By Sgt. David Hodge
1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division
FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, Iraq – Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers, partnered with Iraqi security forces, conducted a cordon and knock operation, Dec. 30, in the Rashid District of southern Baghdad.
Soldiers from Troop C, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, MND-B, inspected vacant properties and provided over watch for Iraqi national police during combined cordon and search operations to enforce the government of Iraq's Weapons-Free Policy, clearing an entire neighborhood, or muhallah, in the Abu T'shir community.
"We are conducting a muhallah clearance in Abu T'shir in response to an [improvised-explosive device] attack a couple of days ago," said Capt. Sean Tennimon, commander of Troop C "Comanche," 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div. "We are looking for weapons, explosives-making materials, and the NP are collecting AK-47 rifles, which are not authorized in Baghdad without a permit."
"Comanche" Troop Soldiers provided over watch for the ISF during the hours-long mission, frequently stopping to search and clear abandoned and unoccupied houses.
Officers and leaders of the 1st Battalion, 3rd Aburisha Brigade, attached to the 2nd NP Division, led the NP patrolmen down the streets sending small teams to the next gated entrance of houses in the southern Baghdad community.
Labeled the Aburisha Brigade, which translates into Feather Brigade, the NP, or Shurta Wadaniya, originated from Ramadi, said Tennimon, who hails from Mobile, Ala.
"The majority of them are Sunni," explained Tennimon, who went on to say the security forces have won the support of the area's predominantly Shia populace. "The people are happy with them. I think they are ready to take over security for Abu T'shir."
Only days before Iraq's security agreement begins to take shape, Tennimon said he believes Comanche's mission will not change during the transition of responsibility to the Iraqis.
"All of our patrols are combined now, so it will not be a big change for us," Tennimon stated. "We will still secure the people and do the things we normally do."
During the clearance operation, Lt. Col. Hamad Abud, deputy commander of the 1st Bn., Aburisha, enforced the weapons-free policy by confiscating AK-47 rifles from residents.
Before Baghdad's Weapons-Free Policy began, each household was authorized one AK-47 rifle and one magazine.
To legally possess the weapon, residents must obtain a permit, explained Abud.
Abud exchanged the resident's weapon for a slip of paper that contained weapon information and directions to the battalion's headquarters. He said the people will register their weapons at the headquarters, and he believes cooperation of Abu T'shir's people is vital to their mission's success.
"We cannot operate solely without the support of the citizens," Abud stated.
In the past few months, the Aburisha led the ISF during similar clearance operations, said Sgt. Jeremy Brown, cavalry scout assigned to Comanche Troop.
"Having the lead shows the citizens that the ISF are trying to better the community," Brown stated. "It's really good to see the ISF and the local citizens working out the issues on the ground."
When the Aburisha arrived in the Rashid District from Ramadi, Brown said Comanche Soldiers gave the NP an initial push to get the Iraqis started, and have since out-performed the previous NP unit by far.
"The ISF in the area have done really well ... so we let them do their job," explained Brown, a native of Killeen, Texas.
Two days before the clearance operation, terrorists detonated a homemade bomb on a street in the muhallah, which severely injured a 14-year-old Iraqi boy while he walked along the road with his mother, stated Brown, who has more than four years of service and two combat deployments to Iraq.
Brown's platoon responded to the scene and assisted Iraqi emergency response personnel. He worked with ISF in Ramadi and said he believes the NP improved significantly since 2006.
"Combined operations are like day and night compared to Ramadi," stated Brown. "They will actually go into the house and look around instead of just ask questions at the front door. I think the ISF really understand we are not going to be here forever."
According to U.S. reports, 12 AK-47 rifles were confiscated during the combined clearance mission and there were no injuries to personnel.