Taking Weapons Off the Street...

Almost over the hump for this week. I trust it has been a good one for you, your loved ones and especially your warrior. As our support group is known to say - a day closer to having them all home.

Here is an interesting article that is making the rounds in cyber space. Think the insurgents aren't creative and elusive when it comes to storing their weapons? A soccer stadium? Yep...no place is off limits.

You may have seen it but if not...tip of the hat to the warriors from Troop P, 4th Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment for their ability to detect and find these new weapon caches - well done!

The photo above shows the weapons laid out for inventory after Soldiers from Troop P, 4th Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, currently attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, found a sizeable cache of weapons and explosives buried in a soccer stadium in Baghdad’s Ramaniyah neighborhood, Nov. 5. Photographer: Spc. Alexis Harrison, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs.

Story by Spc. Alexis Harrison

BAGHDAD – Soldiers from Troop P, 4th Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, currently attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, found two caches of weapons and explosives while on patrol in the Ramaniyah neighborhood, Nov. 5.

Buried under the bleachers of a soccer stadium in two locations, the Soldiers found 45 blocks of C-4 explosives, 33 mortars, almost 2000 rounds of ammunition, a rocket-propelled grenade and launcher, 2 Dragunov-style sniper rifles, 2 protective vests and a grenade.

Capt. Marcus Melton, commander of ‘Pale Horse’ Troop of the Vilseck, Germany-based 4-2 SCR, said the cache find was quite uncommon for the area he and his men patrol on a regular basis.

"We've found random weapons during cordon and knocks, but never a bulk cache like this before," he said. "The area is checked often, and we're still trying to figure out how they got [the weapons and explosives] in there."

The soccer stadium was checked just a few weeks ago, thus implying that the cache had been recently placed according to what Melton could tell from the last time his troops were there.

"This will definitely have an impact on whoever's operation this was," Melton said. "Someone isn't very happy with us right now; that's for sure."

Sgt. Chris Meyering from Rochester, N.Y, Spc. Danny Lee from Brooklyn and Staff Sgt. Elliott Davis from Lakewood, Wash., found the first cache buried under the bleachers after tamping the ground with a shovel.

Meyering heard it hit something hollow-sounding and began to dig immediately. "As soon as the shovel hit, I knew what it was," he said. "I was pretty happy knowing that weapons were getting taken off the street." The first cache was the smaller of the two and was buried in a wooden box.

After it was found, the troops began searching the stadium more thoroughly and came upon the second cache, which was slightly larger and buried in what looked like a chest freezer. Melton said much of the mortar rounds and explosives found were in brand-new condition; still wrapped and in original containers with date stamps as recent as earlier this year.

Meyering, a combat engineer during the Gulf War, said the amount of explosives found could've been used to make “vicious” improvised explosive devices, even more powerful than ones made out of mortar rounds.

Melton said he was very proud of his troops and especially the three Soldiers who found the cache and dug it up.

Meyering, Davis and Lee are expected to receive medals commending them for finding the weapons and taking them out of the hands of would-be terrorists.

"Regardless, medals or not, this takes weapons off the streets, and that means more to me," Meyering said.

Mortars and weapons are prepared for demolition after soldiers from Troop P, 4th Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment found the caches buried in a soccer stadium in Baghdad’s Ramaniyah neighborhood, Nov. 5. Photographer: Spc. Alexis Harrison, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs.

--------------------------

v/r,
- Collabman