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

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not see Colonel Botten again. The transition between the UNPROFOR security forces and our force proceeded smoothly. This was the only friction between the UNPROFOR and TF EAGLE that I witnessed. If one considers the sacrifice and work of the U.N. in Bosnia prior to our entry, his reaction, as the U.N. Base Commander, could perhaps be understood. Nonetheless, it was an unexpected challenge during my first in Bosnia. My guidance to the company commanders was to jointly occupy the UNPROFOR security outposts and to ease into patrols along the base perimeter. Arriving during limited visibility, I wanted to ensure that our soldiers became familiar with the area and that we did not experience a mine strike due to haste. Any patrols would be with UNPROFOR patrols in the lead to learn their cleared routes, to become familiar with their assigned security areas, and to ensure joint coordination of UNPROFOR and TF activities. As additional Blue Falcons arrived and our engineers checked areas for mines, we would expand the perimeter and patrol routes around the airbase. It was extremely cold, and a heavy snow fell throughout the first night. This would be the first of many snowy, cold nights on a checkpoint or patrol in Bosnia for the Blue Falcons. The soldiers worked through the night to improve their positions. C Company, responsible for the main gate entrance to Tuzla Airbase, made a noticeable difference in the security posture at the front gate. Over the next 24 hours, the Blue Falcons built hasco bastion barriers to prevent a forced entry at the gates and established sandbagged security bunkers around the perimeter. In accordance with Brigadier General Cherrie’s instructions, it was clear that there was a new sheriff in town. The leaders and soldiers of the 10th Company, Swedish Army, provided excellent coordination and assistance throughout the relief operation. Although we continued to work together, the Blue Falcons assumed greater 52
esponsibility for the base security as time progressed. At 0300, December 20, the relief of the Swedish security force at the base gates was initiated, and at 0600 the Blue Falcons assumed full responsibility for the security of Tuzla Airbase. At the time of the relief, the Blue Falcons had 352 soldiers on the ground, including a heavy weapons platoon, an artillery section, and a counter-battery radar section. The Blue Falcon TOC set up in a warehouse near the TF EAGLE TOC, and our Aid Station was established in what had been the base commander’s quarters. The company commanders established platoon living areas in interior base buildings or in the aircraft bunkers in the vicinity of their security positions. This was done to increase the protection of our force. The airbase had been shelled in the past year and was directly below the Serb positions on Mount Vis. Also, I recalled the bombing of the troop barracks in Lebanon and wanted to disperse our soldiers. Despite our best efforts, approximately one-third of the battalion had to be billeted in tents. We sandbagged these sleeping areas, but I was never comfortable with the tent city. Lined up in one of the parking lots, the tents were an inviting target. The first few days in Tuzla were hard for the soldiers. They established their positions and executed their first security patrols. Until all the ground forces closed, each platoon pulled extended security periods and an increased number of patrols. When not on their security positions, the rifle platoons were filling sandbags. The Blue Falcons used over 80,000 sandbags during their deployment in Bosnia. As we became more familiar with the base and the surrounding areas, we began to adjust our security plans. The B Company Commander, Captain Scott McCulloch, uncomfortable with the distance and broken visibility between Combat Outpost (COP) November at the West Gate and A Company’s COP Falcon at the Main Gate, established COP Bravo along the western perimeter. Also, 53
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WARRIORS IN PEACE OPERATIONS Edited
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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 and 46: Within about an hour I was reminded
Page 47 and 48: eter. Even along these paths, I had
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: The Blue Falcons exited the aircraf
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
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trains per day to that point, thus
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soldier why there were differences
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One piece of frustrated cargo defin
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soldiers who deployed into an area
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support. After several false starts
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Group leaders, who were not paid pr
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Another lesson I learned was the ve
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We also developed a rotational gunn
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CHAPTER 5 COMMANDING A FIELD ARTILL
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Target Acquisition Battery (B/25 FA
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Rather than the anticipated three w
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DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY HEADQUARTERS
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usiness taking their husbands away
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transportation, shopping, and perso
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were required to carry these 12 rul
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The remaining combat elements of Ch
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As we departed Baumholder, I felt c
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140
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Figure 7. 1st Armored Division AOR.
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forcing Service Battery to expend a
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Zvornik to regain control of the se
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likely a key storage site for a mec
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deployment. When offered the opport
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was due to retire from the Russian
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equipment for turn-in both at Baumh
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assume the FSG advisor role for the
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assigned weapons. It was a great co
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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
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A. He did not countermand the major
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CHAPTER 6 THE 28TH TRANSPORTATION B
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deactivation of the 53rd Transporta
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factors allowing us to stay ahead o
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drivers could not operate a motor v
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tied up with A/DACGS, CSCs, EAGLE E
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heat I received from the families b
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260th TTD relied entirely on the 28
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When I split my battalion headquart
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no IG or congressional inquiries re
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unit home to Wuerzburg, Germany. Un
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Drivers were also beginning to show
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unnecessary wear and tear on his un
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mileage during my first year in com
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logistics operations in support of
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The 127th ASB is a Combat Service S
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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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