3rd Combat Aviation Brigade
CAMP STRIKER, Iraq – Marne Thunderbolt is the latest in a series of combat operations by Multi-National Division - Center, focused on pursuing the enemy and clearing al-Qaida safehavens southeast of Baghdad.
Helicopters from 1st Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, are striking insurgents on a regular basis during Operation Marne Thunderbolt.
Meanwhile on the ground, troops from 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Inf. Div. are working with Iraqi security forces in the area to keep pressure on the enemy as patrol bases are built and security is restored.
The Apaches have relentlessly pursued the enemy in the area since early January, said Lt. Col. Robert Wilson, executive officer, 3rd CAB.
"We've been conducting detailed zone reconnaissance and intelligence-driven engagements to set the conditions for follow-on operations in support of Marne Thunderbolt and Phantom Phoenix," Wilson said.
Wilson said the Apaches' effectiveness comes from the fact that they are not bound by a two-dimensional battlefield.
"We allow the commanding general and all his subordinate commanders to get inside the enemy's decision cycle, timeline and even his sanctuaries while minimizing the risk to friendly forces and capitalizing on the vulnerabilities of the enemies of the Iraqi people," Wilson said.
Operation Marne Thunderbolt is a part of Operation Phantom Phoenix, an overarching operation to defeat extremism throughout all of Iraq.