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By Pvt. Mary Gurnee
3rd BCT, 101st Abn. Div. (AASLT)
FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAHMUDIYAH, Iraq – Iraqi citizens in southwest Baghdad are securing their communities from terrorists with the help of Rakkasans.
Soldiers in the 3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), participated in a flag-planting ceremony at the future site of a Concerned Local Citizens checkpoint Nov. 1.
“We work with the local Iraqi leaders, their sheiks, their military advisers, and we provide reflective vests as well as an Iraqi flag,” explained 2nd Lt. Bronson J. Hayes, medical service officer for the 626th Brigade Support Battalion, attached to 3-320th FA Regt.
The individuals working at the checkpoints were given identification cards and uniforms. The U.S. Army does not provide firearms or ammunition, Hayes said.
Before Iraqis can man the checkpoints, Hayes said that retinal scans and fingerprints are taken to ensure that the individuals are not associated with terrorist activities.
The Iraqis who will work the future checkpoint were briefed on operation procedures by Capt. Benjamin Torpy, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3-320th FA Regt. commander.
Torpy said the concerned citizens take their positions seriously and seek out ways to improve the checkpoints on a daily basis.
“I think the people in the surrounding areas notice it,” Torpy said. “And that’s how you get new sheiks coming up to us and asking, ‘is there any way we can get something like that in our area?’”
“The CLCs seem to be working right now,” Hayes said, adding that incidences of improvised explosive devices have gone down in the area. “In my opinion it's a good program. Anything we can do to save Soldiers’ lives is well worth it.”
Torpy said the CLCs are instrumental to the Coalition Forces’ counterinsurgency mission and setting the local citizens up for success.
“It puts the fate of the Iraqis in the hands of the Iraqis, and they are more than happy to do that from what I see,” Torpy said.
“I’ve talked to the guys out on the checkpoints — they’re not happy to be standing out in the sun, but they are happy to be doing something to help protect their families,” Torpy said. “They provide a local security to the people they love.”
“Its important to understand that these guys are putting their neck out on the line when they go out and stand on these checkpoints,” he added. “They’re brave guys who are taking a stand. That’s a commendable thing to do and we want to help them as much as we can.”
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Rakkasans recover 800 gallons of nitric acid
Sgt. 1st Class Kerensa Hardy
3rd BCT, 101st Abn. Div. (AASLT)
CAMP STRIKER, Iraq – An overnight operation in southwest Baghdad Oct. 30 resulted in the recovery of 800 gallons of nitric acid.
Rakkasans from 1st Platoon, Troop A, 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), discovered the cache.
“(It) was a great find,” said 1st Lt. Chris Sylvain, platoon leader for the 1st Plt. “Not only does it reduce the supplies available to the enemy to make homemade explosives, but it makes the area safer for Soldiers.”
The cache found would likely have been used to create homemade explosives, a primary element in making improvised explosive devices, said Maj. Jonathan Otto, 3rd BCT, 101st Abn. Div. (AASLT), staff officer.
The materials presented a real threat to local Iraqis and their livestock, Otto explained, because the nitric acid was poorly stored and leaking.
The1-33rd Cav. Regt. Soldiers removed the leaking barrels and cleaned up the site. “I believe the local people are happy that this stuff is out of the hands of the enemy,” said Sgt. 1st Class Chris Valverde, 1st Plt. platoon sergeant. “It’s not just Soldiers dying over here, there are many innocent civilians who are dying as well.”
3rd BCT, 101st Abn. Div. (AASLT)
CAMP STRIKER, Iraq – An overnight operation in southwest Baghdad Oct. 30 resulted in the recovery of 800 gallons of nitric acid.
Rakkasans from 1st Platoon, Troop A, 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), discovered the cache.
“(It) was a great find,” said 1st Lt. Chris Sylvain, platoon leader for the 1st Plt. “Not only does it reduce the supplies available to the enemy to make homemade explosives, but it makes the area safer for Soldiers.”
The cache found would likely have been used to create homemade explosives, a primary element in making improvised explosive devices, said Maj. Jonathan Otto, 3rd BCT, 101st Abn. Div. (AASLT), staff officer.
The materials presented a real threat to local Iraqis and their livestock, Otto explained, because the nitric acid was poorly stored and leaking.
The1-33rd Cav. Regt. Soldiers removed the leaking barrels and cleaned up the site. “I believe the local people are happy that this stuff is out of the hands of the enemy,” said Sgt. 1st Class Chris Valverde, 1st Plt. platoon sergeant. “It’s not just Soldiers dying over here, there are many innocent civilians who are dying as well.”
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Rakkasans officially take reins from Commandos
Sheik Hassan Khudier Shoerid al Hamdani shakes hands with Col. Dominic J. Caraccilo, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), commander, as Caraccilo's interpreter, Zak, interprets at a transfer-of-authority ceremony at Camp Striker, Iraq, today. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Kerensa Hardy, 3rd BCT, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault))
BY Sgt. 1st Class Kerensa Hardy
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
CAMP STRIKER, Iraq – The Army’s most-deployed brigade traded seats with the brigade with the highest percentage of multiple deployers at a ceremony at Camp Striker today.
Iraqi army generals and prominent tribal sheiks of Southern Baghdad were among the dignitaries who attended the ceremony that marked the official transfer of authority from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).
Third Infantry Division Commander Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch bid the Commandos adieu and welcomed the Rakkasans.
Lynch lauded the 2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI) for their work with the Concerned Local Citizens, the seizure of the Yusufiyah thermal power plant and turning it into Patrol Base Dragon. He referenced the 48 medical operations that helped 11,000 Iraqis and the 397 Commander’s Emergency Response Program projects that employed 18,000 local citizens.
“Commandos, you have fought the good fight, you have kept the faith and never wavered,” said Col. Michael Kershaw, commander of 2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI). “You have suffered, bled and yet reached out when others would have struck.
“But you have been able to see the fruits of your efforts in the faces of the children in South Baghdad, and the lives whom you’ve helped to make better,” Kershaw continued.
After his remarks, Kershaw joined Command Sgt. Maj. Anthony Mahoney, 2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI), command sergeant major, in casing the brigade’s colors, which was followed by the uncasing of the 3rd BCT, 101st Abn. Div. (AASLT) colors.
“Today we have with us warriors of the highest caliber, with the noblest of missions,” said Col. Dominic Caracillo, 3rd BCT, 101st Abn. Div. (AASLT) commander. He said although some soldiers wear uniforms that bear American flags and some wear the flag Iraq, they are all united by a common cause: to see an independent Iraq for future generations.
“What (Commandos) have accomplished with their Iraqi Army partners has given us the momentum to carry on those missions to the next level without letting up the pressure on our enemies,” Caraccilo said. “With our Iraqi friends, we are destined to make Iraq an independent nation.”
The Rakkasans’ Civil-Military Operations Officer Maj. Robert Bertrand, said the attendance of Iraqi leaders at the ceremony demonstrated the combined works of tribal sheiks, Iraqi army division and brigade commanders, Iraqi government and coalition forces to create a safe, secure and growing Iraq.
BY Sgt. 1st Class Kerensa Hardy
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
CAMP STRIKER, Iraq – The Army’s most-deployed brigade traded seats with the brigade with the highest percentage of multiple deployers at a ceremony at Camp Striker today.
Iraqi army generals and prominent tribal sheiks of Southern Baghdad were among the dignitaries who attended the ceremony that marked the official transfer of authority from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).
Third Infantry Division Commander Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch bid the Commandos adieu and welcomed the Rakkasans.
Lynch lauded the 2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI) for their work with the Concerned Local Citizens, the seizure of the Yusufiyah thermal power plant and turning it into Patrol Base Dragon. He referenced the 48 medical operations that helped 11,000 Iraqis and the 397 Commander’s Emergency Response Program projects that employed 18,000 local citizens.
“Commandos, you have fought the good fight, you have kept the faith and never wavered,” said Col. Michael Kershaw, commander of 2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI). “You have suffered, bled and yet reached out when others would have struck.
“But you have been able to see the fruits of your efforts in the faces of the children in South Baghdad, and the lives whom you’ve helped to make better,” Kershaw continued.
After his remarks, Kershaw joined Command Sgt. Maj. Anthony Mahoney, 2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI), command sergeant major, in casing the brigade’s colors, which was followed by the uncasing of the 3rd BCT, 101st Abn. Div. (AASLT) colors.
“Today we have with us warriors of the highest caliber, with the noblest of missions,” said Col. Dominic Caracillo, 3rd BCT, 101st Abn. Div. (AASLT) commander. He said although some soldiers wear uniforms that bear American flags and some wear the flag Iraq, they are all united by a common cause: to see an independent Iraq for future generations.
“What (Commandos) have accomplished with their Iraqi Army partners has given us the momentum to carry on those missions to the next level without letting up the pressure on our enemies,” Caraccilo said. “With our Iraqi friends, we are destined to make Iraq an independent nation.”
The Rakkasans’ Civil-Military Operations Officer Maj. Robert Bertrand, said the attendance of Iraqi leaders at the ceremony demonstrated the combined works of tribal sheiks, Iraqi army division and brigade commanders, Iraqi government and coalition forces to create a safe, secure and growing Iraq.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Rakkasans assist Iraqis with legal claims
Faik, an attorney who processes claims at the Radwaniyah Palace Complex Civil Military Operations Center Government Information Center, discusses a new claim with Capt. Jonathan Gross of New York City, N.Y., claims adjudicator with 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Oct. 29. (US Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Kerensa Hardy, 3rd BCT, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault))
Pfc. Zach Miron of Tulsa, Okla., a paralegal with 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), goes over a claim as Huda, Government Information Center administrator translates to an Iraqi woman Oct. 29 at the Radwaniyah Palace Complex Civil Military Operations Center (US Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Kerensa Hardy, 3rd BCT, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault))
BY Sgt. 1st Class Kerensa Hardy
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
CAMP STRIKER, Iraq – The nondescript building at the Radwaniyah Palace Complex Civil Military Operations Center may not look like much, but it represents a beacon of hope for some Iraqis.
While the Government Information Center at RPCCMOC provides several services, some may argue that the most valuable is paying of legal claims.
With the Commandos of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), on their way back home, this is one of the many missions the Rakkasans of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) have taken over.
“(Local Iraqis) come in with all kinds of complaints,” said Huda, GIC administrator who also provides translations between the Iraqis and U.S. Soldiers who process the claims.
Huda and Faik, the Iraqi attorney who works at the GIC, do most of the work concerning claims. “(People) come in with requests to be paid for damages … and I help (file) new claims,” Huda said.
Faik determines whether or not a claim is legitimate. He and Huda prepare the paperwork and collect the evidence required to prove that the claim is valid. The 3rd BCT legal office personnel determine whether or not the United States is actually responsible for said damage and whether or not the claimant will be paid.
“Sometimes it is not for the United States to pay, it is the fault of an explosion … by terrorists,” Huda explained, adding that for the 2 ½ years she has worked at the GIC there are some months when less than half the claims are found to be legitimate.
When claims are deemed valid by Faik, the packets are forwarded to the 3rd BCT legal office for a final review and payment.
“By the time it gets to me, it’s already been determined that the claims is legal,” said Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Williams of Tampa, Fla., senior 3-101 paralegal and foreign claims pay agent. He, along with another Soldier, actually makes the payments to the claimants.
“My job is both good and bad,” Williams said. “Obviously, I pay money when the damages were caused by the United States. But at the same time, when a claim is denied, I have to explain that the United States is not going to pay.”
The CMOC is a blessing for the Iraqis, Huda said. She said now the Iraqis feel that they have a means to get assistance. “It’s very great for them and they are grateful for it.”
She added, “I like to help; it is good for me because I help the people and the U.S. Army.”
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
CAMP STRIKER, Iraq – The nondescript building at the Radwaniyah Palace Complex Civil Military Operations Center may not look like much, but it represents a beacon of hope for some Iraqis.
While the Government Information Center at RPCCMOC provides several services, some may argue that the most valuable is paying of legal claims.
With the Commandos of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), on their way back home, this is one of the many missions the Rakkasans of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) have taken over.
“(Local Iraqis) come in with all kinds of complaints,” said Huda, GIC administrator who also provides translations between the Iraqis and U.S. Soldiers who process the claims.
Huda and Faik, the Iraqi attorney who works at the GIC, do most of the work concerning claims. “(People) come in with requests to be paid for damages … and I help (file) new claims,” Huda said.
Faik determines whether or not a claim is legitimate. He and Huda prepare the paperwork and collect the evidence required to prove that the claim is valid. The 3rd BCT legal office personnel determine whether or not the United States is actually responsible for said damage and whether or not the claimant will be paid.
“Sometimes it is not for the United States to pay, it is the fault of an explosion … by terrorists,” Huda explained, adding that for the 2 ½ years she has worked at the GIC there are some months when less than half the claims are found to be legitimate.
When claims are deemed valid by Faik, the packets are forwarded to the 3rd BCT legal office for a final review and payment.
“By the time it gets to me, it’s already been determined that the claims is legal,” said Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Williams of Tampa, Fla., senior 3-101 paralegal and foreign claims pay agent. He, along with another Soldier, actually makes the payments to the claimants.
“My job is both good and bad,” Williams said. “Obviously, I pay money when the damages were caused by the United States. But at the same time, when a claim is denied, I have to explain that the United States is not going to pay.”
The CMOC is a blessing for the Iraqis, Huda said. She said now the Iraqis feel that they have a means to get assistance. “It’s very great for them and they are grateful for it.”
She added, “I like to help; it is good for me because I help the people and the U.S. Army.”
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