Posted on 04/06/2007 5:45:39 PM PDT by SandRat
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq, April 6, 2007 — While U.S. presence continues to increase throughout Baghdad neighborhoods, one unit has taken on the added responsibility of repairing and securing part of Baghdad’s road system.
"The missions are difficult and a lot of planning is required, but the increased mobility and safety is worth it."
U.S. Army 1st Lt. Maya Lowell
Capt. Matthew Davis and his soldiers from Headquarters Company, 9th Engineer Battalion, spend their days conducting the tasks of repairing the task force’s fleet of vehicles, or providing fuel and logistical support at various locations around Baghdad.
The “headhunter” company sets itself apart from other headquarters companies because of its involvement in the construction of Iraqi army checkpoints. After completing its routine tasks, the company shifts from a daytime support element to a nighttime combat work force. It escorts flatbed trucks, cranes, and combat security vehicles through the dangerous streets of western Baghdad to U.S. and Iraqi Joint Security Stations.
These sites, occupied by coalition forces along with Iraqi army or police, serve as control centers for all operations in the area, and provide a constant security presence in the neighborhoods. At these sites, headhunter troops put up concrete towers and repair damaged roads.
When the company is not involved in fortifying a military site, its members are filling craters in roads with concrete to keep improvised explosive devices off the city streets. The soldiers of the headhunter company have repaired more than 15 craters on four primary roads and placed nine towers and more than 300 concrete walls. This helps create safe passage for Iraqi civilians, government officials and coalition forces.
“The missions are difficult and a lot of planning is required, but the increased mobility and safety is worth it,” said 1st Lt. Maya Lowell.
For the past two weeks, Lowell’s platoon has been conducting quick-response crater repair missions, in addition to their usual nightly tower emplacements.
The headhunters are given multiple missions throughout the day and night. Mechanics and radio technicians drop their tools and communication equipment to man heavy-caliber weapons and protect ground troops from insurgent rocket-propelled grenade and small-arms fire attacks as concrete is mixed, poured and dried.
“To accomplish these crater missions requires a good portion of the company’s soldiers,” Davis said. “The effects are long days followed by long nights, but the soldiers are motivated, knowing that their efforts are making a direct impact on the safety of coalition troops throughout western Baghdad.”
It seems to me that a fine, inexpensive and invisible spray could be put on asphalt roadways prone to having IEDs emplaced in them. Once the spray dried it would give off a regular infrared pattern easily seen by aircraft.
Any “holes” in the pattern would mean that someone had dug up a patch of asphalt, then re-asphalted it without the spray.
It could be done fairly surreptitiously and quickly, with no one the wiser.
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