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Blackanthem Military News
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Last Updated:
May 22, 2012 - 5:37:21 PM |
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| Soldiers from Company A, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment and troops from the 3rd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division (Mechanized), gather for a rehearsal of an air assault on Camp Taji, Iraq June 1. The actual air assault, which took place in the early morning hours of June 2 near Mushada, Iraq, resulted in the capture of 17 suspects. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp, 1st BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs) |
Blackanthem Military News, CAMP TAJI, Iraq — Soldiers from the 2nd “Stallions” Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment recently began a partnership to capture terrorists near here by performing Iraqi-led air assault missions with their counterparts in the 3rd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division (Mechanized).
Although they have been training for months to do air assaults, just prior to each air assault mission, the U.S. and Iraqi troops continue rehearsing each step of each operation with precision movements to keep their skills sharp for the actual missions in which they rapidly dismount aircraft to take down insurgent forces.
This was the scene as they rehearsed together here June 1 on how to assault an objective before an actual air assault mission which took place in the early morning hours of June 2.
“Our doing air assault missions and working side-by-side with the Iraqi Army has been a really great opportunity to get to the goal of having them trained up to where they can eventually do these missions on their own,” said Louisville, Ky. native 1st Lt. Cecil Wolberton, a platoon leader with Company A, 2nd Bn., 8th Cav. Regt.
Wolberton said the focus of the training was on leadership and team building. “We’re finding that we are improving every time we go out,” he added. “Through the rehearsals and training, we can see any weaknesses we may have and work on those so we’re constantly improving how we do things.”
During the evening rehearsal, Soldiers from the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade assisted the 3rd Bde., 9th IA soldiers and Stallion troops by giving them instruction on the proper ways to conduct air assaults to include everything from how to rapidly board a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter to how to take a fighting position once dismounted, and how best to move without being detected by the enemy.
Mixed lines made up of the Iraqi troops and U.S. Soldiers ran to each UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter quickly climbing aboard and then just as quickly as they had loaded the aircraft, they rapidly exited taking up fighting positions as they practiced for mission.
With the help of aviation assets and aircraft from the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, the Stallions and the 3rd Bde., 9th IA Div. (Mech.) soldiers rapidly hit each objective during air assault operations making these missions much better in many ways than the regular conventional method of going after terrorists in a vehicle convoy, according to Wolberton.
“It’s a rapid and safer method of infiltration and it takes the enemy by surprise, making it much easier to take them down,” said Wolberton.
Over the past month, 2-8 Cav. has had many successes finding weapons caches and taking down insurgents during the air assaults with the help of their Iraqi “brothers-in-arms.”
“We’ve gone on several air assault missions with them and disrupted enemy forces who were working against us (Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition Forces) and the Iraqi civilians. Going after these insurgents like this prevents them from having the ability to attack us,” said Wolberton.
Pfc. Joaquin Mendoza, an infantryman with Co. A, 2nd Bn., 8th Cav. Regt. explained what working and training with the Iraqi Army troops means to him.
“Air assaults are great missions and we’re doing the best we can to work with the Iraqis to make them safe and to help train the Iraqi troops,” said Mendoza. “They’re great people doing a great job.”
The evening rehearsals, according to Wolberton, paid off with success.
During the actual June 2 mission, six houses were searched and 17 suspects were detained near Mushada, Iraq.
“This was a pretty important mission,” Wolberton said. “The guys we were looking for here were involved in attacks against Coalition Forces and have hurt everybody, to include members of the Iraqi civilian population. (They) have had a total disregard for the types of collateral damage they’ve been causing.”
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:
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| Lake Charles, La. native Sgt. Wilbert James of Company B, 3rd Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, gives instruction to troops from Company A, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment and Iraqi soldiers from the 3rd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division (Mechanized), during an air assault rehearsal on Camp Taji, Iraq June 1. The actual air assault for which the troops rehearsed resulted in the capture of 17 suspects near Mushada, Iraq during the early morning hours of June 2. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp, 1st BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs) |
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| Soldiers from Company A, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment and Iraqi Army troops from the 3rd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division (Mechanized), rehearse moving from a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter into fighting positions as they trained at Camp Taji, Iraq June 1. Their air assault mission, which took place in the early morning hours of June 2, resulted in the capture of 17 suspects near Mushada, Iraq. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp, 1st BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs) |
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| An Iraqi Army soldier from the 3rd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division (Mechanized) straps himself into a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter during a rehearsal for an air assault mission at Camp Taji, Iraq June 1. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp, 1st BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs) |
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