ONE STEP, ONE DAY, ONE HELPING HAND AT A TIME

ONE STEP, ONE DAY, ONE HELPING HAND AT A TIME
Daggers Edge Magazine Volume 1, Issue 20
By Pfc. Phillip Goral
August 21, 2007

1st Platoon, Alpha Battery, the “Lightfighters,” was built up from the ground up at Fort Riley, Kansas, as part of a 105mm Field Artillery unit using guns we jokingly called, “the Pop Guns.” We trained to fight as artillerymen for a year. We spent countless days in the field shooting numerous fire missions to support the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. The Lightfighters knew their job and knew it well. That all changed in November 2006 at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California, when we were informed of the upcoming deployment to Iraq.

Even then, we did not know what our mission would be, so some of the platoon trained for an artillery mission while the rest trained for a motorized Infantry mission. All our questions were answered in January 2007 when we found out that we were going to Baghdad and were going to be Infantry. We had one month to train on small unit movement tactics, close-quarters marksmanship and light Infantry combat missions before we made the long trip over the pond to the “Big Sandbox.”

In Kuwait, we received the best Infantry training we could experience outside of being on patrol on the streets of Baghdad. Since then, we have done much to improve our area of operation, the hayy (neighborhood) of Hateen. On the map in our command post, one can see that Hateen is labeled “Aceland.” Aceland is our neighborhood and we patrol it like police officers looking for the bad guys.

For five months, we have worked hard to help rid Hateen of terrorists and to make life better for the local population. We played a part in building Joint Security Station Torch and participated in Operations Arrowhead Strike 9, Ace Strike 1, Patriot Strike, and Alexander Hamilton. We continue to conduct the Patriot Census, an effort aimed at better identifying and understanding the population demographics of our sector. The Lightfighters have conducted numerous combined patrols with the Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police, teaching them our tactics to help them better themselves so that one day, they can take over total control of the security of Hateen.

We have escorted civil affairs teams to assess the schools in the area and find out what they need to better educate the students. The platoon also played a role in a cooperative medical engagement, an operation in which Army doctors and medics established a free clinic for a day to help people get proper medical treatment and the medicine that they need to treat themselves for months to come. To the average person, it may sound like we have done our fair share here in Iraq, but we still have plans to do more to improve security and help the people of Hateen.

I think that this has been the hardest change for me while being here – helping the people. I was trained for a fight since basic training way back at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. I think everyone comes here for the first time thinking that it will be just like the movie “Black Hawk Down,” but it is really not. Most of the people want us here not just to protect them, but to teach their Army how to accomplish the things that they cannot yet do on their own.

Since the first day I sounded off with the name Lightfighters in formation until now, I have been through a lot - from transforming from an artilleryman to an Infantryman, to getting on-the-job training on the streets of Baghdad. My time here, the sights I have seen and the missions I have been on, these are things that I will remember for the rest of my life. Besides my brothers in arms, who can say that they have done the things I have done or been where I have been? Nobody, that’s who, and that gives me a great sense of pride. It is the same for the rest of the men in my platoon. We all come from different backgrounds, hometowns, and lifestyles, but we have all gathered in this one place to do what is right. We are here to uphold freedom and preserve and promote democracy. We are doing this one step, one day, one helping hand at a time.

Dagger Brigade Weekly Slides

Dagger Brigade Weekly Slides
Dagger Brigade Combat Team Official Site
Week: August 20 - August 26
Slides: 26, 27

Bravo Battery and Yarmouk NAC Sponsor Micro-Grants

• The Yarmouk Neighborhood Advisory Council, with assistance from Bravo Battery, 2-32 FA, helped four local entrepreneurs fill out their small business micro-grant applications. Bravo Battery and the Yarmouk NAC have helped sponsor over 50 of these micro-grants, which provide up to $2500 to the local businessmen who wish to open new businesses or improve existing ones.
• 1LT Patrick Henson pictured
  

Bravo Battery and 2/5/6 IA Clear Neighborhood

• Bravo Battery and 2/5/6 IA conducted Operation John Hancock, a combined clearing operation aimed at disrupting Al-Qaeda in Yarmouk. Together, Iraqi and American Soldiers cleared approximately 500 houses over two days. The combined forces confiscated several small arms and IED-precursor material. the operation was successful because of the cooperation and coordination between 2/5/6 IA, Yarmouk Police Station, and Coalition Forces.

Other Embedded Reports

The Fourth Rail, which sponsored embedded journalist Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, who was with the 2-32 in June, has several other reporters in-country right now.

Joe Talley is following the 2-17 Field Artillery, who are based out of Camp Loyalty, securing a district in Eastern Baghdad. His latest report: Conducting the Surge, One Raid At A Time, gives a good picture of how troops have been operating all over the city, and what our guys are up to when they say they've been out 'just catching some bad guys'.

Dagger Brigade Weekly Slides

Dagger Brigade Weekly Slides
Dagger Brigade Combat Team Official Site
Week: August 13 - August 19
Slides: 28, 29, 30

Bravo Battery Finds, Disables IED

• 1st Platoon, Bravo Battery, operating in conjunction with Iraqi Policement in Yarmouk, found an IED at the corner of a busy intersection. Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) destroyed the IED with the aid of a robot. Following the blast, Bravo Battery Soldiers and Iraqi Policemen conducted post-blast analysis, investigating hte site of the blast for evidence.

Alpha Battery Small Business Seminar

• 1LT Alex Barnett, Battalion Civil-Military Office, speaks about the micro-grant application process.
• CPT Brian McCall, Alpha Battery Commander, chairs the seminar.
• Dr. John Crihfield, USAID, addresses the group of twenty local entrepreneurs.

Alpha Battery Pays Rewards

• CPT Brian McCall, Alpha Battery Commander, pays rewards to Najah Hameed Mehjoob, left, and Eshmaeel Ishayri Abadi, right, for separately calling in tips about an IED in their neighborhood.

Video: IA Learns New Tricks

Video: IA Learns New Tricks
Digital Video and Imagery Distribution System
Produced by Sgt. Holly Jensen
August 7, 2007

Video of U.S. Soldiers training Iraqi army soldiers on how to conduct room clearing operations.

Video Location:
IQ||Baghdad

Unit(s) Involved:
• 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Infantry Division (Ft. Riley, KS, US)

Interviewee(s):
• Sgt. Fawat Kaldon (IQ)
• 1st Sgt. Chris Lowry (Kansas City, MO, US).

Dagger Brigade Weekly Slides

Dagger Brigade Weekly Slides
Dagger Brigade Combat Team Official Site
Week: August 6 - August 12
Slides: 14, 15

1LT Roy Johnson on R&R

SSG Hudson of Alpha Battery Reenlists

SSG Hudson
1LT Neyland

Elsewhere in Iraq

News from West Baghdad has been slow today, but northern Iraq, near the Syrian border, is still dealing with the aftermath of probably the deadliest attack to date.

The NYTimes has a good account of what happened, and background on the people in that area. Aside from the sheer number of people injured or killed, it was also startling because it targeted a group of Kurdish-speaking people who had been able to avoid most of the sectarian violence. Many believe that insurgents are being driven out of Baghdad in greater numbers, and so are beginning to target outlying areas.

Official Statement by Gen Petraeus

Al Hateen residents fall victim to extremist indirect fire

Al Hateen residents fall victim to extremist indirect fire
BlackAnthem Military News
By Multi-National Division - Baghdad PAO
Aug 14, 2007

BAGHDAD, Iraq — An extremist indirect fire attack killed one Iraqi civilian and wounded two others as three mortar rounds landed in the Al Hateen residential area of western Baghdad’s Mansour District Aug. 13.

Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces from a nearby joint security station responded to the attack, secured the area and confirmed one Iraqi killed and two wounded. The wounded were transported to the Yarmouk Hospital for further medical treatment.

This mortar attack in Al Hateen is just one of 13 indirect fire attacks launched by extremists groups operating in and around the Iraqi capital targeting Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces and directly affecting Iraqi communities Aug 9-13.

On Aug. 12, residents living near the Sadr City District Joint Security Station received a single mortar round, causing damage to brick wall located near an Iraqi’s home. Residents in the Al Beida area in eastern Baghdad’s Adhamiyah District were hit by two mortar rounds, one of which impacted directly onto the roof of an Iraqi’s home causing damage to the house and a nearby vehicle.

Six other indirect fire attacks fell into Iraqi neighborhoods of the Baghdad Al Jadida, Al Jaza-ir, Al Amin, and Al Baladiat residential areas.

There are no available reports of injuries or damages from these attacks.

Photos: from embedded journalist Damir Sagolj (6)

Photos: from embedded journalist Damir Sagolj
Search for images by Damir Sagolj on Yahoo!News
Damir was embedded with 2-32 FA during the first two weeks of August.

Sixth set of pictures from Damir, including the August 14th patrol, stopping at a bakery and school.

Damir Sagolj - Aug 14th Patrol

Security developments

Security developments in Iraq
Reuters Alertnet
McClatchy Alerts
14 Aug 2007

BAGHDAD - Two civilians were wounded by a roadside bomb in the Yarmouk district of western Baghdad, police said.

Photos: from embedded journalist Damir Sagolj (5)

Photos: from embedded journalist Damir Sagolj
Search for images by Damir Sagolj on Yahoo!News
Damir was embedded with 2-32 FA during the first week of August.

Fifth set of pictures from Damir, including the August 13th Joint Operation Phantom Strike.

Damir Sagolj - Aug 13 Clearing Op

US Military Begins Major Offensive Across Iraq

US Military Begins Major Offensive Across Iraq
Voice of America News
13 August 2007

The U.S. military began a major offensive across Iraq Monday, to crack down on extremist militants.

A military statement says Operation Phantom Strike "consists of simultaneous operations throughout Iraq focused on pursuing...al-Qaida terrorists and Iranian-supported" extremists.

Earlier, officials said coalition forces had killed several militants and captured 13 alleged Iranian-linked arms smugglers in a pre-dawn raid Sunday on Baghdad's Shi'ite Sadr City district.

The military statement said coalition forces also destroyed a truck during the raid, "killing an estimated three to five" suspected terrorists.

On Sunday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki called for a meeting of Iraqi political leaders to try to resolve divisions that have deadlocked the government.

He said the leaders of Iraq's sectarian factions could begin meeting late Monday or Tuesday.

Mr. Maliki formed a unity government of Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish factions in 2006 to try to reduce Iraq's sectarian violence. But the government has been paralyzed by boycotts and infighting along ethnic and sectarian lines.

U.S. officials say achieving national political reconciliation and passing key legislation are essential for ending the country's insurgency.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP.

RIPPLES ON THE WATER

RIPPLES ON THE WATER
Daggers Edge Magazine Volume 1, Issue 19
Sgt. Matthew Bryan
August 7, 2007

Also in this issue of Daggers Edge, pictures of:

1LT John Nguyen, SGT Jonathan Harowicz, SGT Jeremiah Brennan (pg 2)
PVT Steven Roberts (pg 20)

(this article also appeared in issue 7 of The Patriot Call)

There has been much speculation and endless debate on the legitimacy of the War on Terror and our mission in Iraq. Many high ranking officials and widely broadcasted personalities have spent countless hours adding their opinions and theories as to why we are here and what good we are doing. Some have pointed towards the number of lives of American Soldiers lost since the start of the war while others have noted the change and progress that has been made in what was once a dictatorship living in constant fear. At what point does one consider the conflict in Iraq as a victory?

I was sitting near a small canal that snakes its way through our Forward Operating base located in western Baghdad, watching as the fish were jumping and making tiny ripples on the water. It is kind of amazing how something so mundane and unimportant can open your eyes to the bigger picture of life in general. Those ripples, in their own way, represent the whole spectrum of operations within this violence-ridden country. As an American, I grew up with many of the enemies and fears that one would find common among an American child. My enemies and my fears were real however, but they were nothing more than a bully in school or an opponent on the football field. My fear was of not getting a good grade on a math quiz or growing up without a solid path in life. The enemies and fears of children in Iraq vastly differ from those of American children, who live in a country where walking down the street in safety is taken for granted and the only thing to worry about is making it to soccer practice on time.

While on my first patrol, I took notice of families in the neighborhoods we passed through and the condition of the neighborhoods themselves. Upon first glance I witnessed mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters. I saw children walking here and there performing the necessary tasks for sustaining a livelihood amongst the trash and filth. These men, women and children carried bags of food for their families and did what they had to do to carry on despite piles and piles of trash and decay. I took notice of their demeanor while carrying out such responsibilities. While they were carrying their groceries or simply walking down the street, there was fear in their body language. It was a fear of the unknown; a fear of their own neighborhood; a fear of me, an American Soldier. To them, I was an armed, unknown figure who spoke another language and rode around in an armored vehicle. I was a nameless and faceless Soldier who could not be trusted because they did not know what my intentions were and how I would conduct myself. If put in the same situation, I cannot honestly say that I would feel any different.

In the short amount of time since we began operations in this mulhalla (neighborhood), we have seen the people make significant strides. While on a recent patrol in the neighborhood, I made it a point to watch the emotions on the citizens’ faces and their body language as we drove by. It did not take much analysis to understand the true mind-set in their opinions of me and their “new” neighborhood. Small children, once afraid to even wave at us as we passed, now approached soldiers just to say hello and ask us our names. They were elated when we played catch with them. One event that will forever stand out in my mind was when I saw a father walking with his two children down the street - once considered the most dangerous street in our sector - at night. As a father of two small children, it is hard to imagine how visible a sign of progress that is in Iraq.

The trash and decay has been a normal part of life for Iraqi citizens, and to some extent they tolerate it. The general consensus was that this was how it is and this was how it was going to be. What could be done about it anyway? Some took their time to pile up the trash and burn it, though there were still numerous unsightly pockets of debris. Since the first month after our arrival, a trash truck has started to make its rounds through the neighborhoods on a regular basis. The unpleasant piles of garbage have since disappeared.

Some may question the significance of seemingly normal parts of life and sanitation in this area. Others may ask what this has to do with the security concerns or the welfare of the country as a whole. The answer is simple: When someone has a purpose and something to be proud of, something worth taking care of, there is a sense of pride worth fighting for. We believe that the Iraqi citizens within our area of Baghdad are becoming more proud of their neighborhoods and actually enjoy being a part of the cause to protect and improve it. There has been a disruption among the seemingly stagnant waters, a disruption that caused a ripple effect and inspired many to take action against all that is demanding around their homes. It started with one street and quickly stretched beyond the boundaries of the neighborhoods.

It has taken a lot of work and money to break the stagnant waters but, how can you put a price on a way of life? What we as Americans have taken for granted for so long is a ray of light in the eyes of an Iraqi family. The people of Iraq must now take the lead and create their own ripples in the water in order to live freely in a secure and stable environment. Who are we to tell that man walking with his children at night without fear that his ability to do that is not worth what we sacrifice as American Soldiers? As a husband and father, I worship my ability to live free and safe in a land where my family doesn‘t have to fear for their life while doing everyday tasks. Don’t you think he wants the same for his family? Don’t you think he deserves that chance?

Photos: from embedded journalist Damir Sagolj (4)

Photos: from embedded journalist Damir Sagolj
Search for images by Damir Sagolj on Yahoo!News
Damir was embedded with 2-32 FA during the first week of August.

Fourth set of pictures from Damir, including the August 12th IED found by the platoon led by Sgt Brown of Battery B.

Damir Sagolj - August 12, IED

Photos: from embedded journalist Damir Sagolj (3)

Photos: from embedded journalist Damir Sagolj
Search for images by Damir Sagolj on Yahoo!News
Damir was embedded with 2-32 FA during the first week of August.

Third set of pictures from Damir, including the August 11th search for a 'high priority target'.

August 11 Search for High Priority Target

In unrelated news

Michael Totten is embedded with the 82nd airborne in Graya’at, and wrote about one of their night patrols.. completely unrelated to the 2-32, but I found it interesting:

A Baghdad Night Raid: Michael Totten

Weapons cache seized in Iraq

Weapons cache seized in Iraq
United Press International
Black Anthem Military News
August 10, 2007

weapons cache

BAGHDAD, Aug. 10 (UPI) -- Members of the U.S.-led Multinational Force in Baghdad Friday seized weapons and bomb-making materials, the military said.

A spokesman said the seized weapons are believed to be connected with a weapons cache seized Tuesday in the western Yarmouk neighorhood, the Kuwait News Agency, KUNA reported.

"We're confident that this seizure prevented a major IED event," said Capt. Brian McCall, commander of Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment, KUNA reported. "With the pilgrimage to the Khadhmia shrine under way, any weapons we can keep off the streets will go a long way towards securing the march."

The military launched Operation Firecracker to seek out a suspected IED, or Improvised Explosive Device, cell in the area, KUNA reported. One Yarmouk resident was taken into custody Tuesday for questioning.

Photos: from embedded journalist Damir Sagolj (2)

Photos: from embedded journalist Damir Sagolj
Search for images by Damir Sagolj on Yahoo!News
Damir was embedded with 2-32 FA during the first week of August.

Second set of pictures from Damir, including the August 9th response to the attack on pilgrims in Yarmouk.

Damir Sagolj -- August 9th

Shiite Pilgrims Converge on Baghdad

Shiite Pilgrims Converge on Baghdad
NY Times
Damien Cave
August 9, 2007

Tens of thousands of Shiite pilgrims converged today on a shrine in western Baghdad to honor an 8th century Imam, moving through the streets with chants, flags, and only a few signs of the violent attacks and stampedes that have marked previous celebrations.

In Kadhimiya, the site of the shrine honoring Imam Musa al-Kadhim, two people died and at least 15 were injured when pilgrims crushed each other trying to reach a train departing the neighborhood, according to an interior ministry official. A sniper in the mostly Sunni area of Yarmouk was killed by Iraqi soldiers after opening fire on pilgrims at around 2 p.m., the official said. Three soldiers were wounded. [the McClatchy article below seems to report the same incident, and clarifies that the injured were Iraqi soldiers.]

The violence so far, however, has paled in comparison to last year, when explosions and gunfire killed more than 20 people, and 2005 when roughly 1,000 people died on a bridge after rumors of a suicide bomber ignited a mass panic. With a strict curfew in place, pilgrims en route said that security had improved, thanking the Shiite-led government in a few cases, and expressing a form of Shiite nationalism that treated the march as a protest against violence and a show of force meant to tell Sunni attackers that Shiite power is here to stay.

“We thank Maliki for arranging this,” said Mohammed Hussein Mahawish, 33, the owner of a shoe shop, referring to the Shiite prime minister, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki. “Regardless of terrorism and danger, no one can stop us, the Shiites, from fulfilling these duties to our Imams,” he said. He then shouted criticism of Sunni extremists, and “Saddamists and terrorists.”

Ahmed Aboud Hassan, 36, a food seller at the public market in Sadr City, said that he had walked overnight through several areas of the city, including Sunni locations. He described the pilgrimage as a display of Shiite unity and strength.

“We are here to tell them you will never frighten us,” Mr. Hassan said. “Our challenge will continue to our last days, until our deaths. You will never break our willpower.”

The rhetoric, he said, was not for all Iraqi Sunnis — just the extremists. He said he was excited to discover Sunnis who welcomed Shiites into their areas, in what appeared to be an effort to make peace, to show that ordinary Iraqis of the warring sects could find ways to get along.

On Haifa Street for example, a Sunni area often riven by sectarian violence, he said that residents handed out tea to pilgrims. Seeing what he hoped would be cause for long-awaited reconciliation, he said that the gesture brought him comfort.

“They’re helping us,” he said. “We’re here and they’re helping.”

Roundup of daily violence in Iraq

Roundup of daily violence in Iraq
McClatchy Newspapers
By Laith Hammoudi
August 9, 2007

Baghdad - 3 Iraqi soldiers were wounded in clashes with gunmen tried to attack the pilgrims who were going towards the shrine of Kadhemiyah. The clashes took place in Qahtan square in Yarmouk neighborhood downtown Baghdad around 2,00 pm.