Photo By Sgt. Natalie Loucks | Col. Wayne W. Grigsby Jr., from Prince George's County, Md., commander of the 3rd...... read more read more
Story and photos by Sgt. Natalie Rostek
FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – Brig. Gen. Dan Allyn, Chief of Staff of the XVIII Airborne Corps, visited leaders of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, Feb. 17, at Forward Operating Base Hammer.
Allyn, former commander of the 3rd HBCT, visited with Col. Wayne W. Grigsby, from Prince George's County, Md., current 3rd HBCT commander, battalion commanders and command sergeants major for a briefing on the brigade's current operations in the Mada'in Qada.
Before the briefing, Grigsby gave Allyn a quick tour of the brigade headquarters. During the tour, Allyn met Soldiers and officers working in the tactical operations center, many of whom he worked with during his time with the brigade.
The briefing began with an overview of the progression FOB Hammer has undergone from March 2007 until now. Allyn, having previously commanded the brigade during the invasion of Iraq in 2003, understood FOB improvement efforts were primarily the work of the 203rd Brigade Support Battalion.
"It looks like the Eagles (203rd BSB) have been getting after it," he said.
Allyn, who was recently deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, ensured FOB Hammer was his first stop, to meet with his former brigade's leaders.
"This has been a great treat for me," he said. "I hope I can turn something around and make this worth your time."
After the briefing, Lt. Col. Mark Sullivan, from Huntsville, Ala., commander of 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery, and his Soldiers took Allyn on a patrol through Sabbah Nissan. Sullivan, who has been with the brigade for nine years, previously worked under Allyn's command.
"The patrol highlighted the success of the Sons of Iraq and the creation of the local council that represent the 12 villages along Butler Range Road," Sullivan said. "This significant gain in security allows us to move forward in governance and economics."
Sullivan believes the key to coalition force success is to provide locals with alternatives to criminal activity.
"Because of the improvements in security and the council, we have reached a point where we have Iraqi leaders educating the people on governance and economics," he said. "This is a huge step and will ultimately affect the prospects of the nahia in the future.
The 3rd HBCT, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga., is currently on its third tour and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March.
| Date Taken: | 02.24.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 02.24.2008 14:50 |
| Story ID: | 16656 |
| Location: | FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, IQ |
| Web Views: | 573 |
| Downloads: | 362 |
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