Photo By Sgt. David Hodge | Iraqi citizens in the Karkh district of Baghdad use manpower to construct a store June...... read more read more
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Spc. David Hodge
1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office
FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, Iraq – Upon arriving in Baghdad, the 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment, began its 15-month deployment in central Baghdad detached from its organic brigade, the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division from Fort Hood, Texas.
Now attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, the "Straight Arrows" Battalion conducts the same mission of providing a safe and secure environment for the Iraqi citizens but in a different operating environment.
"Every Soldier in the Battalion has embraced their mission here in Baghdad with a lot of courage, dedication and motivation," said Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Williams, the senior enlisted advisor for the 4th Bn., 42nd FA Regt., attached to the 2nd BCT, 101st Abn. Div., MND-B.
Based out of Forward Operating Base Prosperity, the battalion conducts combat patrols and security operations in the south Mansour area and Karkh district directly west of the Tigris River.
"After assessing the size of the area of operation and wondering how we were going to accomplish the mission, the Straight Arrow Soldiers did what they do best and that's tighten up their boot straps and go to work," explained Williams, who hails from Atlanta. "We have done a lot in a short period of time from humanitarian missions to hauling in several high-value individuals in our area."
In the Karkh and Mansour areas the Iraqi Security Forces are very capable of providing security for their fellow Iraqi citizens, said Lt. Col. Robert Kirby, the commander of the 4th Bn., 42nd FA Regt., attached to the 2nd BCT 101st Abn. Div., MND-B.
"It's important for the ISF to have the confidence of their fellow citizens in providing security," explained Kirby, a native of Louisville, Ky. "The ISF know the people and the culture and the problems they face."
The ISF in the communities are highly trained and conduct patrols by themselves or with coalition forces, said Sgt. Bruce Eggleston, a battery intelligence noncommissioned officer from Fort Myers, Fla., assigned to Battery A, 4th Bn., 42nd FA Regt., attached to 2nd BCT, 101st Abn. Div., MND-B.
"The best thing about conducting missions with the ISF is their willingness to take the lead on many of the missions," Williams stated. "They are trying very hard to make Iraq a better and secure place to live."
The Soldiers conduct many missions with the ISF from joint security stations located across the area of operations and find them useful in conducting counter-insurgency operations, said Kirby.
"Joint Security Stations allow us to position our Soldiers among the population to better provide security and day-to-day contact with the population and our ISF counterparts," Kirby said.
Soldiers from 2nd Platoon, Battery A, "Aztec" Battery, work directly with three different Iraqi Police stations in Karkh and conduct daily dismounted patrols.
"Our platoon's mission is to train the Iraqi police to make them capable of conducting counter-insurgency operations," stated 1st Lt. Kevin Smith, 2nd Plt. Leader, Btry. A, 4th Bn., 42nd FA Regt. "They are mostly doing checkpoints and vehicle inspections, and we want to get them to conduct patrols and combat operations on their own."
At the end of June, Smith said a new IP train-the-trainer program will allow the Iraqi leaders to train entry-level policemen in areas of dismounted and mounted patrolling, car and personnel searches, and advanced marksmanship.
"Since arriving here my guys are doing great," said Smith, a native of Sacramento, Calif. "I have good NCOs that execute everything I hand down. I never have any issues at all – they take care of business."
While on patrol near the Tigris River, the Soldiers of 2nd Plt., "Strong" Platoon, Aztec Battery, encountered an Iraqi man with some information about an underwater cache.
"We were on a dismounted patrol and a local citizen notified us of an underwater cache," said Sgt. Jason Young, a field artilleryman assigned to Strong Plt., Btry. A, 4th Bn., 42nd FA Regt., attached to the 2nd BCT, 101st Abn. Div., MND-B. "The citizen showed us where the cache was, produced one of the rounds submerged in the water, and said there were many more."
In all, 340 rounds of 37 mm anti-aircraft munitions emerged from the bottom of the river June 3.
"The Iraqis that live in this area wanted to feel safer in their neighborhood so we took the initiative and seized it for them," said Young, who hails from Manassas, Va.
The Straight Arrows Battalion ultimately wants to transition all responsibility for security to the ISF, said Kirby. The battalion will also continue to assist the local government and neighborhood councils to provide services for the Iraqi people in the remaining months of their deployment.
| Date Taken: | 06.18.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 06.17.2008 18:20 |
| Story ID: | 20573 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 490 |
| Downloads: | 299 |
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