The 173rd Airborne is presently serving both in Iraq and in Afganistan.

Brigade soldiers injured in Iraqi ambush

Story and photos

By Sgt. 1^st Class Todd Oliver

babybart.jpg (1534 bytes) Four 2d Battalion, 503d Infantry (Airborne) soldiers were injured late Sunday night when the vehicle they were traveling in drove through an ambush during the first hours of Operation Peninsula Strike.

None of the injuries was life threatening and all injured soldiers are expected to make full recoveries.

Specialists Tamer Hassanien, Kobie Johnson and John Oldenburg all sustained non-life threatening wounds to the arms. Pfc. James Volpe was treated and released back to his unit.

“We took the point last night and departed with a non-tactical vehicle and a Humvee in the lead,” said 1^st Lt. Willard Barron, Scout Platoon Leader. “We didn’t expect to encounter an ambush while enroute.”

“We passed two traffic control points on the way,” Barron said. “As we continued down the road, we were about 400 meters from another traffic control point when a call came over the radio to maintain a 20 kph speed limit. I checked ours and put my microphone down and that’s when a barrage of gunfire began. It was instantaneous, just like someone had planned it.”

In a witness statement, 1^st. Sgt. John Bagby wrote, “I heard and saw tracer rounds from the top of a roof, of what was later determined to be a police station.”

“They planned it, it had all the markings of an ambush,” Barron continued. “I was in the second vehicle, in the passenger side.”

The second vehicle in the convoy was the vehicle that took all the hits. While the civilian vehicle ahead, which carried many of the battalion’s scouts, escaped unharmed.

“My driver was shot immediately. He tried to drive through it but he was shot in the arm that he was driving with. The two soldiers riding in the back, providing security, were also hit.”

Both Bagby and Barron felt that the non-tactical vehicle in front of the Humvee was likely the target of the attack but, being the smallest vehicle in the convoy, it was missed. This allowed the bullets to rip into Barron’s vehicle.

“Up or down, left or right, just four more inches and I could have been ten toes up,” Barron said, pointing at his vehicles’ windshield, which clearly shows three bullet holes. “The Lord was watching over us.”

“As our vehicle continued to roll, we pulled off the two victims in the back. I has just laid them down on the side of the road when the commander’s vehicle pulled up and asked us what happened. I told them we needed help and that we needed to get these two guys out of here. We put the wounded soldiers in the vehicle and rolled down the road about 150 meters to the military police unit that was operating a traffic control point. That’s where we conducted our medical assessment and medical treatment.”

Fortunately medical help was quick in arriving.

“A special forces medic was there in seconds and the delivery of the medivac request was so fast that, by the time we got them on the vehicle and moved them 150 meters, took them back off the vehicle and conducted our initial assessment of their wounds, the medics were there,” Barron said.

“While Johnson was being treated for two gunshot wounds to his right shoulder, I held his left hand because I didn’t want him to know what was going on,” he said. “It was about five minutes before he realized how bad his injuries were.”

All three soldiers who required further medical care are expected to make a full recovery.

CUTLINE (Hole):

Three distinct bullet holes leave the windshield of a humvee that received fire during the early hours of operation Peninsula Strike. Four soldiers assigned to the 2^dBattalion, 503d Infantry (Airborne) were wounded as a result. The operation resulted in the capture of more than 70 Feydayeen members.

In a ritual that is becoming too familiar, the 173d Airborne Brigade gathered Nov. 18 to mourn the death of two paratroopers.

Sgt. Joseph Minucci and Pfc. Jacob Fletcher both gave their lives Nov. 13 when an improvised explosive device was detonated near their convoy. Both Soldiers were returning from a rest and recreation trip.

As is the tradition at these memorials someone, a close friend, talks for a few moments about their fallen comrade.

“The first time I met Sgt. Joseph Minucci was five days before we jumped in,” said Spc. Justin Harper, a member of Minucci’s team. “My first impression of him was, ‘What a goofball!’ I didn’t know what to make of him, but then I got used to his personality. You never knew what he would say. Most of the time whatever he would say came out of right field and that was just the way he was.”

Harper went on to recall an incident involving an illegal Kurdish checkpoint set up in Kirkuk shortly after the city was liberated. The local police, still in their infancy, were afraid to challenge the Kurds who had emplaced the checkpoint.

“None of the cops would go there by themselves,” Harper said. “Minucci grabbed them and off they went. Some of the cops were scared but not Sgt. Minucci, he walked down the street like he owned it. When the Kurds saw him approaching they took off running. The thing I remember about that whole day was whenever he came to check on me later there was that happy look on his face. Never one of fear, even with all the gunfire and explosions going on around us in the city.”

Even when he was able to leave Iraq, Minucci didn’t want to.

“When he was going to the Primary Leadership Development Course he wasn’t happy, even though he was going to be out of Iraq for a month,” Harper said. “He wanted to stay with his team. No leader ever wants to give up his paratroopers, especially Sgt. Minucci.

“He was a paratrooper. Joe, if you can hear me now, just shut up and get in line. And oh yeah, try not to ignore Saint Peter too much,” Harper finished.

“I hope I can keep my composure,” said a choked up Spc. Carson Petry. “I want to introduce you to Jacob Fletcher. Jay to his friends back home, and Fletch to his brothers here today. Fletch was my roommate, my best friend, and like a brother to me. He loved freedom, motorcycles, and he had a talent for playing the drums.”

“Fletch had a heart of gold; he would do anything in the world for you,” Petry continued. “He was a lifelong friend and you don’t find many of those. He experienced more in his 29 years then most do in a lifetime. In fact he had ‘pain and suffering’ tattooed on his arm. It was written backwards so when he looked in a mirror he would be reminded of that reality in life.”

“If you want to take anything away from today,” Petry said to the crowd. “Look down at the ground or close your eyes and think of one person—one person you love, one person you depend on. Now imagine this is the last day that you will ever see that person again. What would you tell that person today? Whatever it is, make sure you tell them—today.”

Smitty… great introduction to the funeral. I for one, would like to hear more detail and personal insight regarding the funeral if you feel like sharing. The little you wrote about the funeral had me totally glued…..

If you have the energy could you pick up from where you left off and describe the remainder of the service? If not, we understand. Man, this really reached out and grabbed me for some reason. I was right there with you. Maybe it's just me.....

Thanks Lew, love you brother.

Rev. Mike McMillan/173d

You know, Mac, I awoke this morning around 3 a.m. thinking about what you said and thinking about Michael Curry, the young Sky Soldier killed in Afghanistan. I thought, yes, Mac’s right, someone should write something about the young man, but not me, I didn’t know him personally nor had I ever met him. I’m sure his buddies and members of his family have spoken and written all that could be recorded about him. So, why should I, what right do I have to even attempt to honor another one of ours who died at war? But, I understand it’s not a question of right or wrong; it’s that inner breath-taking hurt we all feel when we learn of the death of one of ours which moves us to try and express that hurt or hide it. Oddly, that hurt is not as great when the lost soul is from some other unit, yet the reality is no different, the pain and anguish felt by their family and friends are no different.

While there at the memorial service someone showed me a photo of the man. He was standing with his beautiful wife, a girl he met and married in Italy, holding her close; a friendly, smiling face of a young soldier so proud of his wife. Michael Curry looked like someone I would like to have known. Sometimes you can sense the goodness of a person by simply looking at their faces in a photo. I think Mike was a good man.

Since the first notice was circulated describing the circumstances of his death, and given the fact 1^st Sergeant Michael Curry hailed from Dania Beach, FL, a few hours from where Bill Vose and I live, Bill hounded me almost daily to join him at the memorial service there. Bill knows I don’t like attending funerals or such services, yet he continued to urge me to go with him. Now, I’m glad I did.

Enroute to the address in Dania Beach I became lost. I shouldn’t have, I had lived over 25 years in Miami not far from there, but I was lost. My eldest son, Don the Wise, gave me directions by phone and I arrived the church about ? hour before the service was scheduled to begin. I recall thinking I’m old enough to be Mike’s father, he was the same age as my youngest son, Dan the Wild. I had anticipated a small group of family and friends and maybe a few soldier buddies of the fallen trooper would be there in attendance. It was a hot day, humid, the temperature hovering around 100 degrees.

Turning the corner to the church I immediately saw U.S. flags, maybe twenty or thirty flags lining one side of the street held by twenty or thirty Vietnam veterans, mostly biker dudes and their dudettes, wearing their leather jackets, riding boots and war patches, their Harley’s silently parked nearby. After parking I slowly walked up to these men and women, exchanging hellos with a few of them. One drill sergeant type was standing in the middle of the street barking orders to this squad to keep their spaces even, hold the flag upright, and other army type orders. I moved across the street where I could better take in this sight.

My first thought about the bikers was cynical. I thought what the hell are you people doing here. You didn’t serve with Mike, you’re not Sky Soldiers, is this just something to do to posture, show off your patches and bikes, I thought. You’re not even paratroopers. I then learned of another memorial service held in another city at another time to honor another vet killed in the Middle East where war protesters took that opportunity to display their anger about the war. It must have been extremely disturbing to the family members of that fallen soldier. And I learned these biker dudes in their biker regalia were on-guard, pulling duty as they had before in another lifetime, another war. No protesters this day would be allowed anywhere near this service, and pity those who tried. My first reaction to them now bothered me, I was so wrong to pre-judge these patriots, these brothers.

Standing across the street, shirt now soaked wet from the heat and humidity, I noticed one man about my age was wearing a 173d Airborne hat. I walked up to him with hand extended and asked him with which unit he had served. He told me he hadn’t but his son was now serving with the 173d’s first battalion in Afghanistan, Mike’s battalion. The man’s son had been a friend of Mike. We briefly chatted and I wished him and his son well, thinking he must be thinking, will he be one of the family members at some similar event in the future.

The start time of eleven a.m. came and went as I and the flag holders across the street stood quietly, quietly sweating. I thought of George Bush and his cronies and wondered if they were aware of today’s planned services. Had they even read Mike’s name on some daily report? I suspect they had not. Mike was a soldier, not a General, not a politician, simply doing his duty at the time his life was taken from him. I wondered if jets with the missing man would fly overhead…..of course, there were no jets, Mike was a soldier.

I had spoken with Bill by cell phone and he told me he’d be there soon, but the start time was near and there was no sign of my friend. It was then the drill sergeant yelled to everyone to take their flags and run around the corner to again line-up; we were standing in front of the wrong church. This maneuver was accomplished before the arrival of the black limousines carrying Mike’s family to this service. Several Police cars had by now blocked-off access to the street fronting the church where the memorial service would be held.

Vietnam vet buddy Jim Nantkes of the 3/503d walked-up to me wearing a suit and tie, clearly on the verge of heat exhaustion, like most of us. We shared some war stories and agreed it was indeed a sad day here. We spoke with an old, small, thin man wearing a VFW hat and shirt, a WWII vet, a sailor. It was good to talk with him and we thanked him for being part of our country’s Greatest Generation and for helping save the world. This friendly, meek old sailor just smiled. Fortunately for all of us one of the VN vets was there with a pickup truck loaded with ice water; his lady walking by giving water bottles to anyone in such need, which was all of us.

We were told Michael was or would be interred in Italy. We had heard this before and couldn’t quite figure out why Italy and not the U.S., until we learned his immediate family lived there. We spoke of the pain his wife and children must be experiencing at this very moment, like so many other family members who would soon be across this street, and those across this land.

There was still no sign of Bill and his son Jeff as a staff sergeant wearing a 173d combat patch marched the honor guard of paratroopers carrying M16’s into the street and in front of the church. There, facing the entrance to the church they came to attention, a bugler off to the side in anticipation of the arrival of Mike’s family. They stood there for the longest time until the sergeant put them at parade rest, sweat dripping off them as they made not a movement. It was then about six or seven VN vets from the local VFW wearing white hats and shirts took their position in front of Jim and me. The wait continued, the biker dudes and their dudettes lined-up down the street, on-guard; there was quiet all around.

Off to our right we then see black limos turn onto the street where the flags, honor guard and vets were waiting. Slowly, very slowly the cars moved towards us, the honor guard and all of us coming to attention. As the car doors opened an order was given to “present arms!” which we all did. We stood there at rigid attention, sweat running down our bodies, many of us trying hard to keep our salutes steady as Mike’s grieving family were escorted into the church. “Order arms!” finally came as the last of his family entered the building.

The Staff Sergeant in command marched his squad to a shaded area nearby as services in the church began. Later, one of the troopers walked past us and I stopped him to ask which parachute unit they were in, I didn’t recognize the patch. He said they were the 509^th Airborne, my former unit in Germany; and I didn’t remember the patch.

The church was a small white building in this small community in Dania Beach, no doubt built to accommodate no more than 100 people, yet well over 100 people entered its’ doors. I saw Bill arrive and quickly move to the church where he joined those in attendance, Jim and I preferring to remain outside. The service, scheduled for one hour lasted nearly two hours.

Nearing the end of the service the front doors of the church were opened. We then heard the singing. Voices of every belief, age and gender joined one another as they sang together “God Bless America”. It was a moving rendition and spoke to something bigger, more meaningful than anyone of us alone. It spoke of unity and hope and sorrow.

Then we heard his voice from inside the church. A seemingly hard-as-nails First Sergeant with the 173d Airborne called out loudly, “Michael Curry?!!” (silence) “Michael Curry?!!” (silence) “1^st Sgt. Michael S. Curry?!!” There was no reply as the honor guard fired their salutes and Taps began to play.

As the family departed we again saluted them and thought of Mike. I would like to have known him, for you see, he was and will forever remain our brother.

Airborne Mike! All the Way!

Smitty Out

2/503d, 173d Airborne

1965-1966

Securing Northern Iraq is harder then it looks

Tough decisions, real answers

Story and Photos by: Spc. Brandon Aird,

173d Airborne Brigade Public Affairs

Paratroopers from 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade, haven’t had it easy in Iraq. Throughout most of their deployment, the 1-508th Inf. (Abn) has been deployed in forward operating urban patrol bases, far forward from the rest of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Because 1-508th has been deployed forward and usually live in the most dangerous towns in Northern Iraq, they’ve sustained the most casualties in the brigade.

During the hot summer months in Al Huwija, 1-508th Inf (Abn) was constantly ambushed during the day. The only thing they had to look forward to at night was a barrage of mortars, courtesy of the “Mad Mortarmen.” The Mad Mortarmen is what 1-508th Inf (Abn) named the group of Iraqis who constantly harassed them at night with mortar barrages. Luckily for the 1-508th, the Mad Mortarmen didn’t have the best aim.

After moving operations southwest to Daquq and Tuz, to prevent people like the Mad Mortarmen from entering Northern Iraq, 1-508th Inf (Abn) was met with more ambushes and attacks. The unit commander, Lt. Col. Harry Tunnell’s convoy was ambushed with rocket-propelled grenades and machinegun fire. Tunnell was shot in the leg and was medevaced out of Iraq.

Shortly after Tunnell’s convoy was ambushed, 1st Lt. David Bernstein and Pfc. John Hart, soldiers in Charlie Company, were killed when their convoy also came under attack from rocket-propelled grenades and machinegun fire.

Bernstein and Hart were in the last vehicle in a quick reaction force convoy. They got cut off from the rest of the convoy when guerilla fighters shot a RPG at their vehicle causing the driver, Spc. Joshua Sams, Charlie Company, to lose control of the vehicle and crash into a dirt berm. The vehicle came to a stop on top of Sams’ arm. Bernstein, mortally wounded from a gunshot wound to the leg, crawled over to Sams’ side under direct fire, and pushed on the gas pedal with his hand, moving the vehicle forward off of Sams’ arm. Bernstein collapsed shortly afterward and died. The RPG explosion caused killed Hart who was in the back of the humvee.

A tactical checkpoint, Echo Four, was set up 35 miles south of Tuz by Alpha Company in an effort to prevent such ambushes, and keep the guerilla fighters in Southern Iraq. A platoon of soldiers was manning Echo Four when it came under a massive coordinated attack.

“It was a scene right out of Full Metal Jacket,” said 1st Sgt. Michael Stribling, first sergeant of Alpha Company, comparing it to a famous movie based during the Vietnam War. “My guys were down at Echo Four when armor-piercing rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and machinegun fire bombarded the compound. The attackers were firing on my guys from behind a second ridgeline. At night, it looked to my guys that they were being fired upon from the first ridgeline. These Iraqis were pretty smart.”

No one was injured in that attack, but it caused a lot of work to be done at Echo Four, which is 45 minutes away from any help. The 1st Platoon built two bunkers inside the compound and 16 heavily sandbagged guard towers along the walls. They even renamed the tactical checkpoint “Helm’s Deep”– inspired by the fortress that couldn’t be taken by the Armies of Mordor in the fantasy movie “Lord of the Rings.”

A platoon of Iraqi Civil Defense Corps (ICDC) has been assigned to Helm’s Deep. Alpha Company is training the ICDC soldiers so when the time comes for Alpha Company to leave Iraq the Iraqi soldiers will be physically and mentally prepared to take over Helm’s Deep.

The last few weeks at Helm’s Deep have been relatively quiet. Iraqis show up with tales of being robbed by the notorious highway bandits, but unfortunately nothing can usually be done.

One night a man walked up to the checkpoint and told Abut Halik, an ICDC soldier, how one of the bandits robbed him of his car at gunpoint.

The driver was asked to give a sick man a ride to a hospital in Kirkuk. He drove through the checkpoint coming from south of Tuz and was searched by two ICDC soldiers. After driving a little bit north, the passenger said, “he needed to relieve himself.” The driver pulled over and the “sick man” pulled a pistol on the driver. The driver had to walk five miles back to the checkpoint, and was mad at the ICDC soldiers for not finding the weapon.

“The guy was mad at me,” said Halik. “Not my fault: he is idiot.”

Many of these minor altercations with the bandits the ICDC soldiers can handle. Alpha Company has switched roles, and is only there to train, observe and protect the ICDC soldiers in event of another large attack.

“We’ve been giving the them classes on field sanitation, muzzle awareness, basic rifle marksmanship, and different patrol procedures,” said Staff Sgt. Antonio C. Medina, a squad leader in 3rd Platoon. “Every night we take them out on patrols. We’ve handed over the actual checkpoint over to the ICDC soldiers, but we still keep one of our guys out there to keep the ICDC soldiers honest.”

The Iraqi soldiers that are living at Helm’s Deep are the same ones Alpha Company helped train a few months earlier.

“The ICDC soldiers have come along way since the first day of training,” Medina said. “Their appearance and discipline has improved enormously. The care of their equipment is still lacking, but their slowly picking it up.”

“The ICDC soldiers are still giving us some heart attacks,” said Pfc. Nicholas Duplesis, a M-249 squad automatic weapon (SAW) gunner in 3rd Platoon. “The ICDC soldiers have had four accidental discharges in the last two weeks while manning checkpoint. Believe it or not, that’s an improvement.”

The ICDC soldiers are improving and have started participating in all of Alpha Company’s missions. With new information, Alpha Company along with the ICDC soldiers raided different homes in the Tuz area Jan. 2 looking for the highway bandits.

Staff Sgt. Randy Morrow’s squad (Alpha Company) along with ICDC soldiers were going through a gate when a suspected bandit closed the gate on Morrow, separating him from his squad.

“After I kicked the gate open, the Iraqi who shut the gate tried to grab my weapon,” said Morrow. “A guy from my squad ‘sucker-punched’ him sending him to the ground, and that’s when I saw a guy come out a side door with a AK-47 ready to fire. My left hand was holding the guy down on the ground so I brought my M-4 up underneath my left arm with my right hand and gave him some of ‘Chicago’s finest.’”

The man Morrow shot and killed was the father of the Iraqi who tried to grab Morrow’s weapon. Through an interpreter at the local police station the son said, “he didn’t know it was Americans. It was really early in the morning and we thought you were thieves. My father was just trying to protect me.”

“What happened was a tragedy,” said Capt. Ned C. Ritzman, commander of Alpha Company. “But even the dead man’s brother, who is a local school teacher, said ‘he was an idiot for coming out of the house with an AK-47.’” Paratroopers like Morrow in the 173rd Airborne Brigade may sometimes have only a second to decide how to react to a situation. They rely on their training and past experience to come to the right conclusion. In the last 10 months paratroopers in 1-508th Inf (Abn) have had to deal with guerilla fighters placing improvised explosive devices on the road, and being shot at by RPG’s, 105 mm rockets, mortars, and automatic weapons fire.

Morrow saw a man coming out of a side door with an AK-47 aimed at one of his squad members, Ritzman said. Morrow was just protecting his fellow paratrooper. The event was a tragedy, but Morrow did the right thing.

History.

1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry, 173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate), showed that it could operate as an effective fighting force anywhere in Vietnam. From the hot, sweltering jungles of War Zones "C and D" and the Iron Triangle in the South, to the rugged, heavily vegetated mountains of Kontum Province, to the fertile coastal areas around Tuy Hoa, the Battalion decisively overwhelmed all opposition.

Altogether, 484 Sky Soldiers had made the supreme sacrifice for their country while 1,460 were wounded on the Field of Battle.

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In early January, American military leaders were determined to destroy a Viet Cong stronghold since 1950, north of Saigon known as the Iron Triangle. On January 5, elements of the 173d were moved to the Cau Dinh Jungle at the southern tip of the Triangle to launch Operation Cedar Falls. The strategy of Cedar Falls was to seal off the entire Iron Triangle, penetrate and saturate the area and destroy all enemy forces and installations.
With most of the other units occupying blocking positions, the 173d's three Infantry Battalions swept and cleared the Triangle -- locating and destroying small troop concentrations and tunnel systems. Many VC elected to seek refuge in the vast underground complexes, but volunteer tunnel rat teams fearlessly explored the enemy tunnels, bringing out large caches of weapons and supplies and VC captives. During the operation, the Sky Soldiers killed 185 enemy, captured 65 prisoners and 200 weapons and uncovered 1,000 tons of rice.

780 Sky Soldiers jumped from streaking C-130 aircraft from 1,000 feet in the air to land on a 1000 by 6000 foot rice paddy near the Cambodian border. The 2nd Battalion, 'We Try Harder' Sky Soldiers received only light sniper fire as they descended on the huge clearing. Simultaneously, two more Battalions of Sky Soldiers were heli-lifted to adjacent landing zones and immediately the biggest Allied offensive of the war was on.

The first part of their mission was complete: with lighting speed the Airborne task force had jumped into combat, blocking the VC from the refuge of the Cambodian border. As Junction City moved into March and subsequently led to Junction City II, the hard fighting Paratroopers were credited with killing 304 VC soldiers.

With the completion of Junction City II and the return of the Paratroopers to Bien Hoa to begin a new operation, the 173rd had already that year demonstrated its fighting ability. The Rest, as we say Is

Mi`story.

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PMD Helps Keep Eyes In The Sky

Story and photos by Sgt. Brandon Aird, 173rd ABCT Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FENTY, Afghanistan -- One of the assets commanders in the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team use to view the battlefield is the RQ-7 Shadow 200 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.

The UAV is able to provide the combat team video coverage of an area of interest for hours, at 50 kilometers from the launch and recovery site.

070619-A-6849A-001 -- Staff Sgt. Pablo Villanueva, Bravo Company, 173rd Special Troops Battalion (Airborne) takes an engine off an RQ-7 Shadow 200 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle on Forward Operating Base Fenty in Jalalabad, Afghanistan June 19, while conducting "preventive maintenance daily."

The air vehicle uses a pneumatic launcher and is recovered by a tactical automatic landing system on the runway. The air vehicle is stopped using an arresting hook and cable system.

The first launch of a RQ-7 Shadow UAV in the 173rd was by Col. Charles A. Preysler, 173rd ABCT Commander, in Germany during the training in preparation for deployment to Afghanistan.

The UAV is a new asset to the combat team and keeping it operational is essential.

070619-A-6849A-008 -- Staff Sgt. Pablo Villanueva, Bravo Company, 173rd Special Troops Battalion (Airborne) conducts “preventive maintenance daily” on an RQ-7 Shadow 200 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle June 19 on Forward Operating Base Fenty in Jalalabad, Afghanistan.

By the time the Shadow gets into the sky, it gets checked a minimum of six times, said Staff Sgt. Pablo Villanueva, Maintenance Chief for the Shadow, Bravo Company, 173rd Special Troops Battalion (Airborne).

“We take it apart to make sure everything is tightened down, verify all the electronics work and conduct preflight checks,” said Villanueva.

The UAV also gets inspected by the flyer and again by the mechanics when on the launcher.

All the maintenance the mechanics do is called “preventive maintenance daily” and it’s done every day by Villanueva’s crew of mechanics.

“I enjoy doing this,” said Sgt. Christopher Johnson, a UAV mechanic in Bravo Company, 173rd STB.

The 173rd’s Shadow operation is non-stop mission that doesn’t end until the deployment is over.

“We work in 12 hour shifts,” explained Villanueva. “Eight hours are spent doing PMD and the other four are doing preflight inspections.”

Once the UAV gets back from a flight the work starts all over again.

“We have to check to make sure no parts fell off or loosened during flight,” said Villanueva.

070619-A-6849A-012 -- Sgt. Christopher Johnson, Bravo Company, 173rd Special Troops Battalion (Airborne) takes the screws out of the nose of an RQ-7 Shadow 200 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle June 19 during “preventive maintenance daily” on Forward Operating Base Fenty in Jalalabad, Afghanistan.

Villanueva and his crew actually open the plane up and take it apart to ensure everything is right. PMD is a daily process that doesn’t end until the mission is over.

Battle Company Makes Presence Known

Story and photos by Sgt. Brandon Aird, 173rd ABCT Public Affairs

KORENGAL VALLEY, Afghanistan -- The paratroopers were keen for the mission despite their rough conditions. The difference between a tan line and dirty skin has long since passed. Bites from sand fleas and mosquitoes just add to the problem. Electricity, toilets and running water (a 45 min. patrol away) are long forgotten conveniences.

The paratroopers are Sky Soldiers from Battle Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team.

070610-A-6849A-145 - Paratroopers from 2nd Platoon, Battle Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), conduct a patrol in the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan June 10. The paratroopers conduct numerous patrols with Afghan National Army to bring better security to the region.

For the last month 2nd Platoon and a platoon from the National Afghan Army have been operating out of Fire Base Phoenix- the southern most fire base in the Korengal Valley, which is located in Afghanistan’s Kunar Province.

The living conditions for the Soldiers are the least of their problems. The Korengal Valley is a safe haven for Taliban extremists.

070610-A-6849A-154 - Pvt. Miguel Cortez and Spc. Aaron Johnson, 2nd Platoon, Battle Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), negotiate a hill during a patrol in Korengal Valley June 10. The patrol is off the main road along a foot path to avoid following the same routine.

“The towns here are neutral at best,” said 1st Lt. Mathew Piosa, Platoon Leader for 2nd Platoon, “In the last eight days we’ve had five (enemy) contacts.”

Within days of interviewing Piosa his platoon had two more enemy engagements- one being a coordinated ambush by the enemy.

“We take steps to prevent the enemy from having the upper hand,” explained Piosa. “Every patrol is at a different time and we try to vary our route as much as possible.”

Even with the precautions Soldiers still get hurt. On June 5 during a night patrol Pfc. Timothy Vimoto was killed during an ambush by insurgents.

070610-A-6849A-158 - Pfc. Mathew Moreno, 2nd Platoon, Battle Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), looks through a Lightweight Laser Designator Rangefinder at Fire Base Phoenix in Korengal Valley, Afghanistan June 10. Moreno is looking through the LLDR as part of a cycle of training. When Moreno isn’t on patrol the platoon conducts training on different pieces of equipment.

The platoon has not allowed the loss to deter them and they continue to conduct reconnaissance, counter IED, and security patrols daily.

When the platoon isn’t out on patrols they pass their time by improving individual Soldier skills to improve their combat capability.
“We’ve had classes on all the weapons out here (on site) and today were training on the LLDR (Lightweight Laser Designator Rangefinder),” said Pfc. Sterling Dunn, 2nd Platoon.

Even though the LLDR is used for indirect fire support it is also being used to scan for enemy personal, said Piosa.

Battle Company is working to improve the situation for 2nd Platoon by getting a generator to Fire Base Phoenix.

070610-A-6849A-176 - Staff Sgt. Matthew Simon (left) and 1st Lt. Matthew Piosa (right), 2nd Platoon, Battle Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), look at a person dressed in black on the other side of the river in Korengal Valley, Afghanistan June 10.

For now 2nd Platoon is just going to have to make due with what they have, said Pfc. Matthew Moreno, a paratrooper in 2nd Platoon.

2nd Platoon plans to stay in the area to help the Afghan people for the next 15 months until they are relieved by Coalition Forces or the ANA.