Golden Dragons

Dragons Free a Sheikh

The Long War Journal is featuring another story by Nathan Webster who is on the ground in Iraq reporting on our Dragons. And again, Captain Loftis and Alpha Company are the stars:

TARMIYAH, IRAQ: A “keystone moment” in the recent turnaround to a relative calm in Tarmiyah was the February release of local tribal leader Sheikh Sa’ed Jassim, held for 11 months in US detention.

US Army Captain Christopher Loftis helped make the decision to free Jassim, but only after Jassim’s son persuaded Loftis that his father would improve the relationship between Americans and Iraqis in this area 25 miles north of Baghdad.

Letting Jassim go home was a risk. It appears to have paid off.

Loftis’ unit, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion/14th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, arrived in Tarmiyah in December 2007. Jassim’s son Imad had stood up the local Sons of Iraq security group in October, but he told Loftis, unless his father was released, he didn’t think he could or would much longer lead the group. The Sons of Iraq are one of several such civilian town watches patrolling Iraqi communities against al Qaeda and other threats. For about $300 a month, paid but not armed by the US, these local Iraqis man small checkpoints across the city.

“Imad tried to strong-arm me,” Loftis recalled. “He was using a lot of ultimatum language. I pushed back, and there was a lot of back-and-forth.”

Although the unit that preceded Alpha Company also supported Jassim’s release, Loftis was initially unsure of Imad’s assessment of his father’s influence in the area, and how significant his release would be. He certainly was not eager to help release a man caught financing the local activities of al Qaeda in Iraq and detained by the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior in late 2006.

“He financed al Qaeda in Iraq,” Loftis said. “He took US money for civil contracts and some of that money went to al Qaeda in Iraq.” It can be seen in black-and-white, but in Iraq nothing ever is.

Read the whole thing

Nathan also filed a report on July 3rd:

TARMIYAH, IRAQ: Sons of Iraq groups in Tarmiyah are succeeding “because they’re starting to assert themselves,” according to US Army Capt. Christopher Loftis, commander of Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division.

Loftis’ unit has manned a Joint Security Station here in Tarmiyah since December, and they’ve seen how its complicated politics works.

Now, because of tips from the Sons of Iraq members, many weapons caches have been discovered and reported throughout the region. In some cases Sons of Iraq members, many of whom are former insurgents, probably revealed their own caches to gain credibility or reward money, US soldiers say, but weapons off the market are a small victory all the same.

Many other caches, however, were long-term storage sites hidden by committed al Qaeda in Iraq members. Several searches in February and March revealed hundreds of pounds of homemade explosives, US-made weapons, and at one locations, chemicals to help kidnapping. One cache contained a Dishka anti-aircraft weapon.

Tips from local Iraqis, made to their locally-grown Sons of Iraq – “Sahwa” - groups, have led to many of the most impressive caches.

The Sons of Iraq members “know who the bad guys are,” Loftis said. “I would say most of them don’t like coalition forces, but they’ll work with us because it accomplishes their end goals.”

...That is the heart of the reconciliation effort the US soldiers are in the middle of..

But, it’s not so easy. The long-term solution must be to bring the Sons of Iraq into the central government control, either as police or soldiers. That means Sunni areas like Tarmiyah must work with the Shiite government in Baghdad.

In the short term, that level of national reconciliation is “impossible,” said Sheikh Imad, through a translator. “I have tried to get my men hired as policemen. Since October (when the Sons of Iraq began here), not one man has been hired.”

He calls Loftis a “brother” and worries what will happen when Alpha Company is replaced early next year. He does not seem to regard the US-paid Sons of Iraq as a short-term transition, but as a long-term means to protect Sunni areas against Shiite persecution. He does not want the US presence or paychecks here to end anytime soon.

Again, read the whole thing

Captain Christopher Loftis: “Al Qaeda isn’t coming back.”

TARMIYAH, IRAQ: Destroying a nondescript hut, made of mud and thatched straw, might have seemed a devastating overstatement. But according to US Army Captain Christopher Loftis, its destruction will show the local residents “Al Qaeda isn’t coming back.”

Loftis commands Alpha Company 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment of the 25th Infantry Division, based in Tarmiyah, Iraq, about 25 miles north of Baghdad. On June 7, members of the 66th Engineer Company, part of the 25th Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade, used nearly 150 pounds of C-4 explosives to destroy the former al Qaeda cache house in the farmland area north of Tarmiyah.

Back in 2007, when al Qaeda in Iraq was dominant here, this was one of the worst areas for the insurgency.

Because of the houses’s bad reputation – when raided, chemicals used for kidnappings were discovered – rehabilitating it is not an option, Loftis said. “Local Iraqis didn’t come out this way unless they wanted to get kidnapped and beheaded,” he said.

Read the whole story by Nathan Webster at The Long War Journal

Dragons Build Relations in Tarmiyah

Courtesy Story
Posted on 06.17.2008 at 02:27PM

By 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – As an elected official, it is important to support all of the people who live and work within the political boundaries of responsibility.
            
Hussein al-Tahan, governor of Baghdad, proved his dedication to the areas of Mushada and Tarmiyah, northwest of Baghdad, June 13, with visits in the area and attendance to the first Joint Rural Planning Committee at Bukhari Hall in Tarmiyah.
            
The meeting brought together leaders from the Tarmiyah Qada, members of the Provincial Council and a special visit from al-Tahan. It served as a forum for local leaders in the area to discuss specific issues and get feedback directly from the decision makers in Baghdad.
            
“This (meeting) was very successful,” Maj. Todd Woodruff, a native of Bollingbrook, Ill., said.
            
Woodruff, the executive officer for 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, “Golden Dragons,” 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, “Warrior,” 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad said this meeting was mostly about relationship building, mentioning that the Qada council members have met with Baghdad officials in Bagdad, but this meeting was the first time those officials were invited to Tarmiyah to meet.
            
“This was an opportunity to show them that Tarmiyah is safe and secure and the markets are open for business,” he said. “It also shows that the area is ready to receive funding from the Baghdad province and the government of Iraq and they are ready to start moving forward on large scale projects.”
            
The officials discussed many projects to include improvements to the healthcare system, education system, agriculture, roads and electricity.
            
“These are things, that in the past, due to poor security, probably would not have succeeded,” Woodruff said.
            
With security gains in Tarmiyah taking center stage, al-Tahan further encouraged partnership between councils in the area and coalition forces.
            
While al-Tahan praised the efforts by American forces, he emphasized that only Iraqis truly know what they need and should have more input on the projects chosen and the leaders in the area should take charge.

Woodruff described the meeting as mostly ceremonial, but a good forum to “air initial thoughts” and attributes talking between the small groups to get the job done in the future.
            
“It means that the projects that are currently Iraqi funded and coalition force lead and coordinated will start shifting,” he said. “It will turn so that Iraqi money will be allocated and coordinated by Iraqis, and these projects will become Iraqi spearheaded. This meeting demonstrated that they are more than capable of doing that.”

Video: Dragons and the Sons of Iraq

Package about the role the Sons of Iraq play in providing security to their own neighborhoods. Produced by Sgt. Pesta and Spc. Herrera. Also see "Sons of Iraq and Security in Tarmiyah" in the B-roll section.

Video Location:
IQ||Taji

Unit(s) Involved:
• 1st Bn., 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division (, US)

Interviewee(s):
• Sheik  Monasem Rasheed Lateef (Taji, IQ),
  SOI Leader
• 1st Lt. Derek Curry (Charleston, SC, US),
  Platoon Leader

Submitting Unit:
Multi-National Division Baghdad

Watch Video

Sgt. Michael Makela

Sgt. Michael Makela, a native of Monroe, Mich., and team leader with Troop A, 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team "Warrior," 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division-Baghdad, scans the streets of Tarmiyah April 18 during a joint patrol with Iraqi security forces. Business has returned to normal in the markets of Tarmiyah after criminal activities are on the decrease in recent months due to constant patrols of Iraqi security and coalition forces in the area. (U.S. Army photo/Sgt. Daniel Blottenberger)

Dragons Capture Key Criminal

Multi-National Division – Baghdad

BAGHDAD – Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers captured the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team’s number two key criminal in Tarmiyah, northwest of Baghdad, May 31.

The Soldiers from 14th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, MND-B, captured the criminal during operations in the Tarmiyah area.

The criminal is the suspected head of an improvised explosive device manufacturing and emplacing cell that operated near Taji and is responsible for the deaths of numerous Iraqi civilians and members of the Iraqi security force.

He is also linked to the bombing destruction of the Taji Bridge over the Grand Canal that killed several and wounded more Iraqi civilians.

“The Golden Dragon Soldiers went after and captured this [criminal], whose murderous past has finally caught up with him,” said Maj. Al Hing, spokesperson for 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, “Warrior.” “We are continuing to bring those criminals to justice to face the Iraqi people for their atrocities they inflicted on the people of Iraq. His past actions have deliberately tried to hurt leaders and prevent Iraq from moving toward success. The continuing efforts to remove [these criminals] are crucial to provide a safe, secure Tarmiyah and Iraq. “

The captured criminal is currently being held for questioning.

Dragons preside over peace in Tarmiyah

By Sgt. Daniel Blottenberger
18th Military Police Brigade

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq – The citizens of Tarmiyah have seen a substantial reduction in violence over the past four months, which can readily be seen throughout the vibrant market places midday on April 17 as consumers packed the markets to purchase needed goods from vendors.

“Things have been very quiet in Tarmiyah over the past four months,” said Staff Sgt. Mikey Fernandez, who is attached to Troop A, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team “Warrior,” 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad.

“You would not see the markets the way they are now four months ago. The people of Tarmiyah are no longer afraid to come out of their homes,” added the New York native.

Fernandez said he credits the city’s success in fighting violence to the fact that the Iraqi army, Iraqi police and Sons of Iraq in Tarmiyah are all working together to reduce criminal activity in the area.

“The combination of the three – IA, IP and SoI – working together to improve security is what has helped decrease violence here in Tarmiyah,” said Fernandez, who mission is to oversee the Iraqi army training of the Iraqi police at the Tarmiyah local police station.

“There is a constant Iraqi security force presence in Tarmiyah,” he added.

There are SOI checkpoints set up down the winding roads on the way to the Tarmiyah city center, and ISF and CF security patrols constantly travel the routes while checking on security.

The ISF not only work together on the streets, but they also are seen working together while training to become more proficient in performing their missions.

Fernandez, an Iraqi police advisor, along with members of the 411th military police company police transition team, oversee the training of the Iraqi police force at the Tarmiyah Joint Service Station.

“There is no language barrier when the Iraqi army instructors teach the IP,” said Fernandez. “This makes the classes run smoother, and the IP respond very well to the IA instructors.”

The training consisted of foot patrol training, entry control point training, detainee operations, how to setup a security perimeter and room-clearing procedures.

Following the long day of training, Craig Chrissinger, an Iraqi police adviser, who oversees the training of the IP at the Tarmiyah station, sat down and conducted an after action review with the IP about the days training.

“They know the basics; they just need to keep practicing when they get chances to perfect their skills,” said Chrissinger, a native of Denver.

“The hardest thing to do is find time when the IP aren’t on shift to train them in advanced tactics to further their skills,” said Chrissinger.

At the end of the day, the IPs thanked the instructors before heading off on mission to further deter violence in their city.

The 411th Military Police Company, which oversees the Tarmiyah Iraqi police station, is deployed from Fort Hood, Texas, and is currently assigned to the 716th Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade, Multi-National Division – Baghdad.

Spc Buck

U.S. Army Spc. Rebecca Buck watches the street as she provides perimeter security outside an Iraqi police station in the Tarmiya Province of Iraq, on March 30, 2008. Buck is an Army medic from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division.    DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. William Greer, U.S. Air Force. (Released)

Safe Passage

MND-B Soldiers Save Lives by Keeping Route Safe

By Sgt. Jerome Bishop
2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Officer, 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – In mid-January, the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, “Warrior,” 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad lost its first Soldier during this deployment to Iraq.

He was killed when an improvised explosive device struck the Stryker he was riding in on a road referred to by the locals as “Death Road.”

Today, military and civilian traffic flows freely down this road northwest of Baghdad, linking the villages of Mushadah and Tarmiya, uninhibited by the threat of buried IEDs. This safe passageway can be attributed to the concerted efforts of MND-B Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd SBCT.

"Route Coyotes, within six or eight months ago, was referred to by the locals as 'Death Road,’ said 1st Lt. Daniel Laakso, a South Bend, Ind., native who serves as the platoon leader for the 1st Platoon, Company C, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment. “It was very seldom travelled by the locals, due to the threat of IEDs. It was a very dangerous road to travel on. There were IEDs going off on a very regular basis. If you drive up Route Coyotes today, you can see craters just lining the sides of the streets."

The Soldiers of Company C took action to secure Route Coyotes, exercising both kinetic and non-kinetic means to achieving their goals and securing a vital lifeline in the area.

Since the arrival of the 2nd SBCT, only one IED has gone off on Route Coyotes. Down the road from the location where the unit had its first casualty, Soldiers from Company C set up a patrol base in an old chicken coup, which the Soldiers refer to as Forward Operating Base Chicken, in order to maintain a constant presence in the area.

"Before we stood up this patrol base, Route Coyotes was my platoon's sector, and now it's more of a company effort,” said Laakso.

Laakso said his platoon conducted dismounted patrols daily, walking east and west, 25 to 300 meters north or south of the road, cleaning up command wire and displaying a presence in the area. The amount of wire they policed up was astounding.

"I'd say about at least once or twice a week we find something of some importance," said Spc. Eric Thorn, a native of Carmel, Ind., who serves as a team leader with 1st Plt., Company C.

"A lot of what we get is not from tips - it's just us getting out there and getting our hands dirty," he added.

While patrolling through the area to actively hunt and destroy enemy activity on Route Coyotes, the Soldiers of Company C also adopted a proactive non-kinetic approach by listening to the security concerns of the local citizens. This approach, such as a March 15 village assessment of Dawud al-Hasan, a village north of the route, allows the locals to pepper the Soldiers with their needs and develop a relationship with those ready to help.

"We did a village assessment, and I asked some of the standard questions about the sewage, water, electricity, and we stopped by the school and took notes of the area," Laakso said. "That really is more of the second order effect type of mission - going into a village, putting on a positive face on the coalition forces, letting them see the Iraqi army working with us, and letting the citizens know we're concerned in a face-to-face way, not just us driving up and down the road. It really gets the citizens involved in securing the area."

Although it's usually the senior leadership of the platoon getting face time with the locals, the rest of the Soldiers in the platoon know the importance of establishing good relations with the Iraqi population in the area.

"I think it's necessary," said Thorn. "In order to have security on Route Coyotes, you need to have sensing sessions with the villages around here. You need to know what their mindset is and what's going on with them. They're so close to the route, most within a kilometer or a kilometer and a half of Coyotes, and, if they aren't in good standing with us, then it's really easy for them to harbor either directly or indirectly AQI (Al Qaida in Iraq), and that impacts a great deal of safety on Route Coyotes."

Soldiers from Company C realize the hard work it takes in securing the route and acknowledge that a major reason that they are able to accomplish this task is due to their partnership with the Iraqi security forces.

Checkpoints are manned along Route Coyotes by Iraqi police and Sons of Iraq (Abna al Iraq) members, and Iraqi army soldiers patrol the area with coalition forces, ensuring that a concerted effort is ongoing to rid the area of IEDs and other criminal acts.

“They're actually pretty motivated to take over,” Laakso said, “so I'm going to grow who I can when I'm in contact with them so one day I can turn this area over to them.”

The past for Route Coyotes was a perilous one, but with the efforts of 1-14th Inf. Regt. and the ISF, the future of the road and Iraq is wide open.

Operation Forgiving Dragon

Detainees Released to Tarmiya, Taji

Thursday, 27 March 2008

By Maj. Allen Hing
2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs

CAMP  TAJI — Twenty-two detainees were released as part of Operation Forgiving Dragon, March 19.  Seven of the detainees were released back to the city of Tarmiya and the remaining 15 to Taji.  Both cities are located northwest of Baghdad. 

The Iraqi Army, Iraqi police and local leaders joined forces with Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team “Warrior,” 25th Infantry Division, to assist in taking the men back home.

Sheik Sa’ad Jassim warmly welcomed the seven former detainees back to Tarmiya. His words were firm to them.

“Some of you have done wrong, but it is time to put that in the past,” he said. “We thank the Americans for allowing you to return to Tarmiya – to your family. Your time in prison is done. It is time to move forward.”

With unanimous nods, the seven looked knowingly to their leader with acknowledgment that it was time to move forward.

Col. Tawfiq al Janabi, the chief of police, also welcomed the men back to Tarmiya.

“You have paid the price (for your transgressions),” he said, “and you have been given a second chance. It is time for you to be part of the ‘Tarmiya Family.’ Do as your pledges say – with honor and loyalty.”

Each man was required to sign an agreement that they would honor and follow the rule of law and commit no crimes against the government of Iraq or Coalition forces.

“I offer my hand in friendship,” said Lt. Col. Thomas Boccardi, a native of Colorado Springs, Colo., who serves as the commander of 1st Bn., 14th Inf. Regt., 2nd SBCT. “You will see me. I live here. Together, we can move forward.”

The seven stood and readily took his handshake. Among the applause and hugs, the men then joined their families.

“The release of these men today reflects the improving security conditions in this community,” said Col Todd McCaffrey, a native of Hudson, Ohio, and commander of 2nd SBCT. “Iraqi leaders and security forces are now capable of ensuring these returned men abide by the rule of law and can effectively reintegrate into this society.”