Thread: Operation Iraqi Freedom/Multi-National Force

Iraqi Army, Coalition Forces detain insurgent linked to Iranian IEDs

Monday, 16 July 2007
Multi-National Corps – Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20070716-17
July 16, 2007

Iraqi Army, Coalition Forces detain insurgent linked to Iranian IEDs
Multi-National Corps – Iraq PAO

BAGHDAD – An Iraqi Army platoon with Coalition Forces as advisers detained a key suspected insurgent during an early morning raid, July 15 in Najaf.

Iraqi Soldiers detained their primary suspect without incident, while two other suspicious individuals present during the raid were also detained.

The primary suspect is believed to facilitate Iranian support for the rogue Jaysh al-Mahdi militia, a well-known insurgent group in Iraq. He allegedly provides rogue Jaysh al-Mahdi with improvised explosive devices and Iranian-made explosively-formed projectiles which have been used to attack Coalition Forces. Additionally, he is suspected of assisting rogue Jaysh al-Mahdi with cross-border training of their insurgent members and providing rogue Jaysh al-Mahdi with financial support, weapons, and equipment. The primary suspect is accused of exploiting charity organizations for insurgent recruiting purposes.

Multi-National Force - Iraq - Iraqi Army, Coalition Forces detain insurgent linked to Iranian IEDs

Good ‘intel’ makes Polar Tempest success

Monday, 16 July 2007
Multi-National Corps – Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20070716-18
July 16, 2007

Good ‘intel’ makes Polar Tempest success
2nd BCT, 10th Mountain Division (LI) PAO
Multi-National Division – Center PAO


RUSHDI MULLAH, Iraq — A midnight mission by combined U.S. and Iraqi army forces resulted in 12 men being detained for questioning on suspicion of terrorist activity.

Soldiers of 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of Fort Drum, N.Y., and 4th Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, joined forces to clear the villages near al-Owesat and al-Thobat, Iraq, July 14.

During Polar Tempest, tipsters gave the Coalition Forces viable information.

The night began with Soldiers clearing houses, when an Iraqi man who claimed to know where several terrorists lived in the area led them to various places.

As the patrol moved along, the Soldiers encountered small-arms fire and shot back, killing a terrorist. Three men fled, but Soldiers seized an AK-47 and an ammunition vest.

The Iraqi man guiding the Soldiers said he believed they had encountered the lead element of a larger group of anti-Iraqi forces. As the Coalition Forces and IA forces continued clearing houses in the area, the man pointed out one of the residents as a terrorist.

In another house a male claimed to know where a high-value target lived. As Coalition Forces followed him, several local residents began to flee in vehicles. They were stopped and detained.

As troops searched the areas near the Euphrates River, they came across two small boats at a water-pumping station. The Soldiers destroyed the boats. They also found an improvised explosive device, which was disarmed and thrown into the river.

“It’s another operation in which we received good information from a local source,” said Maj. Robert Griggs, a native of Stockton, Calif., who serves as the 4-31 operations officer. “It really shows that the people in the area are tired of the terrorists.

“It also shows that we have a very capable Iraqi army unit to take on these complex missions. We brought all our assets to bear, with the UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and attack aviation. We’re still looking for our missing Soldiers, and any information leading to them. We also want to help the residents of this area have a more stable Iraq.”

Twelve detainees were taken to Coalition bases for further questioning.

During the searches, Soldiers also found a Dragunov sniper rifle magazine, a grenade, and an unidentified rifle.

Multi-National Force - Iraq - Good ‘intel’ makes Polar Tempest success

Fardh Al-Qanoon Update: MND-B general sees change, progress

Tuesday, 17 July 2007
Multi-National Corps – Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20070716-19
July 16, 2007

Fardh Al-Qanoon Update: MND-B general sees change, progress
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO

BAGHDAD — Five months into Operation Fardh Al-Qanoon a senior leader with the Multi-National Division – Baghdad said Iraqi Security Forces have shown continued improvements since the operation began in mid-February.

“The biggest change since we arrived in Baghdad has been the establishment of the Baghdad Operations Command March 1st,” said Brig. Gen. John F. Campbell, the deputy commanding general for maneuver for MND-B and the 1st Cavalry Division. “That command, under Lt. Gen. Abud, and the subordinate Karkh and Rusafa area commands, has given the Iraqis increased command and control of their own forces. It has enabled them establish a planning process and will help them take the lead in the command and control of division-level operations.”

Campbell called this period of the operation a critical time, as American forces are now in place throughout the country, working side-by-side with their Iraqi counterparts. While a lot of attention has been given to “surge” of American forces, Campbell said nine additional Iraqi Army battalions were also brought into Baghdad as part of Operation Fardh Al-Qanoon.

Campbell noted that nearly 400 separate company-level or higher operations have been conducted with Iraqi Security Forces since the FAQ began in mid-February, with more than 740 weapons caches uncovered through those operations.

The biggest change for U.S. troops since the surge began, Campbell said, is a shift from operating from big base camps to the smaller joint security stations and coalition outposts dotting neighborhoods throughout the Iraqi capital.

The violence against the civilian population of the Iraqi capital has steadily declined since the 1st Cavalry Division arrived to assume control of the MND-B area of operation in mid-November last year. Since the beginning of the year the numbers of kidnappings and murders in Baghdad have declined nearly 50 percent. Overall, attacks against the civilian population have declined by nearly 30 percent in the same period. Campbell said the decline in the violence against civilians is due to the surge of forces, allowing MND-B to leave behind forces in neighborhoods after insurgents have been cleared out, to better control who can get in and out of the neighborhoods.

“We’re maintaining a presence in the neighborhoods and gaining the trust of the Iraqi residents,” Campbell said.

That trust, coupled with Iraqi residents grown tired of extremist violence, Campbell said, has led to tribes in areas of Baghdad to align themselves with Iraqi Security and Coalition Forces. These security force volunteers, who previously may have supported Al Qaeda or other extremist groups, are being vetted to join the Iraqi Police or other security forces.

Campbell said efforts in the Abu Ghraib, Ameriyah and Tarmiyah areas in northwestern Baghdad have the potential to be a key element for the security of Baghdad, as residents begin to reconcile with their government.

“We are in a very tough fight and making steady progress. While we would like to see faster progress, the enemy gets a vote,” Campbell said. “We're seeing positive signs however such as volunteers from the tribes coming forward to become part of the government's security forces in their local areas. In areas like Abu Ghraib and Ameriyah, these volunteers are helping to significantly reduce the violence by partnering with us against Al Qaeda operatives and identifying weapons caches.”

Multi-National Force - Iraq - Fardh Al-Qanoon Update: MND-B general sees change, progress

Hey Lew, I just wanted to say again, thank you for these posts!!! They make me proud of my own service and my brothers and sisters in arms!!! I hope we can one day meet so I can thank you in person.

Robo-bomber Flies Into Iraq
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Posted GMT 7-17-2007 4:58:49
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Balad Air Base, Iraq -- Piloted from 7,000 miles away in Nevada, the United States air force is about to deploy the world's first dedicated robot attack squadron to Iraq, a watershed moment even in a conflict that has seen many innovative ways to hunt and kill.

The Reaper, a new generation Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) is the size of a jet fighter, powered by a turboprop engine, able to fly at 300mph and reach 50,000 feet.

It is fitted with infrared, laser and radar targeting, and with a ton and a half of guided bombs and missiles.

The moment the Reaper goes into active service is expected "soon," said the regional US air commander, Lieutenant-General Gary North.

The Reaper's first combat deployment is expected in Afghanistan, and senior air force officers estimate it will land in Iraq sometime between this autumn and next spring. They look forward to it.

The US air force is building a 400,000sq ft expansion of a concrete-ramp area now used for existing Predator UAV drones at Balad, the biggest US air base in Iraq, 50 miles north of Baghdad.

It is another sign that the air force is planning for an extended stay in Iraq, supporting Iraqi government forces in any continuing conflict, even if US ground troops are withdrawn in the coming years.

An estimated two-dozen or more unmanned MQ-1 Predators are now carrying out surveillance over Iraq, as the 46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron has become a mainstay of the US war effort.

They offer round-the-clock airborne "eyes" watching over road convoys, tracking night-time insurgent movements via infrared sensors, and occasionally unleashing one of their two Hellfire missiles on a target.

The MQ-9 Reaper, when compared with the 1995-vintage Predator, represents a major evolution of UAV.

At five tons, the Reaper is four times heavier than the Predator. Its size - 36ft long, with a 66ft wingspan - is comparable to the profile of the US air force's workhorse A-10 attack plane. It can fly twice as fast and twice as high as the Predator. Most significantly, it carries many more weapons.

While the Predator is armed with two Hellfire missiles, the Reaper can carry 14 of the air-to-ground weapons - or four Hellfires and two 500lb bombs.

"It's not a recon squadron," Colonel Joe Guasella, operations chief for the central command's air operations, said of the Reapers. "It's an attack squadron, with a lot more kinetic ability."

"Kinetic" - Pentagon jargon for destructive power - is what the US air force had in mind when it christened its newest robot plane with a name associated with death.

The air force's 432nd Wing, a UAV unit established on 1 May, is to eventually fly 60 Reapers and 160 Predators. The numbers to be assigned to Iraq and Afghanistan will be classified.

The Reaper is expected to be flown as the Predator is - by a two-member team of pilot and sensor operator who work at computer stations and video screens that display what the UAV "sees". Teams at Balad, housed in a hangar beside the runways, perform the take-offs and landings, and similar teams at Nevada's Creech air force base, linked to the aircraft via satellite, take over for the long hours of overflying the Iraqi landscape.

American ground troops, equipped with laptops that can download real-time video from UAVs overhead, "want more and more of it," said Major Chris Snodgrass, the squadron commander in charge of Predators at the Balad base.

The Reaper's velocity will help. "Our problem is speed," Major Snodgrass said of the 140mph Predator.

"If there are troops in contact, we may not get there fast enough. The Reaper will be faster and fly farther."

The new robot plane is expected to be able to stay aloft for 14 hours fully armed, watching an area and waiting for targets to emerge.

"It's going to bring us flexibility, range, speed and persistence," said Gen North, "such that I will be able to work lots of areas for a long, long time."

The British are also impressed with the Reaper, and are buying three for deployment in Afghanistan later this year. The Royal Air Force version will stick to the "recon" mission, however - with no weapons on board.

By Charles Hanley
The Scotsman

© 2007, Assyrian International News Agency

Iraqi Soldiers participate in first ever advanced infantry course

Tuesday, 17 July 2007



BAGHDAD — Soldiers from 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division participated in the first-ever advanced infantry course, dubbed the "Commando Course," at the Iraqi Army compound in Mahmudiyah, Iraq.

The course, planned and designed by non-commissioned officers of 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of Fort Drum, N.Y., was developed to give the IA Soldiers advanced infantry training skills. The class began July 8 and the Soldiers are scheduled to graduate Aug. 7.

“We thought it would be a great idea to offer something a little more advanced to the (Iraqi troops),” said U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Tony Grinston, 2-15 command sergeant major. “So we developed the Commando Course, which offered advanced training in areas such as marksmanship, physical fitness, map reading, land navigation and troop-leading procedures.”

But before the course could start, the NCOs had to resource all the materials and build the obstacles from start to finish.

“We built an obstacle a day,” said U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class John Lindsey, Commando Course head instructor. “The field that the obstacles are located in what was once covered in weeds that were waist high. We had the engineers come out and level the field so we could use the area as the obstacle course location.”

NCOs also built a shoot house and found an area to conduct map reading, land navigation and tactical operations before the course started.

The 25-day course began July 8 after day zero, a day that gauges who will actually be admitted into the course.

“There were 100 Soldiers who originally started, but we lost 56 Soldiers on day zero,” Grinston explained. “This is not an easy course, but the students really like it and are excited to be here.”

The course, beginning with physical fitness at the break of dawn each day, consists of three phases: weapons, troop-leading procedures and land navigation; advanced combat lifesaving; and air assault operations.

“It is similar to the U.S. Army ranger course,” Grinston said of the Commando Course. “Here the Iraqi junior enlisted Soldiers will learn how to conduct missions on their own without the help of any officers.”

One IA Soldier, Sgt. Mohammed Kazim, who serves as a squad leader with 4th Battalion, 4-6 IA, is enrolled in the Commando Course.

“Here I have learned how to be mentally and physically tough,” he said. “Although the class is fun, it is challenging – especially the obstacle course.”

He also spoke of what it was like to go through the course with two of his own Soldiers.

“They will graduate with more experience than they had before – a lot more experience than most IA Soldiers have,” Kazim said. “I am proud of them.”

The course taught the Soldiers more than skills - it taught discipline.

“Make sure you line your rucksacks up and make sure everything looks alike,” Staff Sgt. Vinson Kelley, a Commando Course instructor, said to the Soldiers before they were dismissed from formation.

And that discipline was shown as Iraqi Pvt. Akeel Hamid Abdalrthea, with a perfect haircut and a shaven face, stood at parade rest (a military courtesy) as a senior NCO spoke to him.

“I have learned so much in the course and how important it is to be disciplined and experienced,” Adbalrthea said. “But my favorite part of the class was learning marksmanship, especially the different shooting positions.”

As part of training, Soldiers participated in a live-fire exercise.

They also developed their own sand tables, a table used to show how a mission will be conducted, before going on mock missions.

“They write and carry out an entire operational order by themselves,” Grinston said. “And you can tell they are learning because in their sand tables they used cigarette butts to mark spots where packs of dogs hang out.”

Marking the dogs’ location was important because their barking would give away the Soldiers’ position.

“Marking the dogs shows attention to detail,” Grinston said. “I would have never thought of that.”

One aspect of the course that was a challenge for the Soldiers was map reading because they had to learn American numerals. But with the help of interpreters, the Soldiers learned how to find an eight-digit grid coordinate and use plotted grid coordinates to find land navigation points.

“At first they did not even know how to read a map,” Linsey said. “Now they know how to find points.”

Lindsey discussed what it is like to instruct the IAs.

“As long as they are here I am happy to help them learn,” he said. “I hope these courses will help build confidence within the junior ranks of the Iraqi Army.”

One U.S. Soldier said the Commando Course compares well to similar stateside training.

“This course is just as challenging, if not more challenging, than U.S. Army courses that I have been through,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Jason Carvel, a 2nd BCT personal security detachment squad leader. “The Iraqi Soldiers are dealing with hotter temperatures and rougher terrain than traditional U.S. military students deal with. This is not an easy course, but it is the right kind of course.”

When the students graduate they will receive a tab, similar to that of the U.S. Army Ranger tab, which says Commando Course in Arabic and English, a certificate of completion and a 2nd BCT coin. The tab has been approved by the 4-6 IA commander to be worn on the IA uniform sleeve. The top student of the course will receive a special gift from the 4-6 IA commander.

The students are scheduled to graduate August 2 at the IAC.

(U.S. Army story by Staff Sgt. Angela McKinzie 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Public Affairs)


Multi-National Force - Iraq - Iraqi Soldiers participate in first ever advanced infantry course

Originally Posted by texasaggies

Hey Lew, I just wanted to say again, thank you for these posts!!! They make me proud of my own service and my brothers and sisters in arms!!! I hope we can one day meet so I can thank you in person.

You are so very welcome TA!
I must say though that one thing that has really got me down today
is looking at the total views of this very important thread is a mere 2,100
and it's been updated every day for almost 2 weeks.
While another thread with nothing but bickering and carp throwing gets
over 40,000 views in only one day, I don't get it!
Don't know how much longer I'll be able to keep this going, perhaps I will
start it over again somewhere else if you know what I mean.
Thanks, Tony (lewscrew)

Iraqi Army cleans Baghdadi of insurgency

Tuesday, 17 July 2007
By Lance Cpl. Brian Lewis
2nd Marine Division


U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Steven L. Reppel, an infantryman with Company B, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 2, climbs through a rock formation during a recent sweep near Baghdadi, Iraq. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Brian Lewis.

BAGHDADI — Members of the Iraqi army patrolled the palm groves here recently during an operation to seek out insurgent activity in the area.

Their mission, which was supported by Marines from 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 2, was to sweep the area of caches and weapons, while establishing a sense of security within the hearts and minds of the local populous.

"The operation was mainly a clear and sweep mission,” said 1st Lt. Andrew R. Howard, an intelligence advisor for the Military Transition Team. “We started south of Baghdadi, and pushed down along the river.”

Marines walked alongside Iraqi army soldiers through cliffs, villages and palm groves as they used the training they had received to discover any hidden caches.

Iraqi locals cheered for the Iraqi army and Marines as they passed.

The relationships created during the sweep included a simple hello and delivery of supplies. The Marines say they are hopeful the Iraqis will realize the Iraqi army and coalition forces are here to help.

"Having the Iraqi army with us is a huge benefit,” said Howard. “They know the language, and have a closer relationship with the public. They are able to spot when things are out of place.”

The Iraqi army soldiers have come a long way in their training, according to Howard, and will soon be able to assume independent patrols.

“The operation was a test to see if they can be actively combat efficient,” said Howard. “They planned the execution, logistics, and coordination of the entire movement, while we provided the minimal support needed.”

As the patrol reached the end point, the Iraqi army was praised for a job well-done. They then loaded into trucks and headed back to rest after a full day of patrolling.


Multi-National Force - Iraq - Iraqi Army cleans Baghdadi of insurgency

Attack weapons team engages IED triggerman

Tuesday, 17 July 2007
Multi-National Corps – Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20070717-14
July 17, 2007

Attack weapons team engages IED triggerman
Multi-National Division – North PAO

TIKRIT, Iraq – Attack helicopters from the 1st Squadron 82nd Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade engaged and killed two insurgents and wounded another three in two engagements July 13, near Samarra, Iraq.

The first attack weapons team observed a fuel tanker burning after being struck by an IED on a local main supply route. The team identified and engaged the emplacers, killing one and wounding the other two.

Coalition ground forces from D/2-505 Parachute Infantry Regiment moved in and recovered small arms and ammunition and a video camera with tape containing video of mortar, IED and SVBIED attacks.

A second engagement took place when attack helicopters observed two insurgents digging and placing an IED next to a road near a village in Tikrit, Iraq.

Coalition Force helicopters engaged the emplacers, killing one insurgent and wounding the other.

Multi-National Force - Iraq - Attack weapons team engages IED triggerman

Homemade explosives uncovered

Tuesday, 17 July 2007
Multi-National Corps – Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20070717-13
July 17, 2007

Homemade explosives uncovered
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO


BAGHDAD — Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers, working together with Iraqi Army troops, discovered two caches totaling approximately 700 lbs. of homemade explosives in the early morning hours of July 15.

The 3rd Battalion, 5th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division and Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment made the cache finds during Operation Purple Haze, part of an ongoing effort to establish security in the western Baghdad Jamiya’a neighborhood.

The homemade explosives, 14 50-lb. bags, were found in an abandoned house along with ball bearings and detonation cord. An explosive ordnance disposal unit conducted a controlled detonation of the one bag of homemade explosives at the site of the discovery. The bag was torn and the explosives were leaking, making the bag unsafe for transportation. All other items in the cache were removed from the house prior to demolition.

In a separate raid during the same operation, a smaller cache of munitions and weapons was discovered. Two machine guns, one AK-47 assault rifle and a variety of knives, grenades and other small explosives were uncovered in a second abandoned home in the neighborhood.

Multi-National Force - Iraq - Homemade explosives uncovered