1-15 Inf. Conducts Air Assault Mission, Destroys Enemy Cache

Multi-National Division - Center
Media Release
HQ, MND-Center
Baghdad, Iraq
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

1-15 Inf. conducts air assault mission, destroys enemy cache
By Staff Sgt. Sean Riley
3rd HBCT Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, seized a weapons cache near Al Dur’aya June 4.
The unit conducted an air assault operation into the area to capture insurgents and destroy weapon caches.

“With us moving by air, we were able to get our elements to the objective, and was ideal in this situation,” said Capt. Leo Buehler, Company B, 1-15 Infantry commander. “Because of the objective’s remote location and enemy’s network of early warning observation posts along the limited ground routes into the village, a ground infiltration would have given the enemy more than one hour early notice.”

By dropping from CH-47 Chinook helicopters, Coalition Forces gained the advantage by allowing the enemy only minutes to prepare.

“As a result, the enemy was unable to recover their equipment prior to our arrival on site,” Buehler said.

The mission netted one insurgent cache containing 30-60 mm mortars, seven AK-47 assault rifles, 32 AK-47 magazines, two 60 mm mortar tubes, one set of body armor and one military-style uniform. During the mission, AH-64 Apache attack helicopters engaged and destroyed a truck after receiving small-arms fire.

The cache was destroyed by explosive ordnance personnel at the scene.