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IA Tests New Equipment, Scours Village for Buried Cache

By Sgt. Paula Taylor

Several soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 3rd Iraqi Army Division, took the lead once again and conducted their own mission in the early-morning hours of March 5.

1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 3rd Iraqi Army Division soldiers walk through a field in the town of Muhallabiyah March 5. The purpose of their visit to the area was to search the fields and orchards for buried weapons caches.

The purpose of the mission was to search the village for anything suspicious, like caches or explosives, because barrels of home-made explosives had been found there before by previous patrols.

During the mission, the Iraqi Army got a chance to test and practice with new equipment.

"We know the bad guys use [different locations] to hide their bombs and their weapons, but with the new equipment, they can't do that anymore," said Capt. Ra'ad, intelligence officer, 1/1, 3 IA Division. "Now we can discover their caches anywhere."

Although no significant caches were found in the village, Ra'ad considered the mission a success and was proud of his men's ability to adapt to the challenges they face daily.

An Iraqi Army soldier conducts outer cordon security during a mission in Muhallabiyah March 5. The soldier, along with the rest of his unit, the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 3rd Iraqi Army Division, was there to conduct a search of the area for hidden caches and explosives, which had been found there during past visits.

"I'll tell you, our soldiers are good soldiers; they are great soldiers. With just a little more practice using their new equipment, they will be perfect at using it. We are winning the war against the bad guys. We will continue doing that," he said.

Coalition Forces agreed with Ra'ad and praised the IA for their bravery and tenacity.

"I've seen them in action," said Pfc. Cary Hawkins, Troop C, 3-4 Cav. and Deerfield, Mass. native. "They are self-reliant. There's been a couple of times I've been out on a street corner pulling security and I looked to my left and saw my squad leader, then looked to my right and saw one of those guys. It's a good feeling. I enjoy having them around. They're good at their job and they're competent."

An Iraqi Army soldier with the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 3rd Iraqi Army Division provides over-watch security from his vehicle while another IA guards from the hilltop in the distance during a mission conducted in Muhallabiyah March 5.

Hawkins, who said he has been in country with his unit for about eight months, said he has had several opportunities to work with the IA soldiers and has enjoyed his experiences.

"They've got good camaraderie with each other. They're willing to die for each other, just like American Soldiers. Every time I walk up to a group of them, we joke around and have a good time together. They're really great guys. I treat them like they're my buddies and they treat me the same. I don't think they get nearly enough credit."

While the town was being searched, Coalition Forces waited just outside the city limits.

"Our element was there in case anything got out of control for them," explained Sgt. William Schmidt, infantryman, Troop C, 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment and a Clara City, Minn. native. "If they came under fire or there was anything they couldn't handle, we could have come in and assisted. They're pretty competent. You can see them progressing-pretty well, too. They, as much as anyone, want a free country and they know the price they'll have to pay for it."