Airmen, Soldiers team up to tackle threats

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Kimberley Harrison
  • U.S. Air Force's Central Command combat camera
JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq (AFNS) --  Air Force and Army members here performed a joint, force-protection patrol April 14 near one of the U.S. Air Force's Central Command's main airbases in Iraq.

Members of the Air Force's 532nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron and the Army's 1st of the 28th Infantry Battalion  teamed up and armed up to conduct a mounted and dismounted patrol in search of hidden weapons caches and improvised explosive-making materials.

The 532nd ESFS Airmen conduct outside-the-wire missions, specifically tasked with protecting assets here from potentially deadly indirect-fire attacks.

"Terrain denial and preventing (indirect-fire) attacks are our goals," said Tech. Sgt. David Banton, from the 532nd ESFS deployed from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

After the required mission briefings from both Air Force and Army members geared up with 70-plus pounds of body armor, helmets, weapons, ammunition and water. Then they loaded onto mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles for the drive outside the base.

"Drivers are vital to the mission," Sergeant Banton said.

The Airman responsible for driving the 30,000-pound MRAP over rough, uneven and sometimes unstable terrain has one of the most important jobs of all: ensuring safe travel.

"There are times we need to cross a bridge or a canal and there is only a few inches of space on either side of the tires," said Airman 1st Class Jesse Ketchumn from the 532nd ESFS, deployed from Vandenberg AFB. "That can make travel extremely difficult."

If the driver doesn't take the time to review the route and determine whether the travel path is navigable, they could not only endanger the integrity of the mission, but also the lives of the members the drivers are transporting, said Airman 1st Class Corey Kuhn, another Airman deployed from Vandenberg AFB.

Senior Airman LaRita Nalls, a MRAP gunner, deployed from Andrews AFB, Md., agreed safety is very important.

Just as the convoy driver, the gunner has a tremendous task during the patrols. They're the eyes and ears for detecting possible threats throughout the convoy mission. 

"It's my responsibility for ensuring the perimeter is secure," said Airman Nalls from Buffalo, NY. "I need to ensure safe and easy access in and out of the vehicles for our troops. Safety is paramount."

Driving on unknown roads is not the only unchartered territory for this specialized team.

"We're starting to slowly come into this particular area," said Capt. Michael Cohen, the 352nd ESFS team lead and a Security Forces Academy instructor deployed from Lackland AFB, Texas.

Through counterinsurgency or COIN efforts, such as meeting and greeting the locals and putting a human face on the U.S. military instead of being viewed as big, unfeeling machines driving through villages will hopefully lead to trust and friendship.

"Part of COIN is to establish the relationships with the village sheiks and local leaders," Captain Cohen said. "We've built a lot of bridges; a lot of relationships."

"It's not help us secure your country," Sergeant Banton said. "It's let us help you secure your country."

"This is what we're trained to do," Captain Cohen said. "We are very focused and mindful about our mission."

While checking for signs of foot traffic, disrupted earth, covered holes and historic sites of IDF attacks, the dismounted patrol also keeps an eye on their surroundings while smiling and waving at local villagers.

"The last thing we want is to be complacent and this is a unique mission," Sergeant Banton said. "We're more offensive. We're out there taking that terrain, taking those opportunities away from the bad guys and actually utilizing it."

"We're in a non-kinetic phase of counterinsurgency," Captain Cohen said. "But right now it's important to become friends and let them know we're here to help; show them they're able to take control of their own destiny, their own country."

"If I can go out and have a 30-minute conversation with someone where everything is secure and laugh together, it shows I'm human," Sergeant Banton said. "If I can give them a little bit of that easy feeling and change a few people out here, those are less people I have to worry about when we're out on those roads."

The more trips outside the wire they make, the better chances at reducing IDF attacks.

"Most of the people here are hard workers, all they want to do is farm, make some money and live," Sergeant Banton said.

Using air assets, ground assets and human assets, the 532nd ESFS Airmen, sometimes in a combined effort with Soldiers, go out day after day in hopes of disrupting one more IDF or IED attempt.

"There is lot more flexibility on where we go and what we can do when we conduct missions with the Army because they're the battle space owner of this particular area," said Airman Kuhn, a New Orleans native. "This gives us the opportunity to see how another unit does certain things, especially since they've done this type of mission longer."

As the Army continues to draw down, joint operations such as this prepare the 532nd ESFS Airmen for the responsibility.

"I think it's better the Air Force understands the kinetic side of the house, understands the outer patrols, how to deal with IDF and how to deal with the locals," said Army 1st Lt. Everage Robinson, 1-28 platoon leader, deployed from Ft. Riley, Kansas.

"Missions such as this continue to increase their abilities to deal with those types of issues and that makes for a better situation for U.S. forces who remain in Iraq," said Lieutenant Robinson, a native of Jesup, Ga. "We've patrolled these grounds, we've walked them together and it's been fun. They've impressed us with what they can do and how much they can learn in a short period of time. They can go out with us one time and retain that knowledge and are ready to utilize it on their next patrol."

"Little by little we're getting to do more and more," Sergeant Banton said. "By us going out and conducting these patrols, we've prevented a lot of bad things from happening."