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The Sandstorm

The SandstormThe official magazine of the

Second Brigade Combat Team

Public Affairs Officer/EditorMaj. Webster Wright

PAO NCOIC/Asst. EditorStaff Sgt. Angela McKinzie

Layout/Design/Staff WriterSpc. Chris McCann

BroadcasterPvt. Jon Cano

If you’d like to see something in thismagazine, or if you’d like to make con-tributions, please e-mail us at:[email protected].

We’re always striving to improve thispublication. Remember, this is your magazine.

We reserve the right to edit for security,accuracy, propriety, clarity and space.

More information on the 2nd BCT Com-mandos can be found at www.CommandosOf2BCT.blogspot.com.

The Sandstorm is an official publicationof the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10thMountain Division (LI) and is producedby the 2nd BCT Public Affairs Office.

The Sandstorm is in compliance with AR360-1.

In this issue:

Soldiers of the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division patrol the Euphrates River to interdict anti-Iraqi forces.

See Polar Valor, page 6

Leaders of tribes and nahia representatives in the Com- mando area of operations meet in Mahmudiyah in the first- ever Qadaa council meeting to discuss security and other concerns.

See Qadaa , page 10



The Sandstorm

Commander’s Comments

Commandos,

In December 1944 theGermans launched a coun-eroffensive that took the

American Army by surprise

nd shook the western alli-nce. What was supposed toe a lightning-fast advancento Germany after the assault at Normandy

had turned into a ‘long, hard slog.’The Allied Armies were bogged down on

he German West Wall in the midst of a bit-er winter when the German Army struck in

what became the Battle of the Bulge.Brig. Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe, the

ommander of the 101st Airborne Divisionwhich was surrounded at Bastogne, wassked to surrender by the attacking Germanorces. He replied with one word that be-ame famous in our military history: “Nuts.”n typical American fashion, he included theurrender demand in his Christmas messageo his troops, a message that began with theine “What’s merry about all this, you ask?

We’re fighting, its cold, we aren’t home.”Although I doubt we’ll have snow on

Christmas this year in Baghdad, many of you may be asking, ‘what is Merry aboutthis Christmas?’ Sixty-two years ago, ourgrandfathers and great grandfathers heardtalk of ending their war by Christmas1944. Instead they were engaged in thelargest battle our Army would ever fight.For some of us, it is a third Christmasaway from home in the past five years.

And we too have heard a change in the po-litical winds and rumors of new plans.In the midst of that uncertainty, General

McAuliffe chose to recount what they hadaccomplished with their many comrades atthat isolated crossroads in Belgium. It mayserve us well to ask what we have accom-plished in the three short months since ourtransfer of authority, with our comrades inthe 4th (U.S.) Infantry, 1st (U.S.) Cavalryand 6th Iraqi Army Divisions.

•We have eliminated the largest insur-gent sanctuary – the Shakariyah Triangle –as a source of attacks on Baghdad

•We have found over 188 caches, re-moving materials for making improvisedexplosive devices, heavy weapons andmortars from the terrorists.

•We have forced terrorist cells to move,leading to their elimination by both Coali-tion, Iraqi and special operations forces.

•We have seen attacks drop in every cate-gory, particularly in our own casualties.

•We have fought side-by-side with the sol-diers of the 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Divi-sion "Baghdad Eagles" and watched their ca-pability improve.

As we remember the Christmas seasonhere, I ask that each of you reflect on whatwe as a team have accomplished in the short

time we have been in this war-torn country.We have increased the security of our sectorand seen violence decline. We have broughthope to many who thought this a forlorn andlost part of the greater Baghdad area. And, inspite of the sacrifices of many of our com-rades, we have all grown as Soldiers andLeaders. We have met the challenges thatlesser Soldiers would have left for others.

McAuliffe closed his message by saying“…we are giving our country and our lovedones at home a worthy Christmas present andbeing privileged to take part in this gallantfeat of arms are truly making for ourselves aMerry Christmas.”

I hope in years to come, you’ll rememberthis Christmas not for what we were missing,but for what we have been able to accom-plish – together.

COMMANDOS!

An Iraqi father and son watch a passing American convoy of the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI) outside the city of Sadr Al-Yusufiyah, Iraq recently. The 2nd BCT “Commandos” regularly patrol the area to keep the local population safe from terrorist activity.

Photo by Spc. Chris McCann, 2nd BCT PAO

Kershaw

The future of Iraq



The Sandstorm

By Spc. Chris McCann 2nd BCT PAO, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI)

CAMP STRIKER, Iraq — Oneof the top killers of Soldiers inIraq isn’t necessarily combat-

related.Since operations began in

March of 2003, many Soldiershave been killed when they can’tescape a Humvee – often be-cause it has rolled into one of Iraq’s numerous irrigation ca-nals.

When an armored truck isupside-down or on its side, itcan take three Soldiers to push adoor open enough to get out, andif the doors are sunken into the

mud, it can be nearly impossi-ble.“If you go into a canal,

there’s a really good chance youwon’t come out alive,” said 2ndBrigade Combat Team, 10thMountain Division (LI) Safety

Officer Bill Del Solar.But Del Solar has been work-

ing to change that.Because a Soldier’s chances

of being in a vehicle roll-overare relatively high, and the odds

of making it out relatively low,Del Solar worked, during his lastrotation to Iraq in 2004 and2005, to develop what is knownas the Rat Claw.

“We were having trouble withvehicles,” said Del Solar, who isseeing the fruits of his labor onhis second deployment to Iraq.“We saw the combat locks, andthat Soldiers couldn’t get out.”

Combat locks keep the doorsshut in the event of an impro-

vised explosive device detona-tion, shielding the passengers.But they make the door harder toopen – which can be just asdeadly.

“The fire chief and I put ourheads together to figure out what

we could do,” Del Solar said.“We realized if you could getyour hooks in, you could get theSoldiers out.”

After some experimentation,they came up with a flat steel

hook that attaches to almostanything – the Humvee’s built-in winch or towing hook, achain set, or aircraft cable.

The tool lets a Soldier gripthe nearly smooth door of anarmored Humvee with twohooks, attach them to anothervehicle, and pull the door off inseconds.

One tug with another vehiclecan open the door, or if neces-sary, pull it completely off.

“If you get a little momen-tum, you can pull anything off,”Del Solar said.

From start to finish, the op-eration takes less than a minuteunder ideal circumstances.

“In the worst case, from the

Safe t y o ff ic e r ’s s im ple inven t ion saves l ives

A Humvee door is pulled off using the

Rat Claw, a flat steel hook developed by 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI) Safety Officer Bill Del Solar.He developed the Rat Claw to aid in extrication of Soldiers from Humvees when the doors are damaged or wedged shut.

time the vehicle goes into thewater until they can get thedoor open, three minutes,” hesaid. The human brain can gothree to four minutes withoutoxygen before suffering dam-

age, he added. “It’s a reason-able amount of time for a res-cue.”

The 4th Battalion, 31st In-fantry Regiment, 2nd BCT,10th Mountain Division (LI)used the Rat Claw recentlywhen a Humvee was flippedover in an IED explosion.

The doors were damaged bthe force of the blast, but Soldiers were able to open the vehicle and extract their woundcomrades, including Lt. Col.Michael Infanti, the battalioncommander.

“I remember I was pinnedinside the truck,” Infanti said“Fuel was dripping on me, Iwas in pain. But the Soldiersdid extremely well, and the RClaw worked. It took one tryand I was out of the vehicle.

“Honestly, I don’t knowhow they would’ve gotten meout with the equipment we haon hand, if we didn’t have theRat Claw. I will live to fightagain another day.”

The Rat Claw can be usedturn a vehicle over or even puit completely out of a canal.

“We hope it will save livesby making it easier for fellowSoldiers to rescue each other,Del Solar said.

Photo by Spc. Chris McCann, 2nd BCT PAO, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI)



The Sandstorm

y Spc. Chris McCann d BCT PAO, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI)

CAMP STRIKER, Iraq — In garrison, avity is a minor inconvenience necessitat-g a trip to the dental clinic. On a patrol

ase where there are not even portable toi-ts, however, it can become a majorain – literally – just to get a Soldier medi-l attention.Because of the problems of getting Sol-

ers specialized care in the field, Com-any C, 210th Brigade Support Battalion,

nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountainivision (LI) hit upon the idea of the

Doc-in-a-Box.”The DIAB is simply a doctor’s office

uilt into a large metal storage container,nown to the military as a conex, whichn be loaded on a flatbed truck and

auled from patrol base to patrol base.“We can go out, take care of what needsbe taken care of, and come back to re-,” explained Cpl. Jamie Bidwell, a medicith 210 th BSB, while painting the insideone of the containers. “We want to

ing care to the Soldiers. Instead of takinge force from the fight, we’ll take the carethem.”The container was lined with plywood

walls by Kellogg, Brown and Root con-tractors. The rest of the work is done bySoldiers of Co. C.

“I’m familiar with wiring from previ-ous deployments,” Bidwell said. “I’m amedic of all trades.”

Two of the containers are already outin the field, one fully equipped as a dentalclinic; the other is built for physical ther-apy.

Soon to follow will be behavioralhealth, a laboratory and an X-ray station.The units are completely self-containedand include amenities like heat and airconditioning, sinks, lights and necessarytools like X-ray machines and dental suc-tion devices.

Everything is bolted down, Bidwellexplained, so that the conex can be pickedup using the standard machinery withoutfear of damage.

When the last three portable clinics areready – each one taking about a week to

finish and furnish – they can be taken as aset to different forward operating bases totreat Soldiers.

“Lt. Col. (Brian) Rogers and I talked,about a year ago, about doing somethingdifferent,” said Co. C commander Capt.Russell Ritter. “We’re still forcing theSoldiers to come to us. This is an effort topush medical support forward and an at-tempt by the medical community to pushit into sector, because it’s not easy forSoldiers to come in.

“With this capability we can pushtreatment out to guys who might other-wise not see it for months,” Ritter said.

The portable, self-contained clinicsallow the doctors and medics who staff

them to make a minimal impact on theforward operating bases they visit.Staffers can sleep in the clinic, removingthe need for extra billeting. The set of fiveconnexes runs on a single generatorwhich is transported with them.

“We don’t have to impede on anyoneelse’s area,” Ritter said.

The modular idea also means that spe-cialized medical care can be conducted tonormal standards.

“In the past when dentists and physicaltherapists went out, they had a level oneaid station, and they needed to movethings around. I think this is going to helpa great deal,” Ritter said.

The company is also experimentingwith lining the conexes with Kevlarplanks.

“We’re trying to increase the force pro-tection,” Bidwell said.

The plan, Ritter explained, is to sendthe collection of clinics out on three-to-

four-day missions, then bring them back to refit, and send them somewhere else,rotating through the bases so that Soldierscan plan to be treated when the clinicsarrive.

“It’s not like sick call,” he explained.“These are specialty areas.”

The Soldiers who staff the clinics willtravel with them in shifts.

“Medics always want to be outside thewire,” said Bidwell. “We want to bewhere the Soldiers are.”

Getting the Doc-in-a-Box clinicsfielded will help with that, she said.

“We feel like a valuable asset to theCo. C team, because we’re keeping Sol-diers in the fight.”

Thinking in-side the box:medics build modular clinics

Spc. Paul McBee and Capt. Brian Meade, a dental team with Com- pany C, 210th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team,10th Mountain Division (LI), check out the

modular dental clinic created by the company inside a steel shipping container.The five modular clinics will enable the company to get specialized medical care to Sol- diers in the field without bringing them back to a main camp.

Photo by Spc. Chris McCann, 2nd BCT PAO, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI)



The Sandstorm

days to the Americans,” Griggs said. “It is during those times thatthe enemy is less likely to think we are going to do anything.”

The complex operation involved support from Soldiers of manycompanies and careful coordination to plan.

“In the past units have used helicopters and trucks to get into vil-lages,” Griggs said. “This is the first time the 2nd BCT has usedboats in combat operations. They (the boats) give us another way toget into the village.”

While Soldiers of Company A, the 4-31 Military TransitionTeam, and scouts traveled down the water, Soldiers of Company Cair assaulted from the town of Yu-sufiyah, Iraq into the village.

By Staff Sgt. Angela McKinzie 2nd BCT PAO, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI)

QARGHULI VILLAGE, Iraq — Qarghuli Village isone of the wealthiest communities in Iraq, mostly be-cause it was funded by Saddam Hussein before his fallof power. Terrorists migrated and settled in the area formoney and safe haven.

In the past when the militaries have gone into the vil-lage, terrorists used a unique escape route – the Euphra-tes River.

Soldiers of the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment,“Polar Bears,” 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Moun-tain Division (LI), were able to stop terrorists from es-caping the village by using air, land and water assetsduring Operation Polar Valor on Dec. 7.

“In the past, no one has used boats to go into the vil-lage,” Maj. Robert Griggs, the operations officer for 4-31. “We used boats to travel down the Euphrates in or-der to seal off any escape routes that the terrorists mayuse.”

Although the mission was complex to begin with,planning the date that it would occur was also a contrib-uting factor in the operation. The Polar Bears chose tolaunch Operation Polar Valor on Dec. 7, the anniversaryof the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

“We try to pick days that the enemy knows are holi-

See Polar Valor, page 10



The Sandstorm

Photos by Staff Sgt. Angela McKinzie, 2nd BCT PAO, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI)

Soldiers of the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regi- ment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain

Division (LI) use air, land and water assets to assault into Qarghuli Village, Iraq, Dec. 7.



The SandstormBy Capt. Dan McConnell 2nd Bn., 14th Inf. Regt. 10th Mtn. Div. (LI)

CAMP DRAGON, Iraq — The year was 1969;members of the 2nd Battalion, 14th InfantryRegiment “Golden Dragons,” were conductingboat operations along the swamps and waterwaysof Vietnam. An after-action report, dated March10, 1969, stated the purpose of the operationswas to “destroy enemy forces, interdict move-ment and uncover supply caches.”

Thirty-seven years later, the Golden DragonSoldiers are conducting boat operations in com-bat for the first timesince Vietnam.

Soldiers from Task Force 2-14, 2nd BrigadeCombat Team, 10thMountain Division (LI),will be conducting wa-terborne operationsalong the EuphratesRiver - similar to whatthe unit did there.

This time, the focusof the Golden Dragonswill be to prevent the insurgents’ ability to crossthe Euphrates River into the battalion’s area of operations and to search for enemy weaponscaches on nearby islands and the shoreline on thefar river bank which was previously inaccessible.

“Our unique partnership with the 502nd Engi-neers and its floating bridge MK II boats allow usto apply an innovative approach to surprise andenvelop terrorists and prevent them from contin-ued smuggling of weapons and foreign fightersinto the Euphrates River Valley tribal lands,” saidLt. Col. John Valledor, 2-14 commander, as hedescribed the aim of the Golden Dragons’ water-borne operations.

The Euphrates River has been an active cross-

ing point for insurgents since the Golden Dragons seized thelarge Yusufiyah Thermal Power Plant complex southwestof Baghdad, a former safe haven and base of operationsfor the Al Qaeda in Iraq.

Soldiers of Task Force 2-14 quickly established astrong presence in the area about a month ago, drasti-cally reducing the enemy’s ability to organize attacksagainst the local Iraqi citizens and coalition forces inthe area.

The Golden Dragons continue to use all availablemeans to restore peace in the region setting the stagefor a seamless and peaceful transition of authority to

the Iraqi Army in the future.Soldiers from 2-14 constantly inter-

act with the local population in or-der to defeat the emplacement of roadside bombs, gain action-able intelligence on the insur-gency, and find weaponscaches. Taking to the wateris just the next step for theGolden Dragons in theirpursuit of the enemy.

Maj. Joel Smith of Bris-bane, Australia, the battalion operations officer,describes the effect the Golden Dragons arehaving on the area.

“The seizure of the power plant bythe Golden Dragons has blocked insur-gent movement along the EasternEuphrates River Valley. Our pres-ence forced the anti-Iraqi forces toflee to the west side of the river,” hesaid.

“These boats will give us the free-dom to reduce the last remaining in-

surgent safe haven in our area and dem-onstrate to the people of Iraq that wetake every measure to eliminateAIF presence in their country.”

“ These boats … demon-strate to the people of Iraqthat we take every measureto eliminate AIF presencein their country .”

-Lt. Col. John Valledor

Photo by Capt. Dan McConnell 2nd Bn., 14th Inf. Regt. 10th Mtn. Div. (LI)

Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI) ready boats for a water-

borne assault on the Euphrates River Dec. 4.



“It’s been absolutely invaluable,” Kimball said. The team has spenttime with plans officers, company commanders, and troops on theground. Kimball explained that what they learn is put into a trip re-port which is the genesis of the tactics, techniques and proceduresthat they coach deploying units on.

Kimball cited the 2nd BCT are not hesitating to get on the groundwith Iraqi civilians as a great positive which will be taught to Sol-diers preparing to head overseas.

“Dismounted operations are key,” he said. “No matter who you are,

get out of the trucks, get out in the villages. Don’t com-mute to work.”

“We hadn’t actually seen it work,” Kimball said. TheOCs were sure that it would be effective, but they had noproof.

“Now we’ve seen it work. We can say, ‘In country,they’re doing this, and it works’.”Lt. Col. Dwight Duquesnay, the senior OC, gave theCommando Brigade high marks for the operations in thesouth Baghdad area.

“We were very well received by the units,” he said.“The Soldiers and leaders understand the importance of the training at the CTCs, and bent over backwards to inte-

grate us.”He also said that the brigade is performing very well.“(The brigade) is in outstanding shape,” Duquesnay said.“Sometimes we come to a newly formed brigade, but this one is at

its peak, operating at a very high level. It’s refreshing to see.”The lessons learned here are critical, he added.“It will allow us to improve the training at JRTC,” he said.

By Spc. Chris McCannnd BCT PAO, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI)

CAMP STRIKER, Iraq — “We’re here on a fact-inding mission,” said Maj. Mike Kimball, an ob-

server-controller for the Joint Readiness Training Cen-er at Fort Polk, La., visiting the Commando area of

operations under the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10thMountain Division (LI).

“We strive to stay relevant because we’re chargedwith training Soldiers before they deploy. We’re thebusiest combat training center, and we must stay rele-vant.”

To do that, Kimball and the other OCs visit troops

downrange in Iraq and Afghanistan, studying whatworks and what doesn’t in the ever-changing war on terrorism.“We send a smattering of people from different operations -

nformation, aviation, fire support. We converge on a chosenbrigade and spread out to see how they’re conducting opera-ions.”

The team of eight officers spent 12 days in the area studying.

The Sandstorm

The Hon. Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, poses with Soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI) and the 1st Cavalry Division at Camp Liberty, Iraq Dec. 10. Rumsfeld visited the Soldiers on his final tour of Iraq and took time to listen to their stories of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Photo by Sgt. Nicole Kojetin, 1st Cav. Div. PAO

Hail and farewell

Training in real lifeJoint Readiness Training Centerobservers taking lessons from2nd BCT troops on the ground



The Sandstorm

By Spc. Chris McCann2nd BCT PAO, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI)

MAHMUDIYAH, Iraq — In the midstof a perception of spiraling violence, theMahmudiyah Qadaa ’s first-ever meeting

brought together groups from across thesectarian divide in a positive and fruitfuldiscussion Dec. 6.

The meeting, held at the Iraqi ArmyCompound in Mahmudiyah, Iraq, broughttogether qadaa representatives from Yu-sufiyah, Mahmudiyah, Al-Rashid and Luti-fiyah, as well as Mahmudiyah Mayor Mr.Maayad Fadthil al-Shibli, Col. Ali al-Frejee, commander of the 4th Brigade, 6thIraqi Army Division, Col. Mike Kershaw,commander of the 2nd Brigade CombatTeam, 10th Mountain Division (LI), Lt.

Col. Robert Morschauser, commander of the 2nd Battalion, 15th Field ArtilleryRegiment, 2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI),and various Iraqi security and coalitionforces and Iraqi government representa-tives.

Ali spoke in regard to the security situa-tion in the Mahmudiyah area, mentioningvarious examples of security improve-ments over the last three years, but there isstill a long way to go, he said.

“Improving the security situation willrequire the help of all the people here, andall the civilians that you have influenceover,” Ali said.

He also mentioned the numbers of Iraqisoldiers that have been killed and woundedin the defense of their country, and howmany terrorists the soldiers have detained –including 81 people targeted by the Iraqi

Ministry of Defense.Ali also stated on camera that he wanted to

tell the terrorists that the 4th Bde., 6th IADivision will not stop hunting them down, asentiment echoed by Brigadier Gen. Ali, di-vision commander.

The mayor discussed national reconcilia-tion briefly, saying that Iraq has sufferedgreatly in the recent past and that the qadaameetings are intended to help the people.

“We need to stop talking about religionsand follow the initiatives of Prime Minister(Nouri) Al-Maliki,” he said.

Several representatives from the Lutifiyah,Mahmudiyah, Al-Rasheed and Yusufiyahnahias spoke, mostly about the securitysituation and the fact that unemploymentcauses people turn to terrorism – becauseterror cells pay local residents to place im-provised explosive devices, to fire upon Iraqiand coalition forces, and other acts of terror-ism.

Most of the nahia representatives thankedthe Americans for their assistance and calledon tribal leaders to control their areas.

Abu Amar, a member of the Mahmudiyahcity council and a Shia, spoke at length.Abu Amar said that his mission is to serve all

Iraqis from Mahmudiyah to Fallujah. Heasked for help from the tribes with stoppingthe outsiders from entering the towns to doharm. Once this threat has stopped, there wilbe no need for armed men within the city.

Abu Amar, however, also said that he wasproud of the Gheriri and Janabi tribes – bothSunni – and Anbari tribe, which is Shia, aswell as all of the 20 tribes that are coveredunder the Mahmudiyah qadaa area.

“I used to go to any area and drink tea withpeople from any tribe,” Abu Amar said. “Weare one chain that cannot be divided.”

He made a point of stating that attacks inMahmudiyah kill women and children, and severyone in the town carries a weapon, to protect their areas, although he wished that therewould be no militia and no terrorism.

As a good will gesture to the attendingmembers and as an act of reconciliation, ColAli presented a list of 17 detainees, both Sunand Shia. He said that he had expedited theinvestigations into their arrests. The 17 hadbeen found innocent and were to be released

The high point of the meeting and perhapsthe most cause for hope came near the end,when Col. Ali introduced Lt. Col. AbdulMuhsin, former commander of the 4th Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th IA Division and nowcommander of the 2nd Battalion.

“What tribe are you from?” someone askedMuhsin’s reply brought a round of applausefrom those gathered.

First Mahmudiyah Qadaa meeting fruitful, peaceful

Meanwhile, Soldiers of Company D worked with engineers to clear aroad from one strongpoint in the village to their link-up location withthe other companies.

The intent of the mission was for all of the companies to meet upand establish a strongpoint within the village and stop any terroristform escaping.

“It was nice to do something that you do not get to do every day,”said Pfc. Eric Olson, an infantryman with Co. C. “The mission wentsmooth and everyone knew what they were doing – to include theIraqi Army soldiers.”

IA soldiers from the 4th Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Di-vision, participated in the operation and proved to be successful.

“The IA soldiers did well – they did everything the right way thefirst time,” said Sgt. 1st Class Dell Rodriguez, the MITT sergeant.“They have been doing fairly well in everything and are eager tolearn.”

During the operation one of the IA soldiers had a chance to speak of the experience.

“The mission was great,” said Lt. Hesham, an IA officer. “It isgood that we are clearing a dangerous area from terrorists.”

It was through the hard work, careful planning and constant com-munication that allowed the boats and the helicopters to arrive toQuarghuli Village at the same time. They were perfectly synchro-

nized with one another.And having them arrive to the village at the same time proved

to be successful. The noise of the helicopters masked the boat op-eration that was happening at the same time.

One of the local nationals stated that he did not know the U.S.Soldiers were coming into the village by boats since all he heardwas the noise of the helicopter rotors.

After the companies met up, they set up a temporary battle po-sition until they were able to establish a strong point within thevillage.

The operation did not allow any terrorists to escape the area.“We expect to find any terrorists in the area within days,”

Griggs said. “The boats allowed us to seal off any area that theterrorists may have tried to use to escape.”

During the operation three, non-detonated improvised explosivedevices were found, six detainees were captured and Soldiers fromCo. D were able to begin maintaining a permanent presence in thevillage.

“The Soldiers did a fantastic job,” said Command Sgt. Maj.Alexander Jiminez, the 4-31 command sergeant. “They cleared anarea, found a suitable place to maintain and find some stabilityand established a strongpoint.”

In the end, the Soldiers said that they appreciated the experi-ence.

“This was an experience that you could not get anywhere elsebut here,” said Pfc. James Knight, a 4-31 infantryman.

FromPolar Valor, page 6



The Sandstorm

Pfc. Shea Butlerh Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

AMP LIBERTY, Iraq – If you work out byourself, walk to your hooch at night with-ut a battle buddy or are unaware of yourrroundings, you are a statistic waiting to

appen. You are vulnerable to a predatorith no face, rank or gender.Sexual assault can happen to anyone, but

ere are ways to reduce the risk of you orour battle buddy becoming a victim. If younow of someone who has already been as-ulted or you have, personally, there areained individuals who can help.

An important prevention technique is util-ing the battle buddy system during allours of the day.

“Using the battle buddy system is a deter-nt to attackers. It makes their job to hard if

ou are around other people,” said Sgt. 1st

lass Celetia Carroll, sexual assault re-onse coordinator for Headquarters andeadquarters Company, Division Specialroops Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division,ulti-National Division - Baghdad.If you walk with a buddy, then there is

meone there to protect you if anythingere to happen, Carroll added.Though it might seem obvious, another

evention method is awareness. Beingware of people and your surroundings ismportant.

“Soldiers should memorize their sur-

undings and be able to detect if some-ing or someone is out of place,”arroll said.

There are people trained toelp those who have beenctimized by sexual as-ult. They are called

exual Assault Re-onse CoordinatorsSARCs. SARCs

e available wherermy personnel arecated, on stateside

nd overseas installa-ons and in deployedeas. Every installa-on has an Installa-on Victim AdvocateVA) or a Unit Vic-m AdvocateUVA). All of ese people areepared andilling to helpose who have

een assaulted.Leaders

ould know

who their SARCs and UVAs are and how toreach them. They should pass the informa-tion on to their troops, Carroll said.

If you or someone you know has been avictim of sexual assault you should report itto a SARC.

“There is a 24-hour sexual assault hotline(Iraqna number 07901932392) that Soldierscan call for advice on reporting or just totalk about the incident,” said Master Sgt.Delionel Meadows, the division’s Equal Op-portunity noncommissioned officer incharge.

There are two ways of reporting an inci-dent: Restricted and unrestricted reporting,Carroll explained.

Restricted reporting allows the victim todisclose minimal details of their assault to

specific individuals. Victims are able toget medical treatment, advocacy and coun-seling without triggering an official inves-tigation, she said.

If the victim wants to keep the case re-stricted, then they should only conversewith people designated by a SARC/UVA.

As soon as a Soldier tells the chain of command or anyone else, the case is nolonger restricted, Meadows stressed.

Victims must acknowledge in writingthat restricted reporting may limit the abil-ity of the government to prosecute the of-fender, Carroll said.

Whether a Soldiers’ report of an assaultis restricted or unrestricted, they shouldcontact a SARC first for the proper adviceand to go through their rights, Meadowsstressed.

The victim has the right to switch from

restricted to unrestricted reporting at any-time, but they can’t go from unrestricted torestricted, Carroll said.

Unrestricted reporting allows the victimto receive medical treatment, advocacy,counseling and an official investigation.The chain of command is notified in unre-

stricted reporting, but de-tails of the incident willbe limited to only thosepersonnel who have alegitimate need toknow, Carroll said.

It is strictly the vic-tim’s choice on how

to report an incidentof sexual as-

sault. Eitherway, it needs

to be re-ported sothe victim

can re-ceivehelp.

Buddy system, awareness protect Soldiers from sexual assault



To:

From:

Free M

Staff Sgt. Timothy Slaughter, Spc. Timothy Bussing and Pfc. Robert Johnson of he 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th

Mountain Division (LI), receive Purple Heart medals for injuries suffered in combat from Col. Mike Kershaw, commander of the 2nd BCT, Lt. Col. Mark Suich,commander of 1-89 Cav. Regt., and 1-89 Command Sgt. Maj. Fred Morris at Camp Striker, Iraq, Dec. 3.

Photo by Spc. Chris McCann, 2nd BCT PAO

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