A Soldier from 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment measures a weapon found in a cache Feb. 21 in Khanassa, Iraq.
Soldiers of Company B, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, with assistance from the Sons of Iraq, found a weapons cache Feb. 21 in Khanassa, Iraq.
Soldiers of Company B, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, with assistance from the Sons of Iraq, found a weapons cache Feb. 21 in Khanassa, Iraq. By Sgt. Natalie Rostek
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs Office
FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – Soldiers of Company B, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, with assistance from the Sons of Iraq, found three weapons caches Feb. 21 in Duraiya and Khanassa, south of Salman Pak.
Sgt. Joe Vasquez, from Los Angeles, Company B, said members of the SoI assisted Company B Soldiers in identifying two weapons caches.
The two caches contained 11 mortar rounds, one artillery round, one body armor vest, one DSHKA heavy machine gun, three DSHKA upper receivers, three rocket propelled grenade launchers and 160 mortar fuses.
The same day, a village leader informed Soldiers of an additional cache.
That cache consisted of four 60 mm mortars, four 155 mm rounds, one cylinder of homemade explosives and one propane tank of homemade explosives.
Coalition forces had little presence in areas south of Salman Pak before Jan. 28 and 29 when 1-15 Inf. Regt. Soldiers conducted a two-day operation to establish SoI checkpoints and disrupt insurgent networks operating in the area.
During the mission, Company A, 1-15 Inf. Regt., leaders enrolled citizens into a local SoI program.
Company B Soldiers moved into Combat Outpost Carver near Duraiya, south of Salman Pak, mid-February. Since then, Soldiers have made various trips into villages providing humanitarian assistance, said 1st Lt. Matt Barwick, from Lanham, Md., Company B effects coordinator.
Barwick said the commander of Company B, Capt. Rich Thompson, from West Palm Beach, Fla., accompanied by Soldiers from the 489th Civil Affairs Battalion, from Knoxville, Tenn., delivered items like food, water and cooking supplies to villagers.
“At first, we were getting mixed responses about us being there,” Barwick said. “Now, the local leadership is actually excited about it.”
Thompson agreed.
“Initially they were hesitant,” Thompson said. “We were doing mostly kinetic operations there. Now we are going out and mingling with the people. Slowly but surely, things are getting better.”
Thompson said village leaders now feel comfortable enough to visit Company B leaders at COP Carver. They discuss the needs of local citizens and the Iraqis give Soldiers information regarding the whereabouts of al-Qaida members and weapons caches.
“In nine days we have uncovered six caches,” Thompson said.
Barwick said Company B is planning area projects. A local bridge is slated for repair and power lines will be secured so the Ministry of Electricity can facilitate repairs.
The 1-15 Inf. Regt. is assigned to the 3rd BCT, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga., and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March.
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs Office
FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – Soldiers of Company B, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, with assistance from the Sons of Iraq, found three weapons caches Feb. 21 in Duraiya and Khanassa, south of Salman Pak.
Sgt. Joe Vasquez, from Los Angeles, Company B, said members of the SoI assisted Company B Soldiers in identifying two weapons caches.
The two caches contained 11 mortar rounds, one artillery round, one body armor vest, one DSHKA heavy machine gun, three DSHKA upper receivers, three rocket propelled grenade launchers and 160 mortar fuses.
The same day, a village leader informed Soldiers of an additional cache.
That cache consisted of four 60 mm mortars, four 155 mm rounds, one cylinder of homemade explosives and one propane tank of homemade explosives.
Coalition forces had little presence in areas south of Salman Pak before Jan. 28 and 29 when 1-15 Inf. Regt. Soldiers conducted a two-day operation to establish SoI checkpoints and disrupt insurgent networks operating in the area.
During the mission, Company A, 1-15 Inf. Regt., leaders enrolled citizens into a local SoI program.
Company B Soldiers moved into Combat Outpost Carver near Duraiya, south of Salman Pak, mid-February. Since then, Soldiers have made various trips into villages providing humanitarian assistance, said 1st Lt. Matt Barwick, from Lanham, Md., Company B effects coordinator.
Barwick said the commander of Company B, Capt. Rich Thompson, from West Palm Beach, Fla., accompanied by Soldiers from the 489th Civil Affairs Battalion, from Knoxville, Tenn., delivered items like food, water and cooking supplies to villagers.
“At first, we were getting mixed responses about us being there,” Barwick said. “Now, the local leadership is actually excited about it.”
Thompson agreed.
“Initially they were hesitant,” Thompson said. “We were doing mostly kinetic operations there. Now we are going out and mingling with the people. Slowly but surely, things are getting better.”
Thompson said village leaders now feel comfortable enough to visit Company B leaders at COP Carver. They discuss the needs of local citizens and the Iraqis give Soldiers information regarding the whereabouts of al-Qaida members and weapons caches.
“In nine days we have uncovered six caches,” Thompson said.
Barwick said Company B is planning area projects. A local bridge is slated for repair and power lines will be secured so the Ministry of Electricity can facilitate repairs.
The 1-15 Inf. Regt. is assigned to the 3rd BCT, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga., and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March.
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