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November 05, 2007
Tip Leads Coalition Troops to Explosives Factory
Concerned Local Citizen Tip Leads Coalition Troops to Explosives Factory
(Story by Staff Sgt. Russell Bassett, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division)
A Concerned Local Citizen (CLC) led Coalition forces to a home Wednesday where explosively formed penetrators (EFP) and improvised explosive devices (IED) were being constructed in Husseiniyah.
Soldiers of Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division from Fort Lewis, Wash., discovered a large cache of explosives at the home, including (10) fully-assembled EFP of various sizes (including one 12-inch EFP, the largest size found in Iraq) and (89) copper plates of various sizes used in making EFP. Also, more than (200) pounds of C-4 explosive, other explosive materials including TNT, and numerous other materials used in manufacturing EFP were found.
“We are getting these weapons off the street, which feels great,” said Sgt. Damon Farmer, team leader with 1st Platoon, Battery A, 2-12 FA, who was one of the Soldiers who first discovered a buried container filled with explosives in an outbuilding by the home. “That stuff isn’t going to blow up my truck. It isn’t going to kill U.S. Soldiers and it isn’t going to kill Iraqis.”
EFP are one of the enemies’ most dangerous weapons, because they are able to pierce armored vehicles. According to 4-2 SBCT officials, the EFP are effective approximately 50 percent of the time, a much higher percentage than the enemy’s other weapons. The EFP is a favored weapon of anti-Coalition Shia militias.
“In our area of operations the EFP threat is significant, and there was enough material there to make (100) EFP, so we may have saved approximately 50 lives and eliminated about two months of (enemy) militia activity,” said Lt. Col John Drago, 2-12 FA commander, noting that the discovery would not have been possible without Iraqi help.
Posted by Wild Thing at November 5, 2007 12:55 AM
Comments
SYRIAously doubt if it was wrapped with Ramadan gift wrapping paper. What would General William Tecumseh Sherman or the Waffen SS have done to that ... house... or village... or CITY? - Panzer Power 2007!
Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at November 5, 2007 04:07 AM
Sherman would burn the place to the ground! He was the south end of a north going horse, but it's men like him who WIN wars. We need some more Shermans and Grants and Lees out there leading the way.
And no WDM's, huh?
Explosives--what do you call them? Toys?
Posted by: Lynn at November 5, 2007 06:22 AM
I've got a question?
"A Soldier from 1st Platoon, Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash."
Why can't they just say a soldier?
Posted by: BobF at November 5, 2007 07:04 AM
Bob - almost every military member is proud of his/her unit and is elated to have that unit identified. This article is from a military publication and these publications usually identify the units down to the company or platoon level.
Posted by: TomR at November 5, 2007 10:08 AM
Tom, I understand that but it just seems so long.
I would have been identified as a NCO from the 379th Field Maintenance Squadron. We didn't use the identification of 379th Field Maintenance Squadron, 379th Bomb Wing, 45th Air Division, 8th Air Force, Strategic Air Command.
It just seems that so many levels of command are identified. I guess I'm used to the lowest level of command.
Posted by: BobF at November 5, 2007 01:48 PM
Darth, Panzer sure would do it.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 5, 2007 11:10 PM
Lynn exactly, I guess they are toys according to the media. They just won't admit about the WMD's.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 5, 2007 11:15 PM
