Photo By Staff Sgt. Carmen Yepez | An Iraqi soldier, who serves as a gunner with the 6th Iraqi Army prepares to roll out...... read more read more
By Sgt. 1st Class Antonius Vanboekhout and Sgt. Carmen Guerrero
926th Engineer Brigade
BAGHDAD, Iraq – No matter what time a mission is scheduled to start, Soldiers must be prepared for the task which lies ahead of them. Often, this entails a few hours of mission preparation and a quick meal, which is followed by a mission brief. The brief prepares the Soldiers by providing them information on recent significant activities in their operational environment.
With this information, the Soldiers have the basics on what can be expected prior to exiting their forward operating base and hitting the streets of Baghdad.
Such was the case Jan. 10 when the Soldiers of the 836th Engineer Company, from Kingsville, Texas, paired up with Iraqi army soldiers from the 6th Iraqi Army Division and set off on a route-clearance mission with the objective of keeping the streets of Baghdad safe for Iraqi security and coalition forces, as well as for Iraqi civilians.
For more than six months, the Soldiers of the 890th Engineer Battalion, which the 836th Eng. Co. is assigned to, have taken the training they have undergone – from their military occupational specialty schools and mobilization sites to their previous deployments – and put it all to good use on the streets of Baghdad to help better the lives of the Iraqi citizens.
When the Soldiers of the 890th Eng. Bn. find an improvised explosive device, they can rely on the fact that they've eliminated one less potential threat and have done their part to keep others out of harm's way.
The 6th Iraqi Army Division advanced their knowledge of route clearance patrols by integrating themselves in the 890th Eng. Bn. patrol. The Soldiers of the 836th Eng. Co., started out by leading the mission, but soon after hitting the road, the 6th IA Div. wasted no time, deciding they were ready to take the lead of the patrol with their own route clearance vehicle-the Badger. The trust and experiences gained through each mission has led to tremendous success between Iraqi and U.S. Soldiers alike.
1st Lt. Jubal Grubb, native of Kyle, Texas, said, "Right out of the gate the Soldiers of the 6th IA were chomping at the bit to take point on the patrol. My first two trucks led the patrol for a few kilometers just as a refresher of our tactics, techniques and procedures, with their Badger as the second gun truck.
"While in the Badger, 1st Lt. Wisam and I started discussing tactics and patrol formations and battle drills; he and the driver, along with the gunner still remembered how we operated from our last joint patrol," said Grubb. "They showed a lot of initiative and said that they would be honored to lead the patrol. I told him that it was my honor to back them up."
The Iraqi army has learned about their own vehicle, the Badger, as well as the vehicles used by the U.S. military. In order to keep operations running smoothly, vehicle maintenance is a vital part of daily missions. Training, technology, manpower and equipment are just a few things that make the route clearance missions successful.
The Iraqi soldiers managed to keep the patrol speed slow in order to cautiously scan their sectors. The soldiers took nothing for granted and interrogated anything that even resembled a possible IED, by using the Badger's interrogation arm.
"I was impressed with how cautious and proactive they were," said Grubb. "While less than one kilometer out of the gate, 1st Lt. Wisam called the patrol to stop, and interrogated a suspicious object placed at the side of a T-wall."
On this particular mission, there weren't any IED finds, but the Soldiers are always prepared for the unexpected by remaining focused and refusing to let complacency take part of their missions. The Soldiers of both the 6th IA Division and the 836th Eng. Co. have worked hard to conquer language barriers. With the eagerness of the 6th IA Division, and the pride they have for not only their country, but with their jobs, much progress has been made.
Hours can be long and grueling on a route clearance patrol, but at the end of the day the work is well worth it. Effort has been made from both units and joint training has been put to good use. The joint effort between the IA and the 890th Eng. Bn. has contributed to counterinsurgency-the formula needed to assure that the streets of Baghdad are safe and stay that way.
"The end goal and desired result of the joint route clearance missions is to train the Soldiers of the Iraqi Army so they can assume full control of their country," said Sgt. 1st Class Antonius Vanboekhout, a native of Taylor, Texas. "They're definitely on the right road!"
| Date Taken: | 02.02.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 02.02.2009 04:53 |
| Story ID: | 29528 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 792 |
| Downloads: | 627 |
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