Multi-National Soldiers Secure Vulnerable Site

Multi-National Soldiers Secure Vulnerable Site
Defend America
Free Republic
BlackAnthem Military News
By Multi-National Division – Baghdad
Public Affairs Office
BAGHDAD, June 25, 2007

Iraqi and U.S. soldiers from the Multi-National Division-Baghdad are now fortifying a western Baghdad gas station that has been the target of recent insurgent attacks in the neighborhood of Yarmouk. The gas station, which serves the residents of southeastern Mansour, has come under small arms fire and two car bombs exploded within 100 meters of the gas station in recent weeks. These attacks prompted leaders from the 2nd Battalion, 5th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Division and 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery to take action.

“We’ve already begun to see an improvement in the traffic flow. Black-market fuel peddlers can no longer cut in the waiting line, customers are safer, and the whole process seems faster now.” U.S. Army 1st Lt. Ryan Stidum Col. Ali Al-Obaydi and Lt. Col. Michael Lawson, who assumed command of Task Force Patriot two weeks ago, made reinforcing the gas station one of their top priorities.

“The ability of this gas station to operate free from attack is vital to giving the Iraqi people normalcy in their lives,” Lawson said. He also stressed that keeping the gas station secure is one way that the battalions are working to safeguard the populace as they go about their daily lives.

Soldiers from the Iraqi army battalion took the first step in protecting the gas station by observing the traffic patterns at the station over the course of several days, noting trends in high-traffic times and looking for possible ways insurgents might attack the waiting customers. They turned their observations over to the combined staffs of the two battalions to come up with a plan to reinforce the gas station with concrete barriers.

In one night, soldiers from 299th Forward Support Battalion and Golf Company, 610th Brigade Support Battalion used heavy equipment haulers to move the barriers from Camp Liberty out to the gas station. They worked throughout the night to download the material from their trucks and used heavy-duty cranes to maneuver the barriers into position while soldiers from 2/5/6th Iraqi army and 2-32 Field Artillery provided security.

The overall effect, according to 1st Lt. Ryan Stidum, 2nd Platoon Leader, Bravo Battery, is a well-protected, better-organized gas station.

“We’ve already begun to see an improvement in the traffic flow,” said Stidum, “Black-market fuel peddlers can no longer cut in the waiting line, customers are safer, and the whole process seems faster now.”

photo by 1st Lt. Mike Hayhurst, 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment