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By Sgt. James Hunter
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division
BAGHDAD – Nine months into their deployment, the Soldiers of Company C "Chaos," 1st Squadron, 75th Cavalry Regiment, are continuing their fight against insurgent forces in northern Ghazaliyah in their persistent fight to bring security and economic stability to the region.
The streets are continuously crowded with vehicles bumper to bumper trying to pass through the seemingly endless stretch of Iraqi army checkpoints. However, this is not an awful thing. It insists the Iraqi army is doing their job, with the help and supervision from American troops. They are working to keep weapons and explosive devices from entering, or possibly exiting, the northern Ghazaliyah area and keeping the men, women and children living within safe at all means necessary.
The signs of security are everywhere. Soccer fields are littered with energetic children. Even a concession stand, stocked with myriad goods of cola, potato chips and numerous chocolate bars, sits at one field where nearly five different games played on into the hot summer day. One can only imagine how many dream of playing nationally for their native country.
Enemy activity is continually decreasing, especially after the heavy fighting in March when Iraqi army checkpoints came under enemy fire.
The Chaos troops were sent in to reinforce the Iraqi soldiers and found themselves in a heavy stand-off with the enemy.
Ultimately, they fired on the enemy as the enemy fired upon them. They, partnered with the Iraqi security forces at checkpoints, stood strong and held off the enemy push.
After just a few days, the madness ended and life carried on within the community.
One thing the Chaos troops realized from this situation is the need for man power patrolling the muhallahs of Jouadine, Ramaniyah and Katieb. They needed more support from the Iraqi army, and that is what they got. Iraqi army soldiers from the 4th Company, 2nd Battalion, 22nd Brigade, 6th Iraqi army division, partnered with them and began patrolling on a constant basis throughout the various muhallahs.
There were many reports of improvised explosive devices and explosively formed projectiles within the muhallahs.
"It got to the point where [the enemy] pretty much controlled the neighborhood for an extended period of time," said 1st Lt. Tyler Deviese, a native of Charlottesville, Va., platoon leader for 1st Platoon, Co. C, 1st Sqdn. 75th Cav. Regt.
To fix the problem the ISF and CF decided a full-scale operation was needed to clear Shulla – just to the north – and Jouadine, Ramaniyah and Katieb, otherwise known as the JRK, or "jerk." The IA lead, as they cleared Shulla for weapons and known criminals.
It all kicked off within the JRK when the Iraqi army assaulted the Office of Muqtada al-Sadr. Though they met resistance and a few problems during the assault, the Iraqi Army was able to take the OMS building, along with an ice factory and other key objectives, said Deviese.
Simultaneously, American troops cordoned off Shulla and the JRK, and for nearly two days they met enemy resistance.
The fighting would cease though, just as al-Sadr sent out a declaration for his fighters to stop, said Deviese. With that, many top Special Groups leadership within Shulla and the JRK fled the area.
Since then, life in Ghazaliyah has carried on and returned to "normal" for the most part. However, though things have quieted down, there is no change is the way the Soldiers operate. There are still Special Groups criminals believed to be in muhallahs, remaining a concern to the troops and the local citizens.
With the ISF, the company continues to work with the population, sweep across fields for possible enemy caches and search vehicles at various checkpoints within the muhallahs.
They continue to gather as much information on the whereabouts of these criminals, where they are stashing their weapons and any information they can learn in regards to their tactics and future plans.
It is key, with the top-tier leadership gone, to go after their weapons caches and build as much information about these men as possible, said Deviese.
"With a lot of the [criminals] gone, a lot of people are becoming more comfortable talking about them," Deviese said. "Since these dudes have left we have been passing out our phone numbers. We haven't done anything much different, but now there are people on the streets past 10 o'clock. They are going to the markets, they aren't as afraid to take micro-grant applications from us, they aren't as afraid to talk to us."
"We are finding a lot more people are calling us and saying this guy is responsible for this," Deviese continued. "That allows us to focus our targeting on them and get enough reporting on them so when they do come back we can grab them."
The general idea with any counter-insurgency is to win over the populace, said Deviese. Special Group criminals promise many things to the people, one being essential services, but there is the criminal side to them that conducts the attacks, threatens the people and steals their money.
"With these guys gone we have to step up and say 'hey we're a better fit than they are,'" Deviese said. "At least on a day-to-day basis I don't see them providing essential services. I think that was one of their founding features. That's what they were supposed to do; provide for the people. Now it's to the point where they are desperate."
Like any gang in America, they have a figure head, they have weapons, and believe they can do as they please, but eventually when they get outnumbered and people start standing up for themselves they have no chance, said Deviese.
"We saw that with al-Qaida," he added.
So the time is now for these troops who operate daily in northern Ghazaliyah to continue to push projects and micro-grants into the community.
According to Sgt. Victor Faggiano, a native of Machester, N.H., though they are determined in assisting with the building of the Iraqi security forces and in securing the JRK, they are simultaneously helping the local populace with rejuvenating the economy.
They are trying to get a trash clean-up project in Katieb, and put some solar lights along one route and a market area, said Deviese. They are working on building a medical clinic in Katieb, and working on a soccer field for the children to enjoy.
These are things they simply want to accomplish, but the most they can do is propose these projects and hope they get approved.
"I can't necessarily control how much power Katieb gets. It's just not my realm of responsibility," said Deviese. "As many times as I go to the substation and say what... is going on, they're given a certain amount power that they're to allot each location."
The Soldiers will do as much as they can.
They are continuing to push micro-grant applications into the community to help the local businesses.
"Basically we have two focus areas; one being the market in Ramaniyah; that's a cross over point from Shulla. If we can get those markets to increase their business that will be good," said Deviese.
Another market by a critical checkpoint between Katieb and Jouadine is another focus area, said Deviese.
"We are trying to build up internet cafes, restaurants, anything that can really benefit the community," Deviese said. "People are pretty open to it."
One man in northern Ghazaliyah owns a weightlifting gym, with three employees and in dire need of better equipment.
He needs the grant to attract more customers, get better equipment and attract younger Iraqi men in hopes he will keep them away from the criminals recruiting in the streets.
In the meantime, the troops must remain vigilant, and steer away from becoming complacent as they continue their fight for the remainder of the deployment.
"It's almost hard to maintain an aggressive posture when it's quiet, because you don't expect things to happen," said Deviese. "But when you let your guard down they are going to notice that. These guys are smarter than we give them credit for. They still have guys here who are still watching our movements."
| Date Taken: | 07.16.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 07.16.2008 14:06 |
| Story ID: | 21550 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 253 |
| Downloads: | 177 |
This work, Troops continue mission in northern Ghazaliyah, by SSG James Hunter, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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