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The good fight: Forging bonds in the community

Aug-27-2005 » Filed Under: 1/25 SBCT

Link to Full Article (subscription; available in the 8/29/05 paper edition)
By Matthew Cox, Army Times

RAWAH, Iraq — Soldiers are beginning to think fighting off suicide car-bombers here was easy compared to convincing the locals to trust coalition forces.

The troops with B Company, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, patrol the streets daily here in search of insurgent activity, but they also spend a lot of time trying to convince the residents of this town near the Syrian border that they no longer live under the control of terrorists.

The lull in the fighting since U.S. forces arrived here in mid-July has prompted many locals to return to their homes. People are beginning to cooperate with coalition forces in small ways, such as spilling the locations of enemy weapons caches.

Still, progress is slow and some residents are boldly defiant of U.S. troops.

During an Aug. 11 patrol, a 20-year-old Iraqi man tore up a coalition flier in the face of Capt. Mark Ivezaj, Bravo Company commander. U.S. forces have been handing out the single sheet of paper explaining why American and Iraqi forces are in Rawah and how residents can cooperate.

“Ask him why he thinks it’s OK to tear up our stuff in front of us!” Ivezaj shouts in a stern voice to his interpreter, while questioning the man. The young man’s demeanor changes quickly. Fear and a touch of regret spread across his face.

“I’m just a kid,” he replies through the interpreter.

Ivezaj orders his soldiers to detain him. The frustration is clear in his voice.

He tore it up “right in front of me and smiled about it,” he said, shaking his head. A few minutes later, Ivezaj turns the man over to nearby Iraqi forces for questioning.

Attacks still a fact of life

The steady enemy attacks on Stryker vehicle patrols have eased since 3-21 and other U.S. forces arrived here in mid-July. Nevertheless, they remain a moment-to-moment threat.

Troops with Bravo Company’s 2nd Platoon got a violent reminder of that Aug. 12 when the Stryker they were riding in rolled over a homemade bomb, fashioned from an anti-tank mine and a 155mm artillery shell. The blast rocked their vehicle and although no one was killed, one soldier suffered a cracked pelvic bone, another had cuts to his face and a third complained of chest pains. The three were flown out by medevac helicopter to the combat support hospital in Balad for more advanced medical treatment. Three other soldiers suffered minor injuries and later returned to duty. [...]


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