The operation is being supported by 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.
Operation Scorpion began at 4 a.m. with Soldiers from 1st and 5th battalions of the Iraqi Army’s 2nd Brigade systematically moving through the villages, searching for selected targets based on Iraqi-generated intelligence. 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment is supporting operations at each of the five villages.
The operation was developed and planned by Maj. Gen. Anwar, commander of the Iraqi 2nd Brigade, and his staff.
This is the second major operation developed and conducted by the Iraqi 2nd Brigade in the past two months.
DOAB, Afghanistan – A veterinary technician from Bagram Airfield treated more than 100 animals during veterinary civic assistance program March 19 and March 20 in Nuristan Province, in eastern Afghanistan.
Residents of surrounding areas brought their livestock to here and the nearby villages Nangaresh for treatment by Army Spc. Jacob T. Roberts of the 79th Medical Detachment.
"It’s very important that we help the Afghan people take care of their animals,” Roberts said.
By treating the animals, he’s helping Afghans, Roberts said.
“It’s not good for people to ingest animal meat in which the animal had worms or some other health problem,” he said.
Some of the animals are raised for food; others for labor.
Roberts, deployed from Patch Barracks, Germany, treated 32 horses, 25 donkeys, 15 cattle, and 60 sheep and goats during the two-day program.
He dewormed and vaccinated the livestock and treated some animals for ailments such as saddle sores, on which he applied antiseptic and cream.
“A common problem found in Afghanistan is saddle sores on their horses,” Roberts said. “The villagers either don’t know how to properly saddle a horse, or they leave it on all the time, and it creates sores on their back.”
Roberts also cleaned horses’ hooves and did what he could for more serious medical problems.
“We saw a horse with what appeared to be testicular cancer and a sheep with bloat, which is when the stomach twists and fills with gas,” he said. “Both of these require surgery, and unfortunately, we don’t have the facilities or equipment to fix these problems out in the field.”
Still, Afghans thank him for whatever he can do, Roberts said.
“They are always very grateful for whatever we can do,” he said.
The Methar Lam Provincial Reconstruction Team scheduled three more veterinary civil assistance program visits the same week, in the surrounding area.
PRTs extend the visibility and reach of the Afghan government to benefit the Afghan people, shape the environment for reconstruction activities and provide a visible, international presence that deters terrorist and criminal activities, especially in remote areas.
“We’re fixing the problem at the root,” said Army Staff Sgt. Brian L. Holly, noncommissioned officer in charge of Methar Lam PRT. “We can’t convince the Afghan people to believe in democracy, if they can’t feed and house their family.
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Afghan National Army Air Corps and Task Force Falcon leaders met March 19 in what officials are calling a first step toward building an aviation partnership.
For the initial meeting, ANA Brig. Gen. Mohammed Barat and members of his staff met Task Force Falcon commander Col. Michael Rose here.
Rose said the purpose of the visit was to find ways U.S. and Afghan aviators can work together in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
“I think there is tremendous opportunity here for a partnership going forward,” Rose said. “We want to find ways we can work together to provide aviation support to Coalition forces operating throughout Afghanistan .”
Barat agreed, saying, “We want to build a relationship with aviators here that will be useful and productive for future missions we do in support of U.S. forces or Afghan army forces. We can help each other assist both sides.”
At less than a year old, the ANA Air Corps is still being built. Many of the pilots and crew members come from the now-defunct Afghanistan Air Force, and their fleet consists of rotary and fixed-wing Soviet aircraft.
Rose and Barat hope with their new alliance U.S. forces can help develop the Afghan aviation corps.
“One of the things we may be able to do for them is show them the way we conduct command and control of our aircraft throughout the country of Afghanistan ,” Rose said. “Also, we may be able to share some of our tactics and techniques we use for our air assault operations and management of logistics. I think there are a lot of areas we can help them with, and probably a lot we haven’t even envisioned yet.”
Right now, Barat said, Afghan aviators only fly support missions.
“We operate in support of the Afghanistan Ministry of Defense and other ministries,” he said. “We support the Afghan National Army by flying their supplies, we fly their casualties and sometimes, if we lose ANA soldiers, we will fly the bodies to their native towns.”
Eventually, Rose said, the ANA will take control of all military operations in Afghanistan .
“This is just one step along the way to the Afghan National Army taking responsibility for the entire country and ensuring the sovereignty of their nation and the sovereignty of their own government,” he explained. “Initially, I think we’ll see some Afghan officers in our headquarters, and possibly by the time we leave here next year, we’ll have [ANA Air Corps] aircraft flying with us and possibly even parked here at Bagram.”
The leaders will continue building their relationship through monthly meetings. Next month, Rose will visit Barat at his headquarters in Kabul .
Both men said they welcome the chance to get to know their Coalition counterpart.
“We are looking forward to having good ties and close relationships with these American forces, especially the aviators,” Barat said.
FOB KALSU, Iraq – Iraqi Army Soldiers and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers discovered a weapons cache, killed a terrorist and captured two others March 21 in Jabella.
Iraqi Army Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 8th Iraqi Army Division, working with Soldiers from 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Div., conducted operations aimed at finding weapon caches north of Jabella.
Soldiers found six 120 mm rounds, one mortar tube, one base plate, and two 82 mm mortar tubes.
While the cache was being secured, 2-8 IA soldiers conducted a raid four kilometers south of the cache area.
Terrorists attacked the IA soldiers with small arms fire. 2-8 IA soldiers returned fire, killing one terrorist before detaining two individuals for questioning.
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Elements of the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, found five weapons cache sites west of Baghdad March 22.
The caches contained 17 pressure plate initiators, 18 106mm heat rounds, 400 blasting caps, 20 Motorola radios with timers, 40 artillery rounds of various sizes and a large amount of .50 caliber rounds.
An Explosive Ordnance Disposal team arrived on the scene and conducted a controlled detonation to eliminate the threat.
TIKRIT, Iraq – The combined operation involving Iraqi Army, Iraqi Police commandos and Coalition Forces wrapped up March 22 without any casualties and all of the tactical objectives met.
The mission began with the helicopter transport of approximately 1,500 Iraqi and Coalition Soldiers and Iraqi police commandos into a 10-by-10 square mile area northeast of Samarra March 16. The initial insertion aircraft and subsequent air security provided by the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade moved the force comprised of units from the 1st Commando Brigade, the 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division and the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.
The combined force moved through the area using intelligence and planning provided primarily by the Iraqi Security Forces. The operation resulted in 104 suspected insurgents currently being detained and questioned, and 24 caches discovered.
The caches included:
- Six shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles
- Over 350 mortar rounds and three mortar systems
- 26 artillery rounds
- A variety of IED-making materials and other military items
- Over 120 rockets
- Over 3200 rounds of small-arms ammunition
- 86 rocket-propelled grenades and 28 launchers
- Six landmines
- 12 hand grenades and 40 rifle grenades
- 34 rifles and machineguns of various types
All of the detainees are currently held in secured locations undergoing questioning.
All units have safely returned to their garrison locations and forward operating bases preparing for future operations.
All since March 21st. Pretty good work guys and gals keep it up.