www.hood.army.mil/1stcavdiv/ “Telling the MND- Story” Tuesday, July 24, 2007

(Photo by SSgt. Bronco Suzuki, 2-2 Inf. Div. PAO) Keeping the Streets Safe

Saginaw, Mich., native Sgt. Christopher Burke, provides security during a patrol in the Rusafa area of eastern Baghdad, . Burke is assigned to Company C, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment based out of , Ga., but operating in Baghdad as part of the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. Iraqi Teenager Warns Scouts of Bomb

1st Lt. Nicholas P. Paolini mous, “chocolate, mista.” never ignore a warning. 2-12th Cavalry Regiment “We drive past these kids almost “I treat them all as if they were (all) everyday,” explained the scout platoon ser- true,” he explained. BAGHDAD—Just as the Scout geant, Sgt. 1st Class Michael Alexander. The scouts then began talking to the Platoon, Headquarters and Headquarters “Every day they run outside waving and boy through their interpreter to determine Company, 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry cheering. A lot of them give us the thumbs where the roadside bomb was located. The Regiment was returning to Camp Liberty up sign. The 16-year-old boy had his boy explained how three men came to his on the city’s west side July 20, they drove hands together about chest high and then house and was trying to emplace an IED in past a 16-year-old Iraqi youth who was try- threw them apart as we were passing.” the road. The boy stopped the three men ing to get their attention. Alexander knew right away what the from placing the bomb, and somehow, got They were no more than a half mile boy was trying to tell them, there was an them to go away. However, the men took outside the gates when they stopped to improvised explosive device close by. the boy’s six-year-old sister. see what the big deal was. It isn’t “I stopped the platoon right then and It was at this time that Alexander unusual for kids to run towards there,” explained Alexander. noticed the boy had some bruising on his American convoys holding their hands The scouts have become accustomed up asking for soccer balls or the infa- to numerous false reports of IEDs, but will See Help Page 2 Page 2 News July 24, 2007

Baghdad in Brief One Good Turn Deserves Another when we saw a young girl wandering Help around,” he explained. ‘Warlords’ Find Cache From Page 1 The scouts went up to her with the BAGHDAD—Mulit-National face. interpreter to see if by some chance it was Division – Baghdad Soldiers uncov- “The boy must have given those guys the missing girl. It was that family’s lucky ered a cache of improvised explosive a tough time ‘cause he looked pretty day. It was the missing girl. The girl device-making material during a roughed up,” Alexander said. explained that she ran away from her cap- combined patrol with Iraqi Security Armed with a description of the three tors. The scouts brought the girl back to Forces in the western Baghdad neigh- men, the scouts set out to find the kidnap- her joy-filled brother. borhood of Jamia July 21. pers and suspected roadside bombers. The “The brother was so excited when we Soldiers from Company B, 1st scout platoon drove in the direction the boy came back and the girl hopped out of the Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment and said the kidnappers fled. Hummer,” explained Alexander. The scouts 3rd Battalion, 5th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Their first stop was to check with the were also glad they were at the right place at Army Division have conducted joint nearby Iraqi Army checkpoints to see if the right time to help out the family. operations throughout Jamia during they have seen the three men and little girl. “Kidnappings happen all too often the past week to reduce the amount of The Iraqi Army said they saw no men fit- here in Iraq,” Alexander continues, “I just IEDs and homemade explosives in ting the description. hate seeing these kids getting caught up in the area. “We were just about to give up hope the violence. It’s just a shame.” An IED-making cache was uncovered by the clearing team led by 2nd Lt. Mustafa from the 1st Company, 3-5-6th Iraqi Army. Mustafa’s team located five complete roadside bombs, approxi- mately 200 lbs. of loose homemade explosives and a 155mm artillery shell casing. An explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed the materials to pre- vent prior to leaving the scene.

Arabic Phrase Iraq of the Day il-yoom haara 3-Day hwaaya Weather Today Tomorrow Thursday Defined: Report High: 115 High: 115 High: 115 It’s very hot today. Low: 86 Low: 87 Low: 87

Commanding General: Maj. Gen. Joseph F. Fil, Jr. tact the Daily Charge at VOIP 242-4093, DSN 318-847-2855 or e-mail Public Affairs Officer: Lt. Col. Scott Bleichwehl [email protected]. Command Information Supervisor: Master Sgt. Dave Larsen The Daily Charge is an authorized publication for members of the U.S. Army. Contents of Senior Editor: Sgt. Nicole Kojetin the Daily Charge are not necessarily official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Editor: Spc. William Hatton Government, Department of Defense, Department of the Army or the 1st Cavalry Division. Staff Writers: Sgt. Michael Garrett, Spc. L.B. Edgar, Spc. Shea Butler, All editorial content of the Daily Charge is prepared, edited, provided and approved by1st Spc. William Hatton and Pfc. Ben Gable Cavalry Division Public Affairs Office. Contributing Writers: 1st Lt. Nicholas P. Paolini Page 3 Leadership July 24, 2007

Baghdad in Brief Commander Relies on First-

Soldiers Capture 7 Hand Experience For Success Suspected Insurgents By Pfc. Benjamin Gable will be in high demand as Company B 7th MPAD continues their efforts in this war on ter- FORWARD OPERATING rorism. Their mission demands they BASE LOYALTY, Iraq – Multi- BAGHDAD – For one leader, a daunt- spend a large amount of time interacting National Division – Baghdad ing task is at hand. Both his personal and with locals. Soldiers and Iraqi troops cap- professional experiences will play a critical The “Bayonets,” as tBattjes’ company is known, perform missions like ridding tured seven suspected insurgents role in accomplishing the mission. The long and arduous days of another deploy- the community of insurgents, searching for during a combined raid July 21 in ment have begun. Multiple missions each weapons and home made explosives and the Zafaraniya section of eastern day are not uncommon. Dealing with the working with local area councilmen to Baghdad. needs of Iraqis on a daily basis -- custom- make improvements to the community. The Soldiers, with Battery B, ary. Ensuring his Soldiers’ safety -- vital. They are fighting the war on many levels, Capt. Mark Battjes, commander of and Battjes understands this is a battle that 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Company B., 1st Battalion, 64th Armored must be won. Artillery, 2nd Infantry Brigade Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, arrived at “I don’t want to win. I have to win,” Combat Team, and the 1st Joint Security Station Bonsai just a few said the Parker, Colo., native. Battalion, 4th Brigade, 1st Iraqi weeks ago. With 14 months of hard work Battjes grew up the son of an Army officer. His father served four years as an Army Division, launched the raid ahead, and after a day-long mission, he sits at his desk, in front of layers of paperwork, engineer officer in the late 1960s and early in hopes of shutting down a cell and tosses on his University of Southern ‘70s in Germany, and provided him with an believed responsible for making California Trojans cap. For Battjes, there improvised explosive devices is still much work to be done. See Page 5 and indirect fire attacks. The Leadership skills and camaraderie Experience seven suspects are being held for further questioning. The captures came as insur- gents have stepped up their activ- ity against Iraqi civilians and police officers. Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces have responded by driving into insur- gent strongholds and setting up combat outposts and joint securi- ty stations as part of Operation Fardh Al-Qanoon, better known as the Baghdad Security Plan. Coalition and Iraqi Forces continue to reach out to Baghdad residents, encouraging them to turn in insurgents. These tips, (Photo by Pfc. Benjamin Gable, 7th MPAD) together with other intelligence- Capt. Mark Battjes, a native of Parker, Colo., and commander of Company driven efforts, have led to an B., 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, calls in infor- increase in captures. mation regarding a possible vehicle-borne improvised explosive device in the Jumia neighborhood of southern Baghdad July 9. The vehicle was thoroughly searched and no explosives were found. Page 4 Feature July 24, 2007 Respect for the Elderly: Paratroopers Seek Knowledge From Residents

By Spc. L.B. Edgar killing cell, an extremist group which prac- said. 7th MPAD tices ethnic cleansing, were captured in the “When we first got here they were vicinity of seemingly “good people.” The very impressed with how respectful the BAGHDAD – The three men stood searches were a necessity to ensure securi- 82nd was in general to the people,” Morton out from the other Iraqis. They were ty in Jazira, he said. said. wrapped in elegant robes with the tradi- Shaab is primarily Shia but has some The elders are often found throughout tional headdress and hallowed beads in pockets of Sunni, who were at one point, Jazira. Morton sometimes encounters them their hands. Noting their status, the para- targeted by extra-judicial-killing cells, he on the streets, seated on residents’ porches, troopers respectfully requested permission said. or at Neighborhood Advisory Council to speak with them. However, for the most part the residents meetings, he said. These were not the everyday citizens “live together pretty well,” Morton said. “We “We’ve done cordon and searches of Jazira, an area within the Shaab neigh- are making a difference up there. And yes, before and we walked into someone’s borhood of Baghdad’s Adhamiyah district. we are hitting people’s houses,” he said. house and there’s an elder. He says, ‘sit The men’s dress and demeanor connote The people have always had mixed down, have chai (Iraqi tea),” Morton said. their status in the community as village feelings about the presence of Coalition Although the older Iraqis do not pin- elders, said Capt. Paul Morton, the com- Forces in Shaab, Morton said. point suspects, they do provide a sense of mander of Company B, 2nd Battalion, However, the respect shown by para- how the community feels about a number 325th Infantry Regiment. troopers during a raid does not go unno- of issues. From extra-judicial killings to Morton approached the men as a ticed. Residents often shape their opinion the limited electricity, said Morton. friend July 19 and cordially greeted each of Coalition Forces on brief encounters and During this encounter, the elders with a handshake, followed by a tradition- their last impression is often the most inquired about a solution to supply resi- al hand over his heart. important. The residents share such opin- dents with sustained power. Morton told Residents of Jazira revere the older ions with them, who then inform Morton Iraqi’s not only for their age, but their com- how residents view Coalition Forces, he See Wisdom Page 5 pletion of a pilgrimage to the Islamic holy lands of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia, said 1st Sgt. Joseph Singerhouse, the company’s first sergeant. “The headdresses don’t signify that they’re an elder. The headdresses signify they’ve made the Hajj (pilgrimage),” said the native of Fayetteville, N.C. The men were also wearing black shawls over their white robes as a sign of mourning for the death of a loved one, Singerhouse explained. Morton stopped the Jazira elders to draw on their knowledge of the communi- ty. They have a broader perspective than many residents because they lived through ’s reign, the first and all of Operation Iraqi Freedom, said the native of Fullerton, Calif. “I asked them what kind of changes they’ve seen,” Morton said. (Photo by Spc. L.B. Edgar, 7th MPAD) The elders responded with questions Fullerton, Calif., native Capt. Paul Morton, the commander of Company B, of why the homes of seemingly “good peo- 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat ple” were searched from time to time. Team, 82nd Airborne Division, speaks with local elders of Jazira, within the Morton explained many criminal-mili- Shaab neighborhood of Baghdad’s Adhamiyah district July 19. The meet- tia members as well as an extra-judicial- ing allowed Morton to gauge how residents feel about Coalition Forces. Page 5 Feature July 24, 2007 Elders Providing Troops With Wisdom to Succeed Wisdom From Page 4 them the issue is being worked but it will take considerable time before the comple- tion of a long-term solution, he said. “There is really not much we can do with the generators because it just brings us back to the same point,” he said of the elders’ requests for more electricity gener- ators. The dilemma is how to power the generators on a regular basis when the only fuel comes off the black market. “It’s a band aid on a big wound.” The long-term solution to Jazira’s power problems is the reconstruction of Baghdad’s power grid, a project several years from completion. “That’s some- thing that can’t happen over night. Everything we can do quickly, we are (Photo by Spc. L.B. Edgar, 7th MPAD) doing,” he said. Capt. Paul Morton, the commander of Company B, 2nd Battalion, 325th He reminded them of projects that are Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne completed. The local hospital was rebuilt. Division, speaks with local elders of Jazira, a village within the Shaab Coalition Forces provided medical clinics. neighborhood of Baghdad’s Adhamiyah district July 19. Some schools received significant aid, he said. However, there is only so much the so much we can do,” he said. ping or worse. He asked Morton to look paratroopers can do on their own, Morton Before the paratroopers departed, one into the matter as a favor. explained to the elders. of the elders asked for help with a person- Morton told village elders, he would do “It’s not all on us. We’re here to help. al matter. He said his son went missing in everything in his power to help, which is But if you don’t want to help there is only 2004, presumably the victim of a kidnap- something they are already doing dail. Good Experience : Getting Mission Done

leader in the United States security to the locals. As a Tadlock said. Experience Army. leader, Battjes said as the IA The Soldiers of Company From Page 3 “The main thing I got out gains valuable experience, B have many missions ahead early model of what he wanted of ranger school was you can his Soldiers will become of them during this deploy- for himself. do everything right all the more encouraged in the daily ment. Battjes says he will “He’s always been an time,” he said. fight. draw motivation from his example for me,” Battjes said. Training and experience “We will find motivation experiences and from his own “That’s the kind of man I has prepared Battjes for this, in the improvements the IA men. always want to be.” his third deployment to Iraq. makes as they become better “The Bayonets are the best After graduating from You can find Battjes in at controlling the sector on you can find,” he said. “They USC, Battjes decided to fol- the streets these days. He and their own,” he said. are all an inspiration to me, low his father’s footsteps and his Soldiers patrol six areas True leader values are from the Soldiers to the first attend ranger school. The 37- that comprise the Jumia being passed down to the sergeant.” day course he attended in the neighborhood. Company B is Soldiers under Battjes’ com- For Battjes, relying on his winter of 1999 was instru- working hand-in-hand with mand. experience and his troops will mental in developing his their Iraqi Army partners to “He’s a guy who leads help bring a bright future to this leadership skills. He knew it clear the neighborhood of ter- from the front, and that’s some- country and bring his Soldiers would benefit him as a new rorist activities and bring thing we all pick up on,” home safe and sound.