Military

'Falcon Sweep' nets huge weapons cache

By Spc. George Welcome
January 13, 2006

BAGHDAD (Army News Service, Jan. 13, 2006) — While conducting an air-insertion mission into the village of Shakaria, Iraq, Task Force Ironhorse Soldiers killed several insurgents, detained one and discovered a significant weapons cache Jan. 11.

As part of Operation Falcon Sweep, Black Hawk helicopters landed near Shakaria Wednesday morning and Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment swept the village to identify terrorists.

The 2-502nd Soldiers received small arms and indirect fire from insurgent forces at approximately 10:45 a.m. The Soldiers returned fire, killing six terrorists and wounding one other.

Following the firefight, Soldiers discovered two dead insurgents wearing suicide vests, strapped with explosives.

Soldiers found a weapons cache hidden in a shack. The enormous weapons and equipment find consisted of: components to make 15 pressure-plate improvised explosive devices, two 130mm mortar rounds, one 122mm mortar round, one directional-charge IED, more than 60 electronic detonation devices, 1,500 blasting caps, 50 feet of detonation cord, two packages of plastic explosives, four grenades, 200 feet of electrical wire, one 12-volt battery, 400 pounds of homemade explosives, one sniper rifle, four AK-47s and 20 AK-47 magazines. The weapons cache was destroyed by a explosive ordinance disposal team.

(Editor’s note: Spc. George Welcome serves with the 2nd BCT, 101st Airborne Division PAO.)