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

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tunnels were encountered which were barely large enough for the APC to pass. The route was from Kiseljak through Visoko, Vares, Ribenica, and Zivinice. The roads steadily improved as we approached Tuzla. Along the way we passed relatively frequent “checkpoints” established by local factions demanding a toll for passage. Many cargo trucks were lined up at the checkpoints while their drivers attempted to negotiate passage. The U.N. soldiers explained that the truck drivers usually had to release some of their cargo to gain passage. However, the U.N. security force’s negotiations were direct and effective. We lost little time at the checkpoints. We arrived at Tuzla Airbase at about noon on November 29. After a short meeting to coordinate our reconnaissance plans, the UNPROFOR provided vehicles and security for my reconnaissance of the area surrounding the airfield. In particular, I conducted a reconnaissance of the two airfields in close vicinity to the airbase, known as Tuzla West and Tuzla East. These were short, single airstrips connected to the airbase by roads that also served as connecting taxiways. Both airstrips were being considered as possible camp locations. Tuzla East was a potential location for TF 3-325’s artillery battery and counter-battery radars. During the morning of November 30, I conducted a reconnaissance of the open area south of the airfield perimeter. I was interested in the trafficability of the terrain and whether the artillery battery could be sited in a field just outside the perimeter fence. The area was extremely muddy and was not cleared of mines except for the dirt road that ran south of the southern perimeter fence. In fact, we mired one of the Swedish APCs in the mud on this trail. I spent the remainder of this day walking the entire airbase, including most of the perimeter. The airbase had been heavily mined over the years, but there were no mine records. Therefore, my reconnaissance was limited to the paths that the UNPROFOR patrols used along the perim- 42
eter. Even along these paths, I had to be alert. The UNPROFOR patrols warned us that they had found mines along their “cleared” routes on several occasions. At one point along the northern perimeter fence, a little girl about 6 years old yelled “boom, boom,” and shook her head no. She then pointed to turn back, that the area was mined. I would later learn that a young girl had recently lost a leg due to a mine strike in the same area. During the next 2 days I was able to meet the UNPROFOR leaders on the airbase, coordinate for our future transfer of responsibility for security, and view all the buildings on the airbase. This coordination included the commander of the UNPROFOR security force, the Danish tank company commander who provided the reaction force, and the U.N. administrators who managed the facilities. These meetings provided significant information about the daily operation of the base and the security vulnerabilities. The security officer told me that the most significant problem was theft. Penetration of the perimeter fence and theft of the U.N.’s fuel and supplies were common. My belief was that the U.N. security force soldiers were disciplined and competent, but there were far too few soldiers to secure the 9-kilometer perimeter. Also, I learned that 320 U.N. vehicles had been stolen in the past 10 months, and that the “Black Wolves,” a Muslim special forces unit, used an undetected penetration of the airbase as a final training standard for their new soldiers. Additionally, I realized that most of the base was not cleared of mines. Unexploded ordnance was visible while we walked around the base. The only safe place at Tuzla Airbase was on pavement or concrete. Therefore, clearing operations would be required to establish effective security patrol routes and to establish firing points for the battery and the associated counter-battery radars. Finally, the U.N. forces had pointed out that the high water table and clay soil precluded dug-in fighting positions. All our security positions would have to be built up from the surface. 43
Page 1 and 2: WARRIORS IN PEACE OPERATIONS Edited
Page 3 and 4: CONTENTS FOREWORD .................
Page 5 and 6: FOREWORD The Personal Experience Mo
Page 7 and 8: seldom practiced. The actual practi
Page 9 and 10: BATTALION COMMAND I assumed command
Page 11 and 12: all training, maintenance, and othe
Page 13 and 14: company training and log efforts, a
Page 15 and 16: the USAREUR staff was thought up an
Page 17 and 18: new times. Ops Center at the battal
Page 19 and 20: like the Jewish exodus wandering ar
Page 21 and 22: marvelous job of coordinating the e
Page 23 and 24: it. They did not want us there or n
Page 25 and 26: containers as well. I told him I un
Page 27 and 28: promptly chambered a round in his p
Page 29 and 30: techniques, we found the railhead a
Page 31 and 32: answer. He quickly made himself and
Page 33 and 34: Tacsat systems with two independent
Page 35 and 36: CHAPTER 3 THE BLUE FALCONS IN BOSNI
Page 37 and 38: monograph. My omission of such elem
Page 39 and 40: their advance around the safe haven
Page 41 and 42: unusual. In today’s environment,
Page 43 and 44: He also provided his timeline for J
Page 45: Within about an hour I was reminded
Page 49 and 50: for deployment. The pre-deployment
Page 51 and 52: a rehearsal for leaders, using a ve
Page 53 and 54: • Heavy weapons platoon from E Co
Page 55 and 56: The Blue Falcons exited the aircraf
Page 57 and 58: esponsibility for the base security
Page 59 and 60: sandbagged for force protection. Th
Page 61 and 62: Weather continued to deteriorate ov
Page 63 and 64: east-west roads crossing the Zone o
Page 65 and 66: needed from his forces. This coordi
Page 67 and 68: This COP was manned by a reinforced
Page 69 and 70: attalion commander was executing a
Page 71 and 72: creativity in accomplishing every a
Page 73 and 74: On February 11, TF 3-325 began coor
Page 75: their security. Hence, the title em
Page 88 and 89: deployed with the battalion to the
Page 90 and 91: at a confrontation going on at a ch
Page 92 and 93: he was deadly serious. I was convin
Page 94 and 95: As I reflected on the emotions I wa
Page 96 and 97:
three times. The first time some ke
Page 98 and 99:
pressure, intensity, and rigor of a
Page 100 and 101:
gaining the sense of teamwork and s
Page 102 and 103:
from 4-67, and now three tank plato
Page 104 and 105:
Although the setup had changed in t
Page 106 and 107:
trains per day to that point, thus
Page 108 and 109:
soldier why there were differences
Page 110 and 111:
One piece of frustrated cargo defin
Page 112 and 113:
soldiers who deployed into an area
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
Page 132 and 133:
transportation, shopping, and perso
Page 137 and 138:
were required to carry these 12 rul
Page 139 and 140:
The remaining combat elements of Ch
Page 141 and 142:
As we departed Baumholder, I felt c
Page 143 and 144:
140
Page 145 and 146:
Figure 7. 1st Armored Division AOR.
Page 147 and 148:
forcing Service Battery to expend a
Page 149 and 150:
Zvornik to regain control of the se
Page 151 and 152:
likely a key storage site for a mec
Page 153 and 154:
deployment. When offered the opport
Page 155 and 156:
was due to retire from the Russian
Page 157 and 158:
equipment for turn-in both at Baumh
Page 159 and 160:
assume the FSG advisor role for the
Page 161 and 162:
assigned weapons. It was a great co
Page 163 and 164:
This created a daily stop at every
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(at all times) and constant reporti
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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
Page 173 and 174:
deactivation of the 53rd Transporta
Page 175 and 176:
factors allowing us to stay ahead o
Page 177 and 178:
drivers could not operate a motor v
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
Page 193 and 194:
unnecessary wear and tear on his un
Page 195 and 196:
mileage during my first year in com
Page 197 and 198:
logistics operations in support of
Page 199 and 200:
The 127th ASB is a Combat Service S
Page 201 and 202:
along with a myriad of situations t
Page 203 and 204:
the battalion movement was not sche
Page 205 and 206:
INITIAL SUPPORT OPERATIONS, ISB Aft
Page 207 and 208:
SUPPORT PLAN The aviation brigade w
Page 209 and 210:
commander while assigned to the 1AD
Page 211 and 212:
The ground/air refuel and supply fu
Page 213 and 214:
Force protection became a necessary
Page 215 and 216:
military. As early as 1993, some si
Page 217 and 218:
command, because the National Comma
Page 219 and 220:
soldiers up at 1130 for a formal se
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actions—all at the same time. Onc
Page 223 and 224:
eing, load-bearing equipment (LBE)
Page 225 and 226:
teams and had one team erect the EM
Page 227 and 228:
was ours. Once we received this add
Page 229 and 230:
hospital area and our consequent ab
Page 231 and 232:
our soldiers in a U.S. facility, bu
Page 233 and 234:
• Treated 19,899 Outpatients •
Page 235 and 236:
and Steve Walker, commanders of the
Page 237 and 238:
the unique tasks required for the u
Page 239 and 240:
could do to change it now. The good
Page 241 and 242:
THE SUBORDINATE REAR DETACHMENT COM
Page 243 and 244:
to Grafenwoehr for deployment-speci
Page 245 and 246:
Those were some of the major missio
Page 247 and 248:
kept track of the classified inform
Page 249 and 250:
considerable time updating the book
Page 251 and 252:
Fortunately, we never had to deal w
Page 253 and 254:
• Good rear detachment commanders
Page 255 and 256:
AFTERWORD Dr. Douglas V. Johnson II
Page 257 and 258:
Colin Powell’s philosophy—we we
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