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Cashing In - Cav Soldiers Take Massive Collection From Terrorists' IED-Making Arsenal

Mar- 3-2006 » Filed Under: 172nd SBCT

Link to Full Article with 5 Photos
Capt. Jeffrey S. Pool
U.S. Marine Corps

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq — More than 3,000 pieces of various types of munitions were discovered Feb. 20 by 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team Soldiers conducting a reconnaissance patrol near Al Quratiyah, about 350 kilometers northwest of Baghdad.

This cache is among the largest discovered to date in western Al Anbar province.

The Soldiers, from the 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, attached to Regimental Combat Team 7, were actively seeking out weapons caches. Local citizens provided information regarding the site, where the Soldiers discovered two piles of dirt and rocks near a vehicle trail.

Upon further investigation, the displaced areas were identified as weapons caches and were excavated by the cavalry Soldiers.

The vehicle path and shallow depth of the rock piles where the caches were discovered indicated the munitions were easily accessible to terrorists.

“This find means a serious reduction in the IEDs (improvised explosive devices) available for anti-Iraqi forces to use in cowardly attacks,” said Maj. Doug W. Merritt, operations officer, 4-14th Cav.

The cache of munitions ranged from 60 to 125 mm mortars and included various other projectile-type munitions.

The munitions are typically used to make roadside bombs which injure and kill Iraqi civilians, coalition forces and Iraqi Army soldiers.

This latest cache is the 118th found by the 4-14th. In a similar find last October, Soldiers discovered about 1,000 122 mm artillery rounds; 40,000 armor-piercing bullets; 1,000 .50-caliber rounds; a detonation cord and various bomb-making materials.


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