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DEL.ICIO.USIEDs can spell death for patrols
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Forward Operating Base, St. Michael, Iraq — In a crumbling brick hut set about 100 yards off the narrow, two-lane road U.S. soldiers call Route Fat Boy, the lookout had waited patiently for many days for a military convoy to pass.
Dozens of water bottles had been emptied and discarded in a corner of the barren earthen structure, as well as a few cans of fish and plastic wrappers that once held crackers.
A small fireplace used for cooking was in one corner of the hut and flimsy metal cot had been placed beneath the tiny window that provided the spotter’s only view of his target.
The window itself was about a foot square, bordered by a splintery wood frame. The hut had no plumbing or electricity — but it had everything the spotter needed to detonate an “improvised explosive device,” the most deadly weapon insurgents now in use against American soldiers.
The lookout had a clear line of sight to the road and could instantly trigger the explosive hidden there with a cell phone or other wireless device. Next to the road, a line of evenly spaced power lines provided a low-tech but effective way to gauge the convoy’s speed.
“All he’s got to be able to do is count,” said Lt. Col. John King, commander of the 1st Battalion, 108th Armor Regiment, who discovered the hiding place on an impromptu patrol with Sgt. Tim Hass. “Once they know how long it takes for a vehicle to go between two poles, they can anticipate how long it will take to get to their IED.”
King, of Doraville, and Hass, of Kennesaw, came upon the lookout’s hiding place at the end of a spontaneous hour-long search that highlighted some of the difficulties they face here.
Fat Boy - named for a Harley-Davidson motorcycle - parallels an irrigation canal. Insurgents can quickly tunnel horizontally into the soft soil underneath the blacktop and place IEDs - usually artillery or large mortar shells, but occasionaly bombs as large as 250 pounds.
In this part-urban, part-rural area south of Baghdad, IEDs have destroyed large armored military vehicles and killed dozens of soldiers.
The 48th Brigade Combat Team soldiers were on their way home from a nearby military base when a member of their convoy spotted a freshly dug mound beside the road that they suspected concealed an IED.
The soldiers stayed away, drove some of their vehicles off the road and began searching nearby homes and buildings for suspects.
Two soldiers entered a rural family’s home, a ramshackle place with a large chicken coop attached. Without an interpreter, they used hand motions to describe their intentions.
While they searched the home, another soldier spotted what he described as a man running away from the road, and the soldiers hurried to catch him. They came upon another home where they discovered the person they were looking for — a tall, lanky boy who appeared in his early teens.
The soldiers spoke to a man, apparently the boy’s father, who communicated that the boy had been playing with his brother. Then the soldiers left to search other homes and buildings in a more populated area on the other side of the road.
After inspecting several homes, King and Hass — both police officers in their civilian lives — discovered the lookout’s hiding place near the road.
A quick burst of several rifle shots rang out and the soldiers rushed toward the sound of the firing. They discovered the shots had come from a member of their own team as a warning to several approaching dogs.
The search almost finished when an American bomb detection team arrived. They soon determined the suspected IED was a fake.
Was the whole exercise a mistake? Or are insurgents using a new tactic by intentionally producing false alarms?
Lately, the bomb disposal teams have become high-priority targets. Insurgents call in false reports and shoot at the bomb specialists or set secondary explosives to try to kill them.
Certainly, the soldiers had helped their cause by finding the lookout’s hiding place. But had they alienated people with their aggressive tactics?
It was impossible to know.
Hass, a Cobb County motorcycle cop, said the soldiers had responded appropriately and professionally. He said they will continue to refine their tactics and build confidence in each other and Iraqis during their year-long deployment here.
But the big, affable former Marine said he was frustrated by his inability to communicate with Iraqis — particularly the young ones.
“I hate scaring little kids,” Hass said. “They look at me like I’m a giant, and for all they know, I’m about to pick them up and eat them. I wish I knew how to reassure them and let them know that I’m really here to help.”
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Comments
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By Wendy
June 10, 2005 02:53 PM | Link to this
Love how you are keeping us connected. My son is over there and your articles have been very informative. What will happen after you leave in July? Will someone go over to take your place? I certainly hope so. All of my friends keep up with it too !! Thanks so much !! Wendy
By Becca
June 10, 2005 04:19 PM | Link to this
Great job, guys! Keep up the good work, and NEVER let your guard down.
By Maria
June 10, 2005 08:38 PM | Link to this
Better safe than sorry!
By Marie
June 10, 2005 09:54 PM | Link to this
Ok…I tried to stay quiet…..I really really did…….but I want to respond to the gentleman that had a problem with the name for the base…he feels that the use of an Archangel is going to somehow encite the predominantly muslim population….well in case you had not noticed…they are already “incited” and I doubt that the name of the base somehow escalates this…furthermore our soldiers are not predominantly muslim and why should they hide what they believe to a nation that they are trying to convince to move towards tolerance and understanding???? Lastly I can not think of a better name……the Catholic Encyclopedia (just the first one that hit on google…I am not espousing Catholicism…) describes Michael the Archangel this way…”St. Michael is one of the principal angels; his name was the war-cry of the good angels in the battle fought in heaven against the enemy and his followers….”The enemy of course was Satan….how very and ultimately APPROPRIATE. Regardless of religion good is good and evil is evil…..St. Michael fought for right and righteousness….that transcends race religion and politics. Amen.
By Christina Bentjen
June 11, 2005 03:45 PM | Link to this
I heard that the medics are standing guard duties and that it is against the Geneva rules, is that true?
By LTC (Ret) Al Jacobs
June 11, 2005 06:16 PM | Link to this
Christina, the Geneva Convention is a series of rules on treatment of enemy POWs, not on how the US Army conducts internal business. You can find the full set of rules at genevaconventions.org. Medics are very important members of a unit - they must always be up front because their job is immediate lifesaving so yes, I would hope that they were present on guard duty like everyone else. Many thanks to my old unit, the 48th Brigade, and all my friends in Iraq.
By LTC (Ret) Al Jacobs
June 11, 2005 06:26 PM | Link to this
Since WWII, St Michael has been the patron saint of paratroopers, therefore the camp’s name.