3rd Brigade Leaders Observe Sheikh Meeting In Iraq

BY MICK WALSH

It was another busy weekend for 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team soldiers, now in their eighth month of deployment to Iraq.

Here are some of the highlights:

Meeting with sheikhs

Iraqi governmental officials met with more than 300 sheikhs from the Mada'in Qada in Baghdad to discuss the way ahead for reconciliation in their area, home to approximately one million Iraqis.

Leaders from the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team attended as observers.

"When this many sheikhs attend a meeting such as this, it is an indicator that the people are tired of the violence and have a desire to return to normalcy," said Maj. Dave Fivecoat, the brigade's operations officer.

The sheikhs agreed security in the qada had improved since the arrival of the brigade in March and pledged to continue cooperation with U.S. and Iraqi Security Forces to fight terrorism. To that end, they discussed a plan that would lead to the eventual acceptance of concerned local citizens into the Iraqi Security Forces.

The sheikhs also proposed a plan to increase coordination between tribal leaders and the government.

U.S. commanders hail the Concerned Citizens Programs as Iraq's best hope for reconciliation and stabilization from the ground up, but they stress that the concerned citizens must, in a timely manner, be folded into the official Iraqi security forces.

Maj. Jeremy Moore, the brigade's liaison to the Iraqi Security Force, said the meeting was a positive step toward that transition.

Air assaults

Attack helicopter pilots -- supporting soldiers from Company A, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment -- killed three extremists and wounded two others during an air assault into a suspected enemy sanctuary near Al-Bawi.

Soldiers from Company A conducted the raid to disrupt insurgent activity along the Tigris River north of Salman Pak. An attack aviation element from the 1st Battalion, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade provided aerial support with two AH-64 Apaches.

"The Al-Bawi area is very well-protected by the enemy with deep-buried improvised explosive devices along the main routes," said Maj. John Cushing, the 1-15's operations officer. "An air assault operation is a great way to reach areas like Al-Bawi to confirm or deny enemy sanctuaries."

Giving aid

Soldiers from the 1-15 provided much-needed humanitarian assistance to Nabie Al-Sofe, a small village east of Al-Wehda last week.

"I thought it was a fantastic opportunity to go into one of the more remote villages and develop the rapport we have with the people there," said Maj. Greg Lester of the 489th Civil Affairs Detachment, currently attached to the 1-15. "They are a Sunni and Shia village that is, to put it mildly, quite destitute. They all get along together, though. They are very isolated, but they were thrilled to see us."

The local residents received humanitarian assistance bags, which included a total of 24,000 liters of bottled water, clothing, school supplies and toys.

In addition to delivering the supplies, Staff Sgt. Derrick Boykins, a medic, was able to treat six townspeople, who suffered from a variety of bruises, cuts and minor illnesses.

"We plan to go back there and do a village assessment," Lester said. "They want a town water well and would like to show us a site they have picked out. We hope to help them with that."