Combined Operations --Pg.8 1AD Joins BCT Fight --Pg.10 Tabletable Ofof Contentscontents Pg.Pg
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Combined Operations --pg.8 1AD joins BCT fight --pg.10 TableTable ofof ContentsContents pg.pg. 33 COMMANDER’SCOMMANDER’S UPDATEUPDATE BRIEFBRIEF pg.pg. 66 CAVCAV ScoutsScouts movemove thethe frontfront lineslines pg.pg. 1111 MedicsMedics buildbuild aa betterbetter FLAFLA pg.pg. 1212 SPOTSPOT REPORTREPORT pg.pg. 1414 InIn honorhonor ofof thosethose whowho foughtfought pg.pg. 1515 TToo rreemmeemmbbeerr tthhoossee wwhhoo ffeellll pg.pg. 1616 WomenWomen inin thethe monthmonth ofof MarchMarch pg.pg. 1717 CCOOBBRRAA’’SS UUNNSSUUNNGG HHEERROOEESS pg.pg. 1818 IraqiIraqi Culture:Culture: TheThe NewNew IraqiIraqi ArmyArmy pg.pg. 1919 SAFETYSAFETY FIRST!FIRST! withwith SeanSean MorrillMorrill pg.pg. 2020 ThisThis DayDay inin HistoryHistory pg.pg. 2121 WarriorWarrior SoldiersSoldiers callcall homehome pg.pg. 2222 COBRACOBRA FITNESSFITNESS pg.pg. 2323 COBRA’sCOBRA’s LIGHTLIGHT COVER PHOTO: The Rough Riders of 8th pg.pg. 2424 SGT’sSGT’s TIMETIME Squadron, 10th Cavalry patrol the streets of South Baghdad’s Al Rasheed District in their M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle. (Photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Brent Williams) COBRAS Printed circulation: 3,500 Commander: Col. Michael F. Beech Command Sergeant Major: Command Sgt. Maj. John E. Moody, Jr. Public Affairs Officer: Maj. Mark Cheadle Editor/Graphics: Staff Sgt. Brent M. Williams Staff Writer: Pfc. Jason W. Dangel Cultural Notes: D. Saleeh In accordance with AR 360-1, this insert is an authorized publication for members of the U.S. Army. Contents of this newsletter are not necessarily the views of, or endorsed by the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, Department of the Army, III Corps or the 4th Infantry Division. The Cobra Strike is published monthly by the 4th Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Team, 4th Infantry Division and is reproduced via a contracted private publication company. Questions or comments can be directed to the editor located at Forward Operating Base Prosperity, in Baghdad, Iraq at 677-1117. All editorial content of this newsletter is prepared, edited, provided, and approved by the 4th BCT Public Affairs Team and the 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office. This insert is printed by the Al Sabah Jadeed Printing House, a private firm in no way connected with the Department of the Army. Over the past four months, months alone, we have com- counterparts, the level of suc- we have seen significant pleted over 200 missions cess equal to or higher than improvement in the Cobra involving raids and searches, what is seen when conducting area of operations as a result along with over 3,200 combat solo operations. The Iraqi of the diligent work and per- patrols in central Baghdad. Army is showing that they severance of the Soldiers Since January, we have are ready to take the lead due from 1-12 Inf., 2-506 Inf., 8- patrolled and cleared over to the training that they Col. Michael F. Beech 10 Cav., 2-77 Field Artillery, 6,600 miles of roadway. By received from the Military I am proud of the enduring 704th Support Bn., 4th keeping these routes clear of Integrated Transition Teams, effort that our Soldiers have Special Troops Bn. and our terrorists and improvised which have been training the put forth in helping the Iraqi newest addition to the 4th explosive devices, we allow IA to secure their country. people build a more secure Brigade Combat Team, Task greater freedom of movement Another main focus of the and prosperous country. We Force 2-6 Inf. for other crucial missions brigade concerns Essential are winning here so we don’t Despite the large area for including security, essential Services. The Special Troops have to fight at home. I would which the brigade is responsi- services and governance. Battalion have overseen also like to thank the dedica- ble, we have had great suc- The Cobra Brigade has infrastructure projects worth tion of our families and cess conducting combat oper- been working alongside Iraqi more than $5 million in friends back home, and for ations. There has been a security forces when conduct- Baghdad. These projects pro- all of the support which keeps decrease in attacks with the ing combat missions. During vide Iraqi citizens essential us motivated and mission-ori- increase in the number of the 15 major combined oper- needs such as water, electrici- ented. combined and Iraqi led oper- ations involving the Soldiers ty, and sewage and garbage ations. In the past three of 4th Brigade and their Iraqi disposal. COBRA STRIKE! Greetings Cobras! my children, mom did it commander didn’t tell the driver to slow Years ago, when my kids right and that was the stan- down, or the driver wasn’t licensed properly. were much younger than dard; and my oldest had We can not afford for a vehicle to break they are now, my wife had taken it upon him to down on a patrol because we didn’t conduct an emergency in the states. enforce mom’s standard the proper PMCS prior to going on the mis- She traveled alone to while she was gone. sion. We can not afford to be on mission and attend to that emergency, You may have found that realize that we left our tow bar in the motor and the boys and I were story amusing, but the pool because we didn’t do a pre-combat left alone for 10 days in truth of the matter is that check or inspection prior to movement. And Germany. At the time, I we need standards in every- finally, we can not afford to take short cuts was a platoon sergeant so I thing that we do. Without when clearing or loading our crew served thought it would be too standards, how would we weapons. much to run a 16-man pla- measure the proficiency of Whether its 0200 in the morning or 1400 in toon and come home and a task or test? What rules the afternoon, we have got to pay attention or handle a First Grader Command Sgt. Maj. John E. Moody, Jr. would we use to ensure someone’s lapse in following a standard will and toddler so I took uniformity of an organiza- be fatal. “Leaders” need to ensure that every- leave. tion? The Army’s standards are established one is trained to standard on the crew served One day, after I had completed the first and directed by the Department of the Army weapon that he/she is behind and that train- mission (dinner), I sat down with the kids and local command policies. But standards ing needs to be validated every so often so as and was preparing to eat dinner, and I looked mean nothing unless they are enforced! In to maintain proficiency. In all of the exam- and noticed that no one was eating. So I ask, the example above, my 6-year old was mak- ples above, if someone doesn’t enforce the “What’s the problem?” Immediately, the ing sure that I adhered to mom’s standard. In standard, it could cost someone’s life. If you First Grader replies, “Mom doesn’t do it like the Army, leaders make sure that Soldiers have been a strict enforcer, then I encourage this.” Needless to say, I got that for the next adhere to the Army’s standards. Our busi- you to continue. If not, then tighten it up a ten days. Whether it was the way I prepared ness is a high-stake business. Anything less notch. We can’t afford to have a lapse in a the food, washed the dishes or replaced than enforcing strict adherence to a standard standard. Soldiers learn the standard. things backed to where I thought they belong could be costly. Leaders teach and enforce it. in our home, I was wrong, because I didn’t do We can not afford to have a vehicle turn Cobras! things the way mom did them. According to over and kill the gunner because the vehicle Cobra 7 Story and photos by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Brent Williams Soldiers of the 8th Squadron, 10th Cavalry conduct security assessments The Soldiers of 8th Squadron, 10th Cavalry with local mosque leaders in South Baghdad. The commanders of 8-10 Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Cav. constantly touch base with the local imams of the mosques and citi- Infantry Division, maintain security for zens of Baghdad to ensure that their neighborhoods are secure. This Coalition Forces in central and southern method helps to build upon the local Iraqi communities' trust in their Baghdad’s Al Rasheed District. Their duty is to leaders, Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition Forces. help the new Iraqi government and its security forces take responsibility for their nation’s capital. vide medical attention to the wounded police officers. Lt. Col. Gian Gentile Working with Iraqi Privately hired local guards in civilian clothes in the Sunni Squadron Commander Security Forces to com- mosque then opened fire on the American Soldiers. bat anti-Iraqi forces, “My Soldiers quickly, aggressively and accurately returned the Soldiers of 8-10 Cav. conduct combined patrols daily with fire to those guards in the mosque, wounding one and killing Iraq’s Ministry of Interior commandoes and Iraqi army sol- another,” Gentile said. diers. The combined forces patrol markets, residential areas Immediately, U.S. Forces working with their Iraqi counter- and mosques in an effort to build trust and maintain security parts, assessed the situation and addressed those in the in the local communities. mosque, using the loudspeakers in their vehicles to call for a “That is what I see as the beginning of trust between the cease fire. Iraqi people and their security forces, and once we have a Arriving on the scene shortly afterward, the senior MOI basic level of trust, I really believe that the ISF will be able to commander on the ground and the squadron commander met destroy the insurgents very quickly,” said Lt.