Photo By Cpl. M. M. Bravo | Cpl. Corey D. Stewart, from Greenville, Ohio, a vehicle commander with 4th squad,...... read more read more
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SAHL SINJAR AIRFIELD, Iraq — The sun had barely peaked over the horizon as a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle, affectionately known as the Battle Wagon, and more than 30 other vehicles carrying Marines, civilian contractors, and one interpreter, rolled out of Al Asad early Sunday morning, Feb. 8.
The Marines of 4th squad, Security Company, Combat Logistics Battalion 2, were headed north through the sands of Iraq to Sahl Sinjar on a seven-day convoy to deliver supplies to Marines operating on the isolated region of Iraq's Ninewa province. This was the longest convoy 4th squad has conducted since they arrived in country in September 2008.
Sahl Sinjar Airfield is tucked away in a remote corner of Iraq near the Iraqi border of Syria. After dropping off supplies in Sahl Sinjar, they continued to escort the civilian truck drivers back to Al Asad and immediately headed further south to Camp Al Taqaddum to continue the mission.
Sgt. Roger D. Rice, the 4th squad convoy commander, said that since August 2008 when they arrived in Al Asad, Security Company has made the convoy to Sahl Sinjar five times, but this was the longest in both distance and time spent in the Iraqi countryside.
"The overall length of the trip is unusual," Rice explained. "For seven days [we] retrograded tanks from [Al Asad to] here, to TQ. It's the longest run the battalion has done. Assets were needed to be brought up [to Sahl Sinjar] that weren't available in AO [Area of Operation] North, only in the West and East."
"They had a need up here and CLB-2 had the assets to deliver and were still able to carry on their mission back in Al Asad," Rice continued.
Master Sgt. Todd S. Chamberlin, the staff non-commissioned officer-in-charge of CLB-2 in Sahl Sinjar, explained the logistics unit's current role in the area.
"Our mission is to provide support for surrounding units," Chamberlin said.
The majority of units CLB-2 supports are infantry units who work hand-in-hand with the Iraqi army and Iraqi police forces. Their support includes convoy operations, security, and providing logistical support to various command operating posts nearby.
"The ultimate goal is turning the control of Iraq over to the Iraqi police and Iraqi army," said Chamberlin.
Chamberlin discussed the positive outcome of the significant decrease in insurgent attacks.
"The quiet state we're in shows how far we've come and how far the Iraqi army has come," he said.
Sgt. Daniel L. Moore, a squad leader for Military Police Company, CLB-2, said his team provides security for the entire airfield, which includes going into surrounding villages to conduct foot patrols.
"The fact that we can reach out to the villages shows presence to the local population," he said. "It's been quiet for a while but we are 100 percent ready if anything were to go wrong."
The trip to Sahl Sinjar was a successful operation due to the consistency of the Marines of Security Company. Rice said his Marines prepared well for the trip and did an excellent job despite the hardships and stress of a long convoy through a combat environment.
"It's really hard on the Marines, spending eight to 10 hours a day in the truck," Rice said. "It's hard on your body and after seven days, you're exhausted. [But] they know it's going to be a long run."
Rice said traveling into a different AO is a huge deal. The atmosphere and the terrain are different, which causes the Marines to be extra alert and constantly aware of their surroundings.
"You're not completely in the dark but you don't know what to expect," he said. "There's always a higher risk traveling into unknown areas."
Rice explained that by running convoys so much in their own AO, they learn the terrain, the traffic, the people, and even where garbage cans might be placed.
"They trust us to travel a lot of miles with millions of dollars in assets, to go into an AO we've only been in once. I think CLB-2 puts a lot of trust in us."
For more information on the ongoing mission in Iraq's Al Anbar province, visit www.iimefpublic.usmc.mil/iimeffwd
| Date Taken: | 02.08.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 02.24.2009 16:42 |
| Story ID: | 30402 |
| Location: | SAHL SINJAR AIRFIELD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 267 |
| Downloads: | 147 |
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