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

The Surge 45
April that continued through the summer. Operation "Lug
Wrench" was conducted in order to disrupt insurgent activity in
the Thar Thar dam area. It cleared insurgents in the southeast
of Ramadi. Then, Operation "Kangaroo" cleared two more
urban areas. Success bred confidence. As the brigade rolled
through the summer of 2007, it became clear that the Raiders
had achieved momentum that just might cross over boundaries
and drastically change the whole dynamic of the conflict.
In late April, TF 3-69 AR assumed the BCT's main effort in
Operation Forsythe Park. For over 72 hours, the Task Force
fought through dense belts of IEDs against numerous enemy
direct action cells with RPGs, mortar systems, and small arms
of all types. It battled on through to the first weeks of May.
The Raider brigade continued to press the enemy and aggressively
patrolled the remote desert areas. June 30th marked
the beginning of the battle of Donkey Island. Task Force 1-77
Armor fought throughout the night against a determined enemy.
By morning, 35 AQI fighters were killed, many of them wearing
suicide belts, and another defeat of al-Qaeda by Coalition
Forces was complete.
Clearing the enemy would not be enough. The brigade needed
to hold what it had gained, ground and popular support. The
Raiders set to work on the construction of fortifications. Thousands
of yards of wire and dirt walls were built in and around
the city. "T" walls and thick concrete barriers towered over vulnerable
sites like government offices, industrial complexes, and
security facilities in order to protect citizens and Soldiers from
direct fire. Checkpoints were built on the approaches to the
city. The results were astounding. August was the first month
in recent memory with no IED attack of any kind.
Throughout September, clearance operations continued in
advance of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting. The