Publication:Chattanooga Times Free Press
Date:Wednesday, December 22, 2004
Section:Front Page; Page:1

By Edward Lee Pitts Military Affairs

CAMP CALDWELL, Iraq — Gathered around their Bradley Fighting Vehicles on a recent morning here, soldiers with the 30th Brigade Combat Team responded to their sergeant’s quick mission briefing with confident nods that come only after having done the same combat patrol for nearly a year.

As the men in dirty uni forms talked informally about one of their last missions in Iraq, another group of soldiers wearing clean desert fatigues with an arm patch for the 278th Regimental Combat Team listened carefully.

"They can tell us all about the lessons they’ve learned the hard way," said Capt. Scott Leslie, 36, of Athens, Tenn., Deacon Company commander with the 278th, a Tennessee-based National Guard unit just beginning its tour of duty here. "We can transition out in a way the local populace never knows there’s a difference."

Since arriving here about a week ago, 278th soldiers have been going out on missions with their counterparts from the North Carolina-based 30th. These veteran troops have been splitting time packing their bags for home and transferring a year’s worth of knowledge to the 278th. The Army calls this 10-day transition process "left seat ride, right seat ride." New soldiers begin by sitting right beside the departing soldiers and learning the job firsthand. After a few days the roles are switched, with the soldier just beginning his or her deployment taking over the duty while the seasoned soldier watches and critiques.

"We are imparting all the knowledge and experience we have gotten in our 10 months here," said the 30th’s Capt. Michael Allen, who spent last week as a tour guide pointing out the terrain Capt. Leslie will navigate and the people he will face during the next 12 months. This gradual handover occurred throughout the regiment from infantrymen on the front lines to mess hall supervisors.

For the past week, the 278th slowly has been taking over more and more control of the operations both inside and outside the base. The 30th should be gone by the end of this week, officials said. The 278th will patrol a sector east of the town of Baqoubah near the Iranian border.

Venturing outside the camp with the 30th veterans, 278th soldiers under Capt. Leslie passed military fortifications left over from the Iraq-Iran war. At every bridge the 30th soldiers dismounted from their vehicles to check for hidden explosives around the structure before driving on.

The convoy of Bradleys and Humvees eventually stopped inside a former U.S. base recently handed over to the Iraqi National Guard. Inside the base, called Wolf Den, Capt. Allen introduced everyone and then asked an Iraqi National Guard officer if anything happened last night.

"You are just looking for the problems," the Iraqi officer said. "That is because we are looking to solve the problems," Capt. Allen said.

Kahlan Jamal, mayor of the town of Qazania, made an appearance at Wolf Den dressed in a brown suit and flanked by two armed bodyguards. Over cups of tea, the mayor wasted no time explaining to Capt. Leslie the needs of the town.

Power lasts for just 10 minutes a day, water and fuel come from a nearby town and are unreliable, and the city doesn’t have enough police officers to maintain control, the mayor said. "We need lots of police while we are preparing for the elections," said Mr. Jamal, who speaks fluent English. "Lots of police."

But the mayor showed the most concern about the Iranian smugglers who cross the vast unsecured border to snatch sheep and other animals from local farmers.

"This is just beginning," he said, throwing up his hands. "We need anyone to make a checkpoint. It is so important. Our area has been safe until now. If the situation stays this way, it is not good."

During the meeting, the 30th soldiers took off their helmets and body armor while lounging on couches and saying goodbye to Iraqis they may never see again. The 278th soldiers, however, kept all of their protective gear on and just listened.

Similar training occurred for all the jobs needed to keep Camp Caldwell running. First Lt. Alex Sanderson last weekend guided a collection of 278th soldiers with the 1 st Squadron’s service battery on a practice supply convoy.

Before the ride though two Iraqi towns, Lt. Sanderson told the 278th drivers to listen for any sounds that might be a signal to an attack, such as an Iraqi whistling. He also advised them not to pull alongside Iraqi vehicles stuck in traffic.

"Speed is security," he said. "You don’t ever want to be creeping around."

The 30th’s Sgt. Charles Hubbard warned the 278th soldiers in Humvees to avoid talking to any Iraqi females on the street. "Your 10 minutes of flirting could cost that girl her life," said Sgt. Hubbard, referring to the strict discipline the Iraqi women face from their husbands and fathers.

Navigating through crowded villages and across a pontoon bridge over the Tigris River heavily guarded by U.S. Marines, the 278th soldiers and the 30th soldiers debated when to fire.

"When you’re on a thin line and have to make a decision, I’d rather be judged by 12 than carried by six," said Sgt. Dean Roberts, 48, of Ten Mile, Tenn., about life-or-death situations that may occur when his unit goes on its twice-monthly supply runs.

Some soldiers didn’t waste any time taking over their new jobs. On his first day helping man the mission control center that monitors all vehicles in and out of the base, Sgt. John Guthrie, 38, of Dayton, Tenn., arrested two Iraqis trying to enter Camp Caldwell with fake identifications.

During a driving tour of some surrounding cities, the members of Capt. Leslie’s Deacon Company saw firsthand that their mission may be more about rebuilding than fighting. The soldiers passed through tiny villages covered with trash and sewage. Cows, chickens and sheep roamed among the endless garbage piles while children played soccer on dirt fields.

Locals said the area hasn’t recovered since former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein sent soldiers to cut down all the date palm trees about two decades ago in retribution for losing ground in the war with Iran.

"I’d rather go down and help with the plumbing and build schools for them than point guns at them," said Sgt. David Harris, of Athens, Tenn. "It will make the year go by much quicker for me."

E-mail Lee Pitts at lpitts@timesfreepress.com

Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Russell Lee Klika Iraqi villagers watch a U.S. military convoy roll by during a recent training mission for the newly arrived 278th Regimental Combat Team.

U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Russell Lee Klika A soldier with the 278 th Regimental Combat Team patrols alongside military vehicles during a recent training mission.

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