Story by: Sgt. Sean Kimmons
KIRKUK, Iraq -- Prior to Iraq's first democratic elections, Soldiers from Task Force 1-21 Infantry and their counterparts in the Iraqi Security Forces, conducted multiple security operations to ensure safety on Election Day here.
Throughout the month of January, TF 1-21 Inf. and the Kirkuk ISF carried out 12 joint operations that contributed to the capture of 89 suspected terrorists within the city.
"[TF 1-21 Inf.] took an offensive posture in order to disrupt Anti-Iraqi Force plans and attacks targeted at the elections," said Capt. Stephen Brown, assistant S3 for TF 1-21 Inf.
One of those key joint operations occurred on Jan. 28, when 21 suspected terrorists were detained in raids. The early morning operation was headed by the Iraqi Police Emergency Services Unit.
"The ISF definitely stepped up for the elections," Brown said. "The results showed [Jan. 30] when we had no complex or spectacular attacks. That was the result of a lot hard work from the Iraqis."
The ISF effectiveness was an important development for the Soldiers in TF 1-21 Inf.
"[Our] intent is for us to work the Army out of a job in the city of Kirkuk," Brown said. "The whole intent behind that is to have ISF take ownership of their city and have their people trust their local leadership."
The night before the elections, TF 1-21 Inf. and the ISF kept busy countering sporadic insurgent attacks in the fourth largest city of Iraq.
Capt. William Hampton, commander of Company B, TF 1-21 Inf., explained one such incident.
"We were calling for illumination in an area where there has been a lot of activity. In the middle of calling the illumination, we heard a burst [of gunfire] and saw the tracers going up [into the sky]," Hampton said.
Reports over the radio said that the Emergency Services Unit was under direct enemy fire. Hampton and his convoy then left their area and picked up a field-line ambulance in route to where the incident was taking place.
When Hampton's convoy rolled up to the scene, one of his company elements and an ESU team cordon and searched a house where the alleged gunner was believed to be hiding in. One man with an AK-47 was detained and questioned about the incident.
No Soldiers or ESU personnel sustained any injures in the firefight. Unfortunately, a 17-year-old girl was the only casualty and died from a stray bullet that hit her in the chest.
"She was in a house and the bullets came through the brick wall," Hampton said. "All the Soldiers and ESU fired north. [The insurgent] was the only one who fired south and that's where the fatality happened."
Sadly, civilians on the battlefield typically become the casualties in these incidents when they arise in a populated urban setting.
On another note, TF 1-21 Inf. completed several planning sessions with Iraqi emergency medical services to make sure the city would be prepared to handle a mass casualty situation, Brown said.
TF 1-21 Inf. Soldiers even provided security for the movement of election ballots to designated polling sites in the city.
"We just provided security and monitored the activity," said Sgt. Ivan A. Hernandez, a team leader with Co. B, TF 1-21 Inf. "We were secondary security, Iraqi Army was primary. We just over watched what they were doing and they did a good job."
Hernandez and his three-vehicle convoy secured the outer perimeter, while Independent Electoral Commission, Iraq (IECI) and Iraqi Army personnel delivered about 11,000 ballots to four polling sites on Jan. 28.
"I think it's cool, because we're part of history," Hernandez said about playing a role in the Iraqi elections. "Twenty-five years from now, I can look back and tell my grandchildren, "what you read about in those textbooks, I was there. I experienced it personally.""
There were a total of 131 polling sites in the city. Soldiers from Co. B, 65th Engineer Battalion emplaced force protection at 110 of those sites.
To ensure security was tight on Election Day, TF 1-21 Inf. was augmented an additional 423 Soldiers to bring the task force up to more than 1,000.
"[We] also had 1,540 Iraqi Army and 2,947 Iraqi Police operating in the city for a combined total of 5,500 personnel," Brown said.
All of that hard work and planning was worth it, as the outcome from the Kirkuk elections was better than expected, Brown said.
"It appeared to be an extremely well turnout. There were long lines at all of the [polling] sites.
"It was definitely a historic event. It all came together with all the different agencies involved," Brown said.
| Date Taken: | 02.01.2005 |
| Date Posted: | 02.01.2005 15:41 |
| Story ID: | 992 |
| Location: | KIRKUK, IQ |
| Web Views: | 26 |
| Downloads: | 11 |
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