Always making little improvements

Courtesy Photo | Staff Sgt. Kyle O’Leary, far left, a cavalry scout from Tehachapi, Calif., and soldiers Troop A, “Aces High,” 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, assist Pfc. Joseph Andali, far right, an infantryman from New Hide Park, N.Y., as he re-seats a picket near a combined checkpoint in Diyala province of northern Iraq, March 26. Working with the combined security forces in Diyala, soldiers of 2nd Sqdn., 14th Cav. Regt., 2nd AAB make constant improvements to the position. (U.S. Army Photo by 1st Lt. Kyle Miller)  

CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION COBRA, IRAQ

03.26.2011

Courtesy Story

2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division

By 1st Lt. Kyle Miller

CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION COBRA, Iraq – Holding a pair of pliers while leaning into a mess of concertina wire, a soldier began cutting free a picket for salvage at a checkpoint near Contingency Operation Location Cobra.

Without flinching, Pfc. Joseph Andali slid the picket out with the help of fellow soldiers. Sun burning high overhead on a hot afternoon in late March, the infantryman from New Hide Park, N.Y., pounded the post down and forced the sharp concertina wire back into place. Like clockwork, the soldiers picked up their equipment and moved toward another tangled weakness in their checkpoint defenses, leaving an organized and intimidating line in their trail.

U.S. soldiers of Troop A, 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division assumed the responsibility to assist the Iraqi Army and Kurdish Regional Guard Brigade maintain operations at combined checkpoints in June 2010.

The combined checkpoints in Diyala province of northern Iraq promote security in the region and provide a unique opportunity for the IA and RGB to work and train together, said Staff Sgt. Kyle O’Leary, a cavalry scout from Tehachapi, Calif.

Working with the combined security forces in Diyala, soldiers of 2nd Sqdn., 14th Cav. Regt., 2nd AAB followed a basic principle of soldiering: constantly improve the position.

After establishing numerous defensive improvements, such as gates, fences, walls and sandbags, the platoons manning the checkpoints found the need to improve and rebuild positions.

High winds and heavy rain altered the terrain and degraded fortified positions, said O’Leary.

The constant attention to security and protection provided an additional opportunity to teach and train the Iraqi security forces, said Staff Sgt. Darwin Phillips, a native of Angeles City, Philippines.

“We’re also trying to get the ISF involved with our battle drills and reconnaissance so they can see how we do things,” explained Phillips a cavalry scout assigned to Troop A.

Integrating the ISF into battle drills at the combined checkpoints provided an opportunity for realistic training for the tripartite forces, said Phillips.

Battle drills, pre-determined actions conducted with few orders in reaction to various circumstances, remain vital to the overall force protection posture, he added.

Phillips said a proactive approach must be used to prevent the combined security forces from becoming complacent in their day-to-day operations.

According to Capt. Thomas Burns, commander of Troop A, 2nd Sqdn., 14th Cav. Regt., U.S. Soldiers operating at the combined checkpoints vigilantly strive to improve their defensive positions and also take time to build simple amenities for the tripartite forces.

“The gyms have become more robust,” said Burns, a native of Kearny, N.J., “We’ve built [a Morale, Welfare, and Recreation] center; then there’s the [weapons] ranges themselves—training is definitely a quality of life improvement.”

Early in the squadron’s deployment, soldiers subsisted on supplies of Meal-Ready-to-Eat rations. In contrast, each checkpoint now has a small grill and a cold container to store hamburgers and hot dogs, said Burns.

Complementing the increased protection of razor wire and heavy gates, simple pump-fed showers and modest gyms enhance the soldiers’ quality of life, he said.

The small section of soldiers working along the barbed wire fence displayed knowledge and skills acquired from their experience, quickly stopping to mend broken, disorganized breaks in the perimeter.

The soldiers resourcefully salvaged damaged concertina wire and buried pickets, using available supplies on hand.

“Without anything on hand, we’re going to go through, restring and improve,” Burns said. “We identify what we’re short and keep ordering; working until we’re either out of time or supplies.”

Force protection remains an ongoing requirement necessary to mitigate the threats that U.S. Soldiers and their Iraqi counterparts face on a daily basis, said O’Leary.

The soldiers of the 2nd Sqdn., 14th Cav. Regt., 2nd AAB take this job seriously and strive to constantly improve, he said.

Holding back a strand of razor wire in his gloves, O’Leary reflected on his platoon’s accomplishments.

“It’s a constant thing,” he said. “I can’t tell you how many times we’ve been out here re-establishing our positions, making them stronger.”

• Date Taken: 03.26.2011
• Date Posted: 03.31.2011 10:38
• Story ID: 68034
• Location: CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION COBRA, IQ