Warriors in Peace Operations - Strategic Studies Institute - U.S. Army

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celebratory fire and oftentimes unauthorized use of rotary wing aircraft in violation of the Dayton Peace Accords. Even though the radar systems did not actually acquire any indirect fire (to our knowledge), they did maintain a constant vigilance that was highly respected by FWFs. More than once FWF military representatives remarked that the presence of radar prevented anyone from attempting to fire mortar shells or other indirect fire assets. Anytime the 2nd Brigade faced a potential confrontation with the FWFs, Colonel Batiste was quick to satisfy himself concerning the coverage provided by our radar assets. FWF WEAPONS STORAGE SITE INSPECTIONS Early in the peace enforcement operation, the brigade task force faced the challenge of locating, identifying, and tracking FWF weapon systems. This proved to be a most challenging task, as the factions seldom revealed weapon site locations and did whatever they could to limit our ability to find any such sites. More interesting, this challenge expanded the role of the Field Artillery beyond just providing fire support when needed. Typically the FWFs were reluctant to cooperate with the United States in any instance involving the location and number of their medium-heavy military weapons. For example, in May 1996, Colonel Batiste, the Division Artillery Commander, and I, along with a team of military police, attempted to enter what we believed to be an intermediate-size weapons storage site. However, we were detained and not allowed to proceed further without consultation by senior leaders in the faction chain of command. Colonel Batiste elected to proceed without further delay, calling on the Air Force and Army aviation for a show of force to demonstrate our authority and determination. In minutes we were allowed to enter what appeared to be a medium-size barn complex. As we opened one barn door after another, we were quick to realize this was one of the largest weapons storage sites in country, 147
likely a key storage site for a mechanized corps consisting of all types and large numbers of combined arms equipment. We spent hours inventorying all this equipment. From then on we used such techniques to track all heavy weapons in sector. Over time, the mission of conducting inspections of FWF weapons sites was tasked to my battalion because we asked for it, feeling we possessed the requisite expertise. Much of the equipment and ammunition was related to artillery or mortars, and my troops were well-suited to the job. In fact, throughout the entire division, the Field Artillery was tasked to assume this responsibility. For the 2nd brigade, this meant bi-weekly inspections over a 9-month period of more than 20 weapon storage sites. Oftentimes this resulted in confiscation of undeclared weapons in the evenhanded application of the Dayton Peace Accords. For the battalion’s fire supporters, the weapon storage site inspections resulted in the creation of target folders in the event activities escalated into combat. For each weapon storage site, we maintained a target folder consisting of ground/air/J-stars photos, targeting coordinates (GPS accuracy), and any relevant information to ensure accurate targeting for indirect and air to ground fires. This initiative expanded and further refined existing Fort Sill targeting doctrine, becoming a key piece of evidence in the event weapons declaration and accountability rules of the Dayton Peace Accords were violated. BOSNIA ELECTION SUPPORT TF 4-29 FA performed a crucial role in support of Bosnia elections in August 1996. The 2nd Brigade initiated the process of reshaping the ground force, anticipating the upcoming elections and a need to reduce the proportion of heavy combat power. A military police battalion from the United States was received, and the 2/68 Armor battalion was redeployed to Baumholder. My battalion supplemented the military police task organization with battalion and 148
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WARRIORS IN PEACE OPERATIONS Edited
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CONTENTS FOREWORD .................
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FOREWORD The Personal Experience Mo
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seldom practiced. The actual practi
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BATTALION COMMAND I assumed command
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all training, maintenance, and othe
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company training and log efforts, a
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the USAREUR staff was thought up an
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new times. Ops Center at the battal
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like the Jewish exodus wandering ar
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marvelous job of coordinating the e
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it. They did not want us there or n
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containers as well. I told him I un
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promptly chambered a round in his p
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techniques, we found the railhead a
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answer. He quickly made himself and
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Tacsat systems with two independent
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CHAPTER 3 THE BLUE FALCONS IN BOSNI
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monograph. My omission of such elem
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their advance around the safe haven
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unusual. In today’s environment,
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He also provided his timeline for J
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Within about an hour I was reminded
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eter. Even along these paths, I had
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for deployment. The pre-deployment
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a rehearsal for leaders, using a ve
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• Heavy weapons platoon from E Co
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The Blue Falcons exited the aircraf
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esponsibility for the base security
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sandbagged for force protection. Th
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Weather continued to deteriorate ov
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east-west roads crossing the Zone o
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needed from his forces. This coordi
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This COP was manned by a reinforced
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attalion commander was executing a
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creativity in accomplishing every a
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On February 11, TF 3-325 began coor
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their security. Hence, the title em
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deployed with the battalion to the
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at a confrontation going on at a ch
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he was deadly serious. I was convin
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As I reflected on the emotions I wa
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three times. The first time some ke
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pressure, intensity, and rigor of a
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Page 104 and 105: Although the setup had changed in t
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Page 110 and 111: One piece of frustrated cargo defin
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Page 114 and 115: support. After several false starts
Page 116 and 117: Group leaders, who were not paid pr
Page 118 and 119: Another lesson I learned was the ve
Page 120 and 121: We also developed a rotational gunn
Page 122 and 123: CHAPTER 5 COMMANDING A FIELD ARTILL
Page 124 and 125: Target Acquisition Battery (B/25 FA
Page 126 and 127: Rather than the anticipated three w
Page 128 and 129: DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY HEADQUARTERS
Page 130 and 131: usiness taking their husbands away
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Page 141 and 142: As we departed Baumholder, I felt c
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Page 145 and 146: Figure 7. 1st Armored Division AOR.
Page 147 and 148: forcing Service Battery to expend a
Page 149: Zvornik to regain control of the se
Page 153 and 154: deployment. When offered the opport
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Page 163 and 164: This created a daily stop at every
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Page 167 and 168: CONCLUSION The opportunity for batt
Page 169 and 170: A. He did not countermand the major
Page 171 and 172: CHAPTER 6 THE 28TH TRANSPORTATION B
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Page 175 and 176: factors allowing us to stay ahead o
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Page 179 and 180: tied up with A/DACGS, CSCs, EAGLE E
Page 181 and 182: heat I received from the families b
Page 183 and 184: 260th TTD relied entirely on the 28
Page 185 and 186: When I split my battalion headquart
Page 187 and 188: no IG or congressional inquiries re
Page 189 and 190: unit home to Wuerzburg, Germany. Un
Page 191 and 192: Drivers were also beginning to show
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Page 195 and 196: mileage during my first year in com
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along with a myriad of situations t
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the battalion movement was not sche
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INITIAL SUPPORT OPERATIONS, ISB Aft
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SUPPORT PLAN The aviation brigade w
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commander while assigned to the 1AD
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The ground/air refuel and supply fu
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Force protection became a necessary
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military. As early as 1993, some si
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command, because the National Comma
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soldiers up at 1130 for a formal se
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actions—all at the same time. Onc
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eing, load-bearing equipment (LBE)
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teams and had one team erect the EM
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was ours. Once we received this add
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hospital area and our consequent ab
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our soldiers in a U.S. facility, bu
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• Treated 19,899 Outpatients •
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and Steve Walker, commanders of the
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the unique tasks required for the u
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could do to change it now. The good
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THE SUBORDINATE REAR DETACHMENT COM
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to Grafenwoehr for deployment-speci
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Those were some of the major missio
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kept track of the classified inform
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considerable time updating the book
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Fortunately, we never had to deal w
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• Good rear detachment commanders
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AFTERWORD Dr. Douglas V. Johnson II
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Colin Powell’s philosophy—we we
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