Courtesy Photo | CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq – Vehicles from the Fires Brigade, 4th Infantry Division line up...... read more read more
by Sgt. 1st Class Jerry Malec
Fires Bde. PAO, 4th Inf. Div.
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq – Soldiers of Fires Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, were called upon Sept. 1 to deploy to Forward Operating Base Scania in support of Operation Constant Solidarity, a combined effort between the 8th Iraqi Army Division and MND-B Soldiers to weed out more than 2,000 terrorists in and around the city of Diwaniyah.
The brigade received its marching orders from MND-B to deploy Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System crews from the 2nd Battalion, 20th Field Artillery Regiment.
The Iron Gunners showcased their hustle by setting up a fully operational tactical operations center, fire direction and support center, along with emplacing MLRS crews on standby, ready to fire in under 24 hours.
"The 4th Infantry Division did an analysis with V Corps and it was determined that some resources that we had in Fires Brigade were possibly going to be needed for a contingency mission," said Lt. Col. Timothy Daugherty, deputy commander, Fires Bde., 4th Inf. Div.
One key brigade element joining the fight was the 589th Brigade Support Battalion, whose Soldiers showed off their might by employing their heavy-wheeled vehicles to transport the lethal launchers from Camp Liberty to FOB Scania.
Battery A, 26th Field Artillery Regiment, Fires Bde. Soldiers performed around-the-clock security for the MLRS crews while a small group from the 324th Network Support Company established a rapid and dependable communication network based out of the headquarters building housing the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery Strike, an Army National Guard unit deployed from New Ulm, Minn.
"It really makes you proud to see our National Guard Soldiers do such a terrific job, and it's getting to the point now in our armed forces where there is really no difference between them and the active force," said Daugherty.
Out at the launcher sites, the Soldiers of Battery B stood by, ready to do their part.
"We're over here, and we're tying to get this mission accomplished to give the Iraqi people a safe place to live," said Staff Sgt. Kevin Stovall, MLRS Crew Chief, Btry. B, 2nd Bn., 20th FA Regt., who first joined the Army National Guard as a welder back in his hometown of McKinney, Texas in 1988.
"Our purpose as a whole is to help the Iraqi people take care of themselves, and help them reestablish their government while we're standing by, in case they need help," said Sgt. Jason Anderson, MLRS Gunner, Btry. B, who like Stovall, also served in the Army National Guard before joining the active force in his hometown of Chino, Calif. in October 2003.
"Mission success is to turn the country back to the Iraqi people, it's their country. I'd rather see it in their hands, rather than in someone else's hands," said Staff Sgt. Robert Young, MLRS Crew Chief, Btry. B., 2nd Bn., 20th FA Regt., and a native of Mitchell, S.D.
"It feels like I'm actually doing something," said Spc. James Carusetta, MLRS Gunner, Btry. B., 2nd Bn., 20th FA Regt., who hails from San Antonio.
"I get to support other people, and make sure that they are okay. I get to give them artillery support – it's great," added Carusetta.
"Once you start leveraging MLRS, you never know when you are going to use it or not," said Daugherty. "But sometimes just having those resources there is the catalyst that can cause the enemy to make some decisions before you have to hurt someone, and that's what you'd rather have."
| Date Taken: | 09.28.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 09.28.2006 09:08 |
| Story ID: | 7849 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 618 |
| Downloads: | 469 |
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