Barriers Reduce Threats in Baghdad

Multi-National Force - Iraq ^ | Spc. Elvyn Nieves, USA

[SandRat]

Staff Sgt. Ricardo Hamlin, an Atlanta native, and an Iraqi worker guide a concrete barrier into place in a northern Baghdad neighborhood, March 23. The barriers serve to cut off exit avenues for criminals trying to stage an attack against Coalition or Iraqi forces. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elvyn Nieves.

BAGHDAD — In an effort to reduce the possibility of improvised explosive device (IED) attacks between barriers that have been moved or destroyed, Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers from 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, have recently been conducting barrier maintenance here.

While replacing broken barriers during an overnight mission March 23 and 24, Soldiers from Company A, 64th Brigade Support Battalion, ensured the barrier lines were straight, and closed up any empty spaces to prevent the placement of IEDs.

“Barriers don’t lay well (here) because of the uneven and muddy ground,” said 1st Lt. Clay Hanika, a Miami native, who serves as platoon leader in Co. A, 64th BSB. “We usually lay those barriers on flat surfaces, but last night we had to stick rocks underneath the barriers to balance them out and lay properly against the next barrier.”

This night’s route in a northern Baghdad neighborhood is a narrow road that created a difficult challenge to these troops.

“We tried to minimize the amount of dismounted Soldiers in this street [for safety reasons],” said Staff Sgt. Ricardo Hamlin, an Atlanta native, who serves as a petroleum laboratory specialist in Co. A, 64th BSB. “Our biggest challenge is to be on the look out for booby traps, IEDs and small arms fire.”

Hanika said these types of missions are a constant learning experience where in order to succeed he passes the information of what he saw in the area to the next convoy commander to give him a heads up to better prepare for the mission.

The barriers serve to cut off exit avenues for criminals trying to stage an attack against Coalition or Iraqi forces. When the enemy runs away from combat, there won’t be many escape routes because of the barriers.

“We’ve been doing this mission for three months now and my Soldiers always perform great,” said Hanika. “Every time we face a challenge, the Soldiers step up immediately to face it and we’ll continue to do so until we leave Iraq.”

(Story by Spc. Elvyn Nieves, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division)

Press Releases

• $14.7 million of equipment is received by the Iraqi Ministry of Defence (Baghdad)
• Mass grave discovered near Muqdadiyah
• Coalition forces kill five terrorists, capture car bomb cell leader
• Terrorists launch eleven indirect fire attacks, other unrest (Baghdad)
• MND-B Soldier attacked by IED (Baghdad)
• 24 terrorists killed in Baghdad

[SandRat]

FR WAR NEWS!
If you would like to be added to / removed from FRWN,
please FReepmail Sandrat.

WARNING: FRWN can be an EXTREMELY HIGH-VOLUME PING LIST!!