Photo By Spc. Cal Turner | Spc. Andrew Hung, a native of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., a gunner with Troop A, 1st Squadron,...... read more read more
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By Spc. Chris McCann
2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI) Public Affairs
CAMP STRIKER, Iraq — Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) regularly "cruise" the roads and byways south of Baghdad, on watch for terrorist acts and improvised explosive devices.
The main highway through Iraq, known to coalition forces as Route Tampa, is a prime locatio for IEDs and other acts of terror because it is so heavily traveled by military and civilian convoys, as well as local civilian traffic.
It is patrolled almost constantly to deny terrorists the ability to harm the thousands of vehicles that travel it.
"We're allowing freedom of movement," said Sgt. Gilbert Sanchez, an infantryman with Troop C, 1-89th and a native of Bakersfield, Calif., during a patrol Feb. 16. "We're allowing people to travel with more confidence, both civilians and military. And it makes me feel good knowing we're helping the Iraqis."
On a nighttime mission Feb. 14, Spc. Andrew Snyder of Temple, Pa., a driver in the company, admitted that the job is often dull, but it's critical.
"It allows the units in the brigade to do their missions," he said. "We're doing this, so they can do that. And the fact that we do it allows everyone else – other units, or contractor convoys – to go back and forth. By keeping the routes safe, we're helping everything else go smoother."
The Soldiers patrol in shifts, traveling up and down Route Tampa, sometimes stopping to watch the traffic from an observation point. Occasionally they will break each patrol into several shifts.
"It's hard to stay alert for eight hours," said Sanchez. "Breaking it up prevents complacency."
Their vigilance pays off in IEDs found and defused before they have a chance to explode along with terrorists found before they can execute their missions.
A patrol from the squadron found a man near Tampa, Feb. 14, with a 50-pound sack of ammonium nitrate – a common ingredient in the homemade explosive mixtures that pack many of Iraq's IEDs.
He was detained.
The unit also patrols through the village of Mustafar, just off Route Tampa, where they are known by name, especially by the Iraqi children. The Soldiers check the village routinely, providing a sense of security not only on the road but also to the villagers at home.
"Everything we do is for the kids," said Sanchez. "They're the future of Iraq."
| Date Taken: | 02.19.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 02.19.2007 10:18 |
| Story ID: | 9174 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 954 |
| Downloads: | 34 |
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