101st Airborne 1st Brigade Combat Team

Our son is not in this Combat Team but, this IS the 101st!

This report comes from Spc. Rick L. Rzepka

[...]

The Alamo is called the Joint Security Station, and it is manned by Soldiers from Bravo Company, 1/327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division and Iraqi policemen. Together they train, conduct joint-patrols and interact with the local citizenry in an effort to purge Suniyah of its villains. The storied "Above the Rest" battalion of the "Screaming Eagles" recently took over operations in the diverse area north of Tikrit, replacing a battalion from the 82nd Airborne Division.

"It's a big area of operations with a lot of differences," said 1st Lt. Mark Herlick, Bravo Company executive officer. Herlick's "Bushmaster" company is assigned to the security station in Suniyah and recently had a chance to meet with some of the town's leaders in a city council meeting. Along with the town's police-chief, several of Suniyah's sheiks met with "Above the Rest" commander Lt. Col. Peter Wilhelm and Bravo Company leaders, to ease the transition between units and to address some of the town's issues.

[...]

"It's a hundred times better than it used to be here," said Staff Sgt. Jeremy Phelps, 303rd Military Police Company. "The last three months have been a big improvement because the IPs aren't afraid to kick in doors and arrest somebody." Herlick says that the end-state of these combined patrols would be handing off the reigns to the Iraqis while coalition forces ride shotgun. "We are trying to work ourselves out of a job and let the IPs do everything," said Herlick. "We're trying to get to a point where we can provide more of a tactical overwatch and advise as they need it," he said. "The people need to see that the system does work." On Oct. 21, the collaboration between the IPs of Suniyah and the "Bushmaster" company of the 101st, was put to the test on what seemed like an ordinary mission.

[...]

"Every mission is a combat mission, even if you're going out to deliver school supplies," said Spurling who considers the mission a success even though the supplies never made it to their destination. "It's about what they need to do," he said. "We're just here to support them." Spurling points to other areas in Iraq, like Tal Afar and the Al Anbar province, where the JSS concept has proven successful. "Living amongst the people and securing them where they sleep is working," he said. As the sun sets slowly on the town of Suniyah, the citizens here can thank an aggressive IP force and their patient partners for the gradual but evident shift from lawlessness to peacefulness.

The above are mere excerpts from the article. Click the link to read the rest. Spread the word. Above The Rest is in town!