1-15th Inf. Regt. Detains 10, Kills One Insurgent

By Sgt. Natalie Rostek
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – Soldiers of Company A, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, conducted an air assault early, Nov. 11, near Al Bawi, resulting in 10 suspected insurgents detained and one insurgent killed.

During the air assault, Company A Soldiers cleared 17 buildings of weapons and military paraphernalia. All detainees were brought in for questioning.

“In the past, the Al Bawi area has been a stronghold for al-Qaida,” said Capt. Joshua Powers, from Atlanta, assistant operations officer, 1-15th Inf. Regt. “We used an air insertion to disrupt an area they thought was a safe haven. This operation sends a clear message to the insurgents in the area that we will continue to bring the fight to them. The people of that area see that we are actively pursuing the enemy and will eventually rid the area of their influence.”

The 1-15th Inf. Regt. is assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division from Fort Benning, Ga., and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom V since March.