Scouts Out!!! (Short Response 5)

When asked to think about experiences I've had as a member of a team, my thoughts always go back to when I was in the Army. Being a part of this country's great military tradition was both an honor and a privilege. Knowing that the success of my team's mission helped in the overall mission of ensuring terrorist attacks never again happened on our own soil was reward enough. But the specific mission I want to tell you about today means something to me personally.



18 April 2003, I was serving Apache Troop 1st Squadron, 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment. We were deployed to Camp Golf located in the center of Al Kufa and An Najaf. Our mission objective was to locate and eliminate Sadr's Mahdi Army, which was responsible for the uprising of Shiites across Iraq trying to disrupt the New Iraqi Government. Although we had engaged in dozens of engagements, the one on 14 May 2004 had to be the one I recall the most vividly and accurately. This particular firefight lasted over five hours. It resulted in 30 Mahdi casualties and  0 American casualties. It was one of the few times we didn't suffer casualties. The way my team reacted that day is what allowed all of us to go home shortly thereafter.

At around 0940 hours, we were on our way to assist Charlie Company during their movement to the Karrar police station. At approximately 1145 hours we began taking mortar fire. We could not immediately identify the mortar position, as their were several buildings and landmarks in the surrounding area, including a huge cemetery. (The Shiites have above ground cemeteries and it they are considered holy ground to them.) My squad was tasked with scouting the area as a dismount team and locating the mortar position. I led my squad, consisting of 9 other joes,  covertly through the small town. we separated into 2 smaller teams and covered the east and west flanks of the cemetery, as we were unable to locate the mortar position in the town itself. My team, Team 1, had constant radio contact with the vehicles taking fire and Team 2, the other smaller squad. The trucks, armed with .50 cals and MK19 grenade launchers, had manged to take some cover and had neutralized 11 enemies. Team 2 had finished their sweep and and had eliminated 7 enemies. My squad swept around the southern most end of the cemetery and found the mortar position. Manned by 12 Mahdi, we engaged them, first with our fragmentation grenades, killing 5. The remaining 7 retaliated with small arms fire from their AK-47's. A strong weapon, but not entirely accurate. My team moved under fire and immediately killed the remaining Mahdi.

After months of having come to learn all there is to know about one another, my team worked quickly and efficiently to neutralize a threat. We moved, communicated and operated as a team. The fact that we had been constantly trained to react to this situation time and time again led to our overall success as a team, and as a unit during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Although our objective was to locate and eliminate, we all knew and understood that our main objective EVERYDAY was to go home safe and sound.

Scouts Out!