| Fires Brigade soldiers operate out of their traditional roll to keep others safe in Baghdad. |
| By Sgt. 1st Class Jerry Malec Fires Brigade Public Affairs Office 4th Infantry Division |
| CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq, Oct. 17, 2006 -- Multi-National Division Baghdad’s Fires Brigade soldiers have had a break from their usual mission manning the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System during the past four months. The soldiers of Battery B, 2nd Battalion, 20th Field Artillery Regiment, Fires Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, known as the Black Knights, recently conducted reconnaissance patrols outside the wire on a daily basis. The soldiers make it their personal mission to locate threats before they can harm their fellow soldiers or local Iraqi citizens. The soldiers patrol outside Victory Base Complex in up-armored Humvees, traveling at a cautious pace and seeking signs of anything out of place such as abrupt changes in landscape, suspicious people or vehicles that could indicate an improvised-explosive device, said Staff Sgt. Nicholas Gauwitz, patrol leader, Battery B. “I look for anything that’s a threat to me, whether it be a wire across the road or going out from the road - basically, anything that gets the hairs on the back of my neck standing up,” said Gauwitz, who hails from Perham, Minn. Besides looking out for signs of potential trouble, the soldiers also make an effort to foster positive relationships with local residents, said Spc. Christopher Nicewonger, assistant gunner, Battery B. |
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“We talk to them - see what they’re up to - see if they need anything, and hopefully we can help them,” said the native of Houston. |
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