Urban Ops in Baqubah, Iraq
Urban Operations by Greg Chabot
June of 2004 was a busy time for 2nd Platoon 2-197TH FA(MP) and for 3rd BCT 1ST ID. During this time frame Units were engaged in urban combat in and around Baqubah. Some of the heaviest fighting was in the middle of the month in Buhriz. Located 5 miles south of Baqubah, Buhriz had been a hotbed of insurgent activity and a thorn in the side of 3rd BCT. Throughout the entire deployment we would take indirect fire from the Buhriz AO. Some well-coordinated some not, a large majority of prisoners taken by Police and 1st ID Units were from Buhriz.
The town itself was semi- rural with palm groves and tall grass in some parts. With compounds and houses very close together. Buhriz favored the defending force. It was SOP to patrol heavy with IFVs and have fire support from TF-1/6 FA’s Paladins to rain down 155mms of hate if needed. A majority of 1/6 FA fire mission were counter battery on mortar/Rocket crews in the Buhriz area.
June 17th-19th saw some of the heaviest fighting in Buhriz. Prior to the 17th insurgents had taken over the town and destroyed the police station. Iraqi Police proved unable or unwilling to take back their station and town. It fell upon the 3rd BCT Dukes to take it back for them. The Operation was planned in two phases. The first was to Secure a new location for a Police station and to draw out insurgents and kill them. The second phase was to build up the defenses and turn the station back over to local police. I was on Force Protection at OP 2 as the Operation began at zero dark thirty. With Bradley IFVs leading the way to take back Buhriz. It was an impressive sight to see that much firepower rolling down the MSR. Curious onlookers were peering out their windows and I’m sure phone calls were being made to warn insurgent cells.
Early radio reports indicated the site of the station was secured and a perimeter was being set-up for Phase two. As the sun came up insurgents attempted to assault the station. Units on scene reported they were in contact and we could hear the fighting going on. Throughout the day my Platoon was on QRF and Casevac duty. We also increased Patrols throughout the city to prevent IEDs from being planted and to prevent the enemy from bringing supplies or reinforcements to Buhriz. Enemy activity tapered off towards the end of the day. A strict Dusk to Dawn Curfew was enforced throughout Baqubah. Extra patrols were assigned with the main focus being in the Shifta neighborhood and the Tahrir neighborhood. Shifta was considered US friendly and many local police made their homes there. We would conduct joint patrols to project force and to gather intel on enemy activity.
Tahrir was a different story throughout the deployment we would take fire from a section of apartments nicknamed “The Projects”. Residents of that neighborhood were openly hostile to Coalition forces. Incidents ranged from rock throwing and random gunfire to the occasional RPG or IED. One of the most cowardly things tried on US forces was having young children point realistic toy weapons at patrols to instigate incidents. Discipline and restraint prevented tragedy. The neighborhood itself was in disrepair with open sewers running down the middle of the streets and trash strew everywhere. The air was always thick with the stench of human waste and smoke. Paranoia was the norm for mounted or dismounted patrols as the threat of ambush or IED was very real, with deadly consequences. Tahrir was one of main rat lines to ferry arms and men into Diyala Province and home to quite a few IED makers as well. Cordon and search operations were conducted on a regular basis but failed to cut the Rat lines or slow the arms coming into Baqubah.
The Second Phase began on the 18th being a National Guard Unit we provided men with construction experience to help the Engineers get fortifications up and power for the station turned on. This was to be a joint effort with Iraqi Police. Everyone was expected to work including Police officers, two Iraqi Police Captains refused to lend a hand and were promptly fired. Throughout the day insurgents would harass the station with gunfire and RPGs from a graveyard near the station bordered by a palm grove. Troops at the station requested a Danger Close Fire mission which stopped the harassing fire. There were no US casualties. And most of the work was completed by US troops with very little help from our Iraqi allies.
On the 19th 1st ID and IPs began to Patrol Buhriz and skirmish with enemy forces for control of Buhriz.
3rd BCT Commander Col.Dana Pittard in a meeting with the provincial Governor and Tribal leaders told them unless the violence stopped. 3rd BCT would conduct a Brigade- sized Operation and go house to house to retake and control Buhriz no matter the cost. The meeting had the desired effect, insurgent activity tapered off and control of Buhriz was returned to Iraqi forces. In all 26 insurgents were KIA over the three-day period.
Fighting on the 24th Airstrikes in the City.
The city had been quiet for the past four days which was very unusual. At 0500hrs I was jarred awake by the sound of a mortar launch and impacts hitting our building. I remember opening my eyes seeing a flash hearing the blast and seeing sparks rising into the air. The blast broke the windows in my closet sized room the acrid smell of explosives permeating the air. I immediately got dressed and grabbed my weapon to stand-to. Another mortar round, landed outside my window thankfully it was a dud that only damaged a parked car. During headcount we found out SSG.Smialek had been wounded by shrapnel to the groin area. We were also briefed that the CMOC and Blue Dome were also taking fire.
I moonlighted as a SDM and was told to head up to the Eagle Nest to provide intel and engage targets of opportunity. During this time period there was no programs to train SDMs and no optics for our issued weapons. Guard Units had a serious lack of proper equipment. So like generations before we improvised. I had managed to scrounge a PSL and FN FAL from the Iraqi arms room and my Platoon used them as DMRs. The lack of Medium machine guns was so bad we used PKMs until 240Bs could be scrounged. On my own time I would train fellow soldiers on Soviet designed weapons so we could do our mission. The lack of proper equipment was so bad we would tape lights to our weapons to search buildings and use IP issued Glock 19 handguns as we had no M9s.
Arriving at the Eagles Nest with my PSL. I promptly ditched my helmet and armor and donned my do-rag to get comfortable. Spc.Schumacher was sent up to be my spotter. OP2 to our left began to engage a vehicle that had violated curfew and attempted to do a drive by shooting of IPs. The passenger jumped out with his AK and began to run towards some tall grass in an attempt to escape. I estimated he was 250 yards out, the light was very poor I took my time aiming got my breathing under control and fired hitting him center mass. The 7.62×54 taking him down. Spc.Schumacher verified my shot and reported it to the TOC, he also began to engage targets. We began to take incoming smallarms fire from “The Projects”. The TOC cleared all OPs to engage threats and anyone on a roof with a cellphone or weapon was fair game. I then engaged an insurgent on the roof of the projects who had a scoped rifle, hitting him. The IPs recovered the weapon and the body. The accurate and superior firepower from our positions overwhelmed the enemy and they broke contact.
1-6 FA Paladins at FOB Gabe were firing counter battery missions to try to stop the mortars that were impacting throughout the city the air was thick with dust from the impact of mortar rounds. Working with OP2 we managed to suppress harassing fire coming from Tahrir. The mortar fire had finally ceased due to counter battery fire. Taking advantage of the chaos, insurgent cells had set up in fortified positions near the dreaded Mufrek traffic circle. Another cell had setup at the soccer stadium and at a house across the street at an intersection between Old Baqubah and Tahrir in an attempt to cut the MSR. A patrol of Bradleys came under fire at both positions as did a patrol of up-armored Humvees. With IEDs being set off in attempts to take out vehicles. Feeling that an assault on the house and soccer stadium would cause needless casualties the decision was made to call in CAS to kill the insurgents in place. The TOC put out the word F16s would be doing passes over the city by 0800 hrs. 500lb bombs would be used, we were told to stay under cover. By this time our sector was eerily quiet, gunfire could be heard from the fighting at Mufrek circle. US troops were also engaging insurgents at the stadium to keep them contained for the airstrike.
Off in the distance I could hear the roar of a jet engine getting closer. I could just faintly make out a dot as the F-16 made the first run. Hearing a loud whoosh like sound then a loud boom the 500lb bomb hit right on target. A very large cloud of dust floated up from the stadium. The F-16 released flares and pulled around for another run. Scoring a direct hit on the house causing it to pancake. BDA coming over the radio reported no collateral damage and the MSR through the city was passible. The F-16 then made a few low level passes over the city and did a strafing run at Mufrek circle. This broke the resolve of the insurgent cell and they bugged out. Skirmishes peaked at around 1000hrs and fighting began to taper off. I spent most of the afternoon observing and doing overwatch for mounted and dismounted patrols near the station.
The destruction of the Stadium enraged the citizens of Baqubah who formed Ad-hoc Militias. ROE was changed and only armed people posing an immediate threat were to be engaged. Gunfire could be heard all over the city as citizens took their neighborhoods back from insurgents and their supporters. I observed well-armed folks driving by and waving as they went to fight. It amazed me with all the cordon and searches we did how many caches we must have missed. Local Police brought in some insurgents who barely escaped the Militia with their lives. The day ended on a high note with the insurgents being run out of Baqubah. Celebratory gunfire broke out in true Iraqi fashion. With a total disregard for the safety of others.
For many weeks after while patrolling past the site of the airstrike the smell of death hung very heavy in the air. SSG.Smialek recovered from his wounds and rejoined the platoon to finish the deployment.