Golden Dragons

Dragons and Citizens Stand Together Following Terrorist Attack

Friday, 15 February 2008 By Spc. Aaron Rosencrans
2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs

CAMP TAJI — Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers recently conducted a consequence management mission, visiting local leaders of Fourteenth Ramadan, northwest of Baghdad.  The Company C, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team “Warrior”, 25th Infantry Division, Soldiers conducted the mission in response to the recent assassination of one of the town’s local leaders. 

“We visited to show our condolences for the loss of their local leader,” said 1st Lt. Marc Dudek, a native of Midlothian, Texas, platoon leader, 2nd Platoon, Company B, 1st Bn. “We did this to let them know we care and want to continue to work with them to bring security and stability to the town.” 

The mission was part of an effort to encourage local leaders to continue to take a stand against terrorists in their area. 

“We want to make sure the people of Fourteenth Ramadan are not intimidated by the attack and to show them the Coalition forces are willing to protect them at all costs,” Dudek said. “Also, we went to show them that we are not intimidated by the terrorist attacks and will continue to work with the local leaders to bring security and stability to the area.” 

While in the area, leaders spent some time talking about the situation in Fourteenth Ramadan and the needs of the community. 

“All I care about is being able to have my children be able to go to school and come back home safely,” said a local leader. “I want my tribesmen and workers to be able to go to work and return home to their families every day safely.” 

In response, Capt. Logan Veath, a native of Chadron, Neb., commander, Co. B, 1st Bn., said the local leaders need to work together with the Coalition forces to bring that kind of security and stability to the area. 

The leadership said the attack in Fourteenth Ramadan was almost the same as a direct attack on them. 

“The leaders of (1st Bn., 14th Inf. Regt.) take it personally when tragedies like this happen in their area of operation,” said Dudek.

Dragons capture key IED cell member

Stryker Soldiers capture IED cell member
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO

BAGHDAD – Soldiers with Multi-National Division – Baghdad captured a suspected key member of an improvised explosive device ring Feb. 19.

Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 14th infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, “Warrior,” 25th Infantry Division, detained the suspect near the Nassir Factory, northwest of Baghdad.

The suspect is allegedly an al-Qaeda member and IED facilitator that is part of a terrorist IED ring.

He is suspected of multiple IED attacks against Coalition and Iraqi Security forces. 

The suspect is being held for further questioning.

Dragons find weapons cache

BAGHDAD – Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers seized munitions northwest of Baghdad Feb. 18.

Soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, MND-B acted on a tip from an Iraqi citizen and found the munitions.

The munitions consisted of two each 132 mm and 105 mm artillery rounds; one 120 mm round; 17, 18-pound bombs; two 90 mm artillery rounds; one 30 mm artillery round; and seven speed bump improvised explosive devices.

An explosive ordnance disposal team conducted a controlled detonation of the munitions.

“Finding and destroying these caches continue to degrade terrorist operations,” said Maj. Al Hing, a 2nd SBCT spokesperson. “Every operation we execute brings increased security for the Iraqi people.”

Dragons Visit Town to Show They Care

Feb-14-2008 » Filed Under: 2/25 SBCT

By Spc. Aaron Rosencrans, 2/25 SBCT PAO

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team “Warrior,” 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, conducted a consequence management mission and visited local leaders of Fourteenth Ramadan, northwest of Baghdad, Feb. 8.

The mission was in response to the recent assassination of one of the town’s local leaders.

“We visited to show our condolences for the loss of their local leader,” said 1st Lt. Marc Dudek, a native of Midlothian, Texas, platoon leader, 2nd Platoon, Company B, 1st Bn. “We did this to let them know we care and want to continue to work with them to bring security and stability to the town.”

The mission was part of an effort to encourage local leaders to continue to take a stand against terrorists in their area.

“We want to make sure the people of Fourteenth Ramadan are not intimidated by the attack and to show them the coalition forces are willing to protect them at all costs,” Dudek said. “Also, we went to show them that we are not intimidated by the terrorist attacks and will continue to work with the local leaders to bring security and stability to the area.”

While in the area, leaders spent some time talking about the situation in Fourteenth Ramadan and the needs of the community.

“All I care about is being able to have my children be able to go to school and come back home safely,” said a local leader. “I want my tribesmen and workers to be able to go to work and return home to their families every day safely.”

In response, Capt. Logan Veath, a native of Chadron, Neb., commander, Co. B, 1st Bn., said the local leaders need to work together with the coalition forces to bring that kind of security and stability to the area.

The leadership said the attack in Fourteenth Ramadan was almost the same as a direct attack on them.

“The leaders of (1st Bn., 14th Inf. Regt.) take it personally when tragedies like this happen in their area of operation,” said Dudek.

Dragon pix

Charlie Company, 4th Platoon walk a patrol around the Joint Security Station Mushahidah, Iraq

Pfc. Austin Melton takes a break

Spc. Felton Howard walks a patrol

More information and pictures can be found here.

(hat tip to Major Jim Craig, XO 1-14 Infantry, Camp Taji, Iraq)

Camp Taji

The Golden Dragons are part of the  25th Infantry Division's 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat team, led by Col. Todd B. McCaffrey. They relieved the 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Jan. 15 at Camp Taji north of Baghdad.

The following excerpt is from GlobalSecurity.org

In mid-September 2004, as part of an Army-wide effort to give its facilities around Baghdad friendlier connotations, and try to resolve the issue of constantly-changing facility names, Camp Cooke was renamed Camp Taji, with its Arabic translation "Camp Taji".

The quality of life at Camp Taji gets better every day. The Camp now has the Largest PX in Iraq , which has a Subway, Burger King and Pizza Hut. They also have a newly built dining facility, which is three times larger and the food selection is unbelievable. There are several Gyms and MWR facilities where soldiers can exercise, watch movies or sporting events and play games. Soldiers live in air-conditioned and heated trailers, have hot showers and can eat four meals a day in the new dining facility.

Soldiers on Camp Taji had a lot to celebrate on a day full of Thanksgiving activities with the grand opening of a new post exchange and dining facility 25 November 2004. The new exchange boasts 29,000 square feet of retail space. The additional space gave the exchange the ability to add merchandise that previous locations on Camp Taji were unable to accommodate. The construction of the facility took over two months to complete with employees and contractors working through the night to ensure the store's opening in conjunction with the Thanksgiving holiday. It will be able to serve over 1,000 soldiers at a time and up to 14,000 soldiers in a day. The facility is named the Command Sgt. Maj. Eric Cooke Sports Zone. It pays homage to the former command sergeant major of the 1st Armored Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team, who was killed on Christmas Eve 2003 while visiting his soldiers.

From office supplies, to combat boots, war is hell on equipment. Without the right equipment, performing one's mission at best can be difficult.at worst, impossible. With operations that run around the clock, soldiers of the Headquarters Company and 239th Military Intelligence Company supply sections ensure Bowie Brigade troopers always have the proper equipment. The sign attached to the wooden fence in front of the non-descript warehouse belies the building's true purpose. "Welcome to Little Rock!" the stenciled letters read, the only indication that this particular warehouse is different on the long stretch of road dotted with similar buildings. The 239th MI Co. and the brigade's HHC (Headquarters Company) are responsible for the issue, maintenance and accounting of all OCIE (Organizational Clothing, Individual Equipment).

Housed in an unassuming concrete structure, the remnant of a prior regime, a small group of men humbly awaits their next mission. Their job requires strength, humility, teamwork and courage. They are the firefighters of Camp Taji. Assembled from the Puerto Rico National Guard's 215th Engineering Detachment and Massachusetts-based Army Reserve units, the 287th and 356th Engineering Detachments, the 1st Cavalry Division fire-fighters on Camp Taji play a pivotal role as first responders to a variety of situations ranging from hazardous material clean-up to crash and rescue services.

Back home, their civilian occupations are as varied as the states they come from, but they all have one thing in common: they all know how to push cement. Soldiers of the 980th Engineer Battalion (Combat Heavy) attached to the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, layed the foundation for an airfield expansion at Camp Taji in October 2004. The 980th is a reserve battalion headquartered in Austin, Texas with subordinate units in San Antonio and Seagolville. They are between the combat engineers who are pushing stuff out of the way and the more permanent type of construction performed by the Corps of Engineers. They have the skills to support long-term construction projects. Compared to previous projects, their current mission is by far the largest since they were deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II. Their mission is to construct an expansion apron and they poured in the neighbor of 40 acres of concrete. The project included building demolition, grading, concrete placement and apron construction. When the project was completed they had poured over 50,000 cubic feet of cement.

Thanks a charity organization called the Freedom Calls Foundation, soldiers stationed in Taji can talk to loved ones back home free of charge. The facility offers 30 phones, 4 video conferencing stations, 10 video email stations, and 40 computers with email and internet access.

Inside Camp Taji there is the Taji Training Center which trains new Iraqi military recruits (Jundis or privates). As of February 2006, about 2,000 Iraqis have been trained at Taji. U.S. soldiers were mainly responsible for training the Jundis in the early stages of the occupation. More recently, U.S. forces seve a more advisory role with the responsibility of basic training being primarily tasked with Iraqi instructors. At Taji, Jundis learn how to man checkpoints, clear rooms, perform first aid, marksmanship and drill and ceremony.

As the partnership between the Iraqi army and Coalition Forces grows each day, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers poured more than $3.5 million into the local Iraqi community to open a renovated Iraqi army theater and two renovated health clinics. The theater is now available to the 15,000 Iraqi troops who call Camp Taji their home. The facility not only improves the quality of life for the troops, but also cements a friendship growing between Coalition Forces and the Iraqi army. The Taji Cinema, which was essentially destroyed during the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom, had the old roof removed and replaced, 500 seats re-upholstered and a new restroom area with eight toilets installed. The project cost $754,000 and took almost seven months to complete. This facility will offer many activities, ceremonies and show a lot of training videos to train the Iraqi army and the new Iraq.

In addition to the theater, two 143-square-meter health clinics have been built. The $3 million project gives Iraqi soldiers accessibility to medical clinics with some of the latest equipment in medical technology.

Sons of Iraq help the Dragons

Sons of Iraq turn in cache

Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO

BAGHDAD – Members of the the Sons of Iraq, turned in a weapons cache to Coalition Forces near Mushada Feb. 6.

The contents of the cache included 67, 80mm projectiles; eight 90mm projectiles; miscellaneous ordinance; four speed-bump-type unfinished improvised-explosive devices; and five homemade rocket launchers.

The contents of the cache were turned over to Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.

An explosive ordnance disposal detachment was able to successfully recover and destroy the contents of the cache.

This is part of Operation Phantom Phoenix -- the on-going offensive operation to kill or capture al-Qaeda and Shia/Sunni extremists, to deny them rest and sanctuary in Baghdad, and the surrounding rural areas.

The Boys are back in town

Converted to a Stryker Brigade after they left Iraq in January, 2006, the Dragons are back in Iraq.

And they are already making a difference

Tribal Sheik turns in two weapons caches
  By 2nd Stryker BCT PAO, 25th Inf. Div.
        Jan 26, 2008 - 5:59:52 PM

Blackanthem Military News
CAMP TAJI, Iraq - Multi-National Division - Baghdad Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, of the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, and Iraqi Army Soldiers were directed to a weapons cache by a Tribal Sheik leader in Tarmiya Jan. 14.
 
Contents of the cache included a car bomb, 44 blocks of TNT, four 122mm mortars and seven large containers of home made explosives.
 
Sheik Imad Sa'ed Jassim turned in another large cache Jan. 6 to U.S. and Iraqi Army Soldiers consisting of 100 anti-personnel mines, 20 anti-tank mines, 12 rockets and 12 155mm artillery rounds.
 
"Terrorists only hurt us and we don't hurt anyone," Sheik Jassim said. "I want the people of Tarmiyah to live free and to be happy."
 
Both caches were turned over to the Iraqi Army for disposal.

Photos from Taji

Huber Heights, Ohio native, Command Sgt. Maj. Carl K. Morgan, command sergeant major of the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, "Warrior," 25th Infantry Division, discusses firing points and training at Joint Security Station Mushahda Jan. 14. Morgan stopped at JSS Mushahda to see how his Solders were doing. This was the first stop of three to visit with Soldiers and local citizens in the brigade's area of operation.

San Antonio, Texas native, Staff Sgt. Adrian Gonzalez, combat medic, with the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, "Warrior," 25th Infantry Division Personal Security Detachment (right), and Houston, Texas native, Staff Sgt. Wesley Drake, radio operator, with the 2nd SBCT, 25th Inf. PSD, interact with local Iraqi children Jan. 14, during a patrol through the Taji Market. Gonzalez said he loves interacting with the kids when he goes out on missions. It was apparent the children loved it when he visited, because the kids were cheering "Gonzo, Gonzo, Gonzo," a nickname he told the kids to call him, as he walked the street.

New Orleans, La. native, Sgt. Tyrel Tierney, patrol leader, with the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, "Warrior," 25th Infantry Division Personal Security Detachment, takes a moment to look for a couple gifts for his two girls back home during a patrol through the Taji Market Jan. 14. Tierney said he misses his daughters and tries to find them gifts whenever he gets a chance.

New Orleans, La. native, Sgt. Tyrel Tierney, patrol leader, with the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, "Warrior," 25th Infantry Division Personal Security Detachment, finds a familiar state name on a tag in a shop at the Taji Market. He immediately pointed it out to the shop owners and explained Mississippi is a state in the U.S.

Tracy, Calif. native Jonathan Cuha, infantryman, with Company C, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, "Warrior," 25th Infantry Division, scans the retina of a Concerned Local Citizen Jan. 14. The concerned local citizens work to help the government of Iraq, local leaders and the security forces secure and continue to bring stability to their area.

judythpiazza@newsblaze.com

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