BAGHDAD --As the sun begins to set, beckoning another Baghdad night, the rumbling sounds of armored vehicles resonate from a small patrol base south of the Iraqi capital.
The mission is underway for Soldiers from 1st Platoon, Battery B, 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment, currently attached to the 4th Infantry Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team, deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Recently reassigned to a new area of operations, "Bear" Battery, accustomed to patrolling densely populated areas in southern Baghdad, finds its Soldiers patrolling through rural, open fields and searching through farmlands for hidden weapons caches.
The Soldiers who man the guard towers and patrol the area daily live in austere conditions, yet some refer to the patrol base as their second home.
"Up until about three weeks ago, we were primarily doing patrols all throughout Baghdad," said Staff Sgt. Richard Butler, squad leader, Btry. B, 4th Bn., 27th FA.
According to Butler, a native of Beaumont, Texas, the platoon conducted mounted and dismounted patrols, route clearance security and responded to hostile activity while patrolling the streets of downtown Baghdad.
"Everybody in this unit has seen enemy contact," Butler explained. "It's something that happens all the time. You can't expect to go out and not get attacked; you have to be ready all the time."
Butler and his troops have many stories about their time on the streets of the Iraqi capital.
Spc. Steven Schaefer, gunner, Btry. B, 4th Bn., 27th FA, said he and his fellow Soldiers have seen improvised-explosive devices and have been attacked with small-arms fire while working in their new area of operations.
Even though the mission for Battery B has changed, Schaefer, a native of Youngstown, Ohio, said he remains ready, and that he and the Soldiers from his unit will not be complacent.
The day started like most days for the Soldiers of "Bear" Battery. The field artillery unit, working as a motorized infantry platoon, awakened early for mission briefings.
Capt. Kirill Tsekanoeskiy, platoon leader, 2nd Platoon, briefed his Soldiers with detailed diagrams on the mission at hand.
His platoon sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Deoraj Baldeo, sent the Soldiers to get some rest and to prepare their equipment for the mission.
"The mission we will be conducting today is called operation Bear Hunt," Tsekanoeskiy, a native of Ukraine, said to his Soldiers.
"It's going to be a hot one out there," echoed Baldeo after his platoon leader, ordering his Soldiers to drink water.
The Soldiers from 2nd Platoon searched for weapons caches in southern Baghdad. The enemy hides the weapons in many small places, and the search area is vast.
According to Tsekanoeskiy, often Soldiers cannot get information about these hiding spots from the people in the area because the terrorists intimidate the people.
"This mission won't be easy," he said.
The platoon met with a small team of Iraqi National Police, and as the last hours of daylight began to subside over the Baghdad horizon, the troops and their Iraqi counterparts were already on the objective, searching through the farmlands for anything out of the ordinary.
The Soldiers identified numerous possible hiding spots for weapons, but by the end of the day, they had found no caches.
The mission is still important to the Soldiers of Bear Battery; their attitudes toward the task at hand were a reflection upon their commitment to its success.
"Everybody in this unit works hard and loves what they're doing," said Sgt. Chris Myers, team leader, 2nd Platoon, Btry. B, a native of Littleton, Colo. "Regardless of whether or not we actually find something, we are still making a difference, because we are out there doing our jobs."
Walking back to his M1114 Up-Armored High Mobility Multi-Wheeled Vehicle, sweat dripping from his brow, Butler expressed frustration, but remained optimistic about the days to come.
This is only the first day of the mission, he explained. Tomorrow is another day, he said.
The 26-year-old squad leader, who has not spent a birthday with his wife since 2001, is commonly asked why he does what he does and why he risks his life everyday.
His response is simple "I love what I do," he said.
| Date Taken: |
06.08.2006 |
| Date Posted: |
06.08.2006 10:35 |
| Story ID: |
6727 |
| Location: |
BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: |
708 |
| Downloads: |
167 |
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