Cobra Sweep cleans up Baghdad district - Soldiers presented Combat Infantryman’s Badge

kcentv.com, NBC-6, 1st Cav in Iraq News via Army News Service ^ | August 4, 2004 | Pfc. Erik LeDrew

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

 

Cobra Sweep cleans up Baghdad district

By Pfc. Erik LeDrew

Soldiers of the 1st Cavalry Division and Iraqi National Guardsmen escort a military working dog team to a suspected building to search for explosives during Operation Cobra Sweep.
Pfc. Erik LeDrew

BAGHDAD, Iraq (Army News Service, Aug. 4, 2004) – A cordon and search operation of abandoned apartment buildings suspected of containing explosive materials took place July 28 in Baghdad’s Hay Muthana district.

In the last three weeks, more than four large improvised explosive devices were detonated near a traffic circle in the district, which led to the suspicions.

The apartment buildings, now home to hundreds of squatters, were built in the 1980s as part of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's bid to hold the summer Olympics in Baghdad.

Operation Cobra Sweep was a joint effort involving Iraqi Policemen from the Muthana IP station, Iraqi National Guardsmen, and Soldiers from Company C, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.

“Our intent was to find IED makers, IED materials and possible storage places for IEDs in an area that is in very close proximity to an IED-laden area,” said Capt. Steven Gventer, officer-in-charge of the operation and Company C commander.

After the Cobra troopers and ING Soldiers secured the cordon surrounding the eight-building complex, the IP trucks rolled in with lights flashing.

“Everything happened simultaneously,” Gventer said. “We secured the area while the IPs searched three to four buildings at a time.”

Although there were traces of explosives in a few rooms, ultimately nothing was found except for a few firearms.

Despite the no-show of IED contraband, the operation was still an excellent demonstration of coordination, Gventer said, because of the massive logistics involved in coordinating it.

“In addition to coordinating with the immediate IPs and ING Soldiers, we also had both an American and an Iraqi [explosive ordnance disposal] team standing by in case we found any explosives.”

“On top of that, we had to get permission to work in that area, since it falls just outside my unit’s patrol-zone, in the 39th Brigade Combat Team’s sector,” he said. “Truthfully, it went much smoother than I had anticipated.”

There were no shots fired and no injuries, Gventer said. The IPs and ING units cleared the buildings in less than two and a half hours.

“These buildings are clear for the time being,” Gventer said. “So we can focus our energies elsewhere for now.”

(Editor’s note: Pfc. Erik LeDrew is a member of the 122nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.)

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Soldiers presented Combat Infantryman’s Badge

August 3, 2004

 

 (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Merrion LaSonde, 122nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)

 

39th Infantry Brigade (Light)          

            (Separate/Enhanced)

       Arkansas National Guard

                        ~  ~

                 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maj. Thomas Pickle, Headquarters Company commander, 39th Brigade Combat Team, addresses his troops at their Combat Infantryman's Badge ceremony. Twenty-one troops received the badge for actions during April 2004. The company had direct enemy contact during their initial convoy from Kuwait to Iraq.

 

~*~

COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE  

 

~*~

(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Merrion LaSonde, 122nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)
Twenty-one Soldiers of Headquarters Company, 39th Brigade Combat Team, were awarded the Combat Infantryman's Badge for actions during April 2004.

~*~

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

                            

        

                        (Click pic)

                                                                          

 

1st Cav in Iraq, good news, ping!

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Love those brown leather shoulder holsters.

[x1stcav]

Big Garry Owen Hooahh!

[jolie560]

Looks like the 'word' got out:

..."ultimately nothing was found except for a few firearms."...

The word needs to get out more often.

[windchime]

Bump!

[fso301]

Why do I only see three or four long arms?

[jdege]

"Gary Owen" for the 8th Cav?

When did this start?

[x1stcav]

I served in the 1st Cav many decades ago, and so the conventions may have changed. But I don't think that anybody who served in the 8th Cav would reject a hearty round of congrats from an old, and maybe less sensitive,
grunt.

[x1stcav]

But, anyway, Hooahh! is still F-ing Hooahh!

[McGavin999]

I'm surprised they found nothing. Wonder if they were warned?

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[facedown]

BTTT

[blackie]

We are winning ~ the bad guys are losing ~ trolls, terrorists, democrats and the mainstream media are sad ~ very sad!

~~ Bush/Cheney 2004 ~~