thedrifter
03-14-07, 08:12 AM
Walking the Streets of Iraq
By Kristopher Daams
Signal Staff Writer
Wednesday March 14, 2007
Only 20 years old and barely out of high school, these two Saugus men are stationed in a Middle Eastern nation that was formerly gripped by dictatorship and currently infused with foreign soldiers, political and sectarian turmoil and a steady routine of violence and bombings.
Steve Leon graduated Saugus High School in June 2005 and left for the Marine Corps two weeks later.
Leon serves in Iraq as a radio operator, maintaining and operating the radio systems his unit uses to communicate.
Raised in a Lutheran household, Paul French was home-schooled.
He said he'd rather be a police officer, but is hoping his time in the Army will provide solid footing for a career in law enforcement.
The two are no strangers to Iraqi insurgents, who try relentlessly to kill American soldiers.
Improvised explosive devices - perhaps one of the most lethal methods the insurgents use - are found in all sorts of things, the two said.
Leon said that one time his unit found them in a dead donkey. Apparently, someone killed the donkey, cut it open, and replaced its insides with an IED.
Another instance Leon could recall was when an artillery shell - a prime component of some IEDs - was buried underneath a road.
The road was dug up and the artillery shell was covered with more asphalt, he said.
French said tips from Iraqi civilians led to the discovery of numerous IEDs.
As a driver of Humvees, he is especially at risk.
Stationed in a town north of Baghdad, French performs patrols every day. Raids of Iraqi homes, he said, are done by night.
He said his patrols have about 20 soldiers, each focusing on a particular part of town.
The goal is to limit the movement of the enemy by making their presence known, French said.
There's usually two to three patrols every day, each lasting about two or three hours. Raids come about three times a week.
"Doors are pretty easy to kick in," French said.
About 10 soldiers are involved in each raid of an Iraqi home. Based on tips, raids are usually searches for one or more male members of the household, and women and children are usually separated while the men are questioned.
The town he said he patrols is a Sunni stronghold, "So it's pretty tough."
While on patrol, one has to be ultra-alert, with eyes open and focused.
"You just gotta pay attention to what you're doing," Leon said. "If a car's on the side of the road and a group of people are avoiding it, you report it."
As a radio operator, he's equipped with the same gear as any other Marine, "Except you have a radio on your back." Radios can weigh between 10 and 20 pounds, not including spare batteries.
French said he's experienced about one firefight every week or two during the six months he's been in Iraq. They come in spurts, so sometimes it's quiet for a few weeks, and sometimes the bad weeks come nonstop.
When insurgents attack American forces, they usually fire off shots and escape through a planned route.
"They always have an exit strategy ready," he said of the insurgents who are typically men ages 18 to 30 years old and armed with an AK-47 assault rifle.
Leon, stationed in Al Anbar Province, said he's returned fire with other Marines.
If a couple sniper shots are popped while he and others are riding in a Humvee, they may usually let it go.
But if an insurgent shoots from across the street, it's time to dismount and chase him down, Leon said.
When an insurgent is cornered into a house, it's either a raid or the house gets blown up.
Ellie
By Kristopher Daams
Signal Staff Writer
Wednesday March 14, 2007
Only 20 years old and barely out of high school, these two Saugus men are stationed in a Middle Eastern nation that was formerly gripped by dictatorship and currently infused with foreign soldiers, political and sectarian turmoil and a steady routine of violence and bombings.
Steve Leon graduated Saugus High School in June 2005 and left for the Marine Corps two weeks later.
Leon serves in Iraq as a radio operator, maintaining and operating the radio systems his unit uses to communicate.
Raised in a Lutheran household, Paul French was home-schooled.
He said he'd rather be a police officer, but is hoping his time in the Army will provide solid footing for a career in law enforcement.
The two are no strangers to Iraqi insurgents, who try relentlessly to kill American soldiers.
Improvised explosive devices - perhaps one of the most lethal methods the insurgents use - are found in all sorts of things, the two said.
Leon said that one time his unit found them in a dead donkey. Apparently, someone killed the donkey, cut it open, and replaced its insides with an IED.
Another instance Leon could recall was when an artillery shell - a prime component of some IEDs - was buried underneath a road.
The road was dug up and the artillery shell was covered with more asphalt, he said.
French said tips from Iraqi civilians led to the discovery of numerous IEDs.
As a driver of Humvees, he is especially at risk.
Stationed in a town north of Baghdad, French performs patrols every day. Raids of Iraqi homes, he said, are done by night.
He said his patrols have about 20 soldiers, each focusing on a particular part of town.
The goal is to limit the movement of the enemy by making their presence known, French said.
There's usually two to three patrols every day, each lasting about two or three hours. Raids come about three times a week.
"Doors are pretty easy to kick in," French said.
About 10 soldiers are involved in each raid of an Iraqi home. Based on tips, raids are usually searches for one or more male members of the household, and women and children are usually separated while the men are questioned.
The town he said he patrols is a Sunni stronghold, "So it's pretty tough."
While on patrol, one has to be ultra-alert, with eyes open and focused.
"You just gotta pay attention to what you're doing," Leon said. "If a car's on the side of the road and a group of people are avoiding it, you report it."
As a radio operator, he's equipped with the same gear as any other Marine, "Except you have a radio on your back." Radios can weigh between 10 and 20 pounds, not including spare batteries.
French said he's experienced about one firefight every week or two during the six months he's been in Iraq. They come in spurts, so sometimes it's quiet for a few weeks, and sometimes the bad weeks come nonstop.
When insurgents attack American forces, they usually fire off shots and escape through a planned route.
"They always have an exit strategy ready," he said of the insurgents who are typically men ages 18 to 30 years old and armed with an AK-47 assault rifle.
Leon, stationed in Al Anbar Province, said he's returned fire with other Marines.
If a couple sniper shots are popped while he and others are riding in a Humvee, they may usually let it go.
But if an insurgent shoots from across the street, it's time to dismount and chase him down, Leon said.
When an insurgent is cornered into a house, it's either a raid or the house gets blown up.
Ellie