Follow the Power...

Iraqi soldiers and US soldiers from the 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment watch as a man tries to open a door as they inspect an abandoned factory to set up a base for Iraqi military in Baghdad, 14 January 2008. JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images.

As I sit in an airport on the east coast waiting to catch a flight home, I've been sifting through quite a bit of information from the info hounds covering the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment and their continued up-tempo operations in the Baghdad area.

Jeez...booby-trapped homes, IEDs, TNT, homemade explosives...just another day, eh?

There is also a video of 3rd Squadron, 2nd SCR with Brigadier General Boozer, Deputy Commander of the Multi-national Division North (MND-North), visiting villages and Iraqi outposts north of Muqdadiyah. More on that video in a moment...

Lets begin tonights blog with an article recapping the joint US and Iraqi operations in the Bread Basket. You can tell from the report that the 3rd Squadron has contributed tremendously to the overall operation, though the loss of six of our warriors from that squadron will continue to linger and hurt for a long time to come.

Grab a cold one and take a look at what our heroes have been doing in the north. The title of my blog will be evident once you read the report.

Special tip of the hat to Iron Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd SCR for their work in finding the bunker...I expect that family has a lot of splaining to do.

Soldiers of Company I, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment and Iraqi Security Forces found a 70-meter complex, which included a sleeping building, a building for storing food, and a building for constructing improvised explosive devices, as well as two underground living bunkers. (U.S. Army photo)

ISF soldiers search one of the two underground living bunkers during a joint search operation. A power line found was traced back to the home of a nearby villager. (U.S. Army photo)

Courtesy Story
Posted on 01.14.2008 at 04:35PM
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON – Multi-national Corps Iraq soldiers and Iraqi forces have discovered scores of weapons and explosives, detained six suspects, and destroyed booby-trapped homes in Iraq this month in coordinated offensives.

Operation Phantom Phoenix, a series of coordinated assaults focused on pursuing al-Qaida and clearing terrorist safe havens, is the latest in a series of combat operations.

A division-level operation in support of Operation Phantom Phoenix -- known as Operation Iron Harvest -- continues to pursue al-Qaida across four provinces of northern Iraq, military officials reported Jan. 14.

Within the first week of the operation, coalition and Iraqi forces detained 193 suspected extremists, killed 60 others and found 79 weapons caches. The caches contained more than 10,000 rounds of small-arms ammunition, 2,000 heavy machine gun rounds, 4,000 pounds of homemade explosives, 300 pounds of TNT, and about 100 improvised explosive devices in various stages of construction.

Extremists' ability to conduct attacks is reduced with every weapons cache that combined forces discover, military officials said. Seizing 4,000 pounds of homemade explosives prevented the enemy from building eight massive vehicle bombs similar to those that have destroyed Iraqi infrastructure and killed innocent civilians, officials said.

Army Col. John Lehr, commander of the brigade leading the efforts in Diyala province, expressed gratitude that soldiers from 3rd Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division, have been integrated into the operation. "Upon joining us, they immediately discovered a major cache system, which will lead to other cache systems and the capture of other terrorists," Lehr, commander of the 2nd Infantry Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team, said.

In one particular find in the "breadbasket" area of Diyala, combined forces uncovered a weapons cache in an underground bunker complex with several rooms.

"The 3rd Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division, made this latest find possible. They are making great headway against the enemy," said Army Brig. Gen. James Boozer, deputy commander of Task Force Iron. "Their ability to turn human intelligence is significant because of the relationships they have made with the population in this short amount of time."

During Operation Raider Harvest, another division-level operation of Operation Phantom Phoenix, coalition forces discovered a weapons cache site and underground bunker system inside a dense palm grove near Esalwid on Jan. 12.

Soldiers of 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, found the 70-meter complex, which included separate buildings for sleeping, storing food and constructing improvised explosive devices, as well as two underground living bunkers. At the site, troops discovered numerous weapons and explosives, including various munitions, small arms, more than 10 IED cases along with other material for making IEDs, and various ammunition and military gear.

Coalition forces also found several log books containing information about al-Qaida in Iraq members and their assigned weapons, and a map of IED locations. Troops discovered a power line leading to the site that traced back to the home of a nearby villager, whom they detained along with five of his military-age-male family members, military officials said.

During Operation Raider Harvest on Jan. 11, Multi-national Division North soldiers destroyed three booby-trapped houses in Himbus. Local Iraqis told soldiers of 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, the location of the buildings being used by al-Qaida in Iraq. Troops inspected the buildings and identified them as booby-trapped, with two of the buildings containing explosives and copper wire leading to all the doors. The explosives were arranged to collapse the buildings. The third building was in the process of being prepared when troops discovered it.

An explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed all three buildings in a controlled detonation.

Multi-national Division Baghdad soldiers from 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, discovered a large cache while on patrol in the Mansour district of Baghdad on Jan. 11 in support of Operation Phantom Phoenix.

The troops discovered more than 1,800 items in the cache. The stockpile included 1,000 blasting caps, 100 feet of detonation cord, machine guns, 70 mortars, 316 hand grenades, preassembled improvised explosive devices, and 850 pounds of bulk explosives.

In a separate incident Jan. 11, concerned local citizens located six 107 mm mortar rounds in Ghazaliyah. The citizens immediately contacted troops from the 101st Airborne Division's 1st Battalion, 75th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, to assess the situation.

"Coalition and Iraqi security forces continue to thwart the activity of insurgents who wish to bring harm to the citizens of Iraq," said Army Maj. Jose F. Garcia, a spokesman for the 101st Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team.

An explosive ordnance detachment destroyed the cache and the mortars. No injuries or damages came from either incident, both of which are under investigation.

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

Here is the video - what a powerful statement to have a General gear up and visit the troops in the field, in their environment where they live and fight every day...nice!

Video Location:
IQ||Diyala

Unit(s) Involved:
• 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment (US)

Interviewee(s):
• Brig. Gen. James Boozer (US)
• Maj. Gen. Abdul Kareem (IQ)

Submitting Unit:
4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division



Also, take a look at some current photos of Chris' unit, 2nd Squadron, 2nd SCR operating in and around Baghdad...to the north and south...doesn't matter 2nd SCR is in the fight.

A US soldier from the 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment secures an area in Baghdad, 14 January 2008. An early pullout of US troops would spark a return of savage sectarian violence and be "disastrous" for Iraq, a tribal leader fighting Al-Qaeda in a province once fiercely anti-American told AFP. JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images.

US soldiers from the 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment patrol around an abandoned factory they inspect to set up a base for Iraqi military in Baghdad, 14 January 2008. JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images.

US soldiers from the 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment secure an area as they arrive to inspect an abandoned factory to set up a base for Iraqi military in Baghdad, 14 January 2008. JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images.

Iraqi soldiers walk beside US soldiers from the 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment as they inspect an abandoned factory to set up a base for Iraqi military in Baghdad, 14 January 2008. JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images.

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

Finally, remember our brothers and sisters in Vilseck, Germany this week.

Lord, comfort them and give them strength...

Stars& Stripes
European edition, Tuesday, January 15, 2008

GRAFENWÖHR, Germany — A memorial ceremony will be held Wednesday in Vilseck for six 2nd Cavalry (Stryker) Regiment soldiers killed in action in Iraq.

The soldiers died Wednesday in Sinsil, after entering a booby-trapped home.

On Friday, the Defense Department released their names: Spc. Todd E. Davis, 22, of Raymore, Mo.; Staff Sgt. Jonathan K. Dozier, 30, of Rutherford, Tenn.; Staff Sgt. Sean M. Gaul, 29, of Reno, Nev.; Sgt. Zachary W. McBride, 20, of Bend, Ore.; Sgt. 1st Class Matthew I. Pionk, 30, of Superior, Wis.; and Sgt. Christopher A. Sanders, 22, of Roswell, N.M.

They were assigned to the Vilseck-based 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry (Stryker) Regiment, 1st Armored Division.

The ceremony starts at 11 a.m. at Vilseck chapel, said a spokesman with the Joint Multinational Training Command.

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

Chris, stay with it son...when you are weary remember the 23rd Psalm:

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

I love you son - be safe!

v/r,
- Collabman