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Joint Mission Discovers Bomb Making Materials

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Walter Van Ochten | Sgt. 1st Class Rollin Lansford and Staff Sgt. Dustin Smith of 2nd Platoon, Alpha...... read more read more

AD DAWR, IRAQ

02.26.2006

Courtesy Story

133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Sgt 1st Class Walter E. van Ochten
133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

AD DAWR, Iraq-(February 11, 2006) Iraqi and Coalition Soldiers found a stash of bomb making materials during a house search in Ad Dawr, Iraq.

Members of the 1st Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division conducted a joint-search operation with members of Alpha Troop, 2nd Squadron, 9th U.S. Cavalry attached to the Rakkasans of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, finding most of the materials needed to make improvised explosive devices.

The stash was found during a routine house-to-house search in a section of Ad Dawr that had been the site of an IED attack against Coalition Forces only the night before.

Inside an old empty water tank in the backyard, SSG Dustin Smith, of 2nd Platoon, found a number of disassembled electronic devices, the wrapping plastic from a 155mm artillery round, a blasting cap and a military optical device.

The only thing missing were the explosives.

"The reason today was so successful is having Soldiers like Sergeant Smith who know what to look for," said Patrol Leader, Sgt. 1st Class Rollin Lansford.

At first, the man who lived at the house tried to explain the items as things he used for fishing, but stopped talking once asked about the optical device.

According to Lansford, this was a good bust because he had never seen either the man or the house on any suspect list.

"We didn't have any intelligence that this guy was suspicious in any way" said Lansford.

The suspect was taken to nearby Forward Operating Base Wilson for further questioning about the materials.

This house was only the third of twenty houses the Soldiers would search that day. As the man was taken away, Lansford and his Soldiers moved on to search the next house.