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

US Army photoFigure 205. The helmets, weapons, and boots of the fallen soldiers of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rdInfantry Division stand in memory of the brave men who wore them into combatAlthough a captain, Johnson was a more experienced soldier than most captains. He servednine years as an enlisted soldier and NCO, reaching staff sergeant before going to OfficerCandidate School. Johnson understood the situation since he had been listening to the radio andto the torrent of fire to his north. Doing his own contingency planning, Johnson had moved one ofhis two platoons from the southern part of SAINTS up to a position closer to him on the northernperimeter. After settling it with Perkins, Twitty told Johnson to “Get to CURLEY ASAP.” 88Johnson wasted no time. He issued a quick order and moved out in 15 minutes. B/3-15 INroared into CURLEY with every weapon firing, arriving just in time. As one man put it, “Therewas not a soldier on CURLEY that did not think he was going to die that day.” 89 According toone of the embedded reporters present at the fight, by the time Johnson’s company arrived, themedics had armed themselves to defend their patients; those wounded still able to fire a weaponhad picked up arms; the chaplain considered picking up a weapon to help defend the wounded.“It was the most amazing thing. Captain Johnson got to Objective CURLEY within 15 minutes.The first squad leader out of his track was shot.” 90 Although Johnson initially arrived withtwo rifle platoons, brigade ordered him to send one back south to help sort out the mess at thebrigade TOC. 91366