Courtesy Photo | An Iraqi girl hold up a peace sign as Cpl. Paul Roderick, resident of Wahiawa, Hawaii,...... read more read more
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By Spc. Dustin Weidman
2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division
BAGHDAD, Iraq – "No one will ever find it here," may have crossed the minds of criminals who buried a cache of weapons next to a farm wall outside a home in rural Abu Ghraib northwest of Baghdad.
But they did not count on the "Bloodhounds."
The "Bloodhounds" are the Soldiers of 4th Platoon, Company C, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, "Gimlets," 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, "Warrior," 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, and they are known for their uncanny ability to "sniff out" weapons caches and other hidden contraband.
The Soldiers of the platoon lived up to their reputation, finding a large cache of weapons in the village of Ayasha, northwest of Baghdad, May 29. With only their instincts and a metal detector, they successfully found the cache during a dismounted patrol through the village.
"I just had a feeling about this area. I knew something was here and we had to find it," said "Bloodhound" team leader Cpl. Paul Roderick, resident of Wahiawa, Hawaii.
The yells of a fellow team member alerted Roderick that something was found.
It was only a few seconds of digging when the shovel stopped fast with the sound of metal on metal. The team quickly uncovered the first of nineteen cans of .50 caliber Dishka rounds.
"A few weeks ago, we found the weapon that these rounds belong to about 50 meters from here and ran out of time before we could search more of the area," Roderick said. "But today – we made the time."
By the time the Bloodhounds had finished scouring the area, they uncovered more than 1,000 .50 caliber Dishka rounds; five 60 mm mortars; 100 7.62 mm rounds; two rocket propelled grenades and three Katusha rockets.
The suspected owner of the cache was taken into custody as well and is being held for further questioning.
Pfc. Ronald Lucier, native of Limerick, Maine and "Bloodhound" grenadier, said he is just doing his part to help rid the area of weapons.
His team echoed his thoughts.
The "Bloodhounds" said they love to search and find weapons caches and are proud to have taken this cache and many others out of the hands of criminals and will continue to search for dangerous weapons, even if they don't find any everyday.
"Sometimes we are lucky and sometimes not," Roderick said. "Today, we got lucky."
| Date Taken: | 05.29.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 06.02.2008 15:47 |
| Story ID: | 20033 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 87 |
| Downloads: | 66 |
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