Photo By Staff Sgt. Bobby Allen | U.S. Army Staff Sgts. Richard Luciano and Aaron Betz from the 87th Engineers Company...... read more read more
Subscribe
By Pfc. Alisha Nye
14th Public Affairs Detachment
NAQIB, Iraq - In theology, an archangel is a heavenly being who is meant to protect humankind by serving in the army of God. Conserving and protecting the wellbeing of their fellow men is an ideal that Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, as well as their Iraqi army counterparts, took to heart during the appropriately named Operation Archangel Pursuit III.
"The purpose of the mission was to go into the town of Naqib and conserve it," said 1st Sgt. Dean Johnson, Battery A, 2nd Bn., 8th Field Artillery Regt. "Enemy forces came in the area and forced the families who lived there out."
The importance of saving this area is great. The town of Naqib, which is located in the Diyala province of Iraq, is an agricultural area that once provided the majority of the families in the vicinity with an income, Johnson explained.
"The area is a great farming area," said the Detroit, Mich., native. "The palm groves produce oranges, pomegranates and grapes as well as dates. That's how the families in the area made their money – made their living, by farming."
However, where the palm groves once supplied the locals with a much needed livelihood, the underbrush of the palm groves now supply enemy forces with hiding spaces as well as a place to stash weapons.
"The problem with the palm groves is that they are overloaded with improvised explosive devices and booby traps," Johnson said. "When al Qaida took the area over it had a real impact on the families."
This is why coalition forces teamed up with key Iraqi army leaders and decided to unleash havoc on the one thing displacing the families of Naqib and preventing them from living normal lives. During Operation Archangel Pursuit III, the Soldiers of 2nd Bn., 8th Field Artillery Regt., with the assistance of their Iraqi army counterparts, transformed the underbrush into an inferno.
"The initial explosions burned off a lot of the fuel, and what that did was burn off the underbrush," Johnson said. "By clearing out the underbrush we can see straight through the palm groves so we can uncover and clear booby traps. We can clear out anything that may be in there – including bad guys."
Burning the underbrush not only heightened visibility but it helped to keep Soldiers from going into the palm groves unharmed.
"Burning down the underbrush made it possible to go into the palm groves without injury to the IA or coalition forces," Johnson said.
Now that the fire has burned out and threats have been found and destroyed, the main focus of the mission in Naqib is security, said Johnson.
"The Iraqi army is getting in there and securing the area so they can start bringing families back in," he said.
Johnson is hopeful that this will be the start of a larger mission to clear the palm groves in the entire Diyala province of threats to the families who reside there.
"Naqib is a small area, but it's a start," he said. "I'm hoping this will trickle throughout the province. It will help bring stability back."
Though the mission was considered to be a success, Johnson said it could not have been done without the Iraqi army spearheading the operation.
"They were the ones out front pulling security and patrolling," he said. "They are what made the operation successful. They know the area and without them I don't think we would have been as successful as we were. They are doing a tremendous job. They are ready for their country back."
| Date Taken: | 12.26.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 12.26.2008 03:52 |
| Story ID: | 28147 |
| Location: | IQ |
| Web Views: | 1,393 |
| Downloads: | 1,212 |
This work, Operation Archangel Pursuit III smokes out threats, by SPC Alisha Hauk, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
