Posted on 07/19/2007 3:53:42 PM PDT by mdittmar
KALSU, Iraq – As part of the ongoing operation Marne Avalanche, Paratroopers and Iraqi Security Forces conducted raids against two targets in North Babil, early July 16.
Marne Avalanche is the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division’s response to anti-government influence in North Babil and is designed to root out Sunni and Shia extremists alike.
Eight men were detained as suspects responsible for conducting improvised explosive device attacks in North Babil by Paratroopers east of Haswah during the early morning raid.
The Paratroopers of Strike Force Geronimo, the 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, conducted an air assault and captured one of the cell leaders and seven of his lieutenants.
The Paratroopers also captured a car used as a mobile IED factory, five AK47 automatic rifles, two RPK heavy machine guns with ammunition belts, four ammunition load carrying vests with magazines, two welding tanks, two sets of scales, $2,700 U.S. dollars, 1,000 Iraqi Dinar, an Iraqi police uniform and a large quantity of identification cards.
The second operation was a joint cordon and search conducted in Jabella with more than 550 Iraqi army soldiers and nearly 100 Paratroopers from the 4th BCT to root out the Jaish Al Mahdi militia, who had used a murder and intimidation campaign to terrorize the city’s populace.
The combined assault swept through the city with no resistance and re-established an Iraqi Security Force presence inside the city providing a safe and secure environment to the local people.
Ahhh, FOB Kalsu...an out-of-the-way dustbowl FOB that no one’s ever heard of that happens to have the best chow hall in Iraq (possibly excluding the Green Zone’s Prosperity DFAC). I’ve spent a total of a month operating out of there. 4-25 ABN can barely tell their collective ass from a hole in the ground, but they seemed at least halfway dedicated, I’ll give ‘em that. We did a lot of raids for them, and their AO isn’t the easiest to operate in. These are some good finds for these guys.
Well.I wouldn’t know about that,I never served.
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