Photo By Pfc. Cynthia Teears Van Cleve | 2nd Company, 6th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division stand in formation on Combat Outpost...... read more read more
By Spc. Cynthia S. Teears
11th Public Affairs Detachment
MOSUL, Iraq - The Killer Troop, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment patrols route Tampa from the Combat Outpost Rabiy, which is located in the western side of Mosul and the route has seen noticeable improvement in the past few months.
"Tampa, which the Iraqi's call the Iraqi Highway, is a main route through Mosul and the country," said Staff Sgt. William Greenwood, a sergeant in Killer Troop, 3/3 ACR. "When we first got here, you were guaranteed to get shot at. Now it is much safer."
There are two different combat outposts along Tampa and lately more shops have been opening up every week, Greenwood said. Pedestrians and vehicle traffic has increased also.
"Before, the traffic would clear out when they saw the U.S. troops coming," Greenwood said. "The vehicle traffic would empty out of the street and nobody would come out for fear they would be caught in the crossfire, simply because we were there."
Greenwood said the Iraqi people feel content because of the increased security in the market areas. The Iraqis feel safer coming out, going to the market and walking around now, said Greenwood.
The Iraqi and the U.S. Army units still find improvised explosive devices in the area every once in a while. The checkpoints get attacked occasionally, but it is not an everyday occurrence as it was before, Greenwood said.
"We got here in November and started the combat outpost," said Sgt. Nicholas Massarotti, a cavalry scout and gunner of Killer Troop, 3/3 ACR. "The unit was fired at constantly."
"There was a whole bunch of heavy equipment here and scattered trash and broke down vehicles, Massarotti said. "We lived in our vehicles and then moved into tents after we had cleared out enough space for them. After four months they brought us hot chow."
When the Iraqi army unit first came to the combat outpost the Iraqi soldiers wouldn't stay at the post if the Killer Troop was leaving to go on a patrol, said Massarotti. The Killer Troop started taking the Iraqi soldiers out on their missions and coaching them on how to conduct raids from the intelligence gathered and what to do when reacting to a possible improvised explosive device.
The Iraqi army started gathering their own intelligence and the joint forces would conduct raids on the intelligence, added Massarotti. Eventually the Iraqi army started going out on their own, conducting their own raids on their gathered intelligence.
Like the Iraqi army the Iraqi police in the sector have also played an important part to the developing security of route Tampa.
"The Iraqi police are supposed to make sure their area is safe and develop contacts," said Massarotti. "We come by and check on their progress and encourage them to do their job."
All of these units working together have made the difference for route Tampa in Mosul, hopefully the same will continue throughout Iraq.
| Date Taken: | 09.20.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 09.20.2008 14:11 |
| Story ID: | 23928 |
| Location: | MOSUL, IQ |
| Web Views: | 324 |
| Downloads: | 275 |
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