1st Battalion 22nd Infantry
1st Battalion 22nd Infantry
Operation Iraqi Freedom
The following is a report on
the activities of 1-22 Infantry,
written on June 20, 2003, by the Battalion Commander,
LTC Steven D. Russell
LTC Steven D. Russell
20 June 03
Dear Family and Friends,
Wanted to drop a note to let you all know how things are going
with the ‘Regulars’ of TF 1-22 Infantry.
As most of you know, our soldiers operate in the city and
surrounding villages of Tikrit, Iraq. Tikrit was the birthplace
and hometown of Saddam Hussein. Needless to say, this has made it
an interesting place to operate, as there are many
‘die-hard’ loyalists to the old regime. Most are not
and even some who are welcome our soldiers because they fear the
local population will kill them for living privileged lives under
Saddam.
Our operations target hostile forces trying to prevent the
efforts of US soldiers and the Iraqi local government and police.
The local government is making great progress here. I cannot
speak for the rest of Iraq, but if Tikrit is any indication,
these people are well on their way to self-government. We have
made great strides in working together and they continue to
provide us valuable information on the activities of hostile
elements within our sector.
This phase of the war in my mind seems to be an insurgency. The
Iraqi army had no formal surrender and the soldiers were not
formally processed anywhere. Instead the Iraqi soldiers simply
dissolved into a hundred cities, towns and villages. Most want
simply to get on with their lives. A small minority appears to
cling to the past. These are the ones that are attacking our
soldiers. In the last few weeks we have engaged them and recently
we have hurt their local command and control structure in such a
way as they cannot quickly recover.
The first week of June saw our soldiers attacked in a series of
small arms and RPG raids. The hostile elements were not afraid to
engage our forces. On the 4th of June, hostile elements attacked
a section of our B Company Bradleys attached to 3-66 AR. Our
Infantry avoided the initial strike but as they came around the
village, they were ambushed from the rear. An RPG penetrated the
ramp door of the lead Bradley. Providentially, the penetrator
threaded the fire team of Infantry in the vehicle—missing
them all. The warhead hit some electronic equipment near the
turret wall and exploded. Although the 5 men suffered flash burns
and shrapnel wounds, the body armor and Kevlar helmets saved
their lives and all escaped without severe life or limb injury.
All are recovering well and a couple have now returned to duty.
On the night of 5 June, a Bradley from this same company hit an
anti-tank mine on the front left side of the vehicle. The blast
ripped a hole through the driver’s compartment and sent the
front drive sprocket, a couple of road wheels and the hull access
covers flying. The resulting laceration in the hull was almost
big enough for me to climb through. The driver, a young private,
endured the shock of the blast, instantly suffering two broken
legs and a broken arm. His body armor and equipment saved him
from more severe injuries. This brave young man kept his head and
immediately hit the fuel shut-off valve and dropped the ramp
door, allowing his fellow Infantrymen to escape from the vehicle.
His comrades came to his aid, as he was trapped in the vehicle.
He is now recovering well from his wounds.
That same night our C Company also had a Bradley hit by an RPG.
The cone of the warhead hit a case of water, causing the warhead
to malfunction. Miraculously, the warhead did not explode and we
are able to render the explosive safe. Our men suffered no
injuries. Our men also acted quickly on a mortar that was fired
on US forces, which we subsequently captured with 15 rounds of
ammunition. The soldiers continue to behave with amazing
discipline and our nation should be very proud of them.
On the night of the 5th to 6th of June, hostile elements struck
our civil-military coordination building. This is where local
Iraqis come to work out issues with US forces in our area. A
volley of RPGs ripped the stale night air after plunging into the
walled compound. Soldiers reacted immediately as hostile small
arms fire peppered the compound. Our men gained a position behind
walls, Hesco Bastions and windows as they returned fire. The
initial volley wounded 4 of our men but they continued to fight
the assailants who had positioned themselves on the rooftops of
homes across the main highway. An MP from our task force a few
buildings down at the Iraqi police station opened up with .50 cal
fire on the rooftops. His suppressive fire allowed the men at the
other building to employ a Bradley at the enemy element. An enemy
element from a different direction then opened up on the MP with
an RPG, severely wounding the young soldier. Our Bradley opened
up with machine gun and 25 mm along the rooftops, effectively
deciding the contest. All firing at this point ceased. The brave
MP had emptied a can of .50 cal ammunition before falling
unconscious from his wounds. We were able to evacuate and
stabilize him at our aid station. He later died from his wounds
and loss of blood. Our other soldiers suffered mostly shrapnel
wounds. The enemy paid dearly. While we did not realize it at the
time, we wounded at least 4 and were later able to capture 4
others involved in the attack along with 2 x RPG launchers. Other
enemy wounded or killed remains unknown although reports from
locals say we caused a great deal of damage to him.
From this point we acted quickly. The curfew was strictly
enforced in Tikrit—a city of approximately 75,000. Those
caught out after curfew were rounded up in the local soccer
stadium where we employed them as a trash detail the next morning
to help keep Tikrit beautiful (an optimistic task at best). The
effect was immediate as the locals had no desire for such work
and the streets were eerily empty during subsequent nights. We
then focused our efforts to grab the initiative like a stick and
beat the enemy with it. For the last week we have had great
cooperation from the local government and police. Our own efforts
have focused on hostile activities. Using multiple simultaneous
raids, we have captured a number of important individuals that
led us to bigger fish. By now you all have heard that #4 was
captured here in Tikrit on the night of 16 June. Our men
performed superbly and worked in cooperation with special
operations forces. We also spoiled an attack on our market and
our flash checkpoints from C Company captured 14 armed men with
AK-47s in the space of an hour and a half. Information from raids
and pressure on people we detained led us to the info for
#4’s capture and culminated this week with the raids on the
Hadooshi farm on the night of the 17th. The Hadooshi’s were
believed to be personal bodyguards of Saddam Hussein. It was here
TF 1-22 IN seized AK-47s, night vision and surveillance
equipment, sniper weapons, global position equipment and large
amounts of ammunition—not your typical farm implements. But
the biggest catch of all at the farm was $8,303,000 in US cash
and another $1 million worth of Iraqi currency. We also found an
estimated $2 million worth of Jewelry that belonged to Sajida
Kerala Telfa, better known as the wife of Saddam Hussein.
I had never seen such cash or treasure in my life. It simply
boggles the mind. Our men preformed magnificently and our recon
platoon leader, 1LT Chris Morris, ensured our great success with
his quick actions at the farm. He decided to take the farm with
his scouts even though we intended to maneuver additional force
there. The activity at the farm called for immediate action
however and the element of surprise and the discipline of our men
carried the day. CPT Mark Stouffer’s A Company also struck
gold with a captured top-ranking Republican Guard officer and
also one of Saddam’s bodyguards. The noose is tightening.
Now the enemy is scattered and on the run. The next morning after
these operations, our men captured a man at a checkpoint
attempting to flee with $800,000 US cash in a gym bag. C Company,
3-66 AR has been a big help as well with our flash checkpoints.
Local authorities report we have hurt the subversive elements
severely. Even the Muslim Imams have expressed an appreciation
for our efforts. But our work is far from being over. The hostile
elements remain and attempt to strike back with indirect fire
attacks or attacks on our convoys. We remain vigilant. Keep us in
your prayers. Know your young men are taken care of and are doing
superb work.
The men have good morale and are flushed with the recent
successes. We are living well for the most part, billeted as we
are in former palace compounds. The weather remains oppressive
and all we generally do is soak our uniforms with our own sweat
in the 115-degree heat. But we are eating well and have generally
good hygiene. Our equipment is holding up relatively well given
the operations and environment. The robust Bradleys and body
armor have earned the absolute respect of our men as they have
repeatedly shown that they will save lives.
I trust all is well back at home. Please keep our men in your
prayers. God has blessed our arms and continues to protect us in
many miraculous ways. We will continue to uphold the traditions
of the Infantry and the US Army and the United States of America.
Do not worry about us. Psalm 91. SDR
LTC Steve Russell
Commander
TF 1-22 Infantry
Tikrit, Iraq