Military

The goal of the massive, surprise operation was to sniff out weapons caches or
extremist activity within Kosovo.

While the Jan. 21 operation turned up an insignificant number of weapons, according to
Wing Commander Daz Slaven, a KFOR spokesman, it was still successful in the message it
sent to extremists.

"The operation was a success," Slaven said. "The number of weapons is
not important. What is important is the message we send out to extremists who would use
Kosovo as a breeding ground.

"The KFOR operation is intrinsically linked to the war on terrorists and
extremists. We're preventing the use of Kosovo as a haven for extremists and
terrorists."

KFOR was unable to give the number of weapons seized throughout the province, but
officials said most were rifles and handguns. They also said there were "a few
arrests."

Slaven would not comment on whether KFOR will perform more Iron Fist operations.

"KFOR operations are dynamic and unpredictable," he said. "If I were to
say we will have another [Iron Fist operation] in six months, it wouldn't be
unpredictable, would it?"

Among the units taking part in Iron Fist II was Company A, Task Force 1-30 - from
the 1st Battalion 30th Infantry - based at Camp Montieth. The unit's soldiers,
augmented by military working dogs and personnel from explosive ordnance disposal,
psychological operations and civil affairs, searched two villages in the northeast section
of Multinational Brigade East.

The troops moved to Krangi Del and Sedlare by helicopter, avoiding the narrow, snow-
and ice-covered mountain roads. Movement by air also created an element of surprise. A
20-plus vehicle convoy would have raised more than a few eyebrows and could have resulted
in someone giving the people of the villages a heads-up that KFOR was on the way, said
Capt. Scott Anderson, Company A commander.

"When you drop out of the air on top of someone, you have unpredictability. To
have any success in missions like this, they have to be unexpected," Anderson said.
Specific details of the operation were kept quiet. "[Operational security] is
imperative for this type of mission. Of course I trust my soldiers and leaders, but you
just can't take chances."

The troops had a general idea of what they would be doing, and had more than a week to
train for the operation. The training covered such things as search procedures and using
snowshoes.

The training paid off. Anderson said the operation went off without a hitch. The troops
established security and then searched barns, storage facilities and garages. Houses could
only be searched if the peacekeepers had reason to suspect that illegal weapons were
inside, Anderson said.

"The soldiers conducted the search flawlessly," Anderson said.
"It's imperative that people understand how well [U.S.] soldiers perform. We ask
them to do a lot, and they don't complain. . They represent their country
well."

Anderson added that missions like Operation Iron Fist send a message to the people of
Kosovo.

"This shows the people of Kosovo exactly what KFOR soldiers are capable
doing," he said.

And in Krangi Del and Sedlare, at least, the villagers were happy to see KFOR soldiers
climbing out of the Chinook helicopters.

"They accepted us very warmly," Anderson said. "They were very open to
what we were doing, and welcomed us."

So, how many illegal weapons did the 150 U.S. soldiers from Camp Montieth, with the
element of surprise on their side, add to the pile?

Well, none, but Anderson says that was fine with him.

"You want to go in and find the mother lode, but this wasn't disappointing
for us," Anderson said. "It's a good thing. It's all in how you look
at it. What are the measures of success, that you find big piles of weapons, or that the
area is very stable and free of illegal weapons? I think it would be more troubling if we
had found caches of weapons."