Unit supply specialist Pfc. Alice Stokes, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, watches as Spc. Dwayne Jones, automated supply specialist, A Company, 27th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th BCT, 1st Cav. Div., moves Stokes’ unit supplies to her vehicle April 12 on Forward Operating Base Marez, Mosul, Iraq. Stokes makes the journey to the Supply Support Activity warehouse daily to pick up valuable supplies for her unit. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Bradley J. Clark, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs)


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SR# 041507- 52
April 15, 2007


By Pfc. Bradley J. Clark
4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs


FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAREZ, Iraq— The Soldiers of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, are always in need of supplies to make their jobs run smoothly. It’s the job of the automated logistical specialists of A Company, 27th Brigade Support Battalion to make sure the Soldiers get the supplies they need in a timely manner.

Company commander, Capt. Courtney Sugai, is in charge of the Supply Support Activities warehouse here and says the almost 4,400 items that the SSA stocks regularly, helps provide direct support to the 230 Department of Defense Activity Address Codes in the 4th BCT, 1st Cav. Div. area of operations.

The 230 different DODAACs each represent a different company’s supply sergeant or motor pool.

“After a soldier has requested something from their supply sergeant, the supply sergeant puts the order in the SARSS (Standard Army Retail Supply System),” said Sugai. “Once the order is in the SARSS, we check to see if it’s one of the items that we stock, if it is, then the storage section takes it over to the issue section and they put it in the unit’s pick-up box. If we don’t stock the item, then the SARSS system sends out the order to the company to have it shipped,” said Sugai.
Once an item has been ordered, it gets shipped to the SSA warehouse and the Soldiers in the receiving section are the first to see it.

“We wait for the trucks to come in,” said Spc. Margot Sinti, who works in the receiving section. “After the trucks come in, we pull the pallets down and sort through everything. After we sort through it all, we take it to where it needs to go, the storage section, the issue section, or the turn-in section. We do this pretty quickly. Sometimes it only takes us 30 minutes.”

“We have 24 hours to get everything to the different sections, but normally it only takes us a few hours,” said Pvt. Andre Barbosa, who also works in the receiving section, “We try to have everything ready the same day it comes in because we have customers that come in everyday. We get five to six trucks a day, seven days-a-week, at any time of the day. When the trucks come in, we have to check everything to make sure it’s accurate. If a box says it has 100 screws in it, then we have to count all 100 of them.”

After an Item has made its way through the receiving section, if it is something that the SSA warehouse stocks, it heads over to the storage section.

“When we get an item, we find out what it is and stock it in its proper location,” said Sgt. Theresa Sutton, storage section noncommissioned officer-in-charge. “If an item doesn’t have a certain location, then we create one for it, put the location in the SARSS, and then put the item in that location. After we see that a supply sergeant has placed an order for something that we stock, we send it over to the issue section so they can pick it up. We used to get 97 percent of the items that the receiving section would process, but now we only get about 5 percent of the items that come in due to authorized stock increases.”

The final stop an item makes before a supply sergeant can pick it up, is the issue section.

“After items have been received and checked in, they get brought to us,” said Spc. Dwayne Jones, who works in the issue section. “When we get the items, we sort them and put them in the proper customer pick-up areas. We have customers that come in everyday and then we have some that come only once a month because they are always in the field.”

When it comes to items that stand out in the SSA warehouse, the crew has thousands to choose from.

“We get anything from nuts that cost 1 cent to circuit cards that cost $20,000,” said Pfc. Ivan Martinez, also a member of the issue section. “Those circuit cards come in small boxes and you don’t think it’s anything, but it’s something.”
Even though the little items make a big impression in the storage and issue sections of the SSA warehouse, it’s the big stuff that stands out in the receiving section.
“We get everything from pens to engines,” said Barbosa. “The thing that amazed me the most was a tank engine that took up a whole pallet.”

Whatever it is that Soldiers need, the SSA warehouse makes sure that they get it as quickly as possible.


Automated supply specialist Spc. Dwayne Jones, A Company, 27th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, moves a pallet of supplies to a customer’s vehicle, April 12. Jones works in the issue section of the Supply Support Activity warehouse on Forward Operating Base Marez, Mosul, Iraq. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Bradley J. Clark, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs)


Specialist Dwayne Jones, automated supply specialist, in the issue section of the Supply Support Activity warehouse, loads a pallet of supplies onto a vehicle for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, April 12. Jones is just one of the many Soldiers from A Company, 27th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th BCT, 1st Cav. Div. who run the SSA warehouse on Forward Operating Base Marez, Mosul, Iraq. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Bradley J. Clark, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs)


Soldiers from A Company, 27th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, like Spc. Dwayne Jones, who is loading a pallet of supplies onto a customer’s vehicle April 12, work in the Supply Support Activity warehouse on Forward Operating Base Marez, Mosul, Iraq. The SSA warehouse provides direct supply support to the 230 different companies in the 4th BCT, 1st Cav. Div. area of operations. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Bradley J. Clark, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs)

Labels: 1st Cavalry Division photos, 2-7 Cavalry, 27th Brigade Support Battalion, 4BCT, FOB Marez, heroes, Iraq, Mosul

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Adam Johnson provides security over workers from a flour factory during a raid, Feb. 27, 2007, in Mosul, Iraq. Johnson is with Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, out of Fort Bliss, Texas. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Vanessa Valentine


U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Mike Rice looks through personal belongings of workers from a flour factory, Feb. 27, 2007, during a raid in Mosul, Iraq. Rice is with Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, out of Fort Bliss, Texas. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Vanessa Valentine


A U.S. Army soldier provides security over workers from a flour factory, Feb. 27, 2007, during a raid in Mosul, Iraq. The soldier is with Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, out of Fort Bliss, Texas. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Vanessa Valentine


U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Adam Johnson clears a staircase during a raid on a flour factory in Mosul, Iraq, Feb. 27, 2007. Johnson is with Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, out of Fort Bliss, Texas. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Vanessa Valentine


U.S. Army Staff Sgts. Adam Johnson and William Johnson discuss the location of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device that exploded nearby during a raid on a flour factory in Mosul, Iraq, Feb. 27, 2007. The soldiers are with Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, out of Fort Bliss, Texas. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Vanessa Valentine



More photo essays at DefenseLink

Labels: 1st Cavalry Division, 2-7 Cavalry, 4BCT, Fort Bliss, Iraq, Mosul, photo essay, photos, US Army

Iraqi Army soldiers assist Coalition Forces, assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, in the removal of hundreds of items found stashed underground during a search of an abandoned compound in Mosul, Iraq, Feb. 9. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Ryan Kennedy, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment)


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SR# 030107-34
March 1, 2007

By Sgt. Paula Taylor
4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

MOSUL, Iraq— Two Garryowen troops assigned to Ghost Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, each received a brigade coin March 1 for a raid conducted Feb. 9 that netted one of the largest weapons caches in the Ninewa Province.

The cache, which was located in a walled-off compound, was discovered by Pfc. Ryan Kennedy and Spc. Isaiah Johnson, both infantrymen assigned to A Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment.

“Our battalion got [information] that there was a weapons cache in one of the lots [in the city],” said Kennedy, a Pequannock Township, N.J. native. “They called us up. We actually didn’t think we were rolling out until later that day.”

Kennedy’s platoon arrived in the suspected area and began taking small arms fire from a mosque across the street, he said. After they secured the area, they, with the help of Iraqi Army troops, were able to find and detain 10 suspects before moving into the actual compound where the cache was believed to be located.

“We pushed forward to continue searching another lot after another platoon moved up to secure the detainees,” he said. “There were four garages and a small building with two rooms in it; one was like a tool room and the other was like a living area. We cleared the building and the garages.”

After a brief search by 1st Squad, 1st Platoon Soldiers of the immediate area, their supervisor, Sgt. Shen O, split his team up for a more comprehensive search.
“Me and Specialist Johnson went back to the room that was like a living area and started busting all the floor tiles,” Kennedy said.

“We saw a sink and tried turning it on,” Johnson, a Chicago native, explained. “It didn’t turn on. There was a stove next to it. At the time, we didn’t think anything of it.”

The two continued busting floor tiles to see if the ground would give way.
“Once we busted all the tiles, we started getting frustrated that we weren’t finding anything,” Kennedy said. “We went and got Lieutenant Miller, our executive officer, and asked him if he had any ideas. I busted the sink that was in there and Lieutenant Miller kicked over the sink base.”

After the sink was knocked out of the way, the three began taking a closer look at the possibilities.

“Once we broke the sink, we saw there weren’t any pipes under it,” Johnson explained. “The XO noticed there was no grout between the tiles.”

“We could tell something was wrong with it because the tiles under it were real loose,” Kennedy added. “I hit it with a sledgehammer and it fell through. You could clearly see some [rocket-propelled grenades], some bags and different types of munitions. The opening was only about one foot by one foot. You had to squeeze in, and then there was a narrow crawl space that you could barely kneel in. That led to an open room that was about seven foot, by seven foot, by seven foot. We were overjoyed (to find the cache). All these months we weren’t finding anything. We were going on raids, searching vehicles. We were all so excited. When we saw it, we just started yelling out, ‘Hey, we found it, we found the cache!’”

After discovering the secret room beneath the sink, a member of the explosive ordnance disposal team, who was waiting nearby, was called into the compound to check the hole and cache room for dangers. Once he deemed it was safe to enter, other troops began arriving to assist in the removal of the items.

“There was everything you could name in there,” Johnson excitedly recalled. “Missiles you shoot helicopters with, grenades, mines, wiring, cell phones, tons of AK-47s and ammo. It took us several hours to get it all out. It made us feel happy finding that stuff, knowing they can’t use the weapons against us. It was sneaky how they had it set up, with the sink and the stove. They tried to make it look like it was a kitchen. We put the clues together and we figured it out. It made us really happy. We were proud to have found all this stuff and help get it all out,” Johnson bragged.

Some of the items included in the day’s find were 30 blasting caps, about 250,000 rounds of small arms ammunition, 25 grenade fuses, 37 high-explosive anti-tank weapons, 100 unfused grenades, one Iranian PG-7 grenade rocket, six Chinese 75mm APERS rocket fuses, 13 French 68mm SPAMV rockets, 72 rocket motors, 10 Iraqi 40mm rockets, 221 mortars, 300 various fuses, 40 pounds of propellant, 50 pounds of detonation cord, 13 PG-7 launchers, 17 AK-47 assault rifles, one Russian machine gun, two sniper rifles, one PKC machine gun, 40 million Iraqi Dinar, more than 400 fake identification cards, and various Motorola radios, including one Iraqi police radio believed to have belonged to an IP who had been previously kidnapped and subsequently killed.

“People can say I found it, but everyone was searching that day,” Kennedy modestly admitted. “We were all working really hard. Everyone was covered in sweat even though it wasn’t that hot. It was back-breaking labor. There were other finds, too. They found Iraqi Dinar and fake IDs in another area. Everyone worked hard that day, it wasn’t just me and Johnson.”

In recognition for their part in the discovery, Johnson and Kennedy were given a 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Coin of Excellence, which was presented to them by their first sergeant.

“It was a large cache,” Said 1st Sgt. Eric Volk. “They knew it had to be right under their feet. These guys are very determined to have a positive impact in this area. You could see it in their faces afterward. They knew they finally made a difference. These troops had just recently lost their platoon sergeant (Sgt. 1st Class Russell Borea). This is one big thing they have done since then. They’ve got a lot of pride, they’re very strong guys and I think they feel like they’ve finally achieved that big step against the insurgency. I couldn’t ask for any better troops than what I’ve got.”



Garryowen troopers Pfc. Ryan Kennedy and Pfc. Raul Alderete, infantrymen, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, kneel above the hole leading to one of the largest weapons caches discovered in Mosul, Iraq, since the arrival of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division in November 2006. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Shen O, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment)


Executive officer 1st Lt. Michael Miller, A Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, crawls down into the small hole that leads to a weapons cache he and two of his troops, Pfc. Ryan Kennedy and Spc. Isaiah Johnson, discovered during a raid on an abandoned compound in Mosul, Iraq, Feb. 9. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Ryan Kennedy, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment)


Garryowen troops Spc. Isaiah Johnson and Pfc. Ryan Kennedy, infantrymen, A Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, are presented with 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Coins of Excellence March 1 by 1st Sgt. Eric Volk for their part in the discovery of a large weapons cache in Mosul, Iraq, Feb. 9. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Thomas Christian, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment)

Labels: 1st Cavalry Division, 2-7 Cavalry, 4BCT, Good News, Iraq, Mosul, Operation Iraqi Freedom, photos, US Army

Chaplain (Capt.) Jeremiah Catlin, Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, and one of the current caretakers of the site explains the rough-hewn marble window panes at the St. Elijah’s Monastery on Forward Operating Base Marez, Mosul, Iraq, Feb.10. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brian Sipp, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs)


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SR# 021407- 31
Feb. 14, 2007

By Sgt. 1st Class Brian Sipp
4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAREZ, Iraq – Soldiers from the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division were able to take a walk into the past without leaving the present when they were allowed to tour the St. Elijah’s Monastery on Forward Operating Base Marez Feb.10.

Sitting nestled in a field across from a Russian tank graveyard, the Christian sanctuary is now protected by a chain-link fence and away from the maneuver of heavy vehicles and patrolling feet. Resembling a medieval castle, its walls and courtyard show the signs of age, as well as more recent damage from combat sustained in the fall of 2003 when an Iraqi armor unit used it as a command post against the Coalition Forces. The inside is a collection of alcoves with four distinct staircases leading to the walls. Parapets ring the outside, presumably for defense against attack, and several second-floor rooms remain in remarkably good shape.

Properly called the Dair Mar Elia Monastery, after Mar Elia, a monk who studied at the great monastery at Ezla Mountain in Turkey, its origins can be dated back to its establishment in 595 A.D., according to Chaplain (Capt.) Jeremiah Catlin, Special Troops Battalion, one of the current caretakers of the site and administrators of the tour.

Soldiers begin the tour like any other military operation, with a rules and safety briefing, before they are allowed to traverse the grounds and enter the buildings. Hazards are explained and safety is stressed due to the structural problems in several areas. The troops are then asked to stay in a group and follow the guided tour before being allowed to break-off from the main group and explore on their own. “All of the Soldiers, whether religiously oriented or not, have always displayed the highest level of respect for this site, and demonstrate a very keen interest in the historical relevance and significance of this monastery,” said Catlin.

Catlin explained why the area has sparked such interest in him, and what he envisions for the future. “I have now visited St. Elijah’s Monastery on more than 25 different occasions. I began as a fellow Soldier attending the tour. I have spent time working on the site to remove unexploded ordinance with our explosive ordinance disposal teams. I spent time researching the site’s history online and visiting with individuals who have extensive knowledge of this building. Now, I am attempting to assist in the preservation of the building as well as furthering the knowledge of the monastery for all Soldiers that will have the opportunity to come through it.”

Walking through the ruins, Catlin explained to the assembled following how history played out directly under their feet. “After many years of service by Mar Elia, the responsibility of caring for the monastery was given to Mar Elia’s nephew, Khnanisho. Many years passed, and a church was built sometime between the 14th and 15th century. During the 17th century, an Alqush native by the name of Hurmizd Alqushnaya renovated the monastery. It remained to be a successful center of Christianity until 1743, when Tahmaz Nadir Shah destroyed it, as well as Dair Mar Oraha, and killed all of its inhabitants.”

Remnants of 1,500-year-old pottery lie scattered in several rooms on the ground level, a testimony to the endurance of the structure and people who lived within it.

“It has really made me think about our value systems and whether our value structure will still be visible in 1,000 years, like it is here,” reflected Sgt. Jessica Muller, a Special Troops Battalion combat medic, and native of El Paso, Texas.

Several Soldiers had similar thoughts after absorbing the sense of timelessness and perseverance that seemingly emanates from the grounds.

“It gave me an incredible insight into Iraq’s past,” said Staff Sgt. George Wrin, a communications noncommissioned officer also with STB, and a native of Philadelphia, Penn. “This is the last place I would expect to find a Christian monastery,” he added, referring to the predominant religion of Islam that currently encompasses the region.

Catlin again expressed his joy at being able to share this area with Soldiers, and explained why he felt it was significant for them to visit. “I have taken both Soldiers whose jobs keep them in offices on the FOB, as well as Soldiers whose duties take them outside the wire every day. For the FOB Soldiers, it allows them to connect and helps them feel they are getting to know some of the culture and rich history of this country. Our off-the-FOB Soldiers seem to find that it allows them an opportunity to relax and forget the stressors of their daily jobs. While Soldiers will not be as likely to exit a vehicle and get pictures of every site in this historically-rich city, they can at least get one comparable picture in a safe environment by visiting this monastery tucked away on FOB Marez.”

The beginning of the 20th century brought much interest in St. Elijahs. The complex saw many renovations and halls and rooms were rebuilt for use during WW I as a refuge, explained Catlin. The last Wednesday in November is dedicated to remembering Mar Elia. Most recently, during the 20th century, thousands of Chaldean Christians would gather at this site to commemorate Mar Elia. Later a military compound, the Muaskar el-Ghazlani, was built around the monastery, which reduced the number of visitors to the location.

As the tour concluded, the Soldiers were forced back into the 21st century reality of a nation and Army at war and their daily duties supporting their country’s effort to bring peace to a tumultuous region. Still, some were thinking of another time and another vision of what could be. “This whole land would look absolutely gorgeous if there was no barbed wire,” said Pfc. Roy Smith, an STB intelligence analyst from Knoxville, Tenn.

“I enjoy the looks of interest and intrigue on our Soldiers’ faces,” Catlin explained. “I enjoy the time spent focusing on something that naturally leads to discussions of faith.”


The alcoves, used as personal quarters for the St. Elijah’s Monastery’s inhabitants and evident from the inner courtyard, stand in contrast to the Russian tank graveyard visible outside the site’s walls on Forward Operating Base Marez, Mosul, Iraq, Feb.10. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brian Sipp, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs)


The inner courtyard shows the stairwells and upper level of St. Elijah’s Monastery, spotlighting its location as Forward Operating Base Marez can be seen in the background Feb.10. FOB Marez is located in Mosul, Iraq and is the operating base for the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brian Sipp, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs)


Soldiers from nearby Forward Operating Base Marez in Mosul, Iraq, including Sgt. Jessica Muller, a Special Troops Battalion combat medic, and native of El Paso, Texas (foreground), can be seen touring St. Elijah’s Monastery from a second-floor window Feb. 10. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brian Sipp, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs)


The Dair Mar Elia Monastery, commonly referred to as St. Elijah’s Monastery, sits on Forward Operating Base Marez in Mosul, Iraq. Soldiers from the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, as well as other units on FOB Marez, were offered tours of the area by Chaplain (Capt.) Jeremiah Catlin, Special Troops Battalion, and one of the current caretakers of the site. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brian Sipp, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs)

Labels: 1CD, 4BCT, Dair Mar Elia Monastery, FOB Marez, Iraq, Mosul, St. Elijah's Monastery

Spc. Brice Bell, military police officer, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Special Troops Battalion, mans the .50 caliber machine gun atop his uparmored humvee, which is being driven off the forward operating base for an escort mission Feb. 8. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Bradley Clark, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs)


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SR# 021207-29
Feb. 12, 2007

By Pfc. Bradley J. Clark
4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAREZ, Iraq— The military police officers belonging to the Special Troops Battalion of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, play an important role in the war on terror. Their current mission, since the middle of November, is that of an escort and security team.

"We do everything from going to the Joint Coordination Center to drop off mail and supplies, to escorting the Provincial Reconstruction Teams to wherever they need to go," said Staff Sgt. Michael Wood, military police squad leader, Headquarters and Headquarters Company. “Also, we’re the ones that get called when the [Quick Reaction Force] needs back-up.”

The MPs may try to downplay their job, but in actuality, they realize it is one of high importance because of the types of people they escort; people who not only count on them to get them from point A to point B safely, but who are also glad to have MPs there for their safety.

The people, said Pfc. Aaron Rankie, like the members of the Provincial Reconstruction Team, are helping the Iraqi government to rebuild Iraq and are responsible for assisting with the management of millions of Iraqi dollars for project funding.

“Our main mission is to keep the escorts safe until they are back on the [Forward Operating Base],” said Pfc. Timothy Baker. “The people that we escort are always grateful that we’re there.”

Conducting escort operations became a vital part of the military police’s job not long after Operation Iraqi Freedom began. “The MPs used to patrol the streets, but since there is no frontline, now the infantry is learning our techniques and patrolling the streets,” said Wood. This, in effect, he explained, has freed them up to escort groups who don’t have the uparmored equipment or training to go out on their own, or who need a little extra security.

The MPs go out on missions nearly every day in the Special Troops Battalion, but they still have time to stay in shape and keep in touch with family back home.

“Our average mission runs six to eight hours, and our average day runs 10-12 hours,” Wood said. “We normally go to the gym after dinner for physical training and then get our down time and try to do the things normal people do.”

The MPs enjoy what they do and take a lot of pride in their missions.

“I like what we do,” Spc. Chase Thouvenell said with enthusiasm. “I think it’s a good thing.”

Wood agreed and added, “I know we do a good job when we all come back in one piece. It’s like our command says, we are all warriors first, then whatever our [Military Occupational Specialty] is, comes second.”


Sgt. Raymund Begaye, military police team leader, puts on his outer tactical vest before heading out on a security escort mission Feb. 8 from Forward Operating Base Marez. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Bradley Clark, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs)

Labels: 1st Cavalry Division, 4BCT, FOB Marez, Iraq, Military Police, photos, security escorts, US Army

Lit by a nearby fire, a Soldier with Troop A, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, and an Iraqi Army officer prepare Chai tea for Soldiers of Troop D, 1-9 Cavalry, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. The Troop D Soldiers delivered supplies to Troop A at Al Kindi, an Iraqi army base near Mosul, where they are supporting military transition teams, or MiTTs, Jan 27. Photo by Sgt. Antonieta Rico, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, Tikrit


By Sgt. Antonieta Rico
5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

MOSUL, Iraq -- Curfew is in effect in Mosul as the Troop D, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, Soldiers roll through the city’s empty streets Jan. 26.

Undeterred by reports of a possible roadside bomb, the support Soldiers are intent on delivering supplies to fellow cavalry Soldiers.

“Our goal is to keep the convoy moving,” said Capt. George Childs, Troop D commander, “If we stop, we are failing that mission.”

The supply convoy moves cautiously through the road where the suspected bomb is emplaced, and the Soldiers arrive safely with their cargo at Al Kindi, an Iraqi Army base near Mosul. There, Troop D delivers supplies, which include mattresses, fresh water, wood, building material and some generators to Soldiers of Troop A, 1-9 Cav. Regt. The Soldiers of the headquarters section of Troop A are embedded with a Military Transition Team at the Iraqi base.

With the recent realignment of 1-9 Cav. Regt. into a “super MiTT,” and Soldiers of the squadron spread through out Nineveh Province, the Soldiers of Troop D, the 1-9 Cavalry support troop, are relishing their chance to show what they are capable of.

Soldiers of Troop D also deliver supplies to MiTT units and coalition forces within Mosul, as well as 1-9 Cav. Regt. Soldiers in the Tal Afar and Al Kisik areas in western Nineveh Province.

“Especially now, with the squadron split, our mission is extremely important,” said Childs, a Daytona Beach, Fla., native.

The supplies Troop D Soldiers deliver ensure the Squadron’s Soldiers are able to carry out their own mission.

“If I don’t deliver, trucks don’t move,” said Staff Sgt. Guillermo Rivera, distribution platoon sergeant, “They don’t have spare parts for their vehicles, they don’t have ammunition, they don’t have fuel, they don’t eat.”

And although the Soldiers deliver the necessities, they also deliver the comfort items that take the edge off a hard days work. Rivera’s Soldiers also deliver mail, hot chow, and the occasional special request for cream cheese.

“If nothing else, we improve the morale of Soldiers that are deployed forward,” Childs said.

“When you go out there you always get a happy face waiting on you and a warm handshake,” said Rivera, a native of Puerto Rico, “We are like their best friend.”

That friendly sentiment was evident when the Troop D Soldiers arrived at Al Kindi.

Soldiers of Troop A were waiting for them and as the supplies were unloaded, the Troop A Soldiers and an Iraqi army officer started making Chai for the Troop D Soldiers. Soon there was a gathering outside by a bonfire, with Soldiers from both troops swapping stories over sweet, hot Chai.

And although sometimes people forget to thank the supply Soldiers for their vital support of the line troops, words are not always necessary.

“The Soldiers and the happy faces when you get to different places; that’s enough for me,” Rivera said.


Private 2nd Class Cory Rand, Troop D, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, adjusts a lamp to check his vehicle before heading out on a supply convoy to Al Kindi, an Iraqi army base near Mosul, Jan 27. Rand's mission was to deliver supplies to Troop A, 1-9 Cav. Regt., who are supporting military transition teams, or MiTTs, at the base. Photo by Sgt. Antonieta Rico, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, Tikrit


Lit by a nearby fire, a Soldier with Troop A, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, and an Iraqi Army officer prepare Chai tea for Soldiers of Troop D, 1-9 Cavalry, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. The Troop D Soldiers delivered supplies to Troop A at Al Kindi, an Iraqi army base near Mosul, where they are supporting military transition teams, or MiTTs, Jan 27. Photo by Sgt. Antonieta Rico, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, Tikrit

Labels: 1-9 Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, 4BCT, Iraq, MiTTs, Mosul, photos, US Army

NOTE: Pay particular attention to the last paragraph -- Pam



Iraqi Army Soldiers, with the help of the 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment and the 45th Sustainment Brigade, distribute supplies throughout the town of Shafa‘at Feb. 1. (U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Bennett Freeman, 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment)


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SR# 020107-26
Feb. 5, 2007

By Sgt. Paula Taylor
4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

SHAFA ‘AT, Iraq— Soldiers of the Black Dragon Battalion partnered with members of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division and the 45th Sustainment Brigade to hand out supplies and conduct a medical assessment throughout the town Feb. 1.

“The 3/2 IA unloaded several trucks filled with water and toys for the populace and were greeted by the children with hugs and smiles of thanks,” said 1st Lt. Bennett Freeman, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment. “The Iraqi Army, 5-82 FA, and the 45th all had medical personnel on hand to administer aid to the children of the town. Approximately 45 children were seen by the medical personnel and the rest of the medical supplies were left for future use by the town,” he explained.

One of the medics, Sgt. Garrick Morgenweck, of the 5-82 FA from Huntsville, Ala., who joined the effort, said he thought the mission went very well. “We had an Iraqi Army doctor there, two IA medics and three Soldiers from the 45th,” said Morgenweck. “These types of missions are always successful. People come in droves from all around and are glad there are people available to help.”

The group also spent time mingling with the townspeople and interacting with the children. “I played with the little kids,” said Spc. Heather Jay, transport operator from Iowa City, Iowa, 5-82 FA. “We shook their hands, sat down with them, asked how old they were and just tried to make them feel comfortable. The kids were running around, giving ‘high-fives’ and having a good time. They brought out the kid in all of us that were in that room.”

Jay and Morgenweck said the distributed items consisted of medicine, lotion, toys, clothes, blankets, water and candy. The two agreed it was a great experience and look forward to the opportunity to assist the locals in getting back on their feet.

“The media always puts out there that we’re always under gunfire, it’s horrible over here, things are blowing up left and right, because they’re going after the ‘story’” said Morgenweck. “But where we are, the people are glad we’re here; they’re happy to have us here, as far as I’ve seen. The Iraqi people, in general, are like anybody else. They just want to better their lives and they’re glad we’re here to help them get there.”

Labels: 1st Cavalry Division, 4BCT, Civil Affairs, Good News, Humanitarian Aid, Iraq