Photo By Staff Sgt. Jon Soles | 1st Lt. Christopher Miles of Midland, Texas, a platoon leader with 1st Battalion, 7th...... read more read more
BAGHDAD — The Soldiers of Battery A, 1st Battalion, 7th Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, are trained to put artillery rounds downrange, but are instead putting boots on the ground in Baghdad to strengthen the security gains made in partnership with local Iraqi forces.
The Steel Knight Soldiers conducted a combined forces reconnaissance patrol with local Sons of Iraq members in the Mutanabi neighborhood of Baghdad, May 7, knocking on doors and greeting local Iraqis in hopes of gleaning information about security concerns and possible enemy activity in the area.
As the Steel Knights entered the muhalla, or neighborhood, they were greeted warmly by local Sons of Iraq leader, Gen. Jassim Ibrahim Abdul Razak, who invited the Soldiers into his home for hot tea and cookies. Gen. Jassim praised the devotion and professionalism of the American Soldiers.
"They all feel safe and comfortable when they see us in the road. They feel there is a connection between them and the American forces," Gen. Jassim said through an interpreter.
1st Lt. Christopher L. Miles, a platoon leader for A Battery, asked Gen. Jassim about local security needs and took down notes. Contact with both Iraqi army and SOI leaders is a part of every mission now, he said. Local Iraqis are encouraged to contact the local Iraqi army or SOI when they have information about threats to security or potential enemies, which could be a stranger no one has seen before in the area.
"A lot of what we try to do is empower our counterparts," said Miles, of Midland, Texas. "What it comes down to is we have to empower the people, that they can make a difference."
After the meeting, Gen. Jassim and the Steel Knights walked the tree-lined streets, shaking hands and knocking on doors. Most Iraqis in the neighborhood already know the Soldiers, and greeted them warmly. Two Iraqi women insisted on bringing out plates of food for the Soldiers, who shared family photos with Iraqi families. An ice cream vendor and two young girls handed out ice cream bars to the Soldiers. It hasn't always been this way, said Spc. Christopher Santos of Battery A, 1st Battalion, 7th Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division.
"A year ago, you would have never seen kids out in the streets," said Santos of Beckley, W. Va. "These days, a lot of kids will follow us, you will see them singing and clapping and following us,"
"Our mission from the time we dismounted is a combined area recon, a meet and greet, a knock and talk to interact with the local populace," Miles said. "It's a show of force to let everybody know we are still around."
The lieutenant keeps a pocket full of tip cards — cards printed with phone numbers to local Iraqi authorities. The purpose of the cards is to let local citizens know they have a hotline to call if they have security concerns or see someone suspicious in the neighborhood.
"Tip cards have been passed out for a while," Miles said. "This is something kind of new to the area and we have started to get some tips," he added.
The tip cards have already proved their usefulness, Miles said. He highlighted a recent example of how a local citizen called to let the Soldiers know about a clandestine route into the neighborhood that bypassed security checkpoints.
"That tip helped us identify that problem and we blocked it off," he said.
Though the Steel Knights are trained to rain down heavy metal on enemies in the distance, they were performing what was essentially an infantryman's job. Miles exuded pride in his Soldiers, and praised their adaptability.
"I think there is something to be said for these guys," he said. "These guys are doing something different than they were trained to do and they are doing it well."
For the Steel Knights, a day of getting hot and sweaty on the streets of Mutanabi may not have been in their original job description, but it was still a mission accomplished with skill and professionalism.
| Date Taken: | 05.07.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 05.10.2009 07:34 |
| Story ID: | 33433 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 209 |
| Downloads: | 190 |
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