A Saturday news release from Baghdad shows that soldiers from Fort Carson’s 3rd Brigade Combat are still seeing plenrty of fighting as they try to contain Shiite militants in Sadr City.

Pictures shot by the Air Force show soldiers from the 3rd Special Troops Battalion pulling guard duty as other members of the brigade erect concrete barriers on the fringes of the Shiite enclave run by cleric Muqtada Al Sadr. The walls have been used with success elsewhere. Too tall to climb and too heavy to easily move, the 14-foot tall barriers limit insurgent movement by containing them in their neighborhood.

The walls will allow the brigade to better control who is coming and going from Sadr City and help them clamp down on weapons, including rockets, that have been smuggled there.

But the Shiite Militias around Sadr City are still fighting, breaking months of calm in reaction to an Iraqi government crack down on militant groups. The mission to install the barriers was met w2ith heavy fighting, commanders in Baghdad said.

Here’s what military leaders said in a news release:

“Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldiers, in a combined operation with Iraqi Army soldiers, killed several criminals in eastern Baghdad after their convoy was attacked by multiple road side bombs, and small-arms fire from adjacent high rise buildings April 11.
At approximately 9 p.m., soldiers from 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division soldiers, supporting Iraqi Army soldiers from the 42nd Brigade, 11th IA Div., killed two criminal snipers, two criminals firing rocket propelled grenades, and multiple others from a nearby building where soldiers were taking RPG and machine gun fire.
At the same time, soldiers from 1-68 were transporting barriers, in support of Iraqi Army soldiers establishing a checkpoint, when two vehicles in the convoy were damaged when they struck more than six improvised explosive devices. Small-arms fire, including sniper fire, machine-gun fire and RPGs were fired from buildings overlooking the road. Iraqi Army soldiers and 1-68 soldiers immediately returned fire with 7.62mm and 25mm small arms, killing at least four Special Groups members.
Secondary explosions were observed from the building immediately after, possibly indicating arms and munitions were stored in the building.”
 

The 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment is still working hard in Mosul, 225 miles north of Baghdad. Commanders said this week that the place has calmed down considerably since January, when it was considered one of the most dangerous cities in Iraq. 

One soldier who e-mailed in confirmed that, sort of. “We aren’t getting incoming very often that I know of. But half the time I don’t think they sound the alarm,” he wrote.

In a satellite interview Tuesday, Col. John Hort said some of his soldiers in the 3rd Brigade Combat team probably aren’t calling home much these days.

The problem is tied to a six-day offensive in eastern Baghdad against Shiite radicals. Hort’s soldiers are tied down on the streets rather than living at bases or even more austere combat outposts where phones and Internet are available.

With headlines on the Baghdad offensive, a lack of contact from the front is probably giving many spouses a lot of worry. There’s reason for concern — the brigade has had 36 soldiers wounded.

Hort promised the troops will be back in touch as soon as he knows the neighborhoods in eastern Baghdad are calm again and soldiers can return to base.

“We’ll get them out of there as soon as we can,” Hort said.

Fort Carson soldiers are engaged in a desperate fight to put the lid on sectarian violence that is threatening to plunge Baghdad back into chaos.

Since last week, Baghdad has seen up to 47 attacks per day as enraged Shiites have entered a nationwide uprising. Soldiers from the 3^rd Brigade Combat Team, 4^th Infantry Division, including a battalion stationed just outside the Shiite stronghold of Sadr City, have been in the thick of it.

The new violence is something soldiers in the Fort Carson brigade have feared would happen. They have long worried that the delicate balance that was keeping a relative calm in the city through the winter months would be upset, throwing the neighborhoods they patrol back into the chaos of sectarian violence. It’s too soon to say whether this round of fighting will

Here’s a summary of some of the heavy combat faced by the brigade, which left Colorado for war in December. The summaries were released by commanders in Baghdad.

Friday in eastern Baghdad:

“During checkpoint inspections at approximately 11 p.m. militants attacked Soldiers from 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division with small-arms fire and rocket propelled grenades.

The Soldiers returned fire and killed seven.

At approximately 1 a.m., Soldiers from 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division identified two roadside bomb emplacers. The Soldiers killed the emplacers in an exchange of gun fire.”

Saturday in eastern Baghdad:

“After discovering an improvised explosive device in Baghdad’s Istaqlal district, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division soldiers came under small arms fire from individuals in a vehicle.

The Soldiers returned fire at the vehicle, killing two criminals and disabling the vehicle.”

Sunday in Istaqlal, 20 miles north of downtown Baghdad: 

“At approximately 1 a.m., a 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division patrol was attacked, and Soldiers pursued the criminals as they fled. An air weapons team arrived on scene to provide support. After positively identifying the attackers, the air weapons team engaged and killed the 12 individuals.”

The 1st Battalion, 68th Armored Regiment, part of Fort Carson’s 3rd Brigade Combat team has moved from Camp Taji to a combat outpost near Sadr City, the Army said in a weekend press release.

The battalion and the brigade’s headquarters are being pushed from Camp Taji, 20 miles north of Baghdad, into the city under a plan to put soldiers closer to the neighborhoods they police.

The move is made easier by an uneasy peace continued by Mahdi militia leader Muqtada Al-Sadr, who has extended his  cease-fire last month. But is also means that the battalion will be the first ones in the fight if the cease fire is lifted later this year.

Here’s the news release: 

COMBAT OUTPOST CALLAHAN, Iraq - The Multi-National Division - Baghdad Soldiers of Company F, 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, stationed at Combat Outpost Callahan, are ready to continue their vital resupply mission and to maintain their vigilance on security in the area.

            The Soldiers successfully made the move from Camp Taji March 7; their task is to provide sustainability for operations in the COP.

1st Sgt. Michael Young, Co. F, a Newport, R.I., native, said his Soldiers’ mission is to provide logistical support to 1-68 AR so it can conduct its mission. The company provides the fuel, maintenance support, mechanics, cooks, fuelers and transportation assets to keep the battalion moving.

“Without bullets, they’re not going to be able to fight; without food they’re not going to be able to sustain themselves and without fuel they’re not going to be able to get the vehicles running,” said Young.

Co. F is also in charge of security in COP Callahan, and most Soldiers are rotating for guard shifts.

“We’re on the lookout for people shooting rocket-propelled grenades at us, or have hostile intent, and keeping an eye for anything suspicious,” said Spc. Angel Marrero, a Pleasantville, N.J., native, who serves as truck driver.

Young said the noncommissioned officers under him understand the mission they have and are able to think ahead and pre-plan.

“In comparison to our last deployment, we had more downtime then,” said Young. “You don’t see a lot of Soldiers watching movies this time around. When they’re not sleeping, it’s because they’re working.”

“I do pretty much nothing else but work since I got here,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Joseph Bolte, a Marion, Kan., native, who serves as maintenance control technician for 1-68 AR.

Young said he understands the challenge during this deployment and he foresees it as one of great achievements.

“I think this deployment is going to push my NCOs way out of their limits,” said Young. “A year later, they’re going to look back and see a lot of growth. My Soldiers are the biggest asset. When I get back and retire, I’ll know the Soldiers in the support company I was under will be able to pick up”.

LANDSTUHL, Germany — It’s nearly impossible to boil down two months of life in Iraq into one blog entry. Trust me. I tried a few times over the last couple of days.

I left Iraq on Thursday and I’m still processing everything I experienced there.

Here are a few things I’m thinking about as I look back on the past two months:

Bravery — Soldiers in battle showed me what brave looks like. So did some Iraqis standing up for their communities in the face of death threats.

Poverty — Poverty remains Iraq’s biggest single challenge, because so many things must be fixed to change it. Even the rich neighborhoods are poor by American standards. Unemployment there easily tops anything in the American experience.

Loyalty — Troops are loyal to each other in a way that’s hard for an outsider to understand. They love each other like family. It’s why re-enlistment rates are so high and why these men and women will take great risks to save each others’ lives.

Insurgency — The insurgency may be depleted by America’s surge of troops into Iraq, but it’s still there. In Baghdad, insurgents are relying on scattered bombs and rocket and mortar attacks to continue their war. In Mosul, the insurgency is on full display, with large groups of insurgents ambushing American troops.

Drudgery — The life of the troops includes a ton of drudgery, from the soldiers guarding the gates of the Green Zone to the hurry-up-and-wait that’s common everywhere. The best motto I heard in Iraq: “Embrace the suck.”

Instability — Iraq remains unstable and locals say it probably will stay that way until the central government can meet the basic needs of the people. When the bombed-out buildings are bulldozed, when sewage quits running in the street and 24-hour electricity becomes a reality, locals say stability will have arrived.

Opportunity — Iraq is a land of opportunity. On top of its wealth of oil, it has the most fresh water any nation in the region, tons of arable land and a work force willing to do almost anything for a dinar. It could be prosperous and peaceful. The question among troops is whether the will is there to make it happen.

Practicality — This is practicality in practice: One soldier said of mud that pervades Iraq after just a few raindrops, “when it dries it’s just dirt.”

Uncertainty — The uncertain future of Iraq and American involvement there grinds on soldiers. They remain unsure of Iraqi progress and America’s commitment to the war. They want to go home for good someday soon and spend years with the families they miss so much, but are uncertain whether they will come home as victors in Iraq or if their work will hit the history books as an American defeat.

The bottom line:

Tired soldiers and airmen are doing more than any taxpayer could have expected when this war began in 2003. In the vacuum left by an ineffective central government and five years of insurgency, they’re the diplomats, planners and re-builders. They’re still fighting shadowy enemies while filling non-traditional roles in a bid to win the peace in a desperate land.

I’m not paid to judge whether the war is right or wrong.  I went to Iraq to show people how soldiers and airmen live, work and think.  I hope my coverage accomplished that.

I’m glad I’m headed home.  But I will miss covering their work.

The Air Force doesn’t get much credit in Iraq, but it’s pulling down a lot of work over here.From running the hospital here at Balad Air Base, to escorting convoys carrying bullets and food to soldiers, the service has a number of crucial on-the ground roles at this point in the war.

It also brings firepower that can end a firefight. Fighters rocket off the airway at Balad frequently on their way to places such as Mosul, where bombs can mean a quick end to vicious firefights.

Army folks are pretty envious of their airmen comrades, and often gripe about the Air Force members shorter wartime tours, most of which run six months or less compared to the Army’s current 15. They also think the Air Force lives better than they do while deployed.

In some cases they are right. Balad Air Base is relatively mud-free and life here is better than it is for the infantry grunts manning combat outposts around the country and sleeping on cots every night. Balad isn’t a Holiday Inn, and the airmen here face mortar attacks just as often as the soldiers at nearby Logistics Support Area Anaconda.

But the soldiers in Iraq sure are happy when the bombs drop on target.

The airmen have their gripes too. Some of them worry that while they deploy here just like their Army brethren, and face many of the same risks, they don’t get the attention given to GIs.

But they admit they admire the Army for its sacrifices in Iraq and say they can’t imagine how the soldiers and their families deal with the pounding pace of long deployments.

It took three days to get from Mosul to Baghdad.But the journey seems like a trip to another planet.

In the neighborhoods around Camp Liberty here in western Baghdad, Fort Carson soldiers are revered by the locals. There are attacks — rockets rained down on the base under the cover of a sandstorm Monday, killing five Iraqis and wounding 16 people including two American soldiers.

But outside the wire of the base, the locals don’t have the fearful look of cornered animals that was omnipresent on the streets of Mosul. They smile and greet the troops who patrol here with the 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, part of Fort Carson’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team, which came to Iraq in December.

Soldiers say the worry in Baghdad is keeping things on the right track. Success here has too often been the harbinger of failure, and too often a neighborhood that shows progress becomes a prime target for insurgents.

Concerns abound among the soldiers over future American plans. A hasty drawdown of troop levels in Baghdad could open the door for a return to violence.

And questions remain over whether the Iraqi government is using the break from war provided by American firepower and blood to work out internal differences and pursue urgently needed projects to improve the still-grim quality of life for families here.

Looking at the markets in Baghdad, one wonders what these people would think of Colorado Springs, where the electricity and water always flow, and the stores are fully stocked with their super-sized array of goods.

The locals in Baghdad have seen America on television. They yearn for what they think is a care-free life.

“Take me with you,” one Iraqi said Monday. “I am ready.”

Fort Carson soldiers in Mosul live in relative luxury compared to their 3rd Brigade Combat Team counterparts at Camp Taji, about 200 miles south.But the better amenities, including barracks-like rooms in shipping containers, come with a trade-off that most wouldn’t take. Unlike the relative calm at Taji these days, Mosul is alight with war, as insurgent groups attack American patrols and fire their mortars at the Army camp on a near-daily basis.

The soldiers here with the 1st Battalion of the 8th Infantry Regiment have become eerily comfortable with it all. They no longer flinch at the sounds of mortar fire, having long ago learned to listen for telltale signs of whether the booms and bangs of Forward Operating Base Marez are friendly or enemy, close or far.

The place is alive with sound day and night. The rumble of diesel engines competes with the whine of turbines on tanks and clatter of armored troop carrier tracks. Gunfire is a near-constant as patrol after patrol tests machine guns before heading into the city.

All the traffic kicks up clouds of dusts, and water trucks hose down the main roads every day in a futile attempt to keep ahead.

Most soldiers are too busy to complain about the dust and noise.

There is little chatter in Humvees as the convoys roll out, with troops carefully checking every detail that might help them survive.

Briefings always contain tips about new threats. One recent addition warns that bombs can sometimes be found in parked cars. That’s alarming because downtown Mosul has parked cars everywhere as shoppers crowd markets.

What spare time soldiers have is spent largely on two passions here. The first is calling home. Sizable lines form for phones and Internet-connected computers as the troops try to reach families and friends back in America.

The second passion is working out. Soldiers frequently talk about the shape they want to be in when their 15-month tour in Iraq ends next year. They brag and talk strategy for obtaining six-pack abdominal muscles and big biceps.

Conversation here always moves toward the farthest thing from Iraq and war: What they will do when they finally get home.

It’s more than a year away, but their vivid descriptions of wives, children, vacations and future careers, makes you think they’ll be there next week.

Editor’s Note: Photographer David Bitton sent this blog post shortly before he headed out of Iraq on the first leg of his trip back to the United States.

Covering Fort Carson’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team in Iraq the past month has been an amazing experience.
That said, it is time for me to come home. I’m cutting the assignment short so I can be home for the birth of my first child.
I knew I was cutting it close when military reporter Tom Roeder and I planned to spend two months in Iraq to cover 3rd Brigade. My wife, Tomie Bitton, is pregnant with our first child. She is due March 20 but has been in the hospital since late January.
It looks like the baby is coming sooner rather than later and I can’t wait to get home to be with my wife during this amazing time in our lives.
Many friends and family have asked why I volunteered for the war assignment. The reason is simple, journalism is in my blood. I grew up watching my father put together a nation-wide fly fishing magazine and I was hooked at an early age.
I truly feel that covering the military as it heads into the sixth year in Iraq is an important local story. Colorado Springs is flooded with active and retired military and families who want to know what their soldiers are doing in Iraq. I take pride in bringing those stories to the readers/viewers of The Gazette. I’m a news junky and I’ll continue to cover important local stories in the future.
It was difficult to end this trip early but I have a feeling news in Iraq will be ongoing and I will have other opportunities.
Tom Roeder will continue our coverage in Iraq through the end of February.