V CORPS' TASK FORCE 1-37TH ARMOR SCOUTS NEW CONVOY ROUTE AS IT CHANGES BASE CAMPS IN IRAQ
V Corps Release
Release Date: 5/5/2004
By Spc. Andrew Meissner 1st Armored Division Public Affairs Office
WITH TASK FORCE 1-37 ARMOR, Iraq -- Many of the Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment of V Corps' 1st Armored Division are closing in on their first year supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. With that anniversary comes a change in scenery and new missions for the Soldiers of the "Bandit" battalion.
Leaving their forward operating base, known as Bandit Island, the unit is relocating to camps southeast of Baghdad to take on a major role in Operation Rapier Thrust.
Augmented by engineer, infantry and military police elements, Task Force 1-37 Armor will team up with coalition partner units from Poland and Thailand in the Multi-National Division -- Central South.
The first step in that mission was getting Task Force Juggernaut from Baghdad to its new home.
The first Bandit convoy to head south of Baghdad -- the advance party -- established the tactical operations center for the mission. The advance party was also a litmus test for a newly chosen convoy route -- an untested, untried course bypassing known areas of enemy activity.
The 1st Brigade Reconnaissance Team and cavalry scouts from the task force provided forward reconnaissance and security while AH-64 Apache helicopters watched from overhead.
The convoy commanders did not pretend to think that it would be an easy move.
"This is not a ruck (sack) march or a road march. This is a movement-to-contact (mission)," convoy officer-in-charge Capt. Jason Irwin, the battalion's logistics officer, told the "Bandits" during his pre-convoy safety briefing.
The convoy was diverse collection of vehicles that included Humvees, Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles and M1A1 Abrams tanks hauled on Heavy Equipment Transport Trailers.
"The tanks and Brads will be manned," Irwin said. "I expect them to fire upon contact. If necessary, we will break the chains and bring them down (from the trailers)."
The convoy traveled through several small villages. Rolling through the thinning roads, the atmosphere seemed tense, but the soldiers were not worried.
"We didn't have a welcoming committee," said master gunner Sgt. 1st Class Michael Watson, "but I didn't think anything was going to happen."
Still, as the convoy navigated through the villages, a voice crackled over the radio announcing that no future convoys would be taking that route.
The task force arrived at its destination after traveling about 100 kilometers. The entrance to Camp Lima, their new home, was plainly marked with a guardhouse manned by Thai forces.
"I was happy the convoy was executed smoothly with few hitches," Irwin said after the group arrived. "I was particularly impressed with the (cavalry) scout and BRT elements leading us through hostile territory at night. And I was also very grateful for the air support. Those three elements were integral to our success."
The Bandits had arrived at their new home.
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