by MAJ David Riha, Alpha Company Commander
Greetings from COB Basra, Iraq! Much has happened since my comments from last month.
The last month has been one of sadness and joy.
The Red Bulls lost three soldiers from the MP Company on 17 July 2009 as a result of an Indirect Fire attack on the COB. While many of us have assured our families that we are with a Division Headquarters, that we are seldom off of the COB and that we are distanced from the danger that surrounds us; the truth is that we are still in a war zone and there are people here that wish us harm. Soldiers tell their families this not as a lie, but to reassure their families and themselves that we will persevere. I have done the same. We strive as a unit, and a family, to improve COB Basra and keep each other as safe as possible daily.
I want to thank A Company for their caring and support of the MP Company, as our soldiers helped with several of their duties, assisted with the Ramp Ceremony and Memorial Ceremony to give the soldiers of the MP Company much needed time during this sad event.
July, as I said, was also a time of joy as many of our soldiers returned home for their Rest and Recuperation Leave. This will continue through December of our tour. I have heard of many happy homecomings, vacations, family time, friends and the rest and enjoyment of life’s simple pleasures. It is well deserved by all!
We have designated the first weekend of each month as a Barbecue Event, where we grill hamburgers, hotdogs and provide the usual picnic fare. The July event was particularly good with a 5K run, pie throwing that raised $160 for the FRG, and a parade. It has been a good thing and enjoyed by many. The volleyball courts and horseshoe pits get used quite a bit during these activities. It is also a good
opportunity for those who do not work together to talk.
We are now halfway through our deployment. We look forward to completing the next six months as we have the last. I continue to pray for our families, our soldiers and for the families of those who were lost.
Major Dave Riha
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Life at Contingency Operating Base Basra
(From the 34th Infantry Division, Family Readiness August Newsletter)
Families –
I wanted to take a moment and update you on some of the personal safety measures we have in place here at Contingency Operating Base (COB) Basra.
We all know the dangers that are present in Iraq. The dangers are not always only outside the wire. Desperate insurgents use crude technology and tactics to indiscriminately emplace rocket propelled projectiles pointing in the general direction of COB Basra. Now that our forces are mostly out of the cities, rockets and mortars left over from decades of war remain one of the only ways our adversaries can attempt to attack us.
So, what do we do on COB Basra to protect ourselves?
First and foremost, force protection is the number one factor in every phase of operations in Iraq from mission planning and preparation to designing the new billeting areas now under construction at COB Basra to designing the new PX Bazaar area opening soon. In this article are some pictures of certain types of protective barriers and alert systems designed to keep our Soldiers safe during an indirect fire (IDF) attack. To explain the process, I will walk you through an IDF attack on COB Basra.
The first thing our Soldiers hear is a wavering tone over COB Basra’s loudspeaker system. This system is used only for announcing IDF attacks and other pertinent information regarding force protection on and around the COB. This tone is unmistakably unique and lasts for 3-5 seconds. It is immediately followed by a pre-recorded voice which announces “Incoming, Incoming, Incoming.” This is followed immediately by the wavering tone again. This cycle is played several times during each IDF attack. Our loudspeaker system technicians are constantly tweaking the system to ensure it is operational and that it is audible in every corner of COB Basra. These Soldiers are 100% dedicated to their mission of providing early warning to the Soldiers living at COB Basra.
As soon as a Soldier hears this wavering tone, he or she is instructed to immediately lie flat on the ground, face down, mouth open, and to cover their ears with their hands. Covering the ears pr
events hearing damage and opening the mouth will offset the blast pressure created from an explosion and will prevent the rupturing of an eardrum in the event of an explosion at close proximity. Soldiers are instructed to remain in this position until the “all clear” is announced over the loudspeaker system. If a Soldier is out walking and the IDF alarm sounds, their immediate action is to hit the ground as described above. However, if they are within a short 3-5 second sprint from an IDF Bunker, they are encouraged to seek shelter under one of these structures described below.
This option for protection for a Soldier is known as an “IDF Bunker”. This is a 3-piece reinforced concrete system consisting of the bunker and two end caps as seen in the pictures. For additional protection, two layers of sandbags are placed on the top and sides of the bunker and end caps. Not all of our bunkers have the additional sandbags, but Soldiers are working hard each evening ensuring that every bunker in our living area is brought up to this standard.
Other types of reinforced concrete protection we use here at COB Basra are what we call “T-walls”. These are usually about 12 feet high and approximately 15 inches thick. T-wall sections are designed to interlock with the sections on each side and provide a 12-foot high, 15-inch thick, reinforced concrete wall surrounding our living and working areas. The most common place we have these is in Red Bull Life Support Area (LSA). This is where the majority of Red Bull Soldiers live and spend their time when not on duty. These walls surround each “pod” of 6-8 housing units. These walls also surround the Battalion and Company Headquarters buildings here at COB Basra.
Yet another type of protection commonly used all over Iraq and Afghanistan is the Hesco Barrier. This is a steel cage approximately 4’x4’ and 4 ½ feet high. In the picture, I am standing near a Hesco Barrier system consisting of tw
o Hesco Barriers stacked on top of each other. The steel cage is lined with fabric and filled with sand. These barriers are very effective and used commonly in all force protection applications. Each individual Hesco Barrier is connected to its neighbor on each side with a spiral wire that is twisted down the seam of each barrier prior to filling the barriers with sand. This forms a solid wall of sand 4-feet thick and 9-feet high. The Hesco Barrier system seen in the picture is used in another area of COB Basra that houses Red Bull Soldiers known as Camp Charlie.
All of the protective measures I’ve described above would mean nothing if we didn’t hav
e qualified Soldiers to ensure these measures get followed each and every time the IDF warnings sound. Our Non-Commissioned Officer corps ensures that their Soldiers regularly practice IDF battle drills and section accountability drills. Every Soldier at COB Basra knows exactly what to do when they hear the warning and are expected to follow what they have been trained to do in these situations.
Whether lying flat on the ground or in an IDF bunker, Soldiers stay in place until the “all clear” is announced over the loudspeaker system.
This process could take a few minutes or a couple of hours as the “all clear” signal is not given until the IDF threat has been eliminated. Once the “all clear” is sounded, Soldiers of COB Basra are instructed to report to their designated rallying points to gain accountability of personnel and weapons. Upon gaining 100% accountability, we here at COB Basra roll up our sleeves, get back to work, and continue the mission we came here to do.
In conclusion, you should be proud of how your Soldiers are committed to protecting themselves – and their fellow unit members – while facing the danger of serving in a combat zone. My leadership team and I are doing everything we can to keep our Soldiers safe. Our force protection measures on COB Basra have improved every single day since we took control of the base in May. We have a long road ahead of us until we hand the base over to our follow-on unit and there will be improvements each and every day until then. And, as always, thank you for all your thoughts and prayers throughout the deployment.
CPT Markgraf
Families –
I wanted to take a moment and update you on some of the personal safety measures we have in place here at Contingency Operating Base (COB) Basra.
We all know the dangers that are present in Iraq. The dangers are not always only outside the wire. Desperate insurgents use crude technology and tactics to indiscriminately emplace rocket propelled projectiles pointing in the general direction of COB Basra. Now that our forces are mostly out of the cities, rockets and mortars left over from decades of war remain one of the only ways our adversaries can attempt to attack us.
So, what do we do on COB Basra to protect ourselves?
First and foremost, force protection is the number one factor in every phase of operations in Iraq from mission planning and preparation to designing the new billeting areas now under construction at COB Basra to designing the new PX Bazaar area opening soon. In this article are some pictures of certain types of protective barriers and alert systems designed to keep our Soldiers safe during an indirect fire (IDF) attack. To explain the process, I will walk you through an IDF attack on COB Basra.The first thing our Soldiers hear is a wavering tone over COB Basra’s loudspeaker system. This system is used only for announcing IDF attacks and other pertinent information regarding force protection on and around the COB. This tone is unmistakably unique and lasts for 3-5 seconds. It is immediately followed by a pre-recorded voice which announces “Incoming, Incoming, Incoming.” This is followed immediately by the wavering tone again. This cycle is played several times during each IDF attack. Our loudspeaker system technicians are constantly tweaking the system to ensure it is operational and that it is audible in every corner of COB Basra. These Soldiers are 100% dedicated to their mission of providing early warning to the Soldiers living at COB Basra.
As soon as a Soldier hears this wavering tone, he or she is instructed to immediately lie flat on the ground, face down, mouth open, and to cover their ears with their hands. Covering the ears pr
events hearing damage and opening the mouth will offset the blast pressure created from an explosion and will prevent the rupturing of an eardrum in the event of an explosion at close proximity. Soldiers are instructed to remain in this position until the “all clear” is announced over the loudspeaker system. If a Soldier is out walking and the IDF alarm sounds, their immediate action is to hit the ground as described above. However, if they are within a short 3-5 second sprint from an IDF Bunker, they are encouraged to seek shelter under one of these structures described below.This option for protection for a Soldier is known as an “IDF Bunker”. This is a 3-piece reinforced concrete system consisting of the bunker and two end caps as seen in the pictures. For additional protection, two layers of sandbags are placed on the top and sides of the bunker and end caps. Not all of our bunkers have the additional sandbags, but Soldiers are working hard each evening ensuring that every bunker in our living area is brought up to this standard.
Other types of reinforced concrete protection we use here at COB Basra are what we call “T-walls”. These are usually about 12 feet high and approximately 15 inches thick. T-wall sections are designed to interlock with the sections on each side and provide a 12-foot high, 15-inch thick, reinforced concrete wall surrounding our living and working areas. The most common place we have these is in Red Bull Life Support Area (LSA). This is where the majority of Red Bull Soldiers live and spend their time when not on duty. These walls surround each “pod” of 6-8 housing units. These walls also surround the Battalion and Company Headquarters buildings here at COB Basra.
Yet another type of protection commonly used all over Iraq and Afghanistan is the Hesco Barrier. This is a steel cage approximately 4’x4’ and 4 ½ feet high. In the picture, I am standing near a Hesco Barrier system consisting of tw
o Hesco Barriers stacked on top of each other. The steel cage is lined with fabric and filled with sand. These barriers are very effective and used commonly in all force protection applications. Each individual Hesco Barrier is connected to its neighbor on each side with a spiral wire that is twisted down the seam of each barrier prior to filling the barriers with sand. This forms a solid wall of sand 4-feet thick and 9-feet high. The Hesco Barrier system seen in the picture is used in another area of COB Basra that houses Red Bull Soldiers known as Camp Charlie.All of the protective measures I’ve described above would mean nothing if we didn’t hav
e qualified Soldiers to ensure these measures get followed each and every time the IDF warnings sound. Our Non-Commissioned Officer corps ensures that their Soldiers regularly practice IDF battle drills and section accountability drills. Every Soldier at COB Basra knows exactly what to do when they hear the warning and are expected to follow what they have been trained to do in these situations.Whether lying flat on the ground or in an IDF bunker, Soldiers stay in place until the “all clear” is announced over the loudspeaker system.
This process could take a few minutes or a couple of hours as the “all clear” signal is not given until the IDF threat has been eliminated. Once the “all clear” is sounded, Soldiers of COB Basra are instructed to report to their designated rallying points to gain accountability of personnel and weapons. Upon gaining 100% accountability, we here at COB Basra roll up our sleeves, get back to work, and continue the mission we came here to do.In conclusion, you should be proud of how your Soldiers are committed to protecting themselves – and their fellow unit members – while facing the danger of serving in a combat zone. My leadership team and I are doing everything we can to keep our Soldiers safe. Our force protection measures on COB Basra have improved every single day since we took control of the base in May. We have a long road ahead of us until we hand the base over to our follow-on unit and there will be improvements each and every day until then. And, as always, thank you for all your thoughts and prayers throughout the deployment.
CPT Markgraf
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