The Road to Change: Personal Security Detachment in Iraq

Courtesy Photo | Staff Sgt. Celino from the turret.  

IRAQ

03.04.2009

Courtesy Story

555th Engineer Brigade

By 1st Lt. Bryan Coward
Fire Suppot Coordination, 14th Engineer Battalion

One of the first lessons any Operation Iraqi Freedom soldier will share with you is the fact that change is one the few constants in Iraq. This is truer now than ever as Operation Iraqi Freedom nears its sixth year. As the operational environment changes more and more from open combat to peacekeeping, U.S. forces face the task of adapting and training to meet the new challenges that accompany a more peaceful Iraq.

Every day hundreds of U.S. patrols move across thousands of miles of Iraqi territory. These same patrol leaders face a difficult operation; find new ways to accommodate the Iraqi populace while still protecting their soldiers and accomplishing the mission. The 14th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade's Personal Security Detachment faced this exact same challenge.

When the PSD first hit the roads of Iraq in April of 2008 with the mission of escorting the 14th Engineer Battalion Commander around the area of operations, the rules were just beginning to change. Not long ago, gunners were asked to keep all Iraqi vehicles away from U.S. patrols at all costs. For months leading up to the deployment, the gunners of PSD were drilled time and time again to utilize their escalation of force training to keep Iraqi vehicles at bay or else. Soon the order arrived to remove the infamous sign, "Danger! Stay Back 100 m or You Will be Shot!" Following orders from their superiors, the soldiers of PSD also began sharing the road with the Iraqis; this meant allowing drivers to stay on the roads, and even pass the patrol.

The Soldiers of the PSD soon realized that the Army's vision of "adaptable, flexible and competent" warriors was more than just a TV commercial. Spc. Jared Balela of Lacey, Wash., serving in his second deployment to Iraq expressed the frustrations and shared his thoughts on sharing the road, "it may not always be easy, but it's something we have to do if we want give control of Iraq back to the Iraqis." For many veterans of previous OIF deployments, such as Spc. Balela, the new tactics associated with the "return to normalcy" were difficult to adjust to. For reasons such as these, it becomes imperative for leaders to convey not only the reasoning behind such changes, but also the positive impacts of implementing them properly.

Even as the PSD logged over 16,000 miles in combat patrols across the country, the training of its soldiers never ceased. However, the complexity of balancing convoy security with the newly earned freedom of Iraqi drivers made the training hard to integrate with previously learned lessons. "The changes we've made on the road contradict the EoF procedures our soldiers are trained to follow," said PSD platoon sergeant Staff Sgt. Martin Celino of Madison, Wis.

Despite all the changes and adversity confronting the PSD, the patrol managed to accomplish its mission without incident or accident through its first seven months in theater. One does not have to look far in Iraq to find the reason behind the success of late; the same Soldiers whose aggressive actions fought back the insurgents, now use patience and flexibility to overcome new challenges.

• Date Taken: 03.04.2009
• Date Posted: 03.04.2009 03:18
• Story ID: 30711
• Location: IQ