Marines ensure strength, security of combat outposts

Courtesy Photo | Marines with 8th Engineer Support Battalion take a brief rest inside a building at a combat outposts built by their unit in the Amariyah-Ferris region of Iraq.  

04.27.2007

Courtesy Story

II Marine Expeditionary Force   

By 2nd Lt. Philip W. Klay
II Marine Expeditionary Force

"Lord, station your angels among our vehicles," said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Stephen Shaw, chaplain for 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward). "May they guard us and return us safely from harm."

The security team for Lt. Col. Daniel P. O'Hora, commanding officer of 8th ESB, was moving out, April 17, on an inspection tour of the largest engineering effort his unit had conducted since their arrival in Iraq.

The team was to take him to every combat outpost and observation post built in the three days prior to the trip. Twenty-four hours later, O'Hora had visited each outpost and evaluated their progress, security, and effectiveness at supporting the Army Soldiers occupying the sites.

This had been a major operation for 8th ESB. The unit, which worked in conjunction with Marines from 2nd Maintenance Battalion and "B" Company, Combat Logistics Battalion 6, as well as Sailors from 30th Naval Construction Regiment, had worked night and day in a massive effort to erect fully functioning combat outposts in the Amariyah-Ferris region of Iraq.

This region, approximately 15 miles south of Fallujah, had become a fallback point for terrorist groups pushed out of urban areas in the wake of successful operations by Iraqi and coalition Forces. The battalion's rapid build-up of outposts was part of Operation Fardh al Qanoon, an effort to deny them such sanctuaries and return control of Iraq to the Iraqi people.

As the convoy moved through the sites, O'Hora received briefs on progress from both the commanders of his companies and the commanders of the units they were supporting.

"I've been in the Army 15 years and this is the best engineer support I've ever had," said Army Capt. Charles Zipperer, a commanding officer at one of the outposts.

"These guys have been bending over backwards," added the Keystone Heights, Fla., native.

The extent of the construction came as a surprise to some Soldiers, who had thought 8th ESB would be worried about operating at small outposts in a hostile region, and would only drop off some barriers and leave.

This was not the case. Since their arrival three days earlier, constant effort had been the practice.

"It's been 20-hour days, maybe they're lucky and they got four hours of sleep," said Sgt. Krystopher W. Volp of Oshkosh, Wis., the project manager for two of the sites being built by Bridge Company, 8th ESB. "I couldn't tell you how much berm or how much [barrier] we put up."

Fatigue was kept in check by self-discipline, lower level leadership, and the knowledge of the importance of their work.

Operation Fardh al Qanoon (Enforce the Law), intended to interdict terrorist movement in and out of Baghdad and necessitated pushing U.S. troops out among the Iraqi people where they could restore order and transfer authority to their Iraqi counterparts.

However, while those troops are pushed forward, they still need to have secure, well-designed positions from which to work.

Where three days ago there had been open desert and a few buildings, explained Army Sgt. Ray M. Hare, "they pretty much 'perimetered' the whole back and front and gave us power, basic plumbing and showers."

"I think this'll be a pretty good strongpoint for whoever's operating here," said O'Hora, an Auburn, N.Y., native.

But a pretty good strongpoint was not necessarily enough. "I'm more concerned about the customer," he said.

As the security team pushed on, the Marines at the site continued working through a sandstorm that had arisen, and through the darkness that came with the end of the day.

They would not stop until all were sure their sites were strong, secure, and equipped with whatever comforts the engineers could bring. Until the completion of the duties, their long days would not be over.

• Date Taken: 04.27.2007
• Date Posted: 04.27.2007 12:54
• Story ID: 10147