Gators discover large weapons cache

Multi-National Corps Iraq Public Affairs
Courtesy Story

Date: 11.21.2006
Posted: 11.21.2006 16:22
News ID: 8353
Weapons Cache

By Sgt. Nathan Ryno
1st Bn., 22nd Inf. Public Affairs

BAGHDAD (Nov. 21, 2006) - While conducting a combat patrol, units from Multi-National Division - Baghdad, discovered a large weapons cache. The cache was discovered in a location known as a haven for insurgent activity.

"We have found caches in this area before," said Staff Sgt. Rodney London, a squad leader in 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. "It just goes to show that the enemy will come back to the same location after we have unearthed previous caches."

On this day, the patrol unearthed three 155mm artillery rounds, three 130mm artillery rounds, five 120mm mortar rounds, five 120mm artillery rounds, nine 82mm mortar rounds, four 100-round machinegun ammunition belts, four rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) rounds, ten RPG boosters, eight anti-aircraft rocket launchers, two machineguns, 5,000 7.62mm rounds of ammunition, four homemade improvised explosive device detonators, four 80mm mortar tubes, three 73mm rockets, eight anti-aircraft guns and other materials used for fabricating IEDs.

Soldiers from Company A, known as the "Gators," have shown the ability to find large caches. With the size of the weapons found in this particular cache, the Gators are proud of their discovery.

"This cache really showed us what we are fighting for," said Spc. Matthew Neel, and infantryman with the company. "All of these weapons could have caused terror, now they have been destroyed. We did a really good job."