Concerned Local Citizens Work to Rid Their Areas of IEDs

A Soldier from the 789th Ordnance Company (explosive ordnance disposal), from Ft. Benning, Ga., places C4 explosives on an insurgent cache found by Concerned Local Citizens in Sabbah Nissan, a village southeast of Baghdad, Jan. 15, at a remote site near the group’s headquarters.

By Spc. Ben Hutto
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – Concerned Local Citizens in Sabbah Nissan, a village southeast of Baghdad, led Soldiers from Battery A, 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery, to a weapons cache near the group’s headquarters, Jan. 15.

Soldiers from the 789th Ordnance Company (explosive ordnance disposal), from Fort Benning, Ga., were called out to destroy the munitions along with remnants of an earlier cache turned in by the CLCs.

Since last November, CLCs frequently take the lead in uncovering insurgent caches in the areas around Forward Operating Base Hammer and reporting them to Battery A for disposal.

“It’s great to see the citizens of Iraq stepping up and taking charge,” said 1st Sgt. Michael Parker, from Geriee, Ind., first sergeant of Battery A.

The effectiveness of the CLCs in Sabbah Nissan has allowed Battery A more opportunities to provide water, food and school supplies to the 11 villages that the group represents and protects.

The cooperation between CLCs and Battery A is one of the reasons the area around FOB Hammer is secure, said Capt. Chas Cannon, from Moultrie, Ga., commander of Battery A.

“The Concerned Local Citizens provide us the ability to rid the roads of IEDs,” Cannon said. “The Concerned Local Citizens have expert knowledge on their neighborhoods and have prevented munitions from falling into the hands of extremist.”

The 1-10th FA 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 since March, 2007.