thedrifter
10-19-05, 05:14 AM
Operation River Gate floods into Haditha
2nd Marine Division
Story by Cpl. Adam C. Schnell
HADITHA, Iraq (Oct. 18, 2005) -- A day after insugents in the city called for an up rise against U.S. troops, Marines with 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment and Iraqi security force soldiers start Operation River Gate Oct. 4 to gain control of the streets.
The operation, focusing mainly on Haditha, also included the cities of Haqlaniya and Darwana, where approximately 2,500 U.S. troops and 400 Iraqi soldiers cleared the cities of insurgent activity.
As they entered the cities in the early morning hours, the Marines found pamphlets taped to light poles rewarding money for anyone who kills an American. But what they didn’t find was insurgents waiting to fight inside the city.
“We all thought it was going to be close to what Fallujah was last year,” said Lance Cpl. Charles A. Reid III, a Haverhill, Mass. native and team leader for Company L, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines. “It definitely wasn’t what we thought it was going to be.”
After breaching the city, they met with little resistance. Immediately they started moving from house-to-house, searching them for weapons.
Almost every Marine could be heard under his breath saying, “This isn’t right, it’s too quiet. Something is not right.”
Even though not fighting the insurgents face-to-face, they are still fighting the battle against mines and improvised explosives devices placed before the Marines arrived. Dozens of the roadside bombs were found and safely destroyed and the number grews each day.
“There are mines and IEDs all over the place here,” commented Reid. “They are everywhere you go.”
Also found around the city were weapons caches and the remains of an insurgency that plagued the town for months.
According to military officials, the insurgents seemed to have left the area suspecting a U.S. offensive in the city. With little to no opposition, the battalion’s mission of clearing the city of weapons caches and other insurgency activities was that much easier.
“Our mission so far has been very successful,” said Reid. “We have cleared the city and we haven’t lost any of our guys, I call that a success.”
Gaining control of the city from masked insurgents is a major goal of the U.S. military in Iraq because of recent violence that killed both Marines and Iraqis. Just months ago, 14 Marines were killed by a roadside bomb that struck an armored vehicle.
The city and its surrounding towns hold about 100,000 people where numerous Marines have set up shop to maintain a stable presence in the area. Military officials said that once established in the city, the insurgents will return to target those areas.
“Us setting up shop in Haditha is going to help deter the insurgency in Iraq,” said Cpl. Brenden M. Wright, a Lansing Mich. native and squad leader with Company L, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines. “Haditha was a stopping point for terrorists going south, not anymore.”
Ellie
2nd Marine Division
Story by Cpl. Adam C. Schnell
HADITHA, Iraq (Oct. 18, 2005) -- A day after insugents in the city called for an up rise against U.S. troops, Marines with 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment and Iraqi security force soldiers start Operation River Gate Oct. 4 to gain control of the streets.
The operation, focusing mainly on Haditha, also included the cities of Haqlaniya and Darwana, where approximately 2,500 U.S. troops and 400 Iraqi soldiers cleared the cities of insurgent activity.
As they entered the cities in the early morning hours, the Marines found pamphlets taped to light poles rewarding money for anyone who kills an American. But what they didn’t find was insurgents waiting to fight inside the city.
“We all thought it was going to be close to what Fallujah was last year,” said Lance Cpl. Charles A. Reid III, a Haverhill, Mass. native and team leader for Company L, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines. “It definitely wasn’t what we thought it was going to be.”
After breaching the city, they met with little resistance. Immediately they started moving from house-to-house, searching them for weapons.
Almost every Marine could be heard under his breath saying, “This isn’t right, it’s too quiet. Something is not right.”
Even though not fighting the insurgents face-to-face, they are still fighting the battle against mines and improvised explosives devices placed before the Marines arrived. Dozens of the roadside bombs were found and safely destroyed and the number grews each day.
“There are mines and IEDs all over the place here,” commented Reid. “They are everywhere you go.”
Also found around the city were weapons caches and the remains of an insurgency that plagued the town for months.
According to military officials, the insurgents seemed to have left the area suspecting a U.S. offensive in the city. With little to no opposition, the battalion’s mission of clearing the city of weapons caches and other insurgency activities was that much easier.
“Our mission so far has been very successful,” said Reid. “We have cleared the city and we haven’t lost any of our guys, I call that a success.”
Gaining control of the city from masked insurgents is a major goal of the U.S. military in Iraq because of recent violence that killed both Marines and Iraqis. Just months ago, 14 Marines were killed by a roadside bomb that struck an armored vehicle.
The city and its surrounding towns hold about 100,000 people where numerous Marines have set up shop to maintain a stable presence in the area. Military officials said that once established in the city, the insurgents will return to target those areas.
“Us setting up shop in Haditha is going to help deter the insurgency in Iraq,” said Cpl. Brenden M. Wright, a Lansing Mich. native and squad leader with Company L, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines. “Haditha was a stopping point for terrorists going south, not anymore.”
Ellie