Troop Scoop 5/27/2008

May 27, 2008 in War News

Troop Scoop

Posted: 27 May 2008 05:00 PM CDT

Dear Interested Readers,
Our agricultural advisers are helping the date palm crop.  Basra continues to show progress in security as humanitarian and reconstruction projects continue, and large scale engineering projects are planned for the future.  The “Screaming Eagles” brings attention to the medical needs of a community.  Sons of Iraq get the opportunity to become policemen.  Criminals are captured and weapons caches removed.
Joanna
_________________________________________

Multi-National Corps – Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342

May 27, 2008

Date palm trees sprayed

By Sgt. Kevin Stabinsky, 2nd BCT, 3rd ID

FOB KALSU – On May 22, an aggressive aerial campaign in Sayafiyah and Arab Jabour targeted pests, which had caused countless damage to palm trees over the past year.
“Left unchecked, the dubas beetle, which bores into the tree and kills it, can seriously disrupt the production of dates in the area,” said Mike Stevens, a Baghdad-7 embedded PRT agriculture adviser.  “Behind oil, dates were once the main export of Iraq.”
The spraying had no CF involvement. Unlike many previous projects in the area, this one was conducted solely by the Ministry of Agriculture, using their helicopter fleet.
The entire campaign represents a significant step for local farmers and shows the population that the GoI is taking action to bring support to the area.

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IPs find large cache, detain 5 suspected terrorists

TIKRIT- IP conducted an op in Mosul, May 25, discovered a large cache and detained 5 suspected AQI.
The cache consisted of more than 80 uncompleted IEDs, more than 60 complete IEDs, 250 pounds of TNT, more than 40 homemade sticks of dynamite and more than 10 artillery rounds.
This find marks the 8th cache found in the Ninewah province within the last 72 hours.

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Operation Charge of the Knights continues operations in Az Zubayr

BASRA – Op Charge of the Knights, continued ops in Az Zubayr, 20 km southwest of Basra, May 25.
The op, which began March 24 in Basra, is clearing towns surrounding the Basra area of suspected criminal elements, securing detainees and weapons caches.
IA Soldiers led the planning and execution of the most recent mission. UK and US Mitts remain, with U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps, embedded with their Iraqi SF counterparts to enable the application of Coalition assets, if necessary.
Humanitarian support missions continue as well as provincial reconstruction efforts in the Basra area. They are also continuing cooperative medical engagements, and planning large scale engineering projects for the future.

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ISF and Regimental Combat Team 1 discover significant caches

CAMP FALLUJAH – Elements of Regimental Combat team 1, including IP and IA units, working off tips from Iraqi civilians uncovered numerous caches in AO East this week.
Between May 18 and 24, caches were found that consisted of 1,329 types of indirect fire munitions such as mortar rounds, rockets and artillery rounds.
The caches consisted of 33 RPGs, along with fuses and other miscellaneous equipment, 1,200 pounds of
explosives, 19 weapons, including light and heavy machine guns, anti-aircraft weapons and sniper rifles, approx. 5,000 types of small-arms ammo such as .50-caliber, 7.62 mm, 9 mm and sniper rifle ammo, approx. 1,600 types of IED making materials, such as detonation cord, electronic initiating devices and command wire, more than 580 other types of ordnance, such as a 136 mm rocket, 380 23 mm high-explosive incendiary anti-aircraft rounds, and an air-surface/surface-surface round.

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ISF, MND-B Soldiers continue to take weapons off streets in Baghdad

BAGHDAD – Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers confiscated a number of weapons and munitions throughout Baghdad May 25, consisting of 15 RPGs, 4 RPG rounds, more than 80 AK-47s, 3 SKS rifles, 3 9 mm pistols, a 38 mm pistol, 4 radio handsets with batteries, 3 EFPs, 4 two-way radios, 9 fuses, and other weapon components.

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IA Soldiers seize weapons caches during Sadr City operation

BAGHDAD – IA Soldiers conducting ops in the Sadr City district of Baghdad during Op Peace uncovered several weapons caches May 24, as they continue to secure the area to protect the local population.
Weapon caches seized consisted of a 155 mm round, 13 RPGs, 41 AK-47 rifles, 2 Smirnov sniper rifles, 18 anti-aircraft rounds, 209 7.62 mm magazines, 9 EFPs, more than 200 lbs. of homemade explosives, an RPK machine gun, a SKS rifle, a bayonet, 77 AK-47 magazines, 82 7.62 mm rounds, 7 hand grenades, 500 PKC rounds, 120 rounds of ammo, 2 IEDs,  a set of Russian night-vision goggles, and a crate of TNT.

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Government officials, U.S. work to heal, unite

By Capt. Drew Sandstrum

PB KEMPLE – For the first time in recent history, the GoI came to the aid of local residents requiring medical care in al-Betra and Owesat, about 25 km southwest of Baghdad, May 20.
Assisted by Soldiers of Co A, 3rd Bn, 187th Inf Regt, 3rd BCT, 101st Abn Div (AASLT), GoI officials and Iraqi doctors flew to a school in the remote community of al-Betra to provide medical care and discuss the extension of govt services to the area.
The adjoining communities of al-Betra and Owesat sit on the western shores of the Euphrates River. The area falls under the jurisdiction of Anbar Province and Ameriyah-Fallujah Nahia, despite being more than 30 kms from the nahia govt and more than 40 km from Fallujah, the seat of provincial govt.
This mission marks a turning point in the effort to integrate the communities into govt ops.
Following a recent meeting concerning the al-Betra area with Mayor Hassan, of Ameriyah, Capt. Nathan Raymond, cmdr. of Co. A, 3-187th Inf. Regt., said an upcoming air assault mission was an excellent occasion for the mayor to visit the area.  “It seemed like a perfect opportunity,” Raymond said. “These people want to take care of themselves, so the best thing we can do for them is help them make contact with the govt officials who can help them do that.”
After picking up Hassan at a Coalition patrol base in Ameriyah, helicopters loaded with Soldiers of Co A, doctors and Iraqi advisers touched down outside the school in al-Betra shortly after sunrise.  While locals lined up to be seen, 2 helicopters dropped medical supplies in the school’s courtyard.
Najim Jassim, a local nurse, arrived with the helicopters and quickly began organizing patients for care. Assisted by Dr. Ali, an Iraqi medical adviser to CF, and Dr. (Maj.) Angela Uy, of Co C, 626th BSB, 3rd BCT, 101st Abn. Div. (AASLT), Jassim helped treat 128 local residents throughout the day. “I’m glad we were able to do this,” she said. “Normally, there are so many people that I do not have enough supplies to help everyone, but today has been good.”
Local sheikhs were pleased with the op and its outcome, and expressed their gratitude to CF for helping bring GoI attention to their community.  “Screaming Eagles are a part of us now,” said Sheikh Ismael.  “Nobody put any effort into this area until the Screaming Eagles did. We are looking forward to our own govt taking care of us now, but we will always remember what Screaming Eagles did for us.”

Doctor (Maj.) Angela Uy, examines a child.

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MPs screen possible IP recruits

MP Sgt. 1st Class Jim Meneley, 18th MP Bde explains the reviewing process of a SoI application packet to a civilian translator as they review and assist the Iraqi Provincial Directorate of Police (Baghdad) with hundreds of SOI application packets. The packets subsequently are submitted to the Ministry of Interior to be processed into hiring orders. The hiring orders will give SOI members the opportunity to serve their country by becoming IP. The packets being reviewed are part of the IP expansion program to hire SOI members to become future IP.

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MND-B Soldiers seize weapons caches, detain two criminals

BAGHDAD – May 24, Soldiers with 1st BCT, 4th ID, seized 3 60 mm mortar rounds at approx. 6:45 a.m. in West Rashid.
Soldiers from 2nd Stryker BCT, 25th ID discovered a weapons cache northwest of Baghdad at approx. 12:30 p.m. consisting of 2 122 mm mortar rounds, 5 105 mm projectile rounds,4 85 mm mortar rounds, 3 82 mm mortar rounds, a 60 mm mortar round, an 80 mm mortar round, a 106 mm inert projectile, a .50-caliber machine gun, an MG42 machine gun and the remnants of an anti-tank mine.
SoI members, along with Soldiers with 3rd Sqdrn, 7th Cav Regt, currently supporting the 3rd BCT, 4th ID, detained a suspected criminal in the northern Baghdad district of Adhamiyah.
At approx. 10:50 p.m. in the New Baghdad district, Soldiers with the 4th BCT, 10th Mtn Div, spotted criminals transporting weapons. The Soldiers wounded and detained one criminal.

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