Iraqi Army, Paratroopers working together

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Marcus Butler | A paratrooper from Company C, 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment (Airborne), 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, hands a toy to a little child during a dismounted patrol in a town in South Baghdad. Photo by Sgt. Marcus Butler, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

11.28.2006

Courtesy Story

2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division Public Affairs

By Sgt. Marcus Butler
4th BCT (Airborne), 25th Inf. Div.

BAGHDAD - Working side-by-side, members of an Iraqi scout platoon from 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division and Paratroopers from Company C, 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, conducted a dismounted patrol of a neighborhood south of Baghdad Nov. 24.

The mission for this combined force consisted of conducting a reconnaissance and monitoring a local mosque to determine the activity in the area.

First, a reconnaissance of a specific location is conducted to provide better intelligence for the force operating in the charge that area, explained 2nd Lt. Eric Rudberg, Company C, 1-40 Cavalry Regiment (ABN).

"With this operation between ourselves and the Iraqi Army, we are getting to know how they (Iraqis) operate," he said. "We are getting familiar with our surroundings, as well as getting to know the local population."

Going step for step with their Iraqi counterparts, the paratroopers from Company C were more than happy to have their host nation's military members by their sides.

"The Iraqi soldiers were defiantly an asset to our mission," Rudberg said. "They were able to go right up to the local population and ask them things that were prudent to our mission success."

While on patrol, many of the paratroopers would interact with the local people by shaking hands, passing out candy and toys and waving.

"One of our priorities here in Iraq is to show that the coalition forces are not here to harm anyone, but that we are here to help build a more secure area for their families," said Rudberg.

Messages from the local mosque gives the people of the area an update on current events, often swaying them in one direction or another, added Rudberg.

"It is vital to our mission [to know what is being said to the people], because it is like our weekly news about that area," he said. "It lets us find out what the local populous is thinking ... what is going on with them."

Rudberg lauded the joint effort with the Iraqi Army following the patrol.

"With the help from the Iraqi Army, our mission was a successful one," Rudberg said. "We plan on having many successful missions to follow."

• Date Taken: 11.28.2006
• Date Posted: 11.29.2006 11:26
• Story ID: 8418
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ