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Dismounted infantry ensures success of 'Iron Fury'

By Pfc. Erik LeDrew
August 26, 2004

CAMP EAGLE, Baghdad, Iraq (Army News Service, Aug. 26, 2004) -- For every company of armored tanks and Bradleys that pushed into the volatile portion of Baghdad's Sadhr City during the Iron Horse Brigade's Operation Iron Fury, there was a platoon of dismounted Soldiers like the infantrymen of White Platoon, "Comanche" Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment.

When the call came for 2-5 Cavalry to mount up in their Bradleys and move into Sadr City at 5:15 p.m., August 17, the Soldiers of White Platoon crammed into the troop transport area at the rear of their Bradleys, where they sat with equipment and weapons resting on their laps, waiting to hear that command ring out over the troop speaker in back: "Dropping ramp!"

After rolling out of Camp Eagle's gate, Comanche proceeded to "Route Charlie," a street in Sadr City that was their designated area of responsibility for the operation.

Around 8:15 p.m. that evening, after hours of slowly creeping up Route Charlie in the hopes of spotting an improvised explosive device before it could detonate on one of their vehicles, the Soldiers reached an intersection that was their first-day objective. It was time for the White Platoon to dismount.

Under the imminent threat of rocket-propelled grenade attacks, possible IEDs and sporadic small arms fire, the platoon proceeded to clear several nearby buildings and alleyways, before locating a house where the Soldiers could adequately provide over-watch for the rest of their company staged along Route Charlie.

They spent the night there, hunkered down in make-shift guard positions on the roof of the building, defending the slew of armored vehicles on the streets below from would-be assailants and eliminating persistent insurgent snipers slinging lead their way.

After a night filled with mortars, sniper-fire and very little sleep, the Soldiers raided a nearby house, netting a slew of detainees and a variety of weapons, such as a Dragunov sniper rifle, an AK-47, an RPG launcher with several armor-piercing rocket-propelled grenades and a couple of mortars. They even found a Mahdi Army uniform.

At noon, the platoon piled up in the back of their Bradleys, linked up with the rest of Comanche Company and moved-out to establish another strong-point further up Route Charlie.

The platoon's actions on the first day, and the days that followed were only a small part of Operation Iron Fury. The Soldiers insist that it's all in a day's work for a 2-5 Cavalry trooper.

(Editor's note: Pfc. Erik LeDrew is assigned to the 122nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.)