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DEL.ICIO.USScore one for the 48th, Iraqis
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Forward Operating Base Mercer, Iraq — The Iraqi soldiers were two minutes from letting a detained driver continue on his way.
The soldiers had stopped the blue Opel sedan because the driver tried to avoid a military checkpoint and didn’t have registration papers for his vehicle.
The soldiers had a hunch the driver might be part of a deadly Sunni-led insurgency whose fighters plant massive roadside bombs, fire mortars and rockets at U.S. bases, and try to incite sectarian violence by killing Shiites in this rural area southwest of Baghdad.
Then the driver’s cellphone rang. An Iraqi soldier picked it up.
Impersonating the driver, the soldier spoke to a man who said he had a new shipment of bomb-making materials and wanted help assembling them.
“Where should we meet?” asked the soldier-turned-detective.
“The same place we always meet,” the caller replied.
Armed with that information, the soldiers immediately interrogated the driver. They learned the names of suspected conspirators and that the group planned to meet at a nearby gas station that evening.
Backed by members of the Georgia Army National Guard’s 48th Brigade Combat Team, the Iraqi soldiers raided the gas station and several adjoining homes and arrested 19 men. They also confiscated a mountain of Syrian currency, blasting caps, detonators and a substantial amount of explosives.
The raid, part of a weeklong offensive known as Operation Scimitar, suggests U.S. and Iraqi soldiers are starting to work well together to root out insurgents in this area, which is part of the “Triangle of Death.”
During the two months Georgia soldiers have been fighting here, their attitude toward their poorly equipped and trained-on-the-job Iraqi counterparts has gone from suspicion and mistrust to appreciation and, in some cases, admiration.
GIs call Iraqi troops a plus
Instead of keeping the Iraqis at arm’s length, Georgia citizen soldiers are rapidly coming to regard them as essential to their mission.
“The information that came from the cellphone call is the kind of thing our guys never would have been able to obtain on their own,” said Lt. Col. Ben Sartain, 42, of Cleveland, leader of about 70 Georgia soldiers assigned to work with and train the Iraqi army’s 4th Brigade. “The Iraqis are the best intelligence gatherers I’ve ever seen. They know how things should look and sound around here, and they notice right away when anything is out of place.”
Operation Scimitar was the first sustained, multiday operation in which the Georgia soldiers operated with Iraqi troops.
Maj. Jeff Dickerson, 38, a leader of the Cordele-based 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, said having the Iraqi soldiers in on the operation helped considerably, because citizens offer information to them that they would never volunteer to Americans.
“The locals are much more comfortable talking to fellow Iraqis than talking to us,” said Dickerson, a parole officer before becoming a full-time National Guard member. “They know who belongs here and who doesn’t. They recognize subtle differences in accents and customs that we as outsiders would never notice.”
During a week in the field, American and Iraqi soldiers were together around the clock. Between missions, they shared food, drinks and cigarettes, communicating through an elaborate series of gestures when interpreters were absent.
The Iraqis brought watermelons and cantaloupes from local fields and markets. Americans handed out Gator-ade and girlie magazines and traded knives and other equipment for Iraqi army patches.
In addition, the Iraqis are receiving better equipment. A fleet of new, larger trucks arrived recently to replace the decrepit Nissan pickups the Iraqis have used for years. Air conditioners, batteries and small improvements are being installed at their training compound in Mahmudiyah.
In Operation Scimitar, U.S. forces provided food, water and logistical support and used their armored vehicles to provide security. Iraqis manned road checkpoints, searched homes and buildings, and interrogated detainees.
Trust, mutual aid growing
The Iraqis do much more than put an indigenous face on American military muscle, Dickerson said
“They’re doing a lot of the heavy lifting themselves,” he said. “They’re extremely courageous and enthusiastic, and they’re doing meaningful work.”
Dickerson said integrating Iraqis into every aspect of military operations eventually would enable them to take over, the goal of American military commanders here.
“As we show increasing confidence and trust in them,” Dickerson said, “the Iraqi army is beginning to trust itself.”
Sartain, a full-time Guard soldier, said the most lasting benefit from the weeklong effort was broad acceptance by U.S. military units that the Iraqis can increase the overall effectiveness of all units involved.
“Our military units are starting to beg to have the Iraqis participate in their operations,” he said.
Living and working together also has helped allay fears among U.S. soldiers that the Iraqi army has been thoroughly infiltrated by insurgents and isn’t trustworthy.
“People who have resisted the Iraqi army are seeing the light,” Sartain said. “These guys aren’t the enemy. They’re here to defend their country, and they’re saving American lives at the same time.”
Comments
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By Jeannie
July 21, 2005 08:03 AM | Link to this
WAY TO GO GUYS—Keep up the GREAT WORK… You are NOT JUST NATIONAL GUARD SOLDIERS…FINISH THE JOB AND COME HOME-WE ARE HERE FOR YOU ALL.. LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL… We are VERY PROUD to KNOW ALOT OF YOU ALL PERSONALLY and we are VERY PROUD that you are doing THIS FOR US…. Spc. CG Carter— Spc. Michael Astuto — Spc. Matt Hayes — Spc.Billy Harp — 1stSgt.C White : Miss you all and we think of you all daily..Watch out for each other and we will see you all soon… Scouts Out….
By Frances
July 21, 2005 08:15 AM | Link to this
Awesome story. Great to hear that our soldiers (GA and otherwise) are working well with the Iraqi soldiers. I pray that soon the Iraqi’s will be strong enought for our troops to come home.
By Lamar
July 21, 2005 09:48 AM | Link to this
Spectacular reporting. Great to see good news reported rather than just a daily “body count”. It brought tears to my eyes to see that the job we went there to do is actually happening and there is a journalist having courage to report the positive. Our Sunday School class sends copies of the AJC to some guys overseas bi-weekly. Using the USPS printed matter rate makes it reasonable to do and they report that the papers are treasured and passed around from GI to GI for all to read. Thanks to the guys abd gals that are paying the price overseas.
By Laura Edwards
July 21, 2005 04:58 PM | Link to this
Great job guys. We are so proud of you all. Get the job done & come home to us. Here’s to my husband Sgt. Calvin Edwards Jr-Cartersville, I love you baby, Spc Andrew Haygood-Resaca, Sgt Bruce Herron-Adarisville & Sgt. John Reid-Calhoun. Y’all be safe. Come home soon.
Laura
By Nicole Bell
July 22, 2005 11:03 PM | Link to this
WAY TO GO!!! I like to hear stories where our soldiers are making progress! Hopefully soon the Iraqi soldiers will be trained enough to take over for themselves and our guys can come home. I am praying each and everyday for all of you…I love you my husband SGT BELL!!! Be safe and hurry home!!!
By Lorenzo Quichocho
July 28, 2005 07:19 PM | Link to this
Outstanding job guys. Keep up the good work, get the job done, be safe and return home safely to your family. God Bless you all.