Photo By Staff Sgt. Miles Elder | Near MUQDADIYAH, Iraq (May 20, 2006) -- Staff Sgts. Dylan Spang (left) and Patrick...... read more read more
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MUQDADIYAH, Iraq (May 20, 2006) " Iraqi Army Soldiers guarding a key checkpoint here will soon be able to fight fire with fire- mortar fire, that is.
To ensure Soldiers with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 5th Division know how to use these weapons, U.S. Soldiers with C Company, 1st
Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, spent a day and night training their Iraqi counterparts with the 60 mm mortars. Live firings were conducted with high-explosive and illumination rounds.
"The checkpoints get hit from time to time," said Capt. Andrew Berry, a member of the 3rd Battalion Military Training Team. "A 60 mm mortar will give them approximately 30 seconds of illumination, which is the equivalent to a bright searchlight.
"That will be very beneficial."
Checkpoint 346, which overlooks a major thoroughfare, has been a frequent target of nighttime insurgent small arms fire and mortar fire. Iraqi Army forces often have been unable to return fire because they were unable to see the enemy or direction of the fire. Having mortars with illumination rounds should change that, and allow Iraqis to stage a more effective response.
The training was planned by Capt. Erik Schweppe, Company C's fire support officer. He said this checkpoint was chosen because it was surrounded by open fields and had been a frequent target for insurgents.
"They have good visibility from the hill," said Schweppe who hails from Schaumburg, Ill. "Plus, safety had a lot to do with it."
Iraqi Soldiers responded quickly to the training from the fire support teams despite the blazing afternoon heat. Team members set up targets for the live fires while their noncommissioned officers drilled their Iraqi counterparts on the finer points of mortar deployment.
"Look at the smiles on those guys faces," Berry said pointing to the Iraqis eagerly practicing with the mortars. "They've been on the wrong side of mortar fire too many times."
Seasoned C Company NCOs, like Staff Sgt. Patrick Stack and Staff Sgt.
Dylan Spang conducted the training. They gave a class on setting up the mortar tube and then reviewed the capabilities of the rounds being fired this day.
Then it was time for hands-on training. The Iraqis were led through a series of drills to make them comfortable with loading, aiming and firing the mortar rounds.
The camaraderie between the U.S. and Iraqi forces was established almost instantly. As the firing began, Soldiers from both nations congratulated each other as rounds landed near the targets down range. Cheers went up and high-fives were exchanged.
"I've been working with these guys for one year," Berry said. "We've been through a lot of different scenarios with them.
"Right now, I have one of the best mortar teams out, and they really enjoy trying to teach their trade to the Iraqi Army."
Stack, a Maumee, Ohio, native who serves Company C's mortar section sergeant, agreed. He and his Soldiers enjoyed being on the giving end of the training process.
"They are usually pretty excited whenever we get to come out and work with them," Stack said, referring to the Iraqis. "They are always very motivated to work with us. They usually do very well."
Iraqi Soldiers value the one-on-one instruction they receive. Stack said they respect the American Soldiers" skill and knowledge.
"They are anxious to learn with the Americans," Stack said. "Every time we have trained with them, they are very anxious to learn what we know."
Stack said the addition of mortar capabilities will be a big plus to the Soldiers manning the checkpoints. It will give them a quick response to any attacks.
"If they do get attacked or if they take small arms fire, the illumination that they can provide organic to this checkpoint will usually scare off any major attack," Stack said. "Once they fire the illumination round, they will want to get out of here."
As night fell, the training continued. Illumination rounds were fired that lit up the desert floor. Crews scrambled to site the targets and deliver fire on them before their light vanished again.
Once the rounds were all fired, Soldiers congratulated each other on their achievements. It was clear that the Iraqis were no longer intimidated by the mortars and looked forward to adding them to their arsenal.
"When we make the battlefield a little bit more level, they gain a lot more confidence," Stack said. "Then, we see them make major steps."
| Date Taken: | 06.09.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 06.09.2006 11:02 |
| Story ID: | 6743 |
| Location: | MUQDADIYA, IQ |
| Web Views: | 225 |
| Downloads: | 23 |
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