• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Bravo Co. pushes through Fallujah during 'Operation Al Fajr'

Marine Corps News

Story Identification #: 2004112392716
Story by Lance Cpl. Willard Lathrop

FALLUJAH, Iraq (11/18/2004) -- The Marines of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Battalion Landing Team, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, pushed through the terrorist-infested city of Fallujah during two weeks of firefights, weapons seizures and detainments.

The purging of the city, Operation Al Fajr, is the first step in restoring control over Fallujah for the Iraqi government, and is spearheaded by Multi-National Forces combating insurgents on the streets and in the buildings of Fallujah.

Bravo Company breached the city early in the morning Nov. 9, using demolitions to blast through walls and gain entrance to the dark streets of Fallujah. The company advanced only a couple of blocks and waited in an alley for daylight.

As the sun rose, so did the intensity of the fighting. The sound of gunfire had waned throughout the night, only to act as an alarm clock for anybody trying to sleep in the city.

“The first 13 hours were the most intense, followed by two or three hour firefights a day,” said Capt. Jer “Jay” Garcia, Bravo Co. commanding officer.

The Marines had planned for battling a fierce resistance, but encountered only pockets of resistance in taking the city, Garcia said.

Bravo Co. pushed hard and fast into Fallujah, and was the first to penetrate through to Objective Delta, a main street of the city, according to Garcia.

When night fell again, it found Bravo Co. on rooftops in the middle of the city, waiting to see what the night brought them.

The night passed without event, and the Marines began to conduct patrols in the neighboring streets throughout the second day. A platoon of Iraqi soldiers, working in conjunction with the Americans, searched houses in the vicinity for weapons.

The constant searches by Iraqi and U.S. troops yielded massive amounts of small-arms, ammunition, grenades, rocket-propelled grenades and even anti-aircraft missiles.

“The Marines feel a real sense of validation for what they do when they find these weapon systems. They know it’s one less weapon on the street that would have been used to hurt both civilians and Marines,” said 1st Sgt. Peter Siaw, Bravo Co. first sergeant.

Since the initial push into the city, the Marines have been using houses as operation hubs, constantly changing locations to keep the insurgents from pinpointing their location. Regardless of the stress, the Marines continue to press the insurgents, taking over 100 prisoners and taking control of their assigned sector of the city.

“Marines, when they are pressed - their performance is outstanding. Even with little or no sleep, chow or ammo, they know they do a job no one else can stand to do,” Siaw added.

As far as Garcia is concerned, the men of Bravo Company have done, and will continue to do an outstanding job of securing the city.

“All the Marines of Bravo Company have done nothing but good things in this operation…they have protected the innocent and destroyed the enemy,” Garcia said.

Bravo Company is deployed to Fallujah, Iraq as part of the Multi-National Force effort to combat terrorism in Iraq and turn over the city of Fallujah back to the Iraqi government from the hands of insurgents.