‘Soft touch’ approach pays big dividends

By Staff Sgt. Tony Lindback
Multi-National Division - Center PAO

CAMP STRIKER, Iraq – The early morning calm over Owesat, Iraq, was rocked by the beating rotors of helicopters carrying Rakkasan Soldiers in for an air assault Nov. 16.
The assault was in support of Operation Marne Courageous, a multi-faceted operation that extended the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) area of operation into an area previously under Multi-National Division – West.
Capt. Terry Hilderbrand Jr., commander of Company A, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd BCT, 101st Abn. Div. (AASLT) said there was a lot done to prepare for the strategic move.
“We’ve had numerous meetings with the sheiks in Owesat,” Hilderbrand said. Out of the four tribes in Owesat, Hilderbrand explained, three of the tribes’ sheiks had gone to Coalition Forces, asking them to establish a presence in Owesat.
“They have seen Qarghuli on the eastern side of the river. They have seen the (concerned citizens groups). They know about the awakening movement in Iraq. They’re ready to give up the al-Qaeda that’s located in Owesat and work with the Coalition. So, we’ve done a lot of talking with them – gaining an understanding of who the players are,” Hilderbrand said.
Using the intelligence they had about the area enabled Co. A to use more brain and less brawn moving into the area.
Soldiers respected the culture of the people they encountered by only talking to the man of the house when knocking on doors. They waited until the man of the house answered the door, rather than kicking in doors. They also allowed the man to move women and children as necessary to both accommodate local customs and allow a thorough search.

Sheiks of the village came to an agreement with Co. A to rent the property in the area to build two new patrol bases. Assets were brought from Patrol Base Dragon on the east bank of the river by ferry. Engineers used floating bridge bays and boats to move route clearance and heavy equipment vehicles to aid the development of a Patrol Base Owesat, PB Kemple and a bridge connecting Owesat to PB Dragon.
The area of operation expansion, and the location of the new patrol bases, will help Task Force Marne flush insurgents from the area, and broaden the search for Pvt. Byron Fouty and Spc. Alex Jiminez from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), who went missing May 12.
No shots were fired during the mission. Maj. Wayne Lacey, a staff officer with the 3rd BCT, 101st Airborne Div. (AASLT), said it was a testament to planning the operation around good intelligence.
“It went well. I’m not surprised - my guys always do good,” Hilderbrand said.