COP Thrasher up and running

Photo By Spc. William Hatton | Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division unload various facilities used for Combat Outpost Thrasher, located in the western Baghdad neighborhood of Ghazaliya, March 17. COP Thrasher was places in Ghazaliya in efforts to lower insurgent presence in the neighborhood.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

03.20.2007

Story by Spc. William Hatton 

7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

By Pfc. William Hatton
7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq – Soldiers from the 887th Engineer Support Company, 20th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, and troops from the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, constructed a new combat outpost in the western Baghdad neighborhood of Ghazaliya, March 17.

By putting a combat outpost here in the neighborhood of Ghazaliya, a decrease in insurgent presence, and making a more stable area is what is hoped for, said Sgt. Maj. Russell Hurley, with 2-12 Cav, 4th BCT, 1st Cav. Div.

The combat outpost was built in an area that has seen many attacks over the past few months and is known to be a hot and disputed area, said Hurley, a native of Fort Worth, Texas.

There are many things that went into building COP Thrasher, Hurley said. Some of the things that need to go into building a combat outpost are building protective concrete walls and guard towers throughout the outpost, said 1st Lt. Seth Nieman, with 887th Eng. Support Co., 20th Eng. Bn, 36th Eng. Bde.

"887th Engineer Support Company's mission out here is to set up the concrete barriers used to protect the outpost," said Nieman, a native of Calvin, N.D.

"Although the goal is to knock out the mission as soon as possible, it can be long and tedious," Nieman said.

By putting up tall concrete barriers around the outpost the threat of sniper fire is reduced, Nieman, said.

One of the biggest things that needs to be looked in whether a combat outpost will be successful is knowing if the units will be able to defend the area, and to determine what the outcome of the mission in building the outpost, Hurley said.

A combat outpost is basically a smaller version of a forward operating base, Nieman said.

Both American and Iraqi forces will be able to run and operate within Combat Outpost Thrasher, Hurley said.

• Date Taken: 03.20.2007
• Date Posted: 03.20.2007 11:57
• Story ID: 9519
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ