Subject: Draft of TF 2-7 Actions as compiled by Art Durante/OF Iraqi Freedom History Team
This is a 25 page long AAR draft from 2/7 INF, 3d ID. Powerful reading. Lots of information in this concerning weapons systems operations and failures. All: Per previous notes, Art is on the Operation Iraqi Freedom history-writing team currently in Iraq. -Mike Sloniker
CHAPTER 1
DEPLOYMENT UNCERTAINITY
Responding to terrorist attacks against the United States in the fall of 2001 the US Military initiated Operation Enduring Freedom, with the ultimate objective of toppling what President George W. Bush referred to as the "axis of evil." Task Force 2-7 Infantry (Mechanized) deployed advance party personnel early in January 03 in support of the ongoing operation. Main body flights consumed the entire third week of January and by February 1st Camp Pennsylvania served as home for the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized).
Prior to deploying, 2-7 IN held numerous Family Readiness Group meetings and ensured that all possible steps to facilitate the deployment occurred. Cars were secured in motor pools, household goods were stored for single soldiers if desired, powers of attorney were awarded, weapons qualifications updated on ranges and wills were updated. The Task Force was deploying to a possible combat zone for an undisclosed duration. During this time the press became a permanent fixture at Fort Stewart and battalion soldiers began their long association with reporter's observations and questions.
Like any ordinary National Training Center deployment manifest times were published and soldiers came into work at odd times drawing weapons and equipment from the company arms rooms. Abiding by standard wartime operational security rules soldiers only knew basic windows of time for deployment. Only three days out were they certain which day they were manifesting. Final adjustments on bags were made and they were thrown in trucks. Non Commissioned Officers led baggage details and huge shipping containers were packed. Unlike a National Training Center deployment, teary goodbyes were said at the companies and soldiers made their way to Caro Gym alone. Manifests were double-checked and buses boarded. The rainy trip to Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah took the usual 40 minutes. There, soldiers filed through the doors to the ADACG. Bags too big to be carried on were checked and last cigarettes smoked.
Inside the ADACG something was different. Usually the building only housed deploying unit soldiers. This time, volunteers from the Red Cross and blue-haired ladies from Savannah Smiles stood behind a large table with goody bags to hand out. Asked why they were taking their time to do this the volunteer ladies replied, "we enjoy our way of life, and you are protecting it". Working through the night they maintained a positive attitude and were more than willing to help any soldiers with problems.
Wearing all equipment, the Task Force lined up to weigh in, one soldier at a time, to determine the flying weight. The average was 75 lbs over body weight. This is the way the soldiers would be living for months to come, 75 lbs of equipment strapped to their bodies.
Once the final preparations were completed and the plane was ready to take off, a line once again stretched through the building. Groups of 20 streamed through the doors into the rainy darkness outside. Once outside the hurried group of soldiers moved through a cordon of Red Cross personnel and Savannah Smiles ladies personnel, standing in the rain, cheering and waving American flags. These men and women reminded us the entire nation supported what we were heading out to do.
Arriving in Kuwait, soldiers were herded across the tarmac, their ID cards swiped signaling arrival into a hostile area, then buses boarded. The bus' windows were covered with paper as the terrorist threat level in Kuwait had been recently raised. The paper only lasted a few minutes as soldiers' curiosity overwhelmed them and peepholes appeared everywhere. The short ride ended in Camp Arifjan for most, Camp Doha for others.
Camp Arifjan housed Army Pre-positioned Stock 3, the 3rd Infantry Division's assigned vehicle and supplemental weapons cache. Here all operators performed a painfully detailed series of maintenance checks and begin fixing faults. Civilian contractors assisted and supervised the draw, facilitating the process. Working into the night, the process was completed in roughly 5 hours and by 2200 the Task Force was ready to move to Camp Pennsylvania.
Moving 150 vehicles, wheeled and tracked, from Arifjan to Camp Pennsylvania consumed the remainder of the night. First the route followed the highway north past Doha, Entertainment City, and Kuwait City. Then, the vastness of the desert crept in, surrounding the convoy and soon we left the highway for a trail, heading west. At 24 0500 April 2003 Task Force 2-7 drove through a guarded berm and life at Camp Pennsylvania officially began.
Camp Pennsylvania is the western most of the American camps, sitting less than 30 kilometers from the international border with Iraq. Designed to house a battalion size Task Force (700 soldiers), the camp's population quickly soared to more than a Brigade size element (4500 soldiers). This caused serious cramping on the camp's infrastructure. Drinking water was plentiful; however, water for showers and daily hygiene always seemed in short supply.
There were two types of showers. The more plush "shower shacks" were essentially trailers with 10 showers and 8 sinks. The beauty of these was hot water access, but always a line and not all that sanitary. The other option was plywood shower stalls with water tanks bolted to the roof. These also had sinks, clinging to the outside, beaten down by the elements. Sand filled the sinks and the water was absolutely frigid. Despite this, almost all of these sinks were used every morning, and people used the cold showers as well.
Bathroom facilities consisted of blue porta-potties. At first only 7 served the 740 men (and 2 women at the time) of Task Force 2-7. Within a few days the number jumped to 20. These remained fairly clean but could have been emptied more frequently. There was a brief time when a "mad shitter" wrecked havoc on the Task Force toilettes, showers, and even an unlucky vehicle hatch.
The Criminal Investigation Department showed up to investigate a completely unrelated event. Rumors spread, fueled by LTC Rutter's urging, that they were taking DNA samples to discover the identity of the "mad shitter." This tactic worked well, followed by several weeks of "mad shitter" free living in Camp Pennsylvania.
The chow tents were badly sagging enormous cloth tents desperately attempting to collapse at the corners. There were two on Camp Pennsylvania and a promised third that briefly appeared only to be knocked down in a storm and never resurrected. The tents were up a small hill from Task Force 2-7 and always a hub of activity during breakfast and dinner. Times for meals constantly changed, and arriving at the door a minute late equated to no food, regardless of how much time was invested waiting in line.
After filing through the door the line weaved up to the trays, flatware, and eventually the food being served. Each tent had two service sides. One side was hamburgers, hotdogs, and fries. The other, a rotating meal line. The employees in these tents were all third country nationals, over watched by army personnel. After the food line there were several options for beverages. Soda, and eventually even ice for the soda, milk, water, and some juices were all available. Folding tables and white plastic chairs provided plenty of room for people to eat.
Physical Training facilities were limited but available. A weight lifting gym was housed in a tent and had both free weights and nautilus machines. Additionally, the perimeter road of the camp was about 4 miles long and provided a great route to run. There was no mandated physical training guidance from the Task Force but most platoons took advantage of any down time to conduct physical training.
Besides the weight room tent other Morale, Welfare, and Recreation facilities existed. There was a phone and Internet center that never worked until we were left Camp Pennsylvania. There was a morale tent with a large television and books. There was also a chapel tent for religious services. A makeshift Post Exchange occupied a trailer and always had a 4 hour line and nothing you wanted or needed.
Mail began to show up after about a week and a half. While in camp mail would arrive in about 10 days from the states and would make its way back to the states in about 3 weeks. Letters could be sent home with "Free" scribbled on the envelope to save the soldiers the heartache of finding stamps.
Gate training kept the Task Force busy the majority of the time. All combat vehicles (M1 Abrams and M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle) required test firing, boresighting, and ultimately zeroing. The companies rotated through an outstanding Military Operations in Urban Terrain training site which culminated in a company level Live Fire Exercise. Most gate training requirements were individual level tasks like Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical training.
Civilian personnel called MPRI supervised the urban training site. These guys were all retired military personnel with an unbelievable wealth of knowledge and experience on the subject. They presented classes in a manner that allowed the Non Commissioned Officers of the training unit to be in charge and incorporate their established tactics and standard operating procedures into the training. This was ideal because the MPRI personnel were not pushy and the company leaders were still very much in charge.
On 12 February 2003 the Task Force suffered an accident resulting in an injury. Specialist Kantola of Bushmaster was shot during the squad portion of the live fire exercise. The squad conducted both dry and blank runs on the site without incident. During the actual live fire, the Kantola's buddy team deviated from the trained method of assaulting the compound, resulting in the accidental shooting of Specialist Kantola. Injuries to his hand required immediate surgery. The soldier was evacuated to Germany and ultimately to the United States to receive the necessary medical attention.
Day to day business at Camp Pennsylvania was very regimented, chow hall operating hours dictated wake up and close of business. Daily meetings were held at company levels and at 1900 the entire leadership and key personnel of the Task Force met at the Tactical Operations Center for a "daily dump" meeting. The planning process at this point for possible combat operations was still ongoing and nothing concrete had been established. These meetings discussed administrative details, the conduct of training, and the daily operation of Camp Pennsylvania.
Some combat operation planning was conducted while still in Camp Pennsylvania. The overall plan to attack Iraq for the Task Force consisted of 7 events. Event 1, the berm crossing into Iraq, was studied, analyzed, and planned to painstaking levels of detail. Attacking Objective Hannah (Al Musayyib) where satellite imagery placed the 14th Infantry Brigade (M) of the Medina Division (Republican Guard) was called Event 6 and also heavily planned. At this time, attacking Objective Hannah was believed to be the largest battle of the campaign for the Task Force. According to Major Rod Coffey, the Task Force Operations Officer, time not spent planning was wasted time. All movements were planned and all possible enemy contact plotted by the Battalion Intelligence Officer, Captain Derrick Smits.
Elements of the 101st Infantry Division began arriving at Camp Pennsylvania and the little camp's population noticeably overwhelmed its already limited infrastructure. It was time for the Task Force to move out. On 2 March 2003 the Task Force moved to Assembly Area Able and left behind the soon to be greener grass of Camp Pennsylvania.
Limited phone access turned into none, showers evolved into wet wipes, and tents protecting us from the stinging sand storms were all left behind. Lights of neighboring Camp New York off to our west at night were the only reminder of civilization in the desert for Task Force 2-7 at this point. Plywood bathroom stalls showed up and a fully operational Tactical Operations Center assembled. The Task Force participated in Corps level rehearsals mostly focused on the initial attack across the berm complex at the Kuwaiti-Iraqi border. But all good things must come to an end and word of moving closer to the border soon reached the Task Force.
On 19 March 2003 the Task Force moved along Route Stars and occupied Attack Position Dawson, less than 7 miles from the border. Final preparations were completed and the Task Force was ready to conduct Event 1. Moving into the Attack Position we believed we would be there for 24-48 hours but literally as we arrived Brigade issued the order to push forward Task Force Reduction Teams. The Task Force 2-7 Reduction Team consisted of Bushmaster and Bulldog to secure and assist the Kuwaiti nationals that were breaching the border.
Bulldog supervised the Kuwaiti nationals on both lanes reducing berms. On the Iraqi side, the Kuwaitis plowed into the berms, filling the tank ditches with the dirt. Bulldog's Armored Combat Earthmovers reinforced and constructed roads across the tank ditches. The plan called for tracked vehicles crossing these, and wheeled vehicles crossing on Armored Vehicle Launched Bridges.
Once completed, a clear marked route crossing the border existed. Positioned on the border and poised for war with all inspections complete, drills rehearsed, and rounds chambered: Task Force 2-7 was ready for war.
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CHAPTER 2
EVENT 1 & 2
Missiles screamed from Multiple Launch Rocket Systems and over the Task Force, part of a deadly accurate "time on target" attack against border patrol stations in southern Iraq. It was 2100 20 March 2003 and war against terrorism officially reached another front. Bushmaster immediately followed the night fireworks, crossing the border and securing Holding Area Able with elements of the Task Force engineer attachment, Bulldog.
Earlier in the evening the Brigade Reconnaissance Troop reported enemy vehicles in our sector. They claimed crewed T-72 tanks were firing on their vehicles. This report reached the Task Force and everyone keyed up for contact, contrary to what the most recent intelligence reports claimed. The Brigade Reconnaissance Team reports turned out to be grossly false and inaccurate.
In the darkness thermal sights picked up hot spots, largely from fires, earlier artillery explosions, and a day's worth of sun beating down on hulks. Bushmaster fired on the "T-72s" as they crossed the border. Elements along with Captain Szymanski and Major Coffey crossed via lane 6, engaging 3 vehicles. The company Executive Officer, First Lieutenant Hoyseth, led the remainder of the company across the border via lane 8a engaging 1 vehicle. The battalion commander was forward between the two lanes. Hours later the rising sun cleared up the confusion, revealing T-55 hulks remaining on the battlefield from the 1991 conflict.
The remainder of the Task Force followed Bushmaster across the international border invading the Republic of Iraq 21 March 2003. As the Task Force moved through the lanes Bulldog soldiers stood atop the giant berm, welcoming the Task Force into Iraq, waving enormous American flags.
Waiting in Attack Position Dawson, the Task Force received 2 batteries from 1-3 Air Defense Artillery with operational control for the movement. Essentially, the Task Force was tasked with safely delivering the Air Defense Artillery unit to an Objective in Iraq.
The day of the attack, sensing the reality of the coalition attack, the Iraqi Government launched numerous missile attacks at known coalition locations and Kuwaiti cities. Each report of inbound enemy missiles sent the Air Defense Artillery unit spinning, scrambling around elevating their protective suit level.
When Q36 radar detects an inbound missile, the computer immediately calculates the impact location. With this information the Task Force Chemical Officer adds the effect of the wind and determines the possibility of any chemical contamination reaching our area. A Chemical Down Wind report is then issued. These downwind calculations showed absolutely no threat to our location. Despite this, the Air Defense Artillery unit ran around scolding soldiers for not donning their protective masks and suits.
This unit turned out to be even more trouble as the Task Force continued executing Event 1 and moved from Attack Position Dawson to Attack Position Bull. The Air Defense Artillery batteries consisted of over 90 vehicles each, and fifty-four 5,000 gallon fuel tankers. Their heavy tractor- trailers could not maneuver as well as the Task Force vehicles. Furthermore, their trucks were slow and their leadership unable to conduct recovery operations. The Task Force resorted to detaching the Air Defense Artillery Batteries under the control of the Executive Officer, Major Kevin Cooney.
The batteries detached from the Task Force column, became a Ground Assault Convoy taking an alternate route with Major Cooney as the command and control authority. A scout section stayed with them in order to assist with route reconnaissance and any necessary recovery and security. This was not exactly a fun time for the Executive Officer and immediately became a joke. Names like "Cooney's Carnival" and "Team Cooney" came over the net many times as he struggled to move them to Attack Position Bull.
The Task Force main body continued attacking north closing on Attack Position Lizard 22 0230 March 2003 without further incident. At this point "Cooney's Carnival" continued to crawl north, well behind, and out of reach of the Task Force communication equipment. Fuel trucks rushed forward and established a service station style fuel point. All vehicles cycled through, filling their fuel tanks. With security established, some personnel slept for a few hours. At 0530 "Cooney's Carnival" arrived with the Air Defense Artillery batteries, just in time to refuel and continue the attack north. Soon, the Task Force would reach Highway 1 where travel would prove to be much quicker. Traveling north through the Iraqi desert the Task Force passed small Bedouin enclaves. The families emerged from their small tents as the Task Force thundered by. Confused adults stared and excited children happily waved. These farmers were the extent of contact south of Highway 1. Day slowly faded into night and the Task Force continued to plunge north into the darkness. Moving through the desert in a modified wedge formation, the Task Force was flanked by the remainder of 1st Brigade Combat Team. With Task Force 3-69 Armor on one side, and Task Force 3-7 Infantry on the other the Brigade Combat Team continued attacking north.
Shortly after darkness swallowed the Task Force, an order came down to switch on "white light" headlights for driving. Now, moving three Task Force abreast, 1st Brigade Combat Team along with other division elements made the Iraqi desert resemble a crowded Los Angeles freeway. Even though it facilitated movement, it was hard to imagine we were attacking deep into Iraq with thousands of pairs of high beams blazing into the night.
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CHAPTER 3
Event 3: FIRST CONTACT AND BATTLING THROUGH AS SAMAWAH
Event 3 moved the Task Force west along Highway 8 to the city of As Samawah (pop 500,000). Leaving Attack Position Lizard the Task Force actually moved east in order to link up with Highway 8. Moving across the uneven desert was slow and painful for the wheeled vehicles.
With the first sign of civilization in sight the Task Force could see the modern highway ahead. A barely buried pipeline restricted movement to the highway, which was the Line of Departure. Bulldog moved dig assets forward to construct a hasty berm, allowing the 70 ton M1s to cross the pipeline without inflicting damage. Once on the highway, the convoy speed accelerated and the Task Force continued to march. Heading west at a high rate of speed, the Task Force conducted a forward passage of lines through 3rd Brigade Combat Team, becoming the 1st Brigade Combat Team lead element on Highway 8. The 3rd Brigade Combat Team trains, all support units, were parked along the highway. Task Force 2-7 must have been an extremely intimidating sight for these non-combat units. Signs reading "Go Get 'Em" "Let's Roll!" and "Give them Hell Boys!" were held up as our combat vehicles sped pass.
Passing Tallil Airfield, the Task Force released a heavy burden. One of the two attached units, A/2-43 ADA, split from the Task Force formation. Task Force 1-10 FA joined our convoy but did not impede our attack like the Air Defense Artillery did.
As the Task Force moved west along Highway 8 the Scout platoon screened forward to provide early detection and route reconnaissance. Led by First Lieutenant Stephen Gleason, the scouts did an incredible job of clearing the route. At one point the entire Task Force attack was halted because the Explosive Ordinance Division was blowing up enemy munitions.
Lieutenant Colonel Rutter, using the credo "Brute Force and Ignorance" ordered First Lieutenant Gleason to get on the ground and explain they were impeding the entire 3rd Infantry Division attack. First Lieutenant Gleason managed to persuade the Explosive Ordinance Division personnel to delay their deliberate blast and allow the passage of Task Force 2-7.
Almost immediately Highway 8 changed from a modern 4 lane Highway to a dilapidated two-lane road without lane markings. The road became a parade route with people lining the streets in awe watching our progress. A handful shot dirty looks but the vast majority cheered and waved. Children ran along the side of the vehicles and some soldiers, not yet aware of the prohibition not to, rewarded their effort with candy or Meal, Ready to Eat snacks.
Stuck in the vehicles for almost 72 hours quickly got old. Every time the convoy stopped people jumped out, stretched, went to the bathroom, or pulled security. The Task Force had yet to receive direct fire from the enemy. The only contact was old tanks, dead for nearly 12 years earlier.
Darkness began to fall and the mood of the Task Force was minutes from a drastic change. While stopped along Highway 8, which splits the town of Al Kindr, civilians began frantically pointing and yelling at the lead scout elements. First Lieutenant Gleason moved his section forward and at 22 1639 March 2003 reported a large caliber round, either an Armored Personnel Carrier main gun round or a Rocket Propelled Grenade, fired at his vehicle. Luckily the round missed his soft skin vehicle buzzing over, barely missing his hood. Following the signature of the shot, First Lieutenant Gleason spotted what he thought to be an armored vehicle retreating into the city on the north side of the road.
Lieutenant Colonel Rutter ordered his lead company, Rage to develop the situation. The company commander, Captain Robert Smith, maneuvered with his lead element and witnessed the Rocket Propelled Grenade nearly take out First Lieutenant Gleason's vehicle. He pushed a platoon into the urban area in an attempt to flush out the enemy.
In the rear of the column, First Sergeant Wilson Rodriguez listened to his Knight company preparing to engage enemy. He pushed forward, realizing he may have to perform casualty or enemy Prisoner of War evacuation. Passing a flipped Sport Utility Vehicle with "TV" stenciled on the doors, he noticed the wipers still scratching back and forth across the dry windshield. Immediately sensing something wrong, he and Major Coffey's security dismounts entered a nearby gas station, finding spent enemy ammo casings and a warm teapot.
Moving behind the building, they found 2 armed Iraqis hiding under aluminum roofing sheets. Once captured, the Iraqis motioned to another building, claiming more soldiers were hiding. With help, the element captured a total of 8 dismounts, all heavily armed and in uniform. These soldiers were the first prisoners the Task Force captures.
The sun was nearly set at this point and visibility rapidly decreased. Apparently unaware of our night vision capabilities, the enemy cut the power to the town, swallowing the Task Force in darkness. Low crawling slowly forward through tall wispy grass, dismounts attempted to maneuver on the scout vehicles while others attempted to occupy fortified bunkers. First Lieutenant Gleason reported this activity but could not engage. A Rage platoon had pushed forward and avoiding fratricide was all 1st Lieutenant Gleason could think about.
Lieutenant Colonel Rutter deliberately maneuvered Rage, clearing the fires, so the scout section could engage the dismounts. Growing pains were quickly overcome and the harsh realization of combat settled in. The young officers and soldiers of Task Force 2-7 were accustomed to peacekeeping operations like the Balkans and previous Kuwait rotations. Lieutenant Colonel Rutter's sure and unwavering voice ordered the scouts to engage the enemy dismounts.
Lead Knight elements and scouts engaged the dismounts ending the silence with machine gun fire. Yelling "Stop shooting, they're dead!" into his hand mike, First Lieutenant Gleason confirmed the first Task Force battlefield damage assessment, two enemy dismounts. First Lieutenant Gleason continued to develop the situation and his scouts engaged 10 more dismounts killing 6 and wounding the remainder. Frantically waving injured arms in the air the remaining dismounts desperately signaled surrender.
At the time the Task Force was operating under specific bypass guidelines. The guidelines required the Task Force to secure Highway 8, the future Main Supply Route and not bypass any enemy that could interfere with following units and supply trains.
While the Task Force engaged, reports of more enemy contact against the Brigade Reconnaissance Team (C/1CAV) 20 kilometers to the west in As Samawah began flowing in. Two injured C/1CAV soldiers, to include a platoon sergeant were evacuated back to Al Kindr. The Task Force Forward Aid Station treated the soldier and called for air medevac.
Lieutenant Colonel Rutter gave the order to press forward to Objective Chatham and a pre-planned refuel spot along the road. Required to secure the Main Supply Route, Rage and the Forward Aide Station remained in Al Kindr. While there, the medics treated several injured Iraqi soldiers in addition to the Brigade Reconnaissance Team soldier.
In the darkness, Rage established a perimeter containing the city and securing Highway 8. Throughout the night, Iraqis moved weapons from the bunkers back into the city. Strict rules of engagement at the time prevented Rage from engaging these personnel. Also, many houses in the town flew large black flags, later identified to signify militant supporters of the Baath Party, only later to be identified as a harmless Shi'ite religious symbol.
Bulldog engineers destroyed 2 large weapons caches early in the morning. Having trouble communicating to the Iraqis what they were doing, the engineers finally lit the fuse and moved out. Seeing this, the Iraqis did not need to understand English and began running too. Total battle damage assessment during the night totaled 8 enemy killed in action and over 50 enemy prisoners of war. Rage would spend the next 2 days without the support of the Task Force. Losing radio contact with the task force, they were on their own. Captain Smith called their movement the "Miracle Mile" and felt the company really come together as a team. With no communication, the company moved on its own, borrowing fuel, gallons at a time for the tanks, and stopping only once for sleep. The "Miracle Mile" began 23 0900 March and ended as they pulled into Objective Raider 1730 24 March 2003. The only contact was the tenuous one of FBCB2 email transmissions. As Rage remained behind in Al Kindr the remainder of the Task Force moved out to the refuel position. While there LTC Rutter cobbled together a plan with the proactive help of the 1-10 FA battalion commander. The 1-10 FA, traveling with us, was on the Task Force net and promptly offered its services. This would not be the last time the Cottonbalers were grateful for 1-10 FA's prompt and aggressive support. Shortly after 23 2300 March the Cottonbalers pressed on to As Samawah still hearing contact reports over the net. Approaching the overpass where the C/1CAV soldier was shot, on the outskirts of As Samawah, the Knight forward observer called for fire. The Task Force column halted long enough for 1-10 Field Artillery to execute the fire mission on a small dismount location on the overpass. Observing through sights, the Scouts saw the artillery rounds explode with deadly accuracy, destroying the equipment and killing the enemy personnel on the bridge. Initiating movement once again, Knight's infantry platoon moved forward to secure a foothold in the city. Once secured, they passed the remainder of the tank company through, leading the Task Force into downtown As Samawah, along Highway 8. The lead tank missed a very confusing dirt road turn off and continued into the heart of the city. Heavily armed Iraqis poured from buildings and flooded the streets, establishing ambushes and willing to defend their city to the death.
Icons appeared on the "Force 21 Battle Command Brigade and Below" screen representing friendly 3-7 Cavalry elements. They appeared to be located in the city but the Task Force X-Ray did not know their exact locations. Taking the initiative, the X-Ray dropped to the Cavalry frequency and conducted necessary adjacent unit link up. Prior to raising them however, the Task Force leadership waved off A-10 CAS support - 3-7 CAV's location was unknown. Conceivably vehicles identified by the A-10s could be Cavalry Squadron soldiers executing their mission.
The enormous M1 tanks found themselves wedged into narrow avenues and side streets. Lieutenant Colonel Rutter frantically ordered the Knight company commander, Captain Lee, to turn his unit around. Easier said than done. At this point the streets were nearing civilian foot traffic capacity, and all in uniform armed with small arms, Rocket Propelled Grenade launchers, and machine guns.
Unsure of the best solution, Captain Lee described the masses of people in the streets and continued to develop the situation. Iraqi soldiers still had growing pains to go through as well. Constant small arms and Rocket Propelled Grenades slammed into the sides of the Task Force armored vehicles to no avail. Rocket Propelled Grenades impacted with deafening explosions only leaving small black marks on the strong American armor. Small arms rounds rattled off the Abrams and Bradleys leaving no marks whatsoever.
Once the Task Force X-Ray plotted and determined the location of all friendly elements in the area Lieutenant Colonel Rutter confidently ordered Capatin Lee to engage the crowds, aiming as carefully as possible. The ensuing machine gun fire from the monstrous tanks slammed into the armed crowds quickly clearing much of the crowd, all scrambling and seeking out shelter from the viscous barrage of overwhelming fire. Images of Hollywood's Black Hawk Down flashed through everyone's mind as the reports flooded the net. With the armed Iraqis momentarily suppressed, and Lieutenant Colonel Rutter giving very specific directions, Captain Lee managed to maneuver his element through the narrow alleyways and streets back to the missed turn.
Moving back to the turn, First Lieutenant Gundrum identified a 14mm air defense artillery piece maneuvering to fire on the convoy. He quickly backed his tank into a position to fire on the piece and minimize civilian collateral damage. First Lieutenant Gundrum engaged the truck and gun with his main gun, destroying it, then continued back to the turn. Lieutenant Colonel Rutter identified the turn meanwhile First Lieutenant Johnson's platoon remained at the overpass where the artillery fore had been directed to prevent reseeding of the defensive position around it. Later in the evening as the main body passed through the Task Force S3 directed the platoon to secure the confusing turn - the place where the air defense gun had been destroyed. Lt Johnson's platoon manned the position all night and into the morning as the Task Force, with Patriot Battery and Artillery Battalion in tow moved through. The Task Force column, minus Team A and the Forward Aid Station slithered around the south side of the city, gladly watching the lights of Objective Chatham fade away into the night. The Task Force escaped with no casualties and no lost equipment. Enemy Killed in Action is estimated in excess of 150, with many buildings and numerous vehicles also destroyed. It was clear the Main Supply Route through As Samawah required Coalition forces to further secure it. But the Task Force had to continue the attack north, where more important missions waited.
What had been previously envisioned as a tactical road march with unlikely enemy contact had turned into two night time firefights and a hasty attack with field artillery preparation. The division would ultimately make the decision to cease movement along this section of Highway 8 until addtional forces could be committed to its security.
The Task Force pressed on, exhausted, toward the next refuel site.
This is a 25 page long AAR draft from 2/7 INF, 3d ID. Powerful reading. Lots of information in this concerning weapons systems operations and failures. All: Per previous notes, Art is on the Operation Iraqi Freedom history-writing team currently in Iraq. -Mike Sloniker
CHAPTER 1
DEPLOYMENT UNCERTAINITY
Responding to terrorist attacks against the United States in the fall of 2001 the US Military initiated Operation Enduring Freedom, with the ultimate objective of toppling what President George W. Bush referred to as the "axis of evil." Task Force 2-7 Infantry (Mechanized) deployed advance party personnel early in January 03 in support of the ongoing operation. Main body flights consumed the entire third week of January and by February 1st Camp Pennsylvania served as home for the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized).
Prior to deploying, 2-7 IN held numerous Family Readiness Group meetings and ensured that all possible steps to facilitate the deployment occurred. Cars were secured in motor pools, household goods were stored for single soldiers if desired, powers of attorney were awarded, weapons qualifications updated on ranges and wills were updated. The Task Force was deploying to a possible combat zone for an undisclosed duration. During this time the press became a permanent fixture at Fort Stewart and battalion soldiers began their long association with reporter's observations and questions.
Like any ordinary National Training Center deployment manifest times were published and soldiers came into work at odd times drawing weapons and equipment from the company arms rooms. Abiding by standard wartime operational security rules soldiers only knew basic windows of time for deployment. Only three days out were they certain which day they were manifesting. Final adjustments on bags were made and they were thrown in trucks. Non Commissioned Officers led baggage details and huge shipping containers were packed. Unlike a National Training Center deployment, teary goodbyes were said at the companies and soldiers made their way to Caro Gym alone. Manifests were double-checked and buses boarded. The rainy trip to Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah took the usual 40 minutes. There, soldiers filed through the doors to the ADACG. Bags too big to be carried on were checked and last cigarettes smoked.
Inside the ADACG something was different. Usually the building only housed deploying unit soldiers. This time, volunteers from the Red Cross and blue-haired ladies from Savannah Smiles stood behind a large table with goody bags to hand out. Asked why they were taking their time to do this the volunteer ladies replied, "we enjoy our way of life, and you are protecting it". Working through the night they maintained a positive attitude and were more than willing to help any soldiers with problems.
Wearing all equipment, the Task Force lined up to weigh in, one soldier at a time, to determine the flying weight. The average was 75 lbs over body weight. This is the way the soldiers would be living for months to come, 75 lbs of equipment strapped to their bodies.
Once the final preparations were completed and the plane was ready to take off, a line once again stretched through the building. Groups of 20 streamed through the doors into the rainy darkness outside. Once outside the hurried group of soldiers moved through a cordon of Red Cross personnel and Savannah Smiles ladies personnel, standing in the rain, cheering and waving American flags. These men and women reminded us the entire nation supported what we were heading out to do.
Arriving in Kuwait, soldiers were herded across the tarmac, their ID cards swiped signaling arrival into a hostile area, then buses boarded. The bus' windows were covered with paper as the terrorist threat level in Kuwait had been recently raised. The paper only lasted a few minutes as soldiers' curiosity overwhelmed them and peepholes appeared everywhere. The short ride ended in Camp Arifjan for most, Camp Doha for others.
Camp Arifjan housed Army Pre-positioned Stock 3, the 3rd Infantry Division's assigned vehicle and supplemental weapons cache. Here all operators performed a painfully detailed series of maintenance checks and begin fixing faults. Civilian contractors assisted and supervised the draw, facilitating the process. Working into the night, the process was completed in roughly 5 hours and by 2200 the Task Force was ready to move to Camp Pennsylvania.
Moving 150 vehicles, wheeled and tracked, from Arifjan to Camp Pennsylvania consumed the remainder of the night. First the route followed the highway north past Doha, Entertainment City, and Kuwait City. Then, the vastness of the desert crept in, surrounding the convoy and soon we left the highway for a trail, heading west. At 24 0500 April 2003 Task Force 2-7 drove through a guarded berm and life at Camp Pennsylvania officially began.
Camp Pennsylvania is the western most of the American camps, sitting less than 30 kilometers from the international border with Iraq. Designed to house a battalion size Task Force (700 soldiers), the camp's population quickly soared to more than a Brigade size element (4500 soldiers). This caused serious cramping on the camp's infrastructure. Drinking water was plentiful; however, water for showers and daily hygiene always seemed in short supply.
There were two types of showers. The more plush "shower shacks" were essentially trailers with 10 showers and 8 sinks. The beauty of these was hot water access, but always a line and not all that sanitary. The other option was plywood shower stalls with water tanks bolted to the roof. These also had sinks, clinging to the outside, beaten down by the elements. Sand filled the sinks and the water was absolutely frigid. Despite this, almost all of these sinks were used every morning, and people used the cold showers as well.
Bathroom facilities consisted of blue porta-potties. At first only 7 served the 740 men (and 2 women at the time) of Task Force 2-7. Within a few days the number jumped to 20. These remained fairly clean but could have been emptied more frequently. There was a brief time when a "mad shitter" wrecked havoc on the Task Force toilettes, showers, and even an unlucky vehicle hatch.
The Criminal Investigation Department showed up to investigate a completely unrelated event. Rumors spread, fueled by LTC Rutter's urging, that they were taking DNA samples to discover the identity of the "mad shitter." This tactic worked well, followed by several weeks of "mad shitter" free living in Camp Pennsylvania.
The chow tents were badly sagging enormous cloth tents desperately attempting to collapse at the corners. There were two on Camp Pennsylvania and a promised third that briefly appeared only to be knocked down in a storm and never resurrected. The tents were up a small hill from Task Force 2-7 and always a hub of activity during breakfast and dinner. Times for meals constantly changed, and arriving at the door a minute late equated to no food, regardless of how much time was invested waiting in line.
After filing through the door the line weaved up to the trays, flatware, and eventually the food being served. Each tent had two service sides. One side was hamburgers, hotdogs, and fries. The other, a rotating meal line. The employees in these tents were all third country nationals, over watched by army personnel. After the food line there were several options for beverages. Soda, and eventually even ice for the soda, milk, water, and some juices were all available. Folding tables and white plastic chairs provided plenty of room for people to eat.
Physical Training facilities were limited but available. A weight lifting gym was housed in a tent and had both free weights and nautilus machines. Additionally, the perimeter road of the camp was about 4 miles long and provided a great route to run. There was no mandated physical training guidance from the Task Force but most platoons took advantage of any down time to conduct physical training.
Besides the weight room tent other Morale, Welfare, and Recreation facilities existed. There was a phone and Internet center that never worked until we were left Camp Pennsylvania. There was a morale tent with a large television and books. There was also a chapel tent for religious services. A makeshift Post Exchange occupied a trailer and always had a 4 hour line and nothing you wanted or needed.
Mail began to show up after about a week and a half. While in camp mail would arrive in about 10 days from the states and would make its way back to the states in about 3 weeks. Letters could be sent home with "Free" scribbled on the envelope to save the soldiers the heartache of finding stamps.
Gate training kept the Task Force busy the majority of the time. All combat vehicles (M1 Abrams and M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle) required test firing, boresighting, and ultimately zeroing. The companies rotated through an outstanding Military Operations in Urban Terrain training site which culminated in a company level Live Fire Exercise. Most gate training requirements were individual level tasks like Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical training.
Civilian personnel called MPRI supervised the urban training site. These guys were all retired military personnel with an unbelievable wealth of knowledge and experience on the subject. They presented classes in a manner that allowed the Non Commissioned Officers of the training unit to be in charge and incorporate their established tactics and standard operating procedures into the training. This was ideal because the MPRI personnel were not pushy and the company leaders were still very much in charge.
On 12 February 2003 the Task Force suffered an accident resulting in an injury. Specialist Kantola of Bushmaster was shot during the squad portion of the live fire exercise. The squad conducted both dry and blank runs on the site without incident. During the actual live fire, the Kantola's buddy team deviated from the trained method of assaulting the compound, resulting in the accidental shooting of Specialist Kantola. Injuries to his hand required immediate surgery. The soldier was evacuated to Germany and ultimately to the United States to receive the necessary medical attention.
Day to day business at Camp Pennsylvania was very regimented, chow hall operating hours dictated wake up and close of business. Daily meetings were held at company levels and at 1900 the entire leadership and key personnel of the Task Force met at the Tactical Operations Center for a "daily dump" meeting. The planning process at this point for possible combat operations was still ongoing and nothing concrete had been established. These meetings discussed administrative details, the conduct of training, and the daily operation of Camp Pennsylvania.
Some combat operation planning was conducted while still in Camp Pennsylvania. The overall plan to attack Iraq for the Task Force consisted of 7 events. Event 1, the berm crossing into Iraq, was studied, analyzed, and planned to painstaking levels of detail. Attacking Objective Hannah (Al Musayyib) where satellite imagery placed the 14th Infantry Brigade (M) of the Medina Division (Republican Guard) was called Event 6 and also heavily planned. At this time, attacking Objective Hannah was believed to be the largest battle of the campaign for the Task Force. According to Major Rod Coffey, the Task Force Operations Officer, time not spent planning was wasted time. All movements were planned and all possible enemy contact plotted by the Battalion Intelligence Officer, Captain Derrick Smits.
Elements of the 101st Infantry Division began arriving at Camp Pennsylvania and the little camp's population noticeably overwhelmed its already limited infrastructure. It was time for the Task Force to move out. On 2 March 2003 the Task Force moved to Assembly Area Able and left behind the soon to be greener grass of Camp Pennsylvania.
Limited phone access turned into none, showers evolved into wet wipes, and tents protecting us from the stinging sand storms were all left behind. Lights of neighboring Camp New York off to our west at night were the only reminder of civilization in the desert for Task Force 2-7 at this point. Plywood bathroom stalls showed up and a fully operational Tactical Operations Center assembled. The Task Force participated in Corps level rehearsals mostly focused on the initial attack across the berm complex at the Kuwaiti-Iraqi border. But all good things must come to an end and word of moving closer to the border soon reached the Task Force.
On 19 March 2003 the Task Force moved along Route Stars and occupied Attack Position Dawson, less than 7 miles from the border. Final preparations were completed and the Task Force was ready to conduct Event 1. Moving into the Attack Position we believed we would be there for 24-48 hours but literally as we arrived Brigade issued the order to push forward Task Force Reduction Teams. The Task Force 2-7 Reduction Team consisted of Bushmaster and Bulldog to secure and assist the Kuwaiti nationals that were breaching the border.
Bulldog supervised the Kuwaiti nationals on both lanes reducing berms. On the Iraqi side, the Kuwaitis plowed into the berms, filling the tank ditches with the dirt. Bulldog's Armored Combat Earthmovers reinforced and constructed roads across the tank ditches. The plan called for tracked vehicles crossing these, and wheeled vehicles crossing on Armored Vehicle Launched Bridges.
Once completed, a clear marked route crossing the border existed. Positioned on the border and poised for war with all inspections complete, drills rehearsed, and rounds chambered: Task Force 2-7 was ready for war.
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CHAPTER 2
EVENT 1 & 2
Missiles screamed from Multiple Launch Rocket Systems and over the Task Force, part of a deadly accurate "time on target" attack against border patrol stations in southern Iraq. It was 2100 20 March 2003 and war against terrorism officially reached another front. Bushmaster immediately followed the night fireworks, crossing the border and securing Holding Area Able with elements of the Task Force engineer attachment, Bulldog.
Earlier in the evening the Brigade Reconnaissance Troop reported enemy vehicles in our sector. They claimed crewed T-72 tanks were firing on their vehicles. This report reached the Task Force and everyone keyed up for contact, contrary to what the most recent intelligence reports claimed. The Brigade Reconnaissance Team reports turned out to be grossly false and inaccurate.
In the darkness thermal sights picked up hot spots, largely from fires, earlier artillery explosions, and a day's worth of sun beating down on hulks. Bushmaster fired on the "T-72s" as they crossed the border. Elements along with Captain Szymanski and Major Coffey crossed via lane 6, engaging 3 vehicles. The company Executive Officer, First Lieutenant Hoyseth, led the remainder of the company across the border via lane 8a engaging 1 vehicle. The battalion commander was forward between the two lanes. Hours later the rising sun cleared up the confusion, revealing T-55 hulks remaining on the battlefield from the 1991 conflict.
The remainder of the Task Force followed Bushmaster across the international border invading the Republic of Iraq 21 March 2003. As the Task Force moved through the lanes Bulldog soldiers stood atop the giant berm, welcoming the Task Force into Iraq, waving enormous American flags.
Waiting in Attack Position Dawson, the Task Force received 2 batteries from 1-3 Air Defense Artillery with operational control for the movement. Essentially, the Task Force was tasked with safely delivering the Air Defense Artillery unit to an Objective in Iraq.
The day of the attack, sensing the reality of the coalition attack, the Iraqi Government launched numerous missile attacks at known coalition locations and Kuwaiti cities. Each report of inbound enemy missiles sent the Air Defense Artillery unit spinning, scrambling around elevating their protective suit level.
When Q36 radar detects an inbound missile, the computer immediately calculates the impact location. With this information the Task Force Chemical Officer adds the effect of the wind and determines the possibility of any chemical contamination reaching our area. A Chemical Down Wind report is then issued. These downwind calculations showed absolutely no threat to our location. Despite this, the Air Defense Artillery unit ran around scolding soldiers for not donning their protective masks and suits.
This unit turned out to be even more trouble as the Task Force continued executing Event 1 and moved from Attack Position Dawson to Attack Position Bull. The Air Defense Artillery batteries consisted of over 90 vehicles each, and fifty-four 5,000 gallon fuel tankers. Their heavy tractor- trailers could not maneuver as well as the Task Force vehicles. Furthermore, their trucks were slow and their leadership unable to conduct recovery operations. The Task Force resorted to detaching the Air Defense Artillery Batteries under the control of the Executive Officer, Major Kevin Cooney.
The batteries detached from the Task Force column, became a Ground Assault Convoy taking an alternate route with Major Cooney as the command and control authority. A scout section stayed with them in order to assist with route reconnaissance and any necessary recovery and security. This was not exactly a fun time for the Executive Officer and immediately became a joke. Names like "Cooney's Carnival" and "Team Cooney" came over the net many times as he struggled to move them to Attack Position Bull.
The Task Force main body continued attacking north closing on Attack Position Lizard 22 0230 March 2003 without further incident. At this point "Cooney's Carnival" continued to crawl north, well behind, and out of reach of the Task Force communication equipment. Fuel trucks rushed forward and established a service station style fuel point. All vehicles cycled through, filling their fuel tanks. With security established, some personnel slept for a few hours. At 0530 "Cooney's Carnival" arrived with the Air Defense Artillery batteries, just in time to refuel and continue the attack north. Soon, the Task Force would reach Highway 1 where travel would prove to be much quicker. Traveling north through the Iraqi desert the Task Force passed small Bedouin enclaves. The families emerged from their small tents as the Task Force thundered by. Confused adults stared and excited children happily waved. These farmers were the extent of contact south of Highway 1. Day slowly faded into night and the Task Force continued to plunge north into the darkness. Moving through the desert in a modified wedge formation, the Task Force was flanked by the remainder of 1st Brigade Combat Team. With Task Force 3-69 Armor on one side, and Task Force 3-7 Infantry on the other the Brigade Combat Team continued attacking north.
Shortly after darkness swallowed the Task Force, an order came down to switch on "white light" headlights for driving. Now, moving three Task Force abreast, 1st Brigade Combat Team along with other division elements made the Iraqi desert resemble a crowded Los Angeles freeway. Even though it facilitated movement, it was hard to imagine we were attacking deep into Iraq with thousands of pairs of high beams blazing into the night.
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CHAPTER 3
Event 3: FIRST CONTACT AND BATTLING THROUGH AS SAMAWAH
Event 3 moved the Task Force west along Highway 8 to the city of As Samawah (pop 500,000). Leaving Attack Position Lizard the Task Force actually moved east in order to link up with Highway 8. Moving across the uneven desert was slow and painful for the wheeled vehicles.
With the first sign of civilization in sight the Task Force could see the modern highway ahead. A barely buried pipeline restricted movement to the highway, which was the Line of Departure. Bulldog moved dig assets forward to construct a hasty berm, allowing the 70 ton M1s to cross the pipeline without inflicting damage. Once on the highway, the convoy speed accelerated and the Task Force continued to march. Heading west at a high rate of speed, the Task Force conducted a forward passage of lines through 3rd Brigade Combat Team, becoming the 1st Brigade Combat Team lead element on Highway 8. The 3rd Brigade Combat Team trains, all support units, were parked along the highway. Task Force 2-7 must have been an extremely intimidating sight for these non-combat units. Signs reading "Go Get 'Em" "Let's Roll!" and "Give them Hell Boys!" were held up as our combat vehicles sped pass.
Passing Tallil Airfield, the Task Force released a heavy burden. One of the two attached units, A/2-43 ADA, split from the Task Force formation. Task Force 1-10 FA joined our convoy but did not impede our attack like the Air Defense Artillery did.
As the Task Force moved west along Highway 8 the Scout platoon screened forward to provide early detection and route reconnaissance. Led by First Lieutenant Stephen Gleason, the scouts did an incredible job of clearing the route. At one point the entire Task Force attack was halted because the Explosive Ordinance Division was blowing up enemy munitions.
Lieutenant Colonel Rutter, using the credo "Brute Force and Ignorance" ordered First Lieutenant Gleason to get on the ground and explain they were impeding the entire 3rd Infantry Division attack. First Lieutenant Gleason managed to persuade the Explosive Ordinance Division personnel to delay their deliberate blast and allow the passage of Task Force 2-7.
Almost immediately Highway 8 changed from a modern 4 lane Highway to a dilapidated two-lane road without lane markings. The road became a parade route with people lining the streets in awe watching our progress. A handful shot dirty looks but the vast majority cheered and waved. Children ran along the side of the vehicles and some soldiers, not yet aware of the prohibition not to, rewarded their effort with candy or Meal, Ready to Eat snacks.
Stuck in the vehicles for almost 72 hours quickly got old. Every time the convoy stopped people jumped out, stretched, went to the bathroom, or pulled security. The Task Force had yet to receive direct fire from the enemy. The only contact was old tanks, dead for nearly 12 years earlier.
Darkness began to fall and the mood of the Task Force was minutes from a drastic change. While stopped along Highway 8, which splits the town of Al Kindr, civilians began frantically pointing and yelling at the lead scout elements. First Lieutenant Gleason moved his section forward and at 22 1639 March 2003 reported a large caliber round, either an Armored Personnel Carrier main gun round or a Rocket Propelled Grenade, fired at his vehicle. Luckily the round missed his soft skin vehicle buzzing over, barely missing his hood. Following the signature of the shot, First Lieutenant Gleason spotted what he thought to be an armored vehicle retreating into the city on the north side of the road.
Lieutenant Colonel Rutter ordered his lead company, Rage to develop the situation. The company commander, Captain Robert Smith, maneuvered with his lead element and witnessed the Rocket Propelled Grenade nearly take out First Lieutenant Gleason's vehicle. He pushed a platoon into the urban area in an attempt to flush out the enemy.
In the rear of the column, First Sergeant Wilson Rodriguez listened to his Knight company preparing to engage enemy. He pushed forward, realizing he may have to perform casualty or enemy Prisoner of War evacuation. Passing a flipped Sport Utility Vehicle with "TV" stenciled on the doors, he noticed the wipers still scratching back and forth across the dry windshield. Immediately sensing something wrong, he and Major Coffey's security dismounts entered a nearby gas station, finding spent enemy ammo casings and a warm teapot.
Moving behind the building, they found 2 armed Iraqis hiding under aluminum roofing sheets. Once captured, the Iraqis motioned to another building, claiming more soldiers were hiding. With help, the element captured a total of 8 dismounts, all heavily armed and in uniform. These soldiers were the first prisoners the Task Force captures.
The sun was nearly set at this point and visibility rapidly decreased. Apparently unaware of our night vision capabilities, the enemy cut the power to the town, swallowing the Task Force in darkness. Low crawling slowly forward through tall wispy grass, dismounts attempted to maneuver on the scout vehicles while others attempted to occupy fortified bunkers. First Lieutenant Gleason reported this activity but could not engage. A Rage platoon had pushed forward and avoiding fratricide was all 1st Lieutenant Gleason could think about.
Lieutenant Colonel Rutter deliberately maneuvered Rage, clearing the fires, so the scout section could engage the dismounts. Growing pains were quickly overcome and the harsh realization of combat settled in. The young officers and soldiers of Task Force 2-7 were accustomed to peacekeeping operations like the Balkans and previous Kuwait rotations. Lieutenant Colonel Rutter's sure and unwavering voice ordered the scouts to engage the enemy dismounts.
Lead Knight elements and scouts engaged the dismounts ending the silence with machine gun fire. Yelling "Stop shooting, they're dead!" into his hand mike, First Lieutenant Gleason confirmed the first Task Force battlefield damage assessment, two enemy dismounts. First Lieutenant Gleason continued to develop the situation and his scouts engaged 10 more dismounts killing 6 and wounding the remainder. Frantically waving injured arms in the air the remaining dismounts desperately signaled surrender.
At the time the Task Force was operating under specific bypass guidelines. The guidelines required the Task Force to secure Highway 8, the future Main Supply Route and not bypass any enemy that could interfere with following units and supply trains.
While the Task Force engaged, reports of more enemy contact against the Brigade Reconnaissance Team (C/1CAV) 20 kilometers to the west in As Samawah began flowing in. Two injured C/1CAV soldiers, to include a platoon sergeant were evacuated back to Al Kindr. The Task Force Forward Aid Station treated the soldier and called for air medevac.
Lieutenant Colonel Rutter gave the order to press forward to Objective Chatham and a pre-planned refuel spot along the road. Required to secure the Main Supply Route, Rage and the Forward Aide Station remained in Al Kindr. While there, the medics treated several injured Iraqi soldiers in addition to the Brigade Reconnaissance Team soldier.
In the darkness, Rage established a perimeter containing the city and securing Highway 8. Throughout the night, Iraqis moved weapons from the bunkers back into the city. Strict rules of engagement at the time prevented Rage from engaging these personnel. Also, many houses in the town flew large black flags, later identified to signify militant supporters of the Baath Party, only later to be identified as a harmless Shi'ite religious symbol.
Bulldog engineers destroyed 2 large weapons caches early in the morning. Having trouble communicating to the Iraqis what they were doing, the engineers finally lit the fuse and moved out. Seeing this, the Iraqis did not need to understand English and began running too. Total battle damage assessment during the night totaled 8 enemy killed in action and over 50 enemy prisoners of war. Rage would spend the next 2 days without the support of the Task Force. Losing radio contact with the task force, they were on their own. Captain Smith called their movement the "Miracle Mile" and felt the company really come together as a team. With no communication, the company moved on its own, borrowing fuel, gallons at a time for the tanks, and stopping only once for sleep. The "Miracle Mile" began 23 0900 March and ended as they pulled into Objective Raider 1730 24 March 2003. The only contact was the tenuous one of FBCB2 email transmissions. As Rage remained behind in Al Kindr the remainder of the Task Force moved out to the refuel position. While there LTC Rutter cobbled together a plan with the proactive help of the 1-10 FA battalion commander. The 1-10 FA, traveling with us, was on the Task Force net and promptly offered its services. This would not be the last time the Cottonbalers were grateful for 1-10 FA's prompt and aggressive support. Shortly after 23 2300 March the Cottonbalers pressed on to As Samawah still hearing contact reports over the net. Approaching the overpass where the C/1CAV soldier was shot, on the outskirts of As Samawah, the Knight forward observer called for fire. The Task Force column halted long enough for 1-10 Field Artillery to execute the fire mission on a small dismount location on the overpass. Observing through sights, the Scouts saw the artillery rounds explode with deadly accuracy, destroying the equipment and killing the enemy personnel on the bridge. Initiating movement once again, Knight's infantry platoon moved forward to secure a foothold in the city. Once secured, they passed the remainder of the tank company through, leading the Task Force into downtown As Samawah, along Highway 8. The lead tank missed a very confusing dirt road turn off and continued into the heart of the city. Heavily armed Iraqis poured from buildings and flooded the streets, establishing ambushes and willing to defend their city to the death.
Icons appeared on the "Force 21 Battle Command Brigade and Below" screen representing friendly 3-7 Cavalry elements. They appeared to be located in the city but the Task Force X-Ray did not know their exact locations. Taking the initiative, the X-Ray dropped to the Cavalry frequency and conducted necessary adjacent unit link up. Prior to raising them however, the Task Force leadership waved off A-10 CAS support - 3-7 CAV's location was unknown. Conceivably vehicles identified by the A-10s could be Cavalry Squadron soldiers executing their mission.
The enormous M1 tanks found themselves wedged into narrow avenues and side streets. Lieutenant Colonel Rutter frantically ordered the Knight company commander, Captain Lee, to turn his unit around. Easier said than done. At this point the streets were nearing civilian foot traffic capacity, and all in uniform armed with small arms, Rocket Propelled Grenade launchers, and machine guns.
Unsure of the best solution, Captain Lee described the masses of people in the streets and continued to develop the situation. Iraqi soldiers still had growing pains to go through as well. Constant small arms and Rocket Propelled Grenades slammed into the sides of the Task Force armored vehicles to no avail. Rocket Propelled Grenades impacted with deafening explosions only leaving small black marks on the strong American armor. Small arms rounds rattled off the Abrams and Bradleys leaving no marks whatsoever.
Once the Task Force X-Ray plotted and determined the location of all friendly elements in the area Lieutenant Colonel Rutter confidently ordered Capatin Lee to engage the crowds, aiming as carefully as possible. The ensuing machine gun fire from the monstrous tanks slammed into the armed crowds quickly clearing much of the crowd, all scrambling and seeking out shelter from the viscous barrage of overwhelming fire. Images of Hollywood's Black Hawk Down flashed through everyone's mind as the reports flooded the net. With the armed Iraqis momentarily suppressed, and Lieutenant Colonel Rutter giving very specific directions, Captain Lee managed to maneuver his element through the narrow alleyways and streets back to the missed turn.
Moving back to the turn, First Lieutenant Gundrum identified a 14mm air defense artillery piece maneuvering to fire on the convoy. He quickly backed his tank into a position to fire on the piece and minimize civilian collateral damage. First Lieutenant Gundrum engaged the truck and gun with his main gun, destroying it, then continued back to the turn. Lieutenant Colonel Rutter identified the turn meanwhile First Lieutenant Johnson's platoon remained at the overpass where the artillery fore had been directed to prevent reseeding of the defensive position around it. Later in the evening as the main body passed through the Task Force S3 directed the platoon to secure the confusing turn - the place where the air defense gun had been destroyed. Lt Johnson's platoon manned the position all night and into the morning as the Task Force, with Patriot Battery and Artillery Battalion in tow moved through. The Task Force column, minus Team A and the Forward Aid Station slithered around the south side of the city, gladly watching the lights of Objective Chatham fade away into the night. The Task Force escaped with no casualties and no lost equipment. Enemy Killed in Action is estimated in excess of 150, with many buildings and numerous vehicles also destroyed. It was clear the Main Supply Route through As Samawah required Coalition forces to further secure it. But the Task Force had to continue the attack north, where more important missions waited.
What had been previously envisioned as a tactical road march with unlikely enemy contact had turned into two night time firefights and a hasty attack with field artillery preparation. The division would ultimately make the decision to cease movement along this section of Highway 8 until addtional forces could be committed to its security.
The Task Force pressed on, exhausted, toward the next refuel site.
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