Manassas soldiers take on final mission

DIYALA PROVINCE, Iraq — The mid-day August sun bore down on the soldiers as they dismounted from their armored vehicles. The warm breeze gave no relief from the 114 degree heat.
“Remember, drink plenty of water,” said the patrol leader. “We’ll be walking seven kilometers today.”
With final checks complete, soldiers from the Manassas-based 266th Military Police Company moved out for another Counter Indirect Fire Patrol. This Virginia Army National Guard unit recently arrived at Joint Base Balad, Iraq and assumed a new mission designed to increase force protection.
Joint Base Balad has received indirect fire attacks since U.S. forces first took control of the former Iraqi air base in 2003. In the early days of Operation Iraqi Freedom this camp earned the name “Mortar-Rita-Ville.” Through the efforts of units like the 266th MP Company, attacks against the camp have been greatly reduced over time.
“Mortar and rocket attacks present a constant danger to personnel stationed here,” said platoon leader 1st Lt. John Hinton. “Our patrols are designed to deny insurgents the ability to conduct attacks against the base.”
Hinton, from Newport News, has been serving with the unit in Iraq for nearly 11 months.
“These patrols are also an opportunity for us to interact with the area residents,” Hinton, 27, added.
The daily missions are a combination of mounted and dismounted patrols. This gives soldiers the ability to investigate suspected launch sites and look for possible caches of mortars and rockets. Patrols encompass the small villages and farm lands that surround the base.
“We walk for several hours and look for signs of a recent launch,” said Sgt. James Reed, 32, of Staunton.
“Burn marks on the ground, or trails leading into the brush, are the type of things we check out,” explained Reed, a team leader in 1st Platoon.
Patrol locations and times are determined on intelligence analysis and local observations. Spc. Jesse Miller, a 30- year-old team member from Montclair, understands the necessity to conduct these patrols.
“We get our information, and act on it to deny the enemies’ indirect fire capability,” said Miller.
The force protection mission is the final assignment in Iraq for this National Guard unit. Previous assignments included providing police training teams and convoy security operations. Although nearing the end of their deployment, the soldiers of the 266th MP Company embraced this last mission with commitment and dedication.
“We’ve been here for nearly a year, and this is a good mission to end our tour with,” said Miller.