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Blackanthem Military News
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Last Updated:
Feb 9, 2012 - 5:06:14 PM |
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Blackanthem Military News
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| Staff Sergeants Isaac Acosta (left) and Mason Livingston prepare to set up road flares on the outskirts of a village Nov. 7, near Tal 'Afar, Iraq. Both Soldiers are cavalry scouts with A Troop, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Bradley J. Clark, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division public affairs) |
TAL'AFAR, Iraq - Many people talk about how well Iraqi Security Forces are coming along, but in northern Iraq people can actually see the progress they are making as Coalition Forces take a back seat and follow their Iraqi counterparts into battle.
Cavalry scouts from A Troop, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division joined with the Iraqi Police's Special Weapons and Tactics team late Nov. 6 in Tal 'Afar, Iraq for an early morning raid in a village a few hours away outside the city.
"This whole raid came about from intelligence from a previous operation," said 1st Lt. Bradley Lovin, platoon leader and executive officer of A Troop. "We coordinated with the IPs, but they developed the target and put together all the planning for the operation."
The operation gave the cavalry scouts an opportunity to become spectators as they witnessed an Iraqi unit conduct themselves in a text book manner.
"They already have a great grasp on what needs to be done," said Lovin. "They know what we are looking for, they know how to properly react to situations, and they are providing better protection for their country."
Now with ISF stepping up to the task of providing security for their fellow citizens, insurgents may think they have it easier, but the partnership the cavalry scouts have with their Iraqi brothers serves to dispel that notion, according to Spc. Pedro Hernandez
"We are really aggressive on the enemy, which forces them to change their tactics," said Hernandez. "If they try to increase attacks, then we put even more pressure on them. They can't transport weapons or foreign fighters; they can't even sleep at night."
The aggressive operational tempo doesn't just reside with the American Soldiers, as the Iraqis have adopted their own version of keeping the pressure on.
"They are more aggressive than ever," said Spc. Brandon Jones. "They are doing a great job here. Everywhere we go, we see them out in the streets doing their job."
As a direct result of the offensive push in Ninevah province, both Coalition and Iraqi forces are running out of enemies to kill or capture.
"There has been a drop in attacks and detainees because we keep catching them; there is hardly anybody left," said Hernandez.
Even though the head target for the operation wasn't captured, the scouts still believe it was a success.
"Any operation where Iraqi Police and Coalition Forces can work so easily together, especially with the IP in the lead, is a success," said Lovin. "They could have done the whole operation by themselves; we were just there for moral support."
As the IP SWAT team leads away five insurgents from the evening's raid, Coalition troops are more than confident a bright future awaits their Iraqi counterparts. The Iraqi Security Forces have proven they are here to stay and will fight until the province is safe and peaceful for its citizens.
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:
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| Captain Sal Zuniga, commander, A Troop, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division (right) coordinates the plan for the following raid with Lt. Heider, officer-in-charge of the Joint Communication Center, Nov. 7, outside of Tal 'Afar, Iraq. Heider planned the entire operation with the Iraqi Police's Special Weapons and Tactics unit out of Tal 'Afar as the main force and asked for Coalition support in a back-up capacity. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Bradley J. Clark, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division public affairs) |
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| Specialists Paul Edgerton (left) and Pedro Hernandez, both cavalry scouts with A Troop, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, await orders for their next movement Nov. 7 in a village outside of Tal 'Afar, Iraq. The cavalry scouts have been working with Iraqi Security Forces in western Ninevah province, to kill or capture enemy fighters, since August. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Bradley J. Clark, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division public affairs) |
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| Staff Sgt. Mason Livingston, cavalry scout, A Troop, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, searches for weapons during a raid Nov. 7, in a village outside of Tal 'Afar, Iraq. The raid was a joint operation with the Iraqi Police's Special Weapons and Tactics unit in the lead. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Bradley J. Clark, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division public affairs) |
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