Rocket chasing Airmen protect IZ

Published June 17, 2008
By Tech. Sgt. Amanda Callahan
447th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs

INTERNATIONAL ZONE, Baghdad, Iraq -- It starts with a boom or a crash. Airmen of the 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, Detachment 4, rip into action anytime they hear a boom or a crash. Many are barely out of high school, but they patrol the streets of Baghdad's International Zone and perform as first responders after every rocket or mortar attack and for every vehicle accident within the boundaries of the "green zone."

The unit's primary mission is to provide law and order to the International Zone. According to Senior Master Sgt. Clayton Christiansen, the security forces manager for Detachment 4 who is deployed with many of his Airmen from Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom, that mission is significantly different from a standard Air Force security forces mission.

"Typically, when you go to an Air Force installation, and you see the badge-wearers, you see Security Forces manning the gates and working the flightline. Of course, the only flightline we have here is Washington [landing zone]," he continued, "We're able to primarily focus on just the law and order aspect of the International Zone's overall security posture, and with that comes everything in the spectrum of law enforcement, from responding to major and minor vehicle accidents, theft of government and personal property, larceny, counterfeiting, assaults - you name it, we deal with it, and that's our primary mission."

The detachment's secondary mission, responding to indirect fire attacks on the IZ, takes the Airmen into situations that many other Airmen do not see.

Sergeant Christiansen added that ambulatory services and other traditional first responders do not respond until after the 732nd ESFS Airmen have assessed the situation following an attack.

"Of course, we don't clear UXOs, but our Airmen make the initial assessment, along with looking for the impact site, securing the area, evacuating personnel. They also look for the injured." He said all members of the detachment are combat life-saver certified, making them qualified to start treatment on injured civilians and servicemembers on scene.

With two very significant focuses, the Airmen never know what each day will bring. The chaotic scenes they try to contain range from minor fender benders to the carnage and destruction of rocket attacks. For these Airmen, the scenarios they've seen are burned into their memories, with each location bringing back the emotions and adrenaline of the event.

"This is the one," said Tech. Sgt. John Carter, the mid-shift flight chief, as he pointed to a charred area of asphalt in the middle lane of highway, "This is probably one of the hardest ones for our guys." He went on to tell of the team's response to a 240 millimeter rocket attack. "A guy was traveling this way," he continued, motioning in the direction of traffic now traveling the highway. "It hit his gas tank. He was burning alive."

Sergeant Carter, also deployed from RAF Mildenhall, told the story of the man his Airmen tried to save, but couldn't. "They tried to put it out, but we had five people who had taken fragmentation; some to the face, some to the legs." He and his team also had the added stress of keeping the wife of the man and his son out of danger. "I was the on-scene commander trying to tell people what to do, the wife was screaming, wanting to get to her husband, and I told my guys 'absolutely not, do not let her come up here and see that.' Then, you have the son, who's trying to get to his dad; we're trying to hold him back. He's got fragmentation in him, and I have all my guys directing traffic, healing the wounded, doing all that; it was just insane."

He was sympathetic to the family of the man who lost his life that day.

"There's no way you can console someone like that. There's no way possible," he somberly said.

Each member of the detachment has their own "most memorable" experience, whether it's a particular traffic stop, eating dinner with Iraqi families or one of the numerous rocket attacks. For most, it's the rocket attacks. During their rotation, they have had numerous, some coming close enough to feel their insides vibrate from the impact.

The detachment has a tool to help one another through the close calls. They are a close-knit team who keep a close eye on one another. They've dubbed themselves "Rocket Chasers," and they have been through a lot in the months they've been in the IZ.

"We've chased down 200 or so rockets while we've been here. While we're running towards it, other people are running away," said Tech. Sgt. Michael Perez, 732nd ESFS day shift flight chief, deployed from RAF Mildenhall. He told of a rocket attack he and his team responded to. After arriving on scene, the team was hit with a second volley of rockets, leaving the defenders in a sea of emotion.

"It wasn't the actual explosion, or the fact I was scrambling on the floor trying to low crawl to get out of there. Once we got away, I'm sitting there lighting up my cigar - we only smoke cigars when it's close or when we're going home - but I'm looking around at my team and I'm evaluating them, and I see them shaking, and I see our interpreters crying, I go over there and console them, being responsible for them. You get a little closer. It's like a family, and I felt like that was a close one and one of my sons or brothers could get hurt."

As one of the few NCOs in the detachment, he, like the others, can't seem to help questioning their actions, whether the situation is within their control or not.

"Seeing them all shook up, some cut, seeing some of them go to the hospital, getting checked out - you question yourself, even though you had no control over the situation, 'if I could've done this; if I pulled out a couple minutes earlier,'" he said with sadness in his eyes.

In addition to the draining task of responding to such scenes, the unit performs basic law enforcement functions in the five square miles within the IZ.

They set up random traffic control points to check for proper badges , weapons and contraband and escort violators from the premises. They make traffic stops for speed violations. Many times during their law enforcement stops, they aren't dealing with other military members, adding to the challenges of the job.

"You're talking about five square miles with a population of a little more than 35,000," stated Sergeant Christiansen. "That's Iraqis, Coalition, U.S.; if you break it down further, you're talking [Department of State], [Department of Defense], United Nations ... so the challenge is getting everyone to understand our mission is law and order."

Detachtment 4 Airmen also play a role in advising Iraqi police during their traffic stops.

"When they [the Iraqi Police] come out with us, they learn," added Sergeant Carter. "They see what we do. We've had them out a number of times on our TCPs, and they'll get right there with you. They want to learn exactly what we're doing so they can do it when we leave, which is a good thing for them. I'm glad to see they want to come out and get involved."

The 40-plus member detachment is deployed to fill an "in lieu of" tasking, performing missions that traditionally fell into the Army's scope of responsibility. These Airmen perform the mission well, receiving accolades and awards from the Army unit they work closest with.

"In the five months we've been here, we've had nine of our folks named [Joint Area Support Group] Soldier or NCO of the month," said Sergeant Christiansen. "This also included one company grade officer of the month and one JASG Soldier of the quarter. The Army recognizes the hard work and mission accomplishment our men and women have put forth. I'm very happy with the way the Army has embraced the mission we provide here in the IZ and recognized the outstanding job of our Airmen; it truly makes for a positive joint experience."

The Airmen see just how positive the experience is, as well. Despite the devastation they've seen, many Airmen in the detachment said they would volunteer to do it again.

"This is definitely enhanced how I feel about this career field," said Airman 1st Class James Prather, also deployed from RAF Mildenhall. "It showed me just how modular our career field is, how we're able to adapt and change and take care of multiple situations.
This place is a perfect example; we're out here doing beat work, standard cop work, on top of rocket response. You're not going to find any other cops out there anywhere who are responding to 240 rocket attacks."