Friday, May 04, 2007

1-15 Infantry, Iraqi National Police search for weapons cache

Spc. Adam Hedrick, 25, Riverside, Calif., Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, and an interpreter for Lt. Col. Jack Marr, 1-15 Inf. Battalion Commander, lift a cement block from a suspected weapons cache site during a search May 3, in Tuwaitha, Iraq.  (Photo by Sgt. Natalie Rostek)

Task Force Marne
Media Release
HQ, MND-Center
Baghdad, Iraq

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Story and photos by Sgt. Natalie Rostek
3rd HBCT Public Affairs

1-15 Infantry, Iraqi National Police search for weapons cache

COMBAT OUTPOST CLEARY, Iraq – Soldiers of Headquarters Company and Company D, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, in a joint effort with local Iraqi National Police, conducted a search for a weapons cache May 3, in Tuwaitha, Iraq.

Soldiers and policemen searched through fields, and buildings.  The Soldiers found many posters depicting various weapons systems and engagement techniques.

After the search, key leaders of the 3rd HBCT and 1-15 Inf. attended a meeting with Brig. Gen. Hassan, 1st Brigade Iraqi National Police Commander, at the local INP headquarters building to discuss future joint operations in the area surrounding Salman Pak and Tuwaitha.

Hassan described to Col. Wayne W. Grigsby, Jr., 3rd HBCT commander, the sizable land mass in the unit’s area of operation and expressed his pleasure at having Coalition Force support.

“Without joint efforts, we cannot cover this area completely,” Hassan said through a translator.

The Soldiers were also invited to attend a lunch prepared by the local Iraqis.

“I have spent four years in Iraq since I joined the military,” Grigsby said. “Iraq is my second home.”

 

Sgt. Anthony Shuta, 27, Daytona Beach, Fla. Company D, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, searches a suspected weapons cache site May 3, in Tuwaitha, Iraq. 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team during a search for a weapons cache May 3, in Tuwaitha, Iraq.  (Photo by Sgt. Natalie Rostek)

1-15 Infantry honors fallen heroes

Task Force Marne
Media Release
HQ, MND-Center
Baghdad, Iraq

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Story and photos by Sgt. Natalie Rostek
3rd HBCT, Public Affairs

1-15 Infantry honors fallen heroes

COMBAT OUTPOST CLEARY, Iraq – Soldiers of Combat Outpost Cashe honored three fallen “Dragons” in a memorial service held Wednesday.

Sgt. Glenn D. Hicks, Jr., Pvt. Jay D. Ornsby-Adkins, and Pfc. Cole E. Spencer, Company D, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry, were killed April 28 when a roadside bomb struck their vehicle as they were patrolling an area of Salman Pak.

Hicks, 23, of Arlington, Texas, was assigned Company D, 1-15th Inf. in August 2004.  He was serving as a dismount during the deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom V.

“Sergeant Hicks was a happy person by nature,” said Capt. Brian Gilbert, Co. D commander. “He always picked you up when you need it, with that ear to ear grin.”

Hicks is survived by his father, Glenn D. Hicks, Sr., and mother Susan Hicks.

Ornsby-Adkins, 21, Australia, came to the unit out of basic training in January 2007. During OIF V, he was serving as a loader for an M1A1 Abrams Tank crew and a gunner on wheeled-vehicle patrols.

“Ornsby (Adkins) was a great Soldier. He did what he had to do and never had to ask,” said Sgt. Anthony Shuta, Co. D, 1-15 Inf. “He was really close to his wife. They just bought a new puppy before we came out here.”

Ornsby-Adkins is survived by his wife Ashley Ornsby-Adkins, his father, Shad Akdins, and mother Robyn Ornsby.

Spencer, 21, of Decatur, Ill. became a member of Co. D in September 2006 after basic training.  He was serving as an M1 Abrams Tank and humvee driver.

“He loved to hunt and fish and he was a huge Mustang fan,” said Sgt. Andrew Gavid, Co. D, 1-15 Inf. “Anywhere we wanted to go, he always wanted to go with us.”

Spencer is survived by his parents Mark and Candice Spencer.

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Iraqi Police search local brick factory with troopers of 3-1 Cavalry

Task Force Marne
Media Release
HQ, MND-Center
Baghdad, Iraq

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Iraqi Police search local brick factory with troopers of 3-1 Cavalry
Story by Spc. Ben Hutto
3rd HBCT PAO

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – Task Force Marne Soldiers from 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division and policemen from the 1st Iraqi National Police Brigade searched a large brick factory east of Narhwan, Sunday.

With Iraqi police in the lead, the combined forces cleared all of the buildings in the factory complex but found no insurgent caches.

“We consider the mission a success,” said Capt. Tavares Tukes, the adjutant for 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment.  “The fact that we found no weapons caches is encouraging and shows that the presence of IP forces has done a good job in limiting insurgent activity.”

Tukes said the workers at the factory were very eager to help and gave the combined forces their full cooperation.  He further explained that 3-1 Cav. was planning more missions like this with the Iraqi army and police.

“Our hope is searches like this will lessen the potential for these areas becoming safe havens for insurgent activity,” said Tukes.

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Hammer Times

The 3rd Brigade has released the latest edition of their Hammer Times.

Here’s a link (PDF).

***UPDATE***

The link was broken when I originally posted this.  I have since fixed it, and everything seems to be working now.  Sorry for the inconvenience.

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

DoD Identifies Army Casualties

U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Release

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 01, 2007

DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died Apr. 28 in Salman Pak, Iraq, of wounds suffered when their vehicle was struck with an improvised explosive device and small arms fire during combat operations. They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.

Killed were:

  Sgt. Glenn D. Hicks Jr., 24, of College Station, Texas.
  Pfc. Jay-D H. Ornsby-Adkins, 21, of Ione, Calif.
  Pvt. Cole E. Spencer, 21, of Gays, Ill.
 

                   

Pvt. Cole E. Spencer, 21, of Gays, Ill.	Pfc. Jay-D H. Ornsby-Adkins, 21, of Ione, Calif.	Sgt. Glenn D. Hicks Jr., 24, of College Station, Texas