Photo By Master Sgt. Kevin Doheny | Spc. Edgar Solis, Bravo Company, 1st Special Troops Battalion, gives 'glow sticks' to...... read more read more
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By Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Doheny
1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division
TIKRIT, Iraq — Since the Vietnam War era the air assault has been used to surprise enemy combatants with the primary objective of killing or capturing them.
The thumping sound of thousands of helicopters combat-loaded with troops descending from the sky delivers a tremendous shock to the enemy.
For commanders in Iraq today the focus still remains killing or capturing the enemy during air assault operations, however, there is more to consider.
Whether it is the 65-year-old woman sleeping on a mattress in the front yard or the 7-year-old boy silently sleeping in the bed beside her, air assault troops must bring more tact to the fight while closing in on the enemy.
During a recent air assault operation, Oct. 6, 2008, Soldiers of Bravo Company, 1st Special Troops Battalion closed in on the enemy during Operation Marathon. During the operation though, it wasn't what these Soldiers did while sweeping the village for al-Qaida fighters, it was their actions after that made the difference.
"It wasn't too surprising that once we isolated the objective and identified there were no hostiles, the villagers would be very inviting," said Capt. Brian Hayes, Bravo Company commander. "In fact, the children were unusually well behaved. The family was very nice and even asked that if coalition forces return to the village, that they wanted our company to be the ones to come back."
According to the Task Force Spartan commander, Lt. Col. Rick Rhyne, it was imperative that his Soldiers adhere to the people's needs and treat them with dignity and respect. He said that mishandling civilians on the battlefield can create more animosity towards coalition forces.
"We are going to this objective to search for two terrorists," Rhyne said during a pre-mission briefing to his Soldiers. "Let's not create more by mistreating good people."
The Spartan Soldiers air assaulted to a small fishing village on the eastern shore of Lake Tharthar with the intent of showing a presence in an area several miles away from their headquarters near Tikrit.
The ability of the air assault allows for Task Force Spartan Soldiers to "drop by" on anyone, anytime, at the location of their choosing; yet the "Stalker" Soldiers of Bravo Company are not your typical air assault force. The company is primarily responsible for handling a vast majority of the Bastogne Brigade's intelligence functions.
In preparation for the operation the company conducted a two-week train up where they trained in close-quarter combat; platoon, squad and team level tasks; and also practiced on proper air assault techniques.
"We had a vigorous and quick train-up," said Hayes, "but we are dealing with smart Soldiers that pick up things quick, so we were able to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time."
According to Hayes, this operation showed the flexibility of his Soldiers. He said that intelligence Soldiers are often in harm's way conducting their technical skills, but this operation should further their comprehension of the counter-insurgency fight.
"These Soldiers, from the intelligence analyst to the UAV operator to the supply clerk, now have a detailed understanding of what it takes to plan and execute an operation," said Hayes.
"The perspective of executing this mission will help intelligence professionals to understand how to provide better support to the war fighter by actually seeing the ground," said 1st Lt. Dezi King, platoon leader. "Seeing the ground and planning this mission allows both intelligence leaders and Soldiers know what assistance is needed and what intelligence gaps need to be filled without them being requested."
Hayes said that most of his Soldiers have been out in sector and have had interactions with Iraqi civilians before. This experience in dealing with the Iraqi culture benefited them once the initial assault was conducted.
His first sergeant agreed.
"It will prove valuable that they have seen the other side of the Iraqi people," said 1st Sgt. Dean Buzbee, Bravo Company." Most Soldiers of our Soldier have been exposed only to the Iraqis they read about in significant activities and intelligence reports. It's easy to forget that those are such a small percentage of Iraqis."
Buzbee said the operation was a success because of the level of competency of his Soldiers and the way they treated the people in the village.
"The people really wanted to cooperate with us because our continued presence has had a positive influence on their village," said Buzbee. "It's important for all Soldiers to remember that many Iraqis are just normal people trying to get on with their lives."
| Date Taken: | 10.14.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 10.14.2008 14:08 |
| Story ID: | 24972 |
| Location: | TIKRIT, IQ |
| Web Views: | 349 |
| Downloads: | 297 |
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