‘Wolverines’ Ready for Anything on Mission for Iraqi Children

Defend America News ^ | 1st Lt. Daniel Sem

[SandRat]

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Frederick Williams, the patrol leader for the May 23 humanitarian operation, speaks with two Iraqi children outside the village school while his soldiers secure the perimeter of the schoolyard. U.S. Army photo
‘Wolverines’ Ready for Anything on Mission for Iraqi Children
Escort operation involves the safe transport of school supplies.
By 1st Lt. Daniel Sem 209th Aviation Support Battalion TIKRIT, Iraq, July 6, 2007 -- The mission briefing ends as the morning cool gives way to the 100-degree noon heat. Soldiers don their body armor. Truck commanders quickly do a final inspection on their vehicles. Gunners check and re-check their turret-mounted 240B machine guns. A driver catches a last-minute smoke break while the theme to "Mission Impossible" plays in the background over a vehicle loudspeaker. They are minutes away from heading outside the wire into the dangerous, unpredictable Iraqi landscape. "Every mission's a success when you come back with everybody." Staff Sgt. Edward Seerdy The mission they are entrusted with today, May 23, 2007, is the escort of supplies on a joint-humanitarian mission with the Iraqi police to benefit a local school. It would be just a normal day for any infantry soldier, but these are not infantry soldiers. They are the motor pool mechanics, communication specialists, truck drivers and aircraft maintenance personnel of the 209th Aviation Support Battalion serving their tour in Iraq on the Contingency Operating Base Speicher Quick Reaction Force. "Essentially, we react to any contingency that may occur on or off post involving enemy forces," Master Sgt. Frank Wallace, the 209th ASB QRF noncommissioned officer in charge, said. "The heart of the QRF mission is to be trained and ready for anything."    "With two teams on 12-hour shifts, ready to react to any manner of threat at any hour of the day, the 209th ASB QRF, known as the Wolverines, vigilantly guard the security of thousands of soldiers living safely inside the wire on COB Speicher. They have been fulfilling this crucial duty since January, and will continue to protect the base until leaving for Hawaii. They are more than security guards, however; the Wolverines also set up traffic control points on local roads, provide convoy security, stake out suspected improvised explosive device ambush sites and go out on humanitarian assistance missions with local Iraqi forces," Wallace said.  "My favorite [mission] is humanitarian assistance," Wallace said. "Because the soldiers get out, meet the people, find out what’s going on, and see if we can help."   The complexity and potential risk of the QRF mission might seem like it would bring anxiety and fear to these soldiers, but not the Wolverines. "I was actually quite excited [about QRF duty]," Staff Sgt. Edward Seerdy, a communications specialist from Company C and a truck commander in the Wolverines, said. "It was a change in the monotony of things."   Seerdy's wife was a little less excited than he was when he told her about the QRF duty. "She's not happy, but she understands it's my job," Seerdy said, and then clarified his statement after a moment in thought. "Not that she's not happy; she's proud of what we do." Despite the unknown dangers that await them on every mission, Seerdy said they usually have no complications. "Nothing has really been a surprise," he said. "Hopefully nothing will surprise us." There's no risk that the missions will become monotonous for him, however. "You always get an adrenalin rush going outside the wire," Seerdy said. "I can be asleep until we get to the test fire pit, but as soon as I hear that magazine go into the well [of the machine gun], I'm awake."  Staff Sgt. Fredrick Williams, a generator mechanic from Headquarters Support Company and the team leader for one of the two Wolverine teams, said the QRF mission appealed to him. "I was excited," he said. "I volunteered [to be on the QRF]."	U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Frederick Williams, the patrol leader for the May 23 humanitarian operation, explains the mission plan for securing the village to the 209th Aviation Support Battalion Wolverine team in the QRF staging area prior to departing COB Speicher. Spc. Nathan Haring, a mechanic from 209th ASB, and 1st Lt. Craig Buerstatte, the 209th ASB battalion motor officer, listen in on the briefing before the mission. U.S. Army photo Williams said he is looking forward to more missions with the Wolverines, and is continually impressed with the quality of the QRF team. "We have a really good group of people," he said. "It makes my job easier."   Spc. Andrew McGuffey, a driver for Seerdy's patrol vehicle, agreed that the team worked very well together and had good leadership. He said the team was not without the occasional difficulty to work through, however. "There are a few spurs every now and then," McGuffey said. "A lot of time we're able to nip those before it becomes a problem." He said the QRF mission was not exactly what he expected. "I figured we'd be doing more patrols,” McGuffey said. “(Instead) we’re trying to establish rapport, not go kicking down doors."        Today's mission was another trust-building, joint-humanitarian mission with the Iraqi police in a village just beyond the wire of COB Speicher. The team slowly maneuvered through the broad lanes of the Iraqi village, swerving to avoid the endemic low-hanging wires and continually waving the curious Iraqi children out of the streets.      "All these kids look so old," one of the soldiers said, commenting on the weathered appearance of the Iraqi children as they passed by the vehicles in huddled groups, the children occasionally stopping to smile when they saw a camera aimed through the vehicle window. The Wolverines moved quickly to secure the school perimeter, and escort the Iraqi police into the schoolyard to hand out the books, school supplies and toys provided by the chaplain, Capt. Bill Kim, 25th Special Troops Battalion, who came along on the mission. This is Kim's fourth time out with the Wolverines, and he said they were very quick and professional. "Couldn't pick a better (team)," Kim said. This mission proved to be no different. Less than two hours after departing the gates of COB Speicher, the Wolverines finished their escort of the Iraqi police and departed the schoolyard, leaving the much-welcomed school supplies in the hands of grateful Iraqi children. "It didn’t go too bad," Seerdy said, cautiously positive about the conclusion of the mission. "Every mission’s a success when you come back with everybody." As the team moved back into their staging area to prepare for the next mission, it was no doubt the hope of all the Wolverines that the final efforts of the QRF would be a success by the time they left for Hawaii. Day by day, mission by mission, the 209th ASB soldiers continue to push forward the cause of the Army in the unpredictable streets of Iraq by guarding the lives of thousands on COB Speicher and leaving their mark on the lives of grateful Iraqi villagers and police.

[SandRat]

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!

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

Obviously we can see the terror in these children’s eyes as our military interrogates them, ....UH,
wait a minute, this is freepr, not the AP....Wrong write up. ha.

[advance_copy]

Our brave American troops are engaged in one of the most honorable efforts of history. How dare any American even suggest that we abandon Iraq's people to the vicious terrorists of Al Qaeda and the regime in Iran?

Confound the lowly Democrats of today! What happened to their party? Have they forgotten what President John F. Kennedy said?

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and the success of liberty."

Those brave American troops are paying the price, bearing the burden to ensure the survival and success of liberty in Iraq, and in the Middle East. The decent people of Iraq are America's friends! Their enemies, the terrorists who murder them, are our enemies!

Americans either support the mission in Iraq, or they don't support our troops. These Americans are engaged in that mission, and believe in it. The Democrats, who undermine the mission in Iraq, don't support our troops at all.