From TransFormaTion To CombaT The First stryker brigade at War

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Acknowledgments Many individuals not mentioned in the narrative played an invaluable role in producing this monograph, originally intended as a Transformation case study focused on the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry’s movement from Mosul to An Najaf in April 2004. Shortly after returning from Iraq, the unit’s commander, Lt. Col. Karl D. Reed, graciously hosted a visit by the Center of Military History. Colonel Reed gave full access to unclassified records and key participants like 1st. Lt. John W. Hicks, Maj. Harold D. Baker, Maj. Thomas W. O’Steen, and Maj. Mark H. Landes. Members of the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry, who had already departed, in particular Capt. Tobias O. Vogt and 1st. Lt. Robert S. McChrystal, readily consented to assist when later contacted. As the manuscript evolved, Col. Michael E. Rounds, Col. Dana J. H. Pittard, Lt. Col. David M. Miller, Capt. Anthony J. Newtson, and Capt. Bart G. Hensler provided additional material and comments. Maj. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, Maj. Gen. John R. S. Batiste, and Brig. Gen. Carter F. Ham reviewed the initial draft to ensure we accurately reflected their perspective at the division and task force levels. Dr. James T. Stensvaag, the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command’s chief historian, generously furnished valuable material pertaining to the development of the Stryker concept. We owe a special thanks to Col. (Ret.) Joseph A. Moore, Jr., for providing personal insights into the National Training Center’s Opposing Force experiences with the Stryker and to the Center of Military History’s own Dr. William M. Hammond for his rigorous review of the manuscript in all its various forms. iv
Contents A Need for Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Establishing a Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Step One: Reorganize, Train, and Equip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Step Two: Fielding Stryker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Step Three: Operational Readiness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Step Four: Taking the Field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 The Test of Combat: November 2003–November 2004 . . . . . . . . . . 19 Task Force Olympia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Initial Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Task Force arrOw: An Najaf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Operation rOad warriOr: Baghdad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Tall Afar, Iraq . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Mosul, Iraq . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Relief in Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Bibliographical Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Maps 1. Operation Ivy BlIzzard, 17–21 December 2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 2. Stryker Brigade, Area of Operations, January 2005–October 2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 3. Task Force arrow, April–June 2004. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 4. Kiowa Down, 4 September 2004. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 5. Operation Black Typhoon, 9–10 September 2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 6. Operation IraqI Freedom: 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry, November 2003–November 2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Chart Stryker Brigade Combat Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 v
Page 1: From TransFormaTion To CombaT The F
Page 4 and 5: CMH Pub 70-106-1 Cover: Soldiers of
Page 8 and 9: Illustrations Stryker with Mobile G
Page 10 and 11: progress among command posts, logis
Page 12 and 13: Stryker Brigade Combat Team SBCT Br
Page 14 and 15: and the number of maintenance perso
Page 16 and 17: General Shinseki speaks to soldiers
Page 18 and 19: need for spare parts to a minimum w
Page 20 and 21: Soldiers with the 5th Battalion, 20
Page 22 and 23: than any vehicle they had previousl
Page 24 and 25: igade to a California port where it
Page 26 and 27: the brigade’s staging area in nor
Page 28 and 29: transports that carried Abrams tank
Page 30 and 31: Two days before Ivy BlIzzard began,
Page 32 and 33: A sniper assigned to Company C, 1st
Page 34 and 35: equipment caches. On the evening of
Page 36 and 37: 0 0 S Y R I A Sinjā r Tall Kū jik
Page 38 and 39: General Ham (left) and a senior Ira
Page 40 and 41: four insurgents firing from a nearb
Page 42 and 43: S.Sgt. Francisco J. Pinedo and his
Page 44 and 45: Tikrī t S A L A H A D D I N Sā ma
Page 46 and 47: Just as Pittard’s brigade began i
Page 48 and 49: A Stryker platoon takes up local se
Page 50 and 51: approached the town, Captain Hensle
Page 52 and 53: additional combat power for any ass
Page 54 and 55: loaded trucks north while the other
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Tall Afar, Iraq The Stryker Brigade
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ight front; then the entire interse
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Operating 1,500 yards from the scou
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500 500 � Tall 'Afar B SCT 0 0 I
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Kiowa Warrior shortly after recover
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September 2004, the 5th Battalion,
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On the northeast side of Tall Afar,
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from Company A, 2d Battalion, 3d In
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Soldiers pull local security during
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At the conclusion of their deployme
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joint-force lines so that it functi
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Compared with the battle that occur
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Bibliographical Note Primary Source
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