The Patriot Call: Iraq Edition, Vol 1, Issue 3

The Patriot Call: Iraq Edition
Volume 1, Issue 3
May 3, 2007

Includes:

'Amid the Iraqi People': by LTC Gregory D Gadson

'Troops Making Progress': by 1SG Frederick Johnson

'Patriots Receive Combat Patch': pictures

'Proud Americans Carry on Tradition of the Big Red One': 1LT Charles E Bloomfield

'Communication During Deployment': CH Troy Parson

'Building the JSS': 1SG John Ruiz

'A Look Into the Alpha Battery CP': 1LT Neal Rice

'Unsung Warfighters': 1LT Quinn Robertson

'Tip of the Spear': CPT Adam Wojcik

'Tribute to Mothers': CH Troy Parson

'Regimental Color Handover': CPT Jason Alexander

The ‘Patriot Pool’

The ‘Patriot Pool’
Daggers Edge Magazine Volume 1, Issue 12
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Richard Jones
May 3, 2007

There I was, standing in a small, square piece of desert with a swamp in the middle. A member of the Camp Liberty Mayor Cell told me that for a small price this could all be mine. My future home looked bleak, but we had trucks coming and vehicles to fix. It was time to get busy, so the mechanics got to work establishing the “Patriot Pool” for 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment.

After receiving 130 vehicles and 30 large shipping containers in a period of only four nights, the maintenance platoon quickly established repair facilities for the Patriots. The two maintenance tents were erected in no time, but lacked the necessary concrete pad for a floor. The search was on for aluminum Air Force pallets, and with the help of the Mayor Cell, we found enough to establish hardstand floors in both tents. Finally, the toolboxes came out and the Gladiators of Golf Forward Support Company were ready for action.

Action is what we got as the battalion had signed for an additional 18 HMMWV’s from other units on Camp Liberty. These trucks lacked additional armor and had been previously used only on the base. It was our mission to get these vehicles up to standard and back in the fight. 11 of the vehicles came to us in Non-Mission Capable status, with faults ranging from brakes and ball joints to air conditioners and engines. I issued the challenge and the mechanics were ready to meet it. Spc. Crane and the PLL crew quickly learned their way around the Victory Base Camp as they set out to chase down parts. Within just a few days, the list of deadlined trucks began to shorten. But as that challenge went away, another presented itself. The next task was to execute a regeneration process to refit and re-arm vehicles returning from combat patrols and make them ready to fight again on a moment’s notice.

The Gladiators had developed a system at the National Training Center, and now it was time to put the plan to use. The distribution platoon established Class I, Class IV, and Class V issue sites and the maintenance platoon manned the “Jiffy Lube” for checks and services. The Communication’s Shop set up an area in the motor pool to address all communication issues. Diagrams were drawn and briefed to key leaders and the maintenance battlefield was prepared. We were ready.

When combat patrols complete their daily tour of duty on the dangerous streets of Baghdad, their first stop is the motor pool. The vehicle crews are required to complete an after-action maintenance check and resupply their trucks with everything from ammunition to MREs. The mechanics move in, poised to handle any issue that might have developed during operation. At first, the vehicle crews were a little disgruntled since all they wanted after missions was to shower and hit the rack. Maintenance was the last thing on their minds. However, after seeing that regeneration ensured the timely repair and return to duty of their equipment by the next day, they realized the program was the way to go.

From receiving equipment, unpacking shipping containers, and setting up their maintenance fox holes, Golf Company has prepared for any mission that the Proud Americans and the Dagger Brigade sends their way. So bring your broken equipment and hungry Soldiers, because the Gladiators are ready to “Sustain the Fight!”

Moving troops into small Iraq bases adds risks

Moving troops into small Iraq bases adds risks
MSNBC.com
by: Associated Press
May 2, 2007

BAGHDAD - The roof is like many others in western Baghdad, except for the American soldier hiding behind sandbags, training his rifle on the street below.

Outside the house, Iraqi children weave their tricycles between rolls of barbed wire. Inside, U.S. and Iraqi troops plot raids and collect information on their new neighbors.

The United States hopes that placing troops on small, discreet outposts like this one in the heart of one of Baghdad’s toughest neighborhoods will pay off in goodwill from the public and tips on militant activity.

But there are risks: Two suicide bombers killed nine Americans at one such base north of Baghdad in April.

“We could build a fortress around ourselves that no one can penetrate, but then we will have lost,” said Lt. Col. Greg Gadson, who commands the 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery. His unit belongs to one of the five U.S. brigades sent here as part of President Bush’s plan to stabilize Baghdad.

‘We get threats all the time’
It’s only a matter of time before insurgents attack, he fears. “We get threats all the time,” said Gadson, 41, of Chesapeake, Va.

Gadson’s troops set up what the military calls a Joint Security Station two weeks ago in Baghdad’s Yarmouk area, within only yards of residents and suspected insurgents. About 50 Americans and 10 Iraqis live at the base. From here, they fan out on foot patrols, handing out flyers with the number of a telephone hot line to report militant activity anonymously.

Installations like the Yarmouk station are part of America’s new strategy here. Nearly three months on, U.S. ground commanders cite slow, but tangible, progress.

Before the arrival of Gadson’s soldiers, the U.S. military had a sparse presence in Yarmouk, an upscale Sunni Muslim area that was once home to members of high-ranking officials from Saddam Hussein’s regime.

Many homes were abandoned, looked after now by distant relatives or hired caretakers while the owners wait out the war in Jordan or Syria. The Yarmouk outpost is in one such house. The U.S. military is negotiating the rent with a former Iraqi army general who is in Jordan for medical treatment.

Driving away militants
When Gadson’s troops first walked these streets two months ago, it was a garbage-strewn ghost town, they said. Residents peered quizzically from second-floor windows at U.S. patrollers below. Fear kept the area’s mostly Sunni residents from cooperating with Iraq’s Shiite-dominated military.

But with a U.S. outpost in the area, residents believe militants will find someplace else to operate, said Capt. Jose Henderson, 31, of Milwaukee. And residents trust they won’t be mistreated by Shiite soldiers while Americans are watching, he said.

Bodies used to turn up on these streets daily — the likely victims of Shiite death squads who murdered Sunnis execution-style in the night. U.S. officials have cited a decrease in such sectarian killings since the Baghdad security plan began Feb. 14.

While Yarmouk is still largely shuttered, some shops have begun opening and families allow their children to play in the streets. The U.S. military hired a local man to organize community garbage pickup.

“That’s my sense of accomplishment, when you can see tangible changes,” said Henderson. “We all want to be able to answer that question when we go home: ‘Do you think you helped?”’

The troops tightened security after the deadly April 23 attack against the similar outpost in Diyala, which was hit by two dump trucks laden with explosives, Henderson said.

“Before that attack, we were letting vehicular traffic basically right up to our back door,” he said. Now, large concrete barriers keep traffic more than 50 yards away.

Some electronic security measures also were added, Henderson said, but he declined to comment further for security reasons.

“It’s all about risk management, and determining how much risk is worth our relationships with the local population,” he said.

For troops, preferable to barrackss
Most of the 50 American troops at the Yarmouk outpost said they preferred it to their barracks at Camp Liberty, a huge U.S. military complex near the Baghdad airport. Soldiers typically rotate four days at Liberty and four days at the Yarmouk station, which has no running water, food service or laundry.

“If someone blindfolded you and plopped you down on (Camp) Liberty, you could be on any U.S. military installation anywhere. You might not know you were in Iraq,” said Gadson, who studied Arabic and Middle East history at West Point in the 1980s and is now on his first tour in Iraq.

At the Yarmouk outpost and others like it, “you’re just so much closer,” he said.

“Torch” Lighting the Way for Mansour Security

“Torch” Lighting the Way for Mansour Security
Digital Video and Imagery Distribution System
By 1st Lt. Charles Bloomfield; 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment
April 30, 2007

"Torch" Lighting the Way

BAGHDAD — Construction of Joint Security Station “Torch” was completed and it was officially opened April 21, in the Mansour district of the capital city.

Planning and securing such a location does not come quickly or without proper preparation. In March, members of the Neighborhood Advisory Council (NAC) and the Iraqi army began nominating locations for the station.

Iraqi army troops and Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, conducted a recon of the area April 12, and plans for construction began in earnest. A concept brief took place the following day and a final synchronization meeting with all the elements involved from the 2nd “Dagger” Brigade ensued a couple days later.

Plans were made for barrier emplacement, concertina wire, sandbags, overwatch positions, checkpoints, waste removal, and many other logistical details. Pieces began to fall into place for building, securing and making the site habitable.

The construction operations began as scheduled, but that was not the only mission Soldiers from the 2nd “Proud Americans” Battalion, 32nd FA, had in mind.

JSS Torch is located on the corner of a city block and would definitely have an impact on the local residents of the community. On the first day of construction, the ‘Good Neighbor Plan’ went into effect and Capt. Jose Henderson, Capt. Brian McCall, and Capt. Jayson Morgan visited each of the houses surrounding the newly-acquired property.

They introduced themselves and offered a gift, including candy, a picture of the battalion commander, Lt. Col. Gregory Gadson, Col. Ali, the 2nd Battalion, 5th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army commander, and Lt. Col. Rahim, the 3rd Battalion, 5th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army commander. They also hand-delivered a letter to introduce and explain the current project.

Soldiers placed the first barrier of JSS Torch into place on the morning of April 16. Soldiers throughout the Proud American Battalion, as well as those from 9th Engineer, 20th Engineer, and 299th Forward Support battalions, worked tirelessly day and night to complete the project on time, keep it secure, and to get it fully operational.

Construction was completed on April 19.

JSS Torch officially opened for business the morning of April 21. Iraqi security force liaisons occupied the building that morning and the JSS became a center for combined forces.

Later in the day, Maj. Gen. Abdul Al-Ameer, commander of the 6th Iraqi Army Division, arrived for a brief on the JSS, a tour, an awards ceremony and a traditional Iraqi lunch. After the awards ceremony, Ameer addressed everyone and specifically reminded the Soldiers of their duties.

“Be good to the citizens and they will trust you,” he said. “Remember that your loyalty is to Iraq; not for the party, not for the tribe, not for sect or religion. The party will go away; the tribe will go away; the religion might go away, but Iraq will stay.”

Gadson echoed the Iraqi Army general’s remarks, and told the Iraqi and U.S. troops assembled why he had chosen the name “Torch” for the JSS. He said it not only honored the Proud American’s combat experience in 1942, but this JSS and Iraqi Army represent “the light in the future of the Mansour district.”

With the formalities over, the first southeast Mansour security meeting, representing the real work of the JSS, occurred the next day. The meeting outlined ideas to conduct coordinated combined operations with Iraqi security forces and coalition forces.

Future goals include building a common operating picture for the combined forces to work with and to secure support for the civil authorities. Through this way ahead, Iraqi security forces will eventually take control of security and the civil leaders will be empowered to improve the living conditions within their neighborhoods.

Iraqi Army Takes Lead in Community Health Outreach

Iraqi Army Takes Lead in Community Health Outreach
Digital Video and Imagery Distribution System
Black Anthem Military News
By 1st Lt. Charles Bloomfield, 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment
April 27, 2007

BAGHDAD – More than 100 local residents received medical attention in the Hateen neighborhood of Iraq’s capital city April 18.

Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 5th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army worked with 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division to conduct a community health outreach program. The program was designed to give medical attention to local residents who normally do not have access to medical assistance.

“We assessed and treated 102 patients over about two-and-a-half hours,” said Junction City, Kan., native Capt. Brian McCall, commander of 2-32nd’s Battery A. “We did not leave anyone in line; all (who) came were seen.

”The combined Iraqi, coalition force mission was conducted in coordination with the local neighborhood advisory council.“

Mr. Jafron Hassan, a neighborhood advisory council representative, helped the Iraqi Army control the crowd and usher people through the entry control point,” added McCall. “The response from the populace was overwhelmingly positive. Lt. Col. Rahim, the 3rd Bn. Iraqi Army commander, and his men did a great job and really took the lead on the whole event.”

The Iraqi Army battalion surgeon, with his two medics, took the lead on the majority of the assessment and treatment, McCall noted, while a physician’s assistant for the 2-32nd pitched in, as needed.

Dagger Brigade Weekly Slides

Dagger Brigade Weekly Slides
Dagger Brigade Combat Team Official Site
Week: April 16 - April 22
Slides: 25, 26, 27

Joint Security Station Torch Open House

SSG Santos

Family Readiness Group Celebrates Easter

Patriots Earn Combat Patch

1st Platoon’s First Patrol

1st Platoon’s First Patrol
Daggers Edge Magazine Volume 1, Issue 11
1st Lt. Brian Cooke
April 21, 2007

The night of March 10 was a tense one. 1st Platoon, Alpha Battery 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery, was going on its first patrol the next morning, and the air hung thick with a feeling of unease that most of us had not before experienced. We sat wordless throughout the tent; the only sound filling the void was the snick snick snick of our rounds as we loaded them into our magazines. Soon though, silence gave way to conversation, stilted at first, mundane in its topics, as we sought to distract ourselves from the next day’s mission. We keep our tents free of food to prevent bugs from entering, yet butterflies flew in and around our stomachs. Someone turned on Black Hawk Down, and then the sounds of Hollywood’s interpretation of battle echoed throughout the space, at once both comforting us and getting us excited for tomorrow’s patrol. We are a generation that has come of age watching the movies of war, and for the last time the big screen was our only preview of the day to come.

We awoke early the next morning, because this is the Army and no morning truly exists unless we rise before the sun. Our vehicles, Humvees with the best armor and electronics the Army can buy, sat in their neat row, ready to be mounted. We installed our crew-served weapons and made our final radio checks, making sure we could talk to each other first, then the Battery and Battalion operations centers. We donned our Interceptor Ballistic Armor, pulled snug our knee pads and snapped closed our helmets. A few men put a final two drops of oil into their rifles, wanting to be sure that they would work perfectly if called to. We gathered around my truck and I gave the mission brief. A map fixed to the hood of the truck before us, I explained the mission, our goals, objectives, and the routes that would take us from the safety of the FOB to the unknown and back. We talked as a group, making sure that we all understood what would happen, and then the sections split off on their own, Section Chiefs ready to reassure their Soldiers one last time before we rolled.

Staff Sergeants Roger Richards, Mark Tutman, and Adam Freeman, all veterans of prior tours to Iraq and Afghanistan, gave their men a few final words of wisdom, relaying to them some of the lessons they had learned, instructing their Soldiers how to apply these lessons just as soon as we exited the gate. Sgt. Vorenkamp was not an OIF or OEF veteran, but his time in Kosovo was spent with a round locked and loaded in the chamber of his rifle, ready to fire if the situation required it, and he used this experience to mentor his young section. As the Section Chiefs conducted their final inspections, readying men and equipment, Sgt. 1st Class Rickie Jackson and I sat back against one of the trucks, discussing our plan for the patrol. Neither of us has been to combat before, but we were as ready as we were ever going to be. The platoon had been together, in one form or another, for over a year. Seven months of artillery training, a month of full-spectrum combat operations training at the National Training Center, and two weeks of intense urban operations training in Kuwait had all culminated in this moment. It was time to leave the wire.

We returned from our first patrol a little over four hours after we departed. I’m not going to discuss the details of the mission, because they do not really matter. This was our first mission, the first of probably two or three hundred missions, and we’ll all have plenty of time to tell our stories when we return to Fort Riley. The details do not matter, but the big picture does. For the first time, 1st Platoon, Alpha Battery, 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery, had accomplished its mission in combat. Never again could someone call us untested; never again would we be considered strangers to war. The rest of our year in Iraq sits before us, but we know that it is all downhill from here. We twenty-one men were now bonded, and stand ready to accomplish any mission sent our way.

'Proud Americans' Get Combat Patches

'Proud Americans' Get Combat Patches
Digital Video and Imagery Distribution System
Photographer: Sgt. 1st Class Robert Timmons
April 20, 2007

Dagger Brigade Weekly Slides

Dagger Brigade Weekly Slides
Dagger Brigade Combat Team Official Site
Week: April 9 - April 15
Slides: 32, 33

CA Team and EWO Farewell

LTC Gregory Gadson
SSG Formwalt
SSG Casas
CPT Lundberg
CTTC Nichols

SGT Thomas Schulte Proudly Re-Enlists

CW2 Jones
CPT Bandy
SGT Schulte
1ST Ruiz

Daily Interaction With Baghdad Residents Making a Difference

Daily Interaction With Baghdad Residents Making a Difference
Digital Video and Imagery Distribution System
1st Armored Division
Posted on April 9, 2007
1st Lt. Charles Bloomfield

BAGHDAD – For some, daily missions have been described as ‘Groundhog Day,’ where nothing ever seems to change and each day mirrors the last. But 1st Lt. Matthew Offiler, of Hyannis, Vt., a member of Battery B, 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, sees things differently.

“On many of the streets we noticed there were work crews cleaning up trash, planting trees, and generally cleaning up the area,” he said after a recent patrol.

“Everything is good and there aren’t any real problems,” a local shop owner told the officer during the same patrol.

Offiler and his platoon, the ‘Black Sheep,’ have contributed to the community by providing security and interacting with residents.

While patrolling through the streets of the capital city, platoon members are often given information which range from sites where kidnap victims are being held to where militia members live.

The ‘Proud Americans’ of 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment, have maintained their area of operations for more than three weeks now, and the local citizens are responding positively to the patrols. All these tips about insurgent forces help immensely, and push the neighborhoods toward greater security.

“We talked to the local civilians, who again stated that they wanted our help in restoring power to their neighborhood,” said 1st Lt. Patrick Henson, from Orlando, Fla., and assigned to Battery B. “They also helped our teams hand out small pieces of candy, soccer balls, and ‘I Love Iraq’ stickers to children.”

Henson said a spirit of cooperation is being built with Iraqi citizens and coalition forces, which over time helps improve the security situation.

It also helps to make every day different – and better.

Iraqi Army works to secure, clean up Baghdad’s Yarmouk neighborhood

Iraqi Army works to secure, clean up Baghdad’s Yarmouk neighborhood BlackAntehm Military News
By 1st Lt. Charles Bloomfield, 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment
Apr 9, 2007

BAGHDAD, Iraq — In an effort to improve security in the Yarmouk district of the nation’s capital city, Iraqi Army soldiers have been clearing homes and businesses throughout the neighborhood.

The 2nd Battalion, 5th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, working in coordination with 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, see this as an important step to improving security in the community.

Early each morning this week, Iraqi Army and Coalition Forces have linked up to prepare for the daily operations. Soldiers have discovered weapons caches within the area and confiscated them in order to eliminate the potential threat these weapons pose.

The Iraqi Army soldiers also cleared the area of trash piles and abandoned vehicles which had allowed terrorists to place and hide IEDs. Other large piles of trash, used to block crossroads and keep insurgents out of the neighborhood, are currently being replaced by concrete barriers.

U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Quinn Robertson, 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment

Dagger Brigade Weekly Slides

Dagger Brigade Weekly Slides
Dagger Brigade Combat Team Official Site
Week: April 2 - April 8
Slides: 16, 17

Bravo Drinks Tea, Builds Relationships

1LT Ryan Stidum
CPT Jayson Morgan

US & IA Soldiers Hand Out School Supplies and Toys

14 Detained at cache site

14 Detained at cache site
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
1st Lt. Charles Bloomfield
2nd Bn, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment
April 7, 2007

BAGHDAD — A large weapons cache was found in the Yarmouok neighborhood on Apr. 3, as security operations continue in western Baghdad.

Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 5th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army, and Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, conducted a joint operations raid that discovered a stockpile of weapons in the nation’s capital.

Among the items confiscated were, explosives, IED making materials, 9mm handguns, 60mm mortars, 82mm mortars, and 57mm projectiles as well as numerous AK-47s and other contraband.

Fourteen men were detained during the operation and are being held for further questioning.

US, Iraqi Troops Work to Secure Baghdad

US, Iraqi Troops Work to Secure Baghdad
Voice of America News
By Margaret Besheer
03 April 2007

In February, U.S. and Iraqi troops began new security operations in Baghdad to bring spiraling sectarian violence under control. VOA's Margaret Besheer reports that in one district of the capital, joint U.S. and Iraqi efforts are slowly having an effect.

Western Baghdad's Mansour district was once home to Iraq's elite. Today, many residents have fled the near-daily car bombings, kidnappings, executions and other violence plaguing the capital, leaving behind impressive villas standing neglected behind high walls covered in flowering vines and concertina wire.

Last month, as part of President Bush's troop surge, the U.S. Army's 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery arrived in this area to work with Iraqi security forces to clear and secure the Mansour neighborhoods of Yarmouk, Hateen and Qadissiya. Lieutenant Colonel Gregory Gadson is the Battalion commander.

"We are doing this in a couple of ways, with our physical presence in terms of combat patrols," he explained. "But the way ahead in the future is our working with the Iraqi Security Forces; primarily the Iraqi Army, but also with the Iraqi Police. The simple leadership by example, interacting with them on a daily basis, is one part of that."

The Americans are working closely with their Iraqi counterparts, and on one recent foot patrol in the mainly Sunni neighborhood of Yarmouk, an Iraqi police lieutenant joins the American troops as they walk the streets talking to residents.

Police Lieutenant Assad says some of the people trust the police, but others do not because they are worried they are infiltrated by insurgents and militias.

Iraq's security forces are Shiite-led, and have come under widespread criticism for being infiltrated by Shiite militias.

It is early evening as the patrol enters the local square; men are sitting smoking water pipes, children are playing, and the vegetable vendor is doing a brisk business. People seem at ease and happy to see the American soldiers.

Nuzha, the vegetable vendor, says he feels relatively secure in his neighborhood, but he worries more about the lack of electricity and clean water.

As in many parts of Baghdad, public services are the next biggest problem after security. In Mansour, trash filled streets present not only a public health risk, but a security one as well, giving insurgents easy hiding places for bombs. The Americans are working with the Iraqis to get the streets cleaned up.

But there are signs Iraqis are feeling more secure. During one morning rush hour in Yarmouk, a little boy carrying his books walks alone to school, while on another street a group of young girls walk unchaperoned.

By 7:30 a.m., traffic is heavy and congestion develops near the frequent Iraqi police and army checkpoints. At the traffic circles, men and women wait for mini buses to take them to work.

But in the afternoon, the local police station comes under small arms fire, and a short while later a bomb explodes on a Yarmouk street, hitting an armored private security vehicle. No one is injured, but the vehicle is badly damaged. Iraqi police say it is the first roadside bomb in the area in 25 days.

In the late afternoon, an American patrol stops in Hateen, a small, Shi'ite enclave in Mansour. Children are playing in a dusty lot and residents gather quickly when they see the American humvees arrive. Older men in red and white check headscarves and traditional robes offer the soldiers sodas and pose for pictures with them.

The men tell the soldiers that their area is quiet, but they are worried because the neighborhoods around them still have security problems. The American lieutenant in charge of the platoon tries to reassure them. He passes out cards that have a local phone number for residents to call to report any problems or pass on tips about insurgents in their areas.

The soldiers walk up and down Hateen's streets for about an hour talking to the residents and joking with the children, until the daily overnight 8:00 p.m. vehicle curfew begins.

Then they toss a couple of footballs to the dozens of kids who have gathered, and jump in their vehicles to continue their security patrol.

Dagger Brigade Weekly Slides

Dagger Brigade Weekly Slides
Dagger Brigade Combat Team Official Site
Week: March 26 - April 1
Slides: 15, 16

Bravo Battery Hands Out Soccer Balls

SFC Davies

Patriots Receive Religious Support

SSG Santos' Baptism

The Patriot Call: Iraq Edition, Vol 1, Issue 2

The Patriot Call: Iraq Edition
Vol 1, Issue 2
March 30, 2007

Includes:

'Hope and Sacrifice' by LTC Gregory D Gadson

'For The Troops' by CSM William R Huffin

'Construction Operations' by Adam Wojick

'1st Platoon's First Patrol' by 1LT Brian E Cook

'Bulldawgs Transition to "Infantillery"' by 1LT Patrick Henson

'Gladiators: Mission Ready' by 1LT Kimberlynn Hunter

'Emotional Memory' by Chaplain Troy Parson

'Hellraisers Move Forward' by CPT Jose Henderson

Dagger Brigade Weekly Slides

Dagger Brigade Weekly Slides
Dagger Brigade Combat Team Official Site
Week: March 19 - March 26
Slides: 16, 17

Alpha CDR Coordinates with Iraqi Army

CPT Brian McCall

1/B/2-32 FA Routinely Interacts with Local Residents

1st Platoon, Bravo Battery

U.S., Iraqis clearing once-upscale area overcome by violence

U.S., Iraqis clearing once-upscale area overcome by violence
Stars and Stripes
Joseph Giordono
March 23, 2007

More than 1,600 American and Iraqi troops have launched “clearing operations” in a formerly upscale district of Mansour that had become notorious for murders and kidnappings.

The operation, dubbed Arrowhead Strike Nine, is aimed at ridding the area of al-Qaida in Iraq operatives and militias. It follows similar operations begun in the southern Baghdad districts of Ghazliya and Ameriya.

“Iraqi security forces partnered with coalition soldiers conducted precision raids this morning against multiple known terrorist targets and then quickly transitioned to clearing neighborhoods house by house, looking for terrorist support zones and illegal weapons caches,” a military news release read.

Soldiers “spoke with the local citizens to hear their concerns and gather information to better support the continuing Baghdad security operation known as Operation Fardh Al Qanoon.”

So far, troops have arrested 11 suspected insurgents and recovered two weapons caches that included nitric acid and chlorine, chemicals that have been used in recent insurgent attacks.

The 500 Iraqi troops included members of the 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division; 5th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division; 4th Brigade, 10th Iraqi Army Division; and 5th Battalion, 2nd National Police Brigade.

Some 1,100 U.S troops from the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division and the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division also were involved in the operation.

The operation is part of the larger Baghdad security effort known as the “surge” that involves sending at least 17,500 additional American troops into the capital.

For many years, Mansour was known as one of Baghdad’s most upscale neighborhoods and had some of its most popular shopping areas.

As the insurgency worsened and sectarian battles boiled over, it became one of the epicenters for violent attacks in Baghdad.

Fresh troops assume battle space in Baghdad

Fresh troops assume battle space in Baghdad
Multi-National Force - Iraq
1st Lt Charles Bloomfield
March 19, 2007

BAGHADAD — Fresh troops have arrived in western Baghdad and have assumed control in their area of operations.

2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment, the ‘Proud Americans,’ officially assumed responsibility for operations March 15, during a transfer of authority ceremony held on Camp Liberty, Iraq.

This is the first time the Proud Americans uncased their colors in a combat zone since the unit departed Vietnam in 1971.

Lt. Col. Gregory Gadson, Commander of 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, gave a motivational speech during the ceremony. He touched upon the progress the unit has made since receiving a change of mission from its traditional field artillery role, to mounted and dismounted infantry operations in western Baghdad.

“I am truly amazed at the transformation the Proud Americans have made over the past four months,” he said. “As recently as October, 2006, we were manning our howitzers and providing fires for the Dragon Brigade; now we are poised for a new mission in west Baghdad and we are honored to serve with the Dagger Brigade, 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division.”

Dagger Brigade Weekly Slides

Dagger Brigade Weekly Slides
Dagger Brigade Combat Team Official Site
Week: March 12 - March 18
Slides: 23, 24

Bravo Battery Joint Patrol with 1/2/6 IA and A 1/5 CAV

LT Pat Henson
SFC Brown

Patriots Assume Battlespace

LTC Gadson
CSM Huffin