| Travelling through the streets and alleys of Sadr City, U.S. troops search for signs of terrorist groups, and get acquainted with the neighborhoods. |
| By U.S. Army Spc. Ben Brody 2nd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs |
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| SADR CITY, Iraq, Aug. 24, 2005 - U.S. and Iraqi Army soldiers now patrol Sadr City, and the result is safer streets in what was once a hotly-contested area. After a change in their area of operations, troops from Company B, 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division got to know their new neighborhood during a recent patrol. "It's a lot of work, getting to know a new sector - we gather intel on terrorist operations, assess how receptive the locals are to our presence and develop informants," said U.S. Army 1st Lt. Jason Schwab, platoon leader. "We try and impress upon them that it's in their best interest to help us, because the people who kidnap and extort them are the same ones planting bombs in the roads." During the patrol, Schwab stopped at the Al-Kanasa Police Station and spoke with a warrant officer about the neighborhood. "The people we talk to in the neighborhood have been pretty helpful and want things to get better in Sadr," said U.S. Army Sgt. Lee Minyard. "They're starting to realize we're here to help them." Minyard pulled security throughout the patrol, which took the dismounted infantrymen through the streets and alleys of Sadr.
"We tell people that it's up to them to make a difference in their communities," said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Brisley, a section leader. "They're so used to relying on one leader to make all the decisions, but they're gradually taking the initiative." Along Sadr's dusty streets, Brisley remarked that the streets had rivers of sewage running through them six months ago. "People see the improvements, and it makes them happier to see us (now) than they were when we (first) arrived in Iraq," said Brisley. Soldiers stopped at a high school to assess its condition and to see if terrorists were storing weapons inside. Finding the school clear, Schwab spoke to the principal about terrorist groups in the area. "Building a rapport with influential people here is the best thing we can do right now," Schwab said. "Intelligence from the locals is the most effective means of deterring terrorist activity in (our) sector." White both U.S. and Iraqi Security Forces plan and conduct missions in Sadr City, a quick reaction force is always standing by to aid either unit if they need additional firepower. Soldiers from Company C, 3-15 Inf., staff the QRF and maintain a constant state of readiness. |
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The QRF has both M1 Abrams battle tanks and Humvees at its disposal. Despite Sadr's narrow streets, some soldiers prefer the tanks. "The Abrams drives like a big Cadillac - it's smooth as can be, even over rough terrain," said U.S. Army Spc. Christopher Hyde, a Company C driver. "Traffic parts like Moses at the Red Sea when a tank is coming through." The QRF is in constant communication with their own unit as well as the Iraqi Army battalion, but they work much more with 3-15 Inf., said U.S. Army 1st Lt. Timothy Martin, a Co. C platoon leader. "The IAB has their own QRF, and they've been launched several times," said Martin. "We've only been out to help them once - they can pretty much take care of themselves out there." Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3-15 Inf., have spent months helping to prepare Iraqi troops for duty in Sadr City, and the progress is showing. "They've come a long way in the past six months," said U.S. Army Capt. Zan Hornbuckle, HHC commander. "They're now a fairly proficient infantry battalion." |
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Hornbuckle has overseen much of the IAB's training, and said they consistently perform complex missions well. "In the last two weeks, they've done two large cordon-and-knock operations which were big successes," he said. "They're building relationships with the local Iraqi Police, which is crucial to operating effectively in Sadr." Hornbuckle said the IAB leaders are working hard to reach a common goal - to get the IAB to the level of expertise where U.S. guidance is unnecessary. "It's been a lot of work to get them where they are today, so it's a rewarding feeling to see them taking initiative and operating on their own," Hornbuckle said. "They're proud of what they've accomplished, and that pride makes them a stronger unit." |
