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U.S., Iraqi forces secure Iraqi village in nighttime op

  • Published
  • By Army Staff Sgt. Tim Sander
  • Expeditionary Times staff
JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq --  The massive blades of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter churned through the hot night air, throwing dust and rocks from a barren field into Soldiers' faces as it lifted into the dark sky.

As the dust settled, the U.S. Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, together with Iraqi army soldiers, started moving, using the dim green glow of their night-vision equipment to navigate through rugged terrain and into a their target village.

Their mission was to conduct a joint air assault with Iraqi Security Forces to deny anti-Iraqi forces freedom of movement while searching for weapon caches, said Army Sgt. 1st Class Peter Bjorklund, 2-320th FAR 2nd Platoon sergeant. A secondary goal was to provide the Iraqi army with valuable training in nighttime air assault missions.

Another benefit of the joint mission was that it built confidence among local Iraqis and the Iraqi army, said Army Sgt. Maj. Robert Levis, the 2-320th FAR operations sergeant major.

"The local citizens ... saw Iraqi soldiers, U.S. Soldiers and Airmen descend on their village from the sky as one team fighting the insurgency to secure Iraq," said Levis, a native of Clarksville, Tenn.

Army Capt. Rob Pratt, the commander of 2-320th FAR's Bravo Battery, said the results of missions like this are emerging as local Iraqi citizens increasingly provide the ISF with valuable information that leads to a safer Iraq.

"The overall perception of the population right now is, 'Hey, the Iraqi army is taking ownership,'" said Pratt, a native of Moorefield, W.V. One of the goals of coalition forces is to aid and reinforce that perception.

he nighttime air assault served other purposes as well as giving the Iraqi army valuable experience in nighttime air assault operations, Levis said.

"The air assault alone will motivate any Soldier, and to do it at night under night vision, really adds to (the Iraqi army soldiers') capabilities," he said.

Since the 2-320th FAR arrived in Iraq in September 2007, they have focused on securing the population and aiding the development of the ISF. Task Force "Balls" and the military transition team conduct joint patrols on a weekly basis to identify any shortcomings and prepare the Iraqi army to take the lead in winning the peace, Levis said. The efforts thus far have paid off.

"We've immensely reduced the enemy threat to the people of Iraq and personnel living on the local bases, and (we) continue to provide economic stability and assistance to the local government daily," Levis said.