3rd Infantry Division Operations - Fort Stewart - U.S. Army

32 3rd Infantry Division Operations
Division to clear AQI in Adhamiyah, a district in Baghdad.
1-64 Armor, located on the Victory Base Complex, supported
the 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division in the Mansour District
of Baghdad.
The Spartans received additional forces for its fight in the
Baghdad Belts at various times. The 6-8 Cavalry Squadron of
the 4th BCT, 3ID; the 1-40th Cavalry of the 4th BCT (Airborne)
25th Infantry; the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry, 1st BCT, 3ID; the
1-187 Infantry, 3rd BCT, 101st Airborne (Air Assault) all served
as part of the Spartan Brigade Combat Team.
The 1-30 Infantry remained attached to the Brigade along
with its 2-3 Special Troops Battalion and 26th Brigade Support
Battalion.
Condition Setting
In June, across Iraq, the Multi-National Corps - Iraq launched
an offensive. The 2nd BCT was the fifth and final surge brigade.
Its arrival gave the MND-C sufficient combat power
to begin operations to clear al- Qaeda from safe havens in the
Baghdad Belts.
The land between the Tigris and Euphrates River Valleys
stretched south from Baghdad and through the city's outer urban
ring creating a geographic, "central corridor." North and south
highways emptied into the vast expanse of the Al-Hijarah desert
connecting Iraq to the rest of the world. "Ratlines," roads that
carried nefarious men with dangerous cargo, linked nests of terrorists
to their prey in Baghdad itself.
Until June 14th, the "Surge" had been characterized by condition-
setting operations. High above earth, electric eyes peered
into the streets of villages day and night. Aircraft performed
intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. Com-