Clearing Jalula one neighborhood at a time

Photo By Sgt. Adrian Muehe | Staff Sergeant Kevin Perkins, of Dothan, Ala., and a squad leader for mortar platoon, Crazyhorse Troop, 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, observes the area from a Stryker vehicle during operation Jalula Peacemaker, June 20.  

DIYALA, IRAQ

06.28.2010

Story by Pfc. Adrian Muehe 

1-2 SBCT, 7th Infantry Division

DIYALA, Iraq — “We have had strangers come into Jalula,” said Iraqi Police Maj. Mahmood Mahdi Yahia, commander of the 8th ERF. “They have been chased out of other cities by our forces and now they are here.”

In direct response to a series of attacks against U.S. forces in Jalula, Iraq, the Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police in the area started Operation Jalula Peacemaker, a series of clearing operations in specific neighborhoods.

Assisting and advising the 8th Emergency Reaction Force and the 3rd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division are Soldiers from mortar platoon, Crazyhorse Troop, 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, who accompanied them on their fourth mission of the operation on June 20.
While conducting searches of specific areas of the city, the IA and ERF speak with community members, asking for their assistance in finding people of interest said Maj. Mahmood.

“People are scared,” said Maj. Mahmood. “They are afraid of these terrorists and it is comforting for them to see us doing these missions.”

As the IA and ERF searched houses to clear their objective, the Soldiers of Mortar platoon established an outer cordon with their Stryker vehicles to choke off the selected neighborhood from the main roads. They would only dismount to help their Iraqi counterparts if they were requested to do so.

“This was all their idea, their plan,” said Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy Hare, who hails from Spokane, Wash., and is the mortar platoon sergeant. “Our role is to mainly advise and assist and provide a Quick Reaction Force in case they need us.”

So far, the ISF have not requested for the Crazyhorse Troop Soldiers to dismount and physically help them search the buildings of the city. It has become routine for Iraqis to take the lead as U.S. Forces throughout the country transition into advise and assist roles, said Staff Sgt. Kevin Perkins, of Dothan, Ala., and a squad leader for mortar platoon.

“We really don’t do patrols with them anymore,” said Staff Sgt. Perkins. “We don’t do anything unless they request us to.”

The partnership has significantly evolved during the past four months. The Soldiers of 1/14th Cav. initially started this relationship as trainers and have watched their progress mature to a point where they now serve as advisors and provide assistance when requested, said Sgt. 1st Class Hare.

“Before [four months ago] they didn’t come to us with many ideas and we had to kind of plant ideas in their heads on what they should do,” said Sgt. 1st Class Hare. “Now they’re coming up with more ideas and we just help advise their plan.”

The Soldiers of 1/14th Cav. will soon be leaving Iraq with the rest of 3 SBCT, 2nd ID, to be replaced by elements of 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, an advise and assist brigade.

“What we are doing here is to prepare them for their next partners [2 SBCT, 25th ID],” said 2nd Lt. Jan Dudzinski, of Hightstown, N.J., and the mortar platoon leader. “They will be working with them once a week as opposed to every day like we have.”

As the Soldiers of Crazyhorse Troop wind down their deployment with this QRF role in Operation Jalula Peacemaker, they can look back at their deployment and feel pleased with the progress they have watched their ISF partners make.

“I have no complaints,” said Sgt. 1st Class Hare. “They are doing a lot better than they used to. So far there haven’t been any issues that I’ve seen.”

• Date Taken: 06.28.2010
• Date Posted: 06.28.2010 05:31
• Story ID: 52057
• Location: DIYALA, IQ