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Soldiers Focus on Finding Missing Comrades
American Forces Press Service ^
| Staff Sgt. Angela McKinzie
Posted on 05/23/2007 9:41:57 PM PDT by SandRat
BAGHDAD, May 23, 2007 It's a unit's worst nightmare: the uncertain fate of a fellow American soldier.
The soldiers of the 10th Mountain Divisions 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, Fort Drum, N.Y., are focused on finding their missing comrades and returning them home.
Three of the units soldiers have been missing since a May 12 ambush. A body found today by Iraqi police may be that of one of the missing soldiers, military officials said, but no confirmation has yet been announced.
Leaders say the missing soldiers, Spc. Alex Jimenez, Pfc. Joseph Anzack and Pvt. Byron Fouty, had survivor characteristics.
"Jimenez and Anzack were both physically and mentally strong -- especially Anzack; he was hard-headed and strong-willed," said Capt. Don Jamoles, former D Company commander. "Jimenez
had a lot of street smarts."
Jamoles was the commander of the newly formed company for about a year before being selected for a second command in the regiments Headquarters and Headquarters Company. He was close to all three of the missing soldiers.
"I never thought in a million years that something like this would happen to us," Jamoles said, referring to the missing soldiers as still a part of him. "I lay in bed each night imagining where these men can be, hoping we find something that will bring us closer to them and wishing when I woke up they would be found."
The soldiers were abducted within one of the most contested areas of the brigade's area. Company D is responsible for a sector that runs along the Euphrates River on a stretch of road where insurgents routinely plant improvised explosive devices. The area is rural farmland near a defunct weapons factory, populated by intelligence and Republican Guard officers who were part of Saddam Husseins regime.
The three factors combine to provide an enemy force with resources, know-how and means to plant IEDs. The frequency of the IEDs being emplaced made overwatch of the area critical; it is easier to prevent emplacement than to defuse the devices, soldiers say.
Knowing the dangers in the area hasn't kept soldiers from searching for their missing comrades.
As of May 21, 2nd Brigade and Iraqi forces had conducted 37 company-level or higher missions. Nineteen U.S and 22 Iraqi army companies are taking part in the search. Apache attack helicopters have run missions 22 hours per day.
Twenty-seven air assault missions had been conducted, delivering soldiers to time-sensitive, intelligence-driven targets. More than 70 individuals with suspected ties to the attack had been detained.
Soldiers continue to fight rising temperatures, walk over uneven land, keep a vigilant watch for IEDs, sift through reeds taller than themselves and wade through canals in hopes of finding their brothers-in-arms.
Tips from local citizens offer hope as the search continues. More than 159 tips have been passed to the coalition. Some lead to nowhere; some advance knowledge as to where the soldiers might be.
"I haven't heard of indicators that make me believe the soldiers are dead," Command Sgt. Maj. Alex Jimenez of the 4-31 said earlier this week. "It gets frustrating that we cannot find them, but we are not losing hope. We will continue searching for our soldiers and doing whatever we can to find them. We will not leave them."
(Army Staff Sgt. Angela McKinzie is assigned to the 10th Mountain Division and Multinational Division Center Public Affairs Office.) |
TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: anzack; comrades; finding; frwn; iraq; mia
1
posted on
05/23/2007 9:41:58 PM PDT
by
SandRat
To: 91B; HiJinx; Spiff; MJY1288; xzins; Calpernia; clintonh8r; TEXOKIE; windchime; Grampa Dave; ...
FR WAR NEWS!
WAR News at Home and Abroad You'll Hear Nowhere Else!
All the News the MSM refuses to use!
Or if they do report it, without the anti-War Agenda Spin!
2
posted on
05/23/2007 9:42:28 PM PDT
by
SandRat
(Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
To: SandRat
I read a
second- or third-tier report earlier this AM (Wednesday) that they found all three bodies, but it's been like 15 hours and I haven't seen a confirmation of it.
3
posted on
05/23/2007 9:52:55 PM PDT
by
jiggyboy
(Ten per cent of poll respondents are either lying or insane)
To: SandRat
bring back Hunter/Killer Pink teams of minigun armed Loach/LittleBird small choppers and Cobra/Apache gunship cover.
Change the RoE’s to allow them to blow the crap out of anything that moves in hard areas like this.
Why the small CP’s staffed by few soldiers ?
Why roll in the middle of the night with no QR
available fast?
Wouldn’t such LRp ops be better left to the SF’s ?
Sorry , I don’t get it ....
To: SandRat
TANKS Rat,,,had a krash,,,lost it all,,,(hard-drive),,,
just got new system up-n-goin’,,,no nuz here from iraq,,,
Lookin’..................(VISTA~ROKS)...;0)
5
posted on
05/24/2007 12:12:27 AM PDT
by
1COUNTER-MORTER-68
(THROWING ANOTHER BULLET-RIDDLED TV IN THE PILE OUT BACK~~~~~)
To: jiggyboy
Havent seen anything official yet from my sourcces.
6
posted on
05/24/2007 4:08:31 PM PDT
by
SandRat
(Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
To: 1COUNTER-MORTER-68
Oh how I understand all that!!! Been there! Have the Junk PC system in the Garage to prove it!
7
posted on
05/24/2007 4:12:22 PM PDT
by
SandRat
(Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
To: SandRat
One of the “kids” just hauled the old one off to play with,
set fire to,tear-up,,,LOL,,,parts is parts...;0)
8
posted on
05/24/2007 4:42:32 PM PDT
by
1COUNTER-MORTER-68
(THROWING ANOTHER BULLET-RIDDLED TV IN THE PILE OUT BACK~~~~~)
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