V CORPS INFANTRY COMPANY RAIDS BAGHDAD APARTMENT COMPLEX
V Corps Release
Release Date: 7/28/2003
By Spc. Ryan Smith 372nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The Bradleys were lined up -- staged for the night's mission -- and the soldiers who would ride in them stood outside waiting for night to fall. The soldiers checked their equipment. Platoon sergeants and squad leaders inspected them.
A psychological operations soldier acted as a disc jockey, playing songs by the heavy metal band Metallica and the theme from the film "Top Gun" over speakers mounted atop a Humvee. Soldiers smoked cigarettes and talked among themselves. They took pictures of each other, and even got together for group photographs in front of their headquarters in Baghdad.
It almost looked, sounded and felt more like a summertime barbecue in "full battle rattle" than the staging of a mission. However, once the order came to mount up, the troops climbed into their vehicles and were ready to go.
As the light of the sun began giving way to darkness, 14 armored Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles left the palace compound, along with Humvees and other Army vehicles, filled with some 150 1st Armored Division soldiers on their way to a cordon search of the Peace apartment complex in the Salhiya neighborhood of Baghdad. Among their number were women soldiers - normally not part of a combat unit like this, but necessary here to search Iraqi females when needed.
When the unit - V Corps's A Company, 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment from Baumholder, Germany -- rolled into the apartment complex, people took notice. Residents young and old rushed to see what was going on as the convoy filed into the area and the vehicles split up to establish a security perimeter. Soldiers stretched concertina wire across the entrance and posted guards to keep people from entering or leaving the compound.
"Attention. Attention. Attention," a voice shouted from the speakers on the psyops vehicle in Arabic. "Peace be upon you, citizens of the Peace apartment complex. The coalition forces are searching for illegal weapons to ensure the security of the Iraqi people."
The voice over the speaker continued, "Please return to your homes and cooperate with coalition forces. All children must return to their homes to prevent any unfortunate accidents. All doors must remain unlocked or they will be broken down. For your safety, stay off all rooftops, balconies, and away from windows in the area, so coalition forces do not perceive you as a threat. Coalition forces will not hesitate to use whatever force is necessary to defend themselves against any threats."
A Company soldiers rushed into the center of the compound and secured the area, stationing themselves at strategic points throughout the complex. They left nothing to chance in an area with many places for an attacker to hide.
Teams split up and began on the first floor, knocking on doors and entering apartments. When families were home, they were instructed either to exit the apartment, or to gather in the center to sit and wait.
Like a well-maintained machine, the soldiers entered as a unit, the leader shouting, "Room on the left! Room on the right! Room to the front!" The teams filed in, opening closets, checking boxes and lifting mattresses. With no power in the apartments, the soldiers relied on flashlights to illuminate their targets.
When the teams arrived at an apartment with a locked door, soldiers knocked and waited for an answer. If none came, they used a sledgehammer to smash their way in.
The troops ran through their routine again and again, through some 600-700 apartments, said 1st Sgt. Alec Lazore, A Company first sergeant.
"It was an exhausting mission," he said, "but we brought back all of our equipment and personnel."
The complex was selected because the apartments were home to families of former government workers -- people who were employed by the Ba'ath Party, part of the Republican Guard, or in some other way connected to Saddam's regime, Lazore said.
For such a large search, the teams confiscated relatively few weapons.
"We found some weapons and ammunition, and got some information on individuals who may be involved in illegal activities," Lazore said.
"It's a great indicator that people are recognizing that the coalition is here to provide security for the people of Iraq," he added.
Along with the weapons, one man was detained for questioning. Soldiers found atropine and other equipment that could indicate work with chemical weapons in his apartment. His case is under investigation.
Soldier readiness, attention to detail and good equipment maintenance are key to the success of these missions, Lazore said.
"We don't just do missions like these off the tops of our heads," Lazore said. "The soldiers prepared for the cordon search. They rested between the patrols and kept hydrated by drinking lots of water." Their preparation keeps the soldiers focused - whether they're searching the first of 700 apartments or the last.
"We maintain a high level of vigilance. We go into every room and treat every crowd as though there may be someone there with a weapon," Lazore said.
"And no soldier is left alone."
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