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Iraqi Villagers Find Weapons Caches for Iraqi Army, Delta Company

Spc. Cassandra Groce, 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detach.

The Iraqi Army soldier who chose to hide his identity with a ski mask, hands his leader an RPG round he just dug up out of the ground. Spc. Cassandra Groce, 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detach.

KIRKUK, Iraq - An Iraqi farmer found a surprise recently while plowing his field. He discovered a weapons cache. Meanwhile, another civilian was clearing abandoned homes of rubble when he unearthed numerous rounds and rocket propelled grenades.

Both villagers reported their findings to nearby Iraqi Army checkpoints.

Iraqi Army soldiers and Company D, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Soldiers cleared the sites of ammunition and explosives.

Leading the search through the rubble was an Iraqi soldier with a personal calling. After being kidnapped and tortured by insurgents, the Baghdad native joined the Iraqi Army to defend his people against similar attacks.

This combined weapons hunt was led by elements of the Iraqi Army, who efficiently pulled security and gathered the majority of items to be disposed.

"We have had experience in the army," explained an Iraqi Army leader when discussing why his soldiers were so effective at weapons gathering. "We get help from [Coalition Forces] and learn a lot."

The Iraqi Army soldier who chose to hide his identity with a ski mask, hands his leader an RPG round he just dug up out of the ground. Spc. Cassandra Groce, 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detach.

More than 500 rounds of ammunition, several RPGs, smoke grenades and grenade fuses, were then destroyed by the Explosive Ordnance Detachment.

Iraqi Army soldiers do a better job at finding caches according to Capt. Matthew Paul, commander, Co. D, 2/327th. Coalition Forces rely on their ability to gather information on possible cache sites, and it is very helpful.

Approximately five other caches have been found by civilians in the last month.