray you, but the truth is ... my relationship with him is very good," Robertson said.
The sheiks may also play a role in whether they Soldiers decide to keep the COP in Rathwaniyah.
"We are possibly looking to do it consistently. This is our validation – us just being out here is going to disrupt the enemy," Gorsuch said. "If we get a lot of good reactions from the sheiks, we will see where to go from here."
| Date Taken: | 05.04.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 05.04.2008 20:18 |
| Story ID: | 19088 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 145 |
| Downloads: | 128 |
This work, Top Gun troops set up COP in Rathwaniyah to halt enemy movement, by SSG James Hunter, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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