3rd Heavy Brigade Coping in New Role

BY LILY GORDON - lgordon@ledger-enquirer.com

The soldiers of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division have passed the 90-day mark of their yearlong deployment to Iraq.
The brigade is no longer the leading military unit as it was in the early stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom. That role now belongs to their Iraqi counterparts, the men American forces are tasked with turning into warriors. Training an army and empowering a nation to stand on its own is a tremendous challenge, according to 3rd Brigade Commander Col. Peter Jones, but he said his unit is up to the task.

Speaking from Forward Operating Base Kalsu in Babil Province, Iraq, on Jan. 22, Jones said his soldiers are currently spread across five provinces and working every day with Iraqi Security Forces to identify and fix problems in each region.

‘Nothing is ever easy ... in Iraq’

The brigade’s mission hasn’t changed since it received its marching orders last summer. American forces are there to advise and assist the Iraqi military and police as these entities transition into a leadership role. With all U.S. combat troops scheduled to pull out of Iraq by Aug. 31, it’s imperative that the country’s military and police prepare in advance to operate without an American safety net, Jones said.

“Nothing is ever easy or quick in Iraq, whether you’re dealing with the U.S. military or the U.S. government or now the Iraqi military or the Iraqi government,” Jones said. “So we’re learning tactical patience and we’re helping the Iraqis solve their problems and at the same time ensuring that there’s a safe and secure environment for the upcoming religious holiday, which is called Arbeen.”

With the second national election coming up in early March, American soldiers and Iraqi trainees are feeling the pressure to provide sufficient security for this potentially volatile event. Patrol operations and daily tactical training coupled with security briefs and classroom work are slowly turning inexperienced recruits into capable soldiers and leaders.

“Iraq is still a dangerous place,” Jones said. “We already lost one soldier to sniper fire. Soldiers do still encounter IEDs (improvised explosive devices). The security environment has definitely improved. Now the question is ensuring that the atmosphere — and I call it the perception of security in the eyes of the Iraqis — has improved to make them interested in going through what will really be the third election process.”

Then and now

Each time the brigade deploys to Iraq, it’s received with less caution and more optimism by the native people, Jones said. Children welcome soldiers to their neighborhood. Rarely do American troops go out on patrol without bringing bags of candy to hand out to boys and girls, and impromptu games of street soccer are not uncommon.

During the unit’s previous three deployments to Iraq, there was an ever-present, palpable feeling of mutual distrust that’s less apparent this time around, Jones said. For example, roadways are now shared between soldier convoys and civilian motorists.

“So you have folks drive by and wave whereas before we wanted to keep them away from us because of what we thought was the VB/IED (vehicle-borne improvised explosive device) threat back then and there is not one now,” Jones said. “So we’ve become more partners and enablers in their mission — I say their mission being the Iraqi Security Forces’ mission of protecting the population versus us being in the lead.”

The local leadership is also stepping up, with higher-ranking officials accepting more responsibility than ever before, Jones said.

It’s been four years since Staff Lt. Gen. Othnan took control of the 8th Iraq Army Division. Over the years, the colonel said he’s seen his Iraqi counterpart grow as a leader.

“And when I go see him he tells me right up front what he needs just like a U.S. general would tell me what he needs and he understands our capabilities and he understands the capabilities of his soldiers and how he as the leader in charge of providing security needs our assistance to make it happen,” Jones said. “So he knows he’s the one in charge and he is the one not only in charge, but more importantly, he is the one responsible.”

On Jan. 22, a unit of Iraqi soldiers and police conducted 18 operations in one night, Jones said. During those operations they made three arrests and detected three IEDs. They also suffered five casualties. One police officer was killed and four others were wounded.

“So they are truly out in front taking responsibility for protecting the population,” Jones said. “They look to us for key things like intelligence, explosive ordinance protection, aviation in terms of what we call air weapons teams and the ability to move around the battle site. And then they also look to us as a back-up in terms of medical and also our combat fighting capabilities. They’re out there every night without us doing what they believe needs to be done and also paying a price to secure their people.”

Progress

Signs of progress are everywhere, the colonel said. Humanitarian missions are driving provincial reconstruction and once embattled provinces are beginning to shake their violent pasts. Jones recalled a day in 2004 when he conducted a walkabout of an area he was responsible for in north Babil. It was a dangerous and desolate place, one where American troops could not go without getting hit by an IED or being subjected to threats and taunts. “It just had this sense of stagnation,” Jones said.

While on his patrol in 2004, Jones visited a police station that had been blown up four times in six years. The station has since been rebuilt and it is currently staffed with Iraqi police and Army officials, Jones said. It is on a street that boasts a market once deemed unsafe for American soldiers. Now, it is a bustling hub of business and commerce.

“Sure enough, I walk down the street, kids are playing, kicking soccer balls, I’m kicking soccer balls back,” Jones said. “I go up to a guy that may have been setting IEDs against me back in ’04, but he now has a fruit shop and he’s trying to figure out a way to expand his business to take care of his family. And he is looking toward to the future instead of looking to the past.”

HAMMER - hardships, hearts & heroes - Episode 2

During the fall of 2009, the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team. 3rd Infantry Division, deployed for their fourth tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. From the spearhead to the surge, the Sledgehammer Brigade has seen sweeping change in their mission. This is their story.

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Veterans See Improvement in Iraqi Army

Staff Sgt. Mark Lowe, an infantryman assigned to "B" Company, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, instructs a squad of soldiers from the Iraqi Army's 3rd Brigade, 8th Division, during a room-clearing exercise at Combat Outpost Hamiyah, Iraq, Jan. 14. Since taking over the patrol base in October, "B" Company has held several joint training exercises with their Iraqi counterparts.

Story by Spc. Ben Hutto

COMBAT OUTPOST HAMIYAH, Iraq – On an overcast day at Combat Outpost Hamiyah, Soldiers from the Iraqi Army's 3rd Brigade, 8th Division, listened intently as they received instruction from Soldiers of the U.S. Army's, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division.

Waiting for his interpreter to translate his instruction, Staff Sgt. Joseph Strauch, an infantryman assigned to "B" Company, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, patiently demonstrated the finer points of clearing a building.

When his Iraqi-counterpart asked if his Soldiers were doing anything wrong, Strauch quickly reassured him.

"No, you guys aren't doing anything wrong," he said. "You've just reached the point where we can move on to the next level. Your guys are ready for more advanced training."

With a satisfied nod from the Iraqi sergeant, the training continued.

According to Strauch, the situation was a far-cry from what he experienced when he was trying to train the Iraqi Army for the first time five years ago at Forward Operating Base Justice.

"They showed up drunk with their weapons loaded, fingers on the triggers and no safety on," the native of Buffalo, N.Y., recounted. "There was so much chatter; every time we tried to show them anything there was a conversation. Rounds were going off left and right. It was crazy."

Since "B" Company's arrival at their patrol base three months ago, Strauch and his fellow sergeants have held several of these training events. What he is seeing from the Iraqi army these days is unrecognizable from his experiences during his prior deployment, he said.

"Back then, a lot of us had a sense that a lot of Iraqi Soldiers were just there for the paycheck," he said. "Now you can see that they have a lot more pride in the uniform they are wearing. In everything they do, it is obvious they want to do it well."

Staff Sgt. Mark Lowe, also with "B" Company, and Philadelphia, Tenn., native, agreed with Strauch.

"They are very eager to learn better tactics," he said. "They focus a lot more on safety now. It is encouraging when you see them looking at the cause and effect scenarios when they plan scenarios. That wasn't always there."

Lowe recounted his first experience with the Iraqi army during Operation Desert Storm.

"We had heard so much about Iraq's million-man army," he said. "To be honest, it weighed on a lot of our minds. At the beginning stages of that war, I think both sides realized, very early on, just how ineffective a lot of their tactics were and how well ours work."

Lowe sees the Iraqi army improving at a rapid pace every time they train.

"Their doctrine has come a long way from Desert Storm," he said "You can see it in the way they run checkpoints; in the way they conduct raids and plan operations. Everything runs smoother and more efficiently."

As far as the Iraqi army has come, both Strauch and Lowe see ways they could improve.

"First and foremost, every Army unit has something they can improve on, but the Iraqi army has a ways to go as far as supplying their Soldiers," said Strauch. "Their flow of supplies doesn't always trickle down effectively. They have good equipment; it is just a matter of them getting it to the people who need it."

As the United States prepares to pull out of Iraq, Strauch is concerned that this need will become more apparent.

"We help out as much as we can with providing supplies, but we won't be here forever," he said. "Without ammo or equipment, it's almost impossible for any Army to be successful."

Strauch also said that the training he conducts with his counterparts will need to continue in his unit's absence.

"The United States Army has been working on and adjusting their tactics for 200 years now," he said. "The current incarnation of the IA started in 2004. They definitely have some catching up to do."

Still, Strauch is heartened by the progress the Iraqi Army has made.

"That's not to say that it's an impossible task, it will just require a lot more work," he said. "To see how far they have come in five short years is encouraging to me."

Wasit Provincial Reconstruction Team Troops Assess Hospital in Kut

Photos by Staff Sgt. Brien Vorhees
Members of the Wasit Provincial Reconstruction Team speak with the hospital director during a visit to assess the equipment and training needs of the facility in Kut, Iraq, Jan. 20. The assessment was part of the ongoing program to increase the medical infrastructure of the Wasit province.
U.S. Soldiers from 1-10 Field Artillery Battalion escort Dr. Hafid Al Daffaee, health advisor for Wasit Provincial Reconstruction Team, to a local hospital to assess the equipment and training needs of the facility in Kut, Iraq, Jan. 20. The assessment was part of the ongoing program to increase the medical infrastructure of the Wasit province.
U.S. Army 1st Lt. Derek Bennett, platoon leader for Blue Platoon, B Battery, 1-10 Field Artillery Battalion, briefs his platoon prior to escorting members of the Wasit Provincial Reconstruction Team to a local hospital to assess the equipment and training needs of the facility in Kut, Iraq, Jan. 20. The assessment was part of the ongoing program to increase the medical infrastructure of the Wasit province.

Familiar Faces???

It's so nice to run across a photo with familiar faces...