| 'Walking Dead' Hit Lake for Spring Break |
| Thursday, 29 May 2008 | |
|
RAMADI — For most individuals, Spring Break is a time to take a break from studying or work, head out to the beach and get a bronze tan while enjoying the sun and sandy beach. |
However, for the Marines with 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 1, Spring Break 2008 was a time to search for insurgents in the gleaming sun, hold security and perimeter watch during a gusty sandstorm, and concentrate on the mission at hand.
The battalion recently wrapped up a four-day joint operation near Lake Tharthar in al-Anbar province dubbed Operation Spring Break. The operation, similar to the multi-unit training the Marines practiced while undergoing Mojave Viper, a 30-day training exercise in Twenty-nine Palms, Calif., involved more than five different elements including the highly-trained 2nd Brigade Iraqi Army Scouts; tube-launched optically-tracked wire-guided gunners; American and Iraqi Navy; Company B, 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1 and various aviation units.
“The Marines did excellent with this being their first major operation in quite some time,” said Maj. Jeff McCormack, the operations officer for 1st Bn., 9th Marines. “The Marines had minimal experience operating with helicopters and it was their first time working with the Iraqi army, but they were able to put it all together in a short amount of time and perfectly execute the mission.”
The purpose of the operation was to disrupt suspected movement from insurgents in the area. The south side of Lake Tharthar has seen a sparse amount of interaction with coalition forces since 2004, while the north has been more heavily patrolled.
“No one has been on the south side of Lake Tharthar for almost two years and there was a possibility insurgents were using the area as a safe haven and transportation hub,” McCormack said. “The mission was to disrupt movement and also establish relationships with the local fisherman.”
While operating in the area, the Marines did not find any signs of insurgent activity as the presence of Iraqi and coalition forces have been proven to be a deterrent for the insurgents. However, they were able to capitalize on being in the area by building relationships with the locals.
“The results (of the operation) were quite successful,” McCormack said. “We found a weapons cache and established ties with the local fisherman. Some of the fisherman said they’ve never seen an American or hadn’t seen an American since 2004. Everybody was very happy to see the Marines and Iraqi army working together. So now, we feel when we go back there, we will have some locals that we can go talk to.”
The raid also proved the Iraqi army and navy’s ability to conduct military operations alongside Marines while also highlighting their high-professionalism while on a mission.
“This operation proved that the Marines can work with the Iraqi army in a large-scale operation and also work with the Iraqi navy to deny insurgents freedom of movement on the waters,” McCormack added.
Feature Stories
| Marines Assist Iraqi Police in Release |
|
Marines of 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, assisted the Iraqi police release approximately 40 Iraqis back to their families and home, May 18. |
| Soldiers Get First Look at MRAP |
|
Unfortunately, not much training, if any, is available for units scheduled to deploy at the present time even though this is the equipment Soldiers will most likely operate with once they arrive in theater. Luckily, key members from the 10th Sustainment Brigade, which is scheduled to replace the 1st Sustainment Brigade later this year, were able to get their first look inside the vehicle during a leader reconnaissance trip May 24. |
| Soldiers Help Iraqis With Drinking Water, Irrigation |
 FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU — Iraqi farmers near Patrol Base Copper received new means to irrigate their fields and provide clean water for their families through coalition assistance May 25.
Soldiers with 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, distributed water pumps and filters to local sheiks at the base, approximately 30 kilometers south of Baghdad. The pumps help residents use canal water to irrigate crops; the filters provide drinkable water. “We’re very thankful for the support the Americans give us,” said Sheik Nahid, with the Gourani tribe. |
Sugar and Spice
| Thursday, 29 May 2008 | Sons of Iraq successfully defend checkpoint from attackers |
| Thursday, 29 May 2008 | Iraqi citizens lead IA to large cache near Samarra |
| Thursday, 29 May 2008 | Suicide bomber kills 10, wounds 16 |
Sharp Shooting
| Thursday, 29 May 2008 | IA seize weapons cache, find IEDs in northern Baghdad |
| Thursday, 29 May 2008 | MND-B Soldiers engage RPG team, seize munitions (Baghdad) |
| Thursday, 29 May 2008 | VBIED kills 2 IPs, wounds 2 (Mosul) |
Search High and Low
| Thursday, 29 May 2008 | Conference brings key-Iraqi energy leaders together (Salah ad Din) |
| Thursday, 29 May 2008 | Large cache of explosives discovered in Mosul (Tikrit) |
| Thursday, 29 May 2008 | Mosul pinch continues: Two wanted al-Qaeda suspects, nine others captured |
Blend In
| Thursday, 29 May 2008 | Coalition forces capture key Special Groups financier (Baghdad) |
| Thursday, 29 May 2008 |
Associated Press Reports (in Contrast):
BAGHDAD - Tens of thousands of Shiites have taken to the streets in Baghdad and other cities to protest plans for a long-term security agreement with the United States.
BAGHDAD - A U.S. Marine handed out coins promoting Christianity to Muslims in the former insurgent stronghold of Fallujah, outraged Sunni officials said Friday. The U.S. military responded quickly, removing a trooper from duty pending an investigation.
Soccer overseers allow Iraq to resume World Cup bid AP - Thu May 29, 3:57 PM ET
SYDNEY, Australia - Soccer's governing body Thursday lifted its international ban on Iraq to keep alive the World Cup qualifying hopes of a team that represents a rare symbol of national unity amid war and sectarian rivalries.
Stumble It!
