Task Force Bandit manuevers through Iraqi streets

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class David Chapman | After hours of attention and preparation from the members of Task Force Bandit, the team's vehicles are ready to face the challenges associated with leaving LSA Anaconda.  

04.28.2006

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Idling engines rumble in the background as Soldiers gather for one last briefing from the combat logistics patrol commander. The commander issues warnings about the enemy awaiting them outside the safe confines of Logistical Support Area Anaconda. He reaffirms what the Soldiers already know - there are people waiting outside the wire who want to kill them. But with the words of warning also come words of encouragement as the Soldiers shake each other's hands and make their way to their trucks. The trucks maneuver through the streets of Anaconda and out onto the challenging roads of Iraq.

Task Force Bandit, formally Task Force Warrior, is a team of 3rd Corps Support Command Soldiers trained to roam the roads of Iraq and conduct a variety of missions.

While they may spend several nights a week providing additional perimeter security on LSA Anaconda from outside-the-wire positions, the branded "Bandit" trucks may also be seen escorting a command combat logistics patrol to Baghdad. They are trained to be flexible, adjust fire and attack the range of missions thrown at any combat task force.

The Soldiers of TF Bandit began their deployment mission as water treatment specialists, administration specialists, food service specialists and a variety of other support oriented positions. A majority of the men volunteered for the assignment and some were hand selected, but none regret the choice they made to perform such a dangerous task.

A combination of camaraderie and pride are what make this team come together and work efficiently on the road. For those Soldiers on the team who wanted more excitement from their tour in Iraq this job was exactly what they were looking for.

"I'm a 92G [food service specialist] and I did not want to sit around a cafeteria," said Spc. Bryan Larson. "I volunteered after one of the team's gunners was injured when they got hit by a vehicle born improvised explosive device."

"I was in the fusion cell for six months, going there day after day as an ammunition specialist and it became monotonous," said Staff Sgt. Joshua Grimes, armored security vehicle (ASV) driver. "Now I'm getting to go out on the road, seeing Iraq and not stuck here behind the fence."

The roads crisscrossing Iraq have improvised explosive devices scattered around, and insurgents using vehicle born IEDs and small-arms fire. TF Bandit has encountered both types of attacks.

"We were hit by a woman who drove a VBIED into our lead vehicle, we had one Soldier who received a purple heart from that attack" said Sgt. 1st Class Craig Madden, a truck commander.

"Then we were hit by an IED buried in the ground, this one was close. We were lucky the insurgent who buried it made a mistake because it blew straight up and it didn't hurt anyone. It was a big explosion and we just roared through it," Madden said.

Remarkably, with the dangers that can plague the team, there are few fears among them.

"I don't think it is that scary out there at all," said Staff Sgt. Jake Germain, an ASV truck commander.

"The biggest fear out on the road is the not knowing what might be around the corner," said Spc. Michael Matusiak. "If you are not worried about getting hit then something is wrong with you."

"Our first mission together we got hit, there was no avoiding what happened," said Staff Sgt. Thomas Scales, a truck commander and gunner. "We just have to learn from it, and we have all come closer together because of it."

A by product of fear and danger is bonding. When a team has to work and live together they develop a special relationship that only people in combat can really understand.

"The bond between these guys is special," Germain said. "I was cross-leveled from another unit, so when I came here I did not know anyone. But I found that they are all just like a family."

When the team is not on the road traveling to various forward operating bases around Iraq they carry on much the same as any section on LSA Anaconda.

The guys all work-out, go to movies, eat and work together. Spending so much time together allows the Soldiers to understand how their teammates think and act.

"The unit cohesion is the best part of working with this team," Scales said. "Knowing you can trust your brother to the right and left of you no matter what the rank."

"The NCOs are great and the team members take care of each other," said Pfc. Alexander Muschek, who drives or is the gunner for any of the task force vehicles that need him. "You know that you are never left alone."

With this level of cohesion comes the ability to function as team and operate as one so that each mission can be completed safely. The team's ability to operate efficiently can be attributed to its leadership and the members themselves.

"I handle the guys with loose reigns. I empower my NCOs," said Master Sgt. Scott Shank, the task force's noncommissioned officer in charge and a truck commander. "From the outside I'm sure we look pretty chaotic, but once the guys get in their trucks they are professional and get the mission done."

"They have this job down to a science," Grimes said. "If you didn't know everyone's MOS [military occupational specialty], you would think they were all combat arms. They are precise."

When the missions are completed and the trucks return to LSA Anaconda safely, the members of TF Bandit can rest assured that they have done what they are trained to do to, illustrating their purpose and dedication to their fellow Soldiers throughout Iraq.

• Date Taken: 04.28.2006
• Date Posted: 04.28.2006 12:36
• Story ID: 6171