Photo By Staff Sgt. David Strayer | Spc. Joshua Burch, Company D, Division Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry...... read more read more
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CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq – Twenty-four hours a day the “The Shield of the Ironhorse” guards the Gates of Contingency Operating Base Speicher, protecting the men and women serving as part of Task Force Ironhorse.
Deployed in support of Operation New Dawn, soldiers of Company D, Division Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, are charged with the execution of the COB Speicher defense and force protection mission, said Capt. Wayne Stratton.
“Our job is to maintain base defenses and force protection for the COB so that the units stationed on Speicher can conduct their advise, train, and assist missions without having to worry about base security,” said Stratton, commander, Company D.
The base defense mission can be broken down into three separate operations at COB Speicher; maintaining and running the entry control point, the base reaction force, and the command staff’s personal security detail, explained Stratton.
For each facet of the base defense mission, Company D coordinates with the Base Defense Operations Center for planning, intelligence, and support, explained Stratton.
“If there are any significant events related to enemy activity or force protection, we push that information down to Company D so that they can take the appropriate actions to increase security at the entry control point and increase readiness of the base reaction force,” said Staff Sgt. Clayton Lam, BDOC non-commissioned officer, assigned to Headquarters Support Company, DSTB.
Providing the personnel and planning needed to ensure the execution of the base defense mission, soldiers of Company D, known as “The Shield of the Ironhorse,” must maintain a high level of mission readiness, situational awareness and flexibility with the mission-set, said Stratton.
The Shield of the Ironhorse conduct weapons familiarization exercises, crew drills, pre-combat checks and pre-combat inspections of equipment and weapons to remain mission ready.
“There is a lot that goes into this mission,” said Staff Sgt. Philip Hackler, non-commissioned officer in charge of the BRF. “We are a small company to begin with, so planning is a big part of making sure all the pieces are in the right place.”
The BRF has the task of ensuring the integrity of the COB perimeter, and acts as a quick reaction force should the base become the target of enemy attacks, Hackler said.
“We are on call 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week because the enemy is unpredictable, and we need to always be ready,” said Spc. John Rohrback, a cook assigned to the Company D BRF.
The BRF conducts routine patrols inside and outside the COB perimeter wire to ensure the integrity of the base and the safety of its soldiers.
The soldiers of Company D place equal importance on all parts of its mission and realize the significance of the mission at the entry control point.
“The ECP is the main avenue on and off of the COB,” said Spc. Joshua Burch, a wheeled vehicle mechanic, who serves as a gunner and driver for Company D.
“If someone with bad intentions is going to attempt to enter the COB, chances are they are not going to jump over the wire or do something crazy,” said Burch. “They are going to try to sneak through the ECP. That’s why we have to stay ready.”
Burch said Company D Soldiers remain committed in their efforts to ensure that the multi-faceted base defense mission is executed to standard, said Burch.
| Date Taken: | 03.03.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 03.23.2011 09:50 |
| Story ID: | 67589 |
| Location: | CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, IQ |
| Web Views: | 84 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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