Posted 12/30/2006Dec 29, 2006
BY Staff Sgt. Kason Fark, 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regimen -
BAGHDAD - Staring down at an empty lot, Spc. Craig McBaine wondered
how such a tranquil neighborhood could be the scene of so much carnage.
Nicknamed "IED Alley East," this 700-meter stretch of barren earth has
been the scene of many attacks against coalition and Iraqi security
forces.
On this day, the patch of land, bordered on three sides by
once-beautiful three-story houses, is occupied by up-armored Humvees,
Bradley Fighting Vehicles and Abrams Battle Tanks, all in support of
Operation Beastmaster.
During Beastmaster, troops from the 4th Battalion, 1st Brigade, 6th
Iraqi Army Division cleared three large neighborhoods in the western
Baghdad suburb of Ghazaliya. The sight of much sectarian violence,
Ghazaliya is the battle ground for Sunni insurgents trying to push back
the overwhelming Shia population in the northern and eastern areas of
Baghdad.
"Alternate Supply Route Sword," the U.S. military's name for the
largest road running through southern Ghazaliya, is also the in-road
from Fallujah to Baghdad proper.
Having just arrived weeks ago, Soldiers of Company D, 2nd Battalion,
12th Cavalry Regiment, attached to 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Infantry Division, have set upon the goal of taking over the security
of Ghazaliya from the Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry
Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division.
"It's been pretty crazy already," McBaine said. The Florida native's
patrol would later be hit multiple times by small arms fire, a
rocket-propelled grenade and a roadside bomb.
Based out of Fort Bliss, Texas, 2-12 Cavalry is part of the 1st Cavalry
Division's newest brigade - the 4th "Long Knife" Brigade Combat Team.
While the unit may be new to El Paso, Texas, it is no stranger to
combat.
2-12 Cavalry was de-activated shortly after its return from Operation
Iraqi Freedom II in March 2005. The unit has also earned streamers in
other conflicts such as World War II, Vietnam, and Desert Storm. The
unit was the first U.S. unit in Leyte and Japan. The unit re-activated
at Fort Bliss 18 months after returning from Iraq.
Participation in operations such as Beastmaster with the Iraqi Army is
the key to handing Iraq back over to its people. The Iraqi soldiers
involved were being observed by coalition forces to gauge their ability
to perform urban warfare tasks.
Overall, Operation Beastmaster was a huge success. In the course of
three days of house to house searches, the Iraqi Army troops uncovered
seven weapons caches, numerous roadside bomb-making materials and
captured a high-value target.
