On Point: the United States Army in Operation Iraqi ... - Boekje Pienter

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As the V Corps and I MEF fights inAn Nasiriyah, As Samawah, and An Najafprogressed, Lieutenant General McKiernanreached the same assessment that LieutenantGeneral Wallace had—it was time to slowdown and shift gears from the rapid movenorth to securing the areas already taken.Decisive FRAGO“82 ABN DIV (-): EFFECTIVE 260001Z MAR03,REPORT OPCON TO V CORPS.”CFLCC FRAGO 102 to OPORD 03-32262200Z [260100L] March 03McKiernan had already done what he could to provide the logistics resources and to ensurethat his two major tactical formations—V Corps and I MEF—had adequate maneuver room.McKiernan and his C3, Major General J. D. Thurman, now refocused their efforts on ensuringthat the I MEF and V Corps had the resources to control what they owned, particularly theLOCs. I MEF, although confronted with serious problems of its own, actually had more combattroops available than V Corps at this point. McKiernan had one remaining tool—the 82ndAirborne and its one brigade of three airborne infantry battalions—to add to the fight. The82nd’s planning priority was to reinforce early success by conducting airborne operations intoBaghdad should the Saddam regime collapse in the opening days of the war. By this time, itwas clear that contingency no longer applied. Accordingly, McKiernan released the 82nd to VCorps early on 26 March. 157 He also asked CENTCOM to accelerate the planned deploymentof one squadron of the 2nd ACR. In retrospect, McKiernan believed that giving V Corps the82nd was the most important decision that he made during the war. Wallace, McKiernan, andThurman independently reached the same conclusion. Thurman recalled that it was crucial thatthey “took the time to deal with the threat against their rear area.” 158Led by Major General Chuck Swannack, Jr., the storied 82nd Airborne would giveLieutenant General Wallace a combat-ready brigade with a division headquarters that couldcontrol additional units as required. Having Swannack and his headquarters was as important toWallace as having the troops that came with them. Wallace would assign them to the now-verylong LOC. With Swannack dealing with the LOC issues, the corps could focus on offensiveoperations across a growing and increasingly complex area of operations. General Swannackunderstood this as well. As early as 23 March, when it became clear that the regime wouldnot immediately collapse, Swannack contacted Wallace to see if the 82nd could contributeto the corps’ fight. This discussion set the corps and division planners into motion so that if,and when, the CFLCC released the division, it would know exactly where to go in the fight. 159Ultimately, the 82nd freed the corps to focus on continuing the attack. When the 2nd ACRarrived and joined the 82nd, the “All American Division” assumed responsibility for even moreground and began clearing and opening additional LOCs.In addition to the 82nd Airborne and the in-bound 2nd ACR, Wallace had additional internalresources to apply to the problem—the 101st Airborne Division’s maneuver brigades hadclosed in Kuwait and remained uncommitted. Originally, he had planned to apply the 101st’sunique air assault capabilities as a key element in isolating Baghdad, while the 1st ArmoredDivision would secure the LOCs and start transition operations. However, at this point in thefight, with 1st AD unavailable and with much of 3rd ID committed to securing the LOCs ratherthan attacking north, it was unclear if the corps would be able to bring enough combat power tobear on Karbala and Baghdad. The 101st would be of little value if the corps could not get its210
Figure 114. Lieutenant General Wallace’s order to Major General Swannackheavy forces into the fight. Thus, while the CFLCC commander considered releasing the 82nd,Wallace was already adjusting the plan for the 101st.Leaning ForwardMajor Degen and the V Corps planners started working on a course of action based onLieutenant General Wallace’s directive on 24 March. They exploited their relationships withthe planners at the 82nd and 101st, most of them classmates or fellow graduates of SAMS,to keep the divisions informed of future planning requirements. Before receiving the CFLCCfragmentary order to release the 82nd, the corps and divisions had collectively conducted amission analysis, developed a course of action, and wargamed it against the threat. CFLCCreleased the 82nd at midnight on 26 March, and Wallace approved the plan for employmentearly that same morning. 160The corps issued the FRAGO that day, and the divisions started executing. The 101stwas already favorably positioned at FARP SHELL to execute its mission around An Najaf,with one brigade on site and another closing while the third completed its deployment intothe theater. As soon as its brigades closed, the 101st could relieve 3rd ID. The 82nd, on theother hand, was not favorably postured or located, but the paratroopers moved with fiercedetermination to get into the fight sooner rather than later. Apparently, to meet the missiontimelines, the 82nd initiated the preparatory actions to move north even before the CFLCCreleased the order. 161 The division derigged equipment that had been prepared for an airbornedrop and moved by ground assault convoy (GAC) and C-130 aircraft. The paratroopers senteveryone with a driver’s license to Camp ARIFIJAN, where they drew a menagerie of trucksranging from cargo to dump trucks to haul the troops. Meanwhile they started moving, usingtwo C 130s that were available to make quick turns between Kuwait and Tallil Air Base. Usingthis combination, the last units of the brigade reached As Samawah on 29 March. 162All of this activity occurred during the so-called pause, but it constituted exactly the kindof activity consistent with a pause designed to build combat power and prepare for futureoperations. In any case, an operational pause does not mean ceasing operations, but rather211
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The United States Army inOperation
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The Library of Congress Cataloging-
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PrefaceOn Point is a study of Opera
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AcknowledgementsHistorians prefer t
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called him unkind names and questio
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Table of ContentsForeword..........
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Figure 78. 101st Airborne Division
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Table of Call Out BoxesThe SIPRNET
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The 8 April Counterattack .........
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Saddam Hussein and the Ba’athists
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Army special operations soldiers, a
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• Information and Knowledge. The
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successful battles and engagements
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timelines at the beginning of each
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Chapter 1Operation DESERT STORM to
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combat. The US Army’s AirLand Bat
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The domestic political landscape in
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was to experiment to anticipate cha
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The authors also attempted to accou
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The SIPRNET RevolutionIn addition t
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efore World War I. 16 The extended
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commanders to consider the battlesp
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presence is not possible. Moreover,
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• The Air Force’s C-17 Globemas
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GAO Report. Military Transformation
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On 20 September 2001, President Geo
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All of these efforts led to a sweep
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NOTES1. General Frederick M. Franks
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Chapter 2Prepare, Mobilize, and Dep
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joint organizations played central
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Figure 10. Key coalition camps and
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CLCC LOG and Title 10 PowerPoint pr
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Figure 17. Tern delivers Army water
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Pre-positioned EquipmentIn Europe d
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allies in the region in providing s
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organization to leverage joint inte
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surprise but allowed a gradual buil
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Figure 24. V Corps objectivesin any
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that supported them, while denying
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Webster and Spider Marks. Marine Br
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V Corps Command Brief, 15 July 2003
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V Corps Command Brief, 15 July 2003
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completing its work in February. BC
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Figure 32. Soldiers posing with a D
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Figure 33. V Corps assault command
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ight thing to do. More than 6,200 s
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defense coordinator (TAAMCOORD), an
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attalion leadership, with the USARE
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The 18th MP Brigade, stationed in M
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and environment of Iraq. They condu
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proper mix of combat, CS, and CSS u
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Given all that can go wrong, the pe
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Jeremiah Johnson, Combat CameraFigu
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opportunities such as a sudden coll
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27. Major General Robert Blackman,
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80. Lieutenant Colonel John Huey, p
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Summary of EventsSaddam Hussein and
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• Breaching the berm at the borde
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humanitarian assistance supplies, w
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Intelligence Supporting Operational
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Moving the start of the ground camp
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Figure 42. PSYOP leaflets distribut
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Igor Paustovski, Combat CameraFigur
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Figure 45. Comparison of Iraqi grou
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to secure the first two primary obj
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Crossing The BermThey are coming to
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Figure 50. 3rd ID border breach sch
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covering forces rapidly and simulta
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After the aborted mission, morale s
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act of passing the change of route
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Figure 54. RRP EXXON and FARP SHELL
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Air Base (An Nasiriyah), seize the
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Figure 58. The 3rd BCT scheme of ma
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also captured more than 200 EPWs, i
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Figure 61. Division Central Collect
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Figure 63. Distance from Objective
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Figure 67. Routes of march north to
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Staff Sergeant Dillard Johnson, 1st
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did not see me and began to fire on
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At 1430 on 23 March, 3rd BCT took c
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During the fighting at As Samawah,
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24. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jay Deh
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FLOYD, Johnson’s platoon fought y
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Army Spec. Joshua Earl,a military p
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April 1, 2003, black smoke rises fr
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US Army photoSgt. 1st Class Anothon
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Chapter 4The March Up-CountryI don
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Figure 74. March up-country sequenc
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working in the LSA and units moving
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Colonel Melvin Frazier, who command
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101st Abn Div AARFigure 78. 101st A
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Courtesy of V CorpsFigure 80. 3rd I
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All of the estimates accurately ass
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decided to break his convoy into tw
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Figure 86. The 507th route of movem
Page 215 and 216: Figure 87. The 507th Maintenance Co
Page 217 and 218: With 3rd BCT, 3rd ID securing the l
Page 219 and 220: However, employing LRS is not a Lon
Page 221 and 222: the attack on Baghdad. Practically
Page 223 and 224: Marcone and Grimsley justifiably ex
Page 225 and 226: Figure 92. Ambush Alley—officiall
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Page 229 and 230: Robert Woodward, US ArmyFigure 93.
Page 231 and 232: Figure 95. Chemical soldiers from t
Page 233 and 234: all of them. From a broader perspec
Page 235 and 236: While never perfect, the Army and e
Page 237 and 238: Figure 96. 11th AHR attack scheme f
Page 239 and 240: Still, the regiment planned routes
Page 241 and 242: Moreover, with less than half of th
Page 243 and 244: Figure 99. Apache attack helicopter
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Page 247 and 248: AdaptationsFollowing the attack, Ar
Page 249 and 250: PlanningThe planned 101st attack ag
Page 251 and 252: The 2-101st intended to attack the
Page 253 and 254: Figure 104. 101st Airborne Division
Page 255 and 256: Figure 107. 3rd ID’s scheme to en
Page 257 and 258: followed. The third tank, Lieutenan
Page 259 and 260: the division elected to block the e
Page 261 and 262: 3-73-7CAVCAVFightingFightingininAnA
Page 263 and 264: Figure 112. Relief in place of 3-7
Page 265: enemy as they had at As Samawah. Ar
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Page 271 and 272: From 29-30 March, the 82nd conducte
Page 273 and 274: Figure 118. 101st Airborne Division
Page 275 and 276: Company at Checkpoint Charlie, subo
Page 277 and 278: towns during the five simultaneous
Page 279 and 280: Figure 124. PSYOP leaflets to minim
Page 281 and 282: The 173rd’s combat capability als
Page 283 and 284: moment. The ground had been plowed
Page 285 and 286: The brigade also jumped with a high
Page 287 and 288: Figure 129. TF 1-63 AR Abrams tank
Page 289 and 290: NOTES1. Captain Michael Matthews, O
Page 291 and 292: 59. Colonel Rodney Mallette, MTMC,
Page 293 and 294: 133. Oliver.134. Marcone.135. Ibid.
Page 295: 202. Colonel Blair Ross, A Transfor
Page 298 and 299: to Baghdad in the east, and the I M
Page 300 and 301: Figure 133. Objectives in the vicin
Page 302 and 303: crossed a river or entered the maze
Page 304 and 305: three brigade combat teams, 1st BCT
Page 306 and 307: paid off in spades. ThroughoutI’v
Page 308 and 309: Figure 135. Enemy disposition in th
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Page 312 and 313: Figure 140. Sample district council
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Lieutenant General Wallace on theFi
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Figure 144. Objective MURRAYabout I
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Figure 145. Enemy and friendly disp
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The Approach: Isolating An NajafAft
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130th Engineer BrigadeFigure 149. E
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When his battalion attacked into to
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The FeintAt 0600, the Thunderbolts
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on the way to Al Hillah. Accordingl
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that the adversary seldom behaves a
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learned from the 3rd ID, SOF troops
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The protracted fighting in As Samaw
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Figure 156. The scheme for the isol
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Launching the AttackHaving rearmed
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IN and the tactical command post—
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Electronic attacks against enemy co
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Figure 164. TF 3-69 AR attacks to s
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The Smoke Mission at Objective PEAC
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Figure 166. 2nd BCT attacks to Obje
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Figure 168. Iraqi tank burning in t
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Accelerating the AttackDuring this
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The ApproachTrue to his word, Grims
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V CorpsFigure 171. Civilian aircraf
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First Lieutenant Mark Schenck, writ
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Essayons: Sergeant First Class Paul
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to one of the road craters at appro
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Figure 177. Platoon leaders of Apac
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Figure 179. The 3rd BCT Objectives
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TF 2-69 Armor, the brigade’s main
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Sanderson led from the front near t
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caught fire and ammunition began to
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NOTES1. Anthony H. Cordesman, The I
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61. Ibid. 2-70 AR; and Lieutenant C
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131. 2nd BCT, 3rd ID, 3. See also L
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Chapter 6Regime Collapse“There ar
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Figure 184. Attack to BaghdadBaghda
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Actions ElsewhereAs the corps’ an
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While some soldiers worked to help
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[of Saddam Hussein] were located. T
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These soldiers collect and process
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As the situation developed during t
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Despite the relative ease of their
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Mason Lowery, US ArmyFigure 190. TF
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Thunder Run of 7 AprilTask: Attack
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warrant. 40 If conditions wereGoing
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they came upon them, passing them o
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Figure 195. TF 1-64 AR movement int
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Figure 197. The 2nd BCT disposition
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dazed. The explosion and fires prod
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Specialist Gates took it it and ran
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Task OrganizationOn the evening bef
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LARRY, and Gator would secure the n
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The Pros from Dover—Special Force
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About the same time as Johnson move
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Rage faced dismounted Republican Gu
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Firing on all Cylinders— —Engin
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Figure 206. The Iraqi counterattack
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Figure 207. The Iraqi counterattack
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Silver Star RecommendationSpecialis
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NOTES1. Anthony H. Cordesman, The I
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Post). This information comes from
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Chapter 7ImplicationsSoldiers, sail
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OIF demonstrated that the COE is no
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from the War in Iraq.” The Russia
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Bank and Gaza provided grist for Ar
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Although urban operations in OIF pr
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Fort Irwin “replicated” the ene
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level did have satellite communicat
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The evidence of OIF does not compel
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Of course, building a doctrine and
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also find ways to achieve interdepe
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Special Forces in ActionOn 20 20 Ap
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Liaison between Army special forces
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Simply stated, operational maneuver
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petroleum, oil, and lubricants (POL
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Logistics SuccessesThere are some g
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Following the incident, the Army la
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Grouping so many capabilities in th
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The efficacy of net-enabled means t
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Information OperationsOperation OIF
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There are some obvious OIF implicat
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Most tactical unit commanders claim
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NOTES1. JFCOM and TRADOC are moving
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Chapter 8TransitionPeace enforcemen
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On Point has not been able to deliv
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I Guess I Made an ImpressionThis fi
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him the opportunity to honor his cl
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NOTES1. General Peter J. Schoomaker
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DESERT STORM as commander of VII Co
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Combined Forces Land Component Comm
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Facilities Engineer Team410th Milit
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244th Theater Aviation Brigade (OPC
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Facilities Engineer Detachment BFor
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Detachment/Marine Light Attack Heli
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Detachment/Marine Aerial Refueler/T
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4th Light Armored Recon Battalion (
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10th Logistics Planning Augmentatio
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315th Tactical PSYOP CoTactical PSY
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Shadow Tactical Unmanned Aerial Veh
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1st Brigade, 4th Infantry DivisionH
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Tactical PSYOP Team 221/362nd Tacti
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Control Ground Station Team 5/5/D/3
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Ground Surveillance Systems Platoon
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Eagle-Intel/Analysis and Control El
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A/326th Engineer BattalionTeam 1/27
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Elements/4th Air Support Operations
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864th Engineer Battalion (-) (Comba
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HHC (-)/22nd Signal Bde17th Signal
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51st Movement Control Detachment (D
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HHC/418th Quartermaster Bn59th Quar
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507th Medical Co (Air Ambulance) (A
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AMC Logistics Support Element FWD -
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381st Military Police Detachment (E
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513th Transportation Co (Medium Tru
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249th Quartermaster Co (Repair Part
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946th Transportation Co (Medium Tru
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Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 2
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Glossary A2C2AAAAAMDCAASLTABC-BLABC
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C1C2C2C2XC2PCC3C4C4ISRC5C6CACACOMCA
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EUCOMEXORDF/AFAFAIOFARPFBCB2FIFFIST
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JLOTSJOEJOPESJRACJRTCJSOTFJSOTF-NOR
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OBJODAODSOEFOHOIFOIF-SGO/OOOTWOPCON
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SOCCESOCCENTSOCOMSOFSOPSPSPACECOMSP
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BibliographyInterviews, Discussions
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Group InterviewsInterview with CFLC
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Dilanian, Ken. “Airborne Jumps In
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Joint Publication 4-01.8. Joint Tac
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• 335th Theater Signal Command•
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Lieutenant Colonel David Kolleda.
Page 578 and 579:
103 Military Intelligence Battalion
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603rd Aviation Support Battalion ·
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General, USMC, Chief of Staff, CFLC
Page 584 and 585:
Davis, Wilbur, Staff Sergeant, USA,
Page 586 and 587:
Operations Officer, National Ground
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219, 223, 243, 278, 296, 314, 331,
Page 590 and 591:
198, 284, 315Objective RAMS · 102,
Page 592 and 593:
427, 430, 518Schwartz, Eric ‘Rick
Page 594 and 595:
USS Higgins, Aegis Destroyer · 65,
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The United Strates Army in Opera
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