Publication:Chattanooga Times Free Press
Date:Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Section:Front Page; Page:1

‘Needle in a Haystack’

By Edward Lee Pitts Military Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE BERNSTEIN, Iraq — A 278th Regimental Combat Team scout unit searched for cave hideouts recently in the mountains of northeastern Iraq in hopes of flushing out insurgents or uncovering weapons stashes.

Though they didn’t find any caves, the 2nd Squadron platoon’s eight-hour mountain excursion gave the soldiers a new appreciation for their counterparts hunting the suspected mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Osama bin Laden is believed to be hiding in the much taller mountains along Afghanistan’s border with Pakistan.

"It’s like hunting for a needle in a haystack," said Capt. Brad Bowlin, who described the 2nd Squadron’s sector here as about equal in size to the 640,000-acre Cherokee National Forest.

While the scout platoon’s searches in two areas about 15 miles west of Tuz came up empty, another 2nd squadron unit discovered a 30-foot cave, which soldiers sealed off using explosives to thwart its future use as a safe haven for insurgents.

A recent reconnaissance flight by Army Aviation helicopters identified potential caves in the area and sent aerial photographs of those locations to 2nd Squadron commanders.

Before departing for the day’s survey mission, Maj. James Blevins, of Damascus, Va., predicted slim odds for actually finding a cave filled with insurgents or weapons because what may look like a cave from the sky often turns out to be a mere crevice. But the scouts still had to go and confirm on the ground what can only be guessed at from the air.

"It never hurts to check," said Sgt. 1st Class Duane Bunch, 37, of Petros, Tenn. "You never know; you might find the goodies."

MAPPING TERRAIN

Capt. Bowlin called the mission a success because it allowed the unit to explore and map out new terrain.

He said the mission put pressure on area insurgents by sending them a message that 278th soldiers still are engaged in uprooting what soldiers call anti-Iraqi forces. Maintaining a presence throughout the unit’s sector also reassures the average Iraqi that the 278th is there to protect the country, Capt. Bowlin said.

"It makes the people feel safe and the bad guys feel nervous," he said.

While other soldiers in the 2nd Squadron focus on peacekeeping missions directed toward the impoverished Iraqi people, the new Iraqi army and local politicians, the unit’s scouts remain concentrated on finding the enemy. The unit conducts surveillance on area terrain, clears routes of roadside bombs, sets up night observation posts to target bomb planters and conducts raids to confiscate weapons or explosives that could be used against 278th soldiers or Iraqis.

Thursday’s cave hunt began with some off-road driving through a crater-filled dirt valley set between two ranges of desert mountains. The bumpy ride jostled U.S. soldiers in their Humvees and forced the accompanying Iraqi army soldiers out of their Nissan pickup trucks.

"This is like four-wheeling back home but hotter, with too much gear on and without the beer or the chicks like my wife," said Sgt. Rob Farrington, 34, of Greeneville, Tenn., one of the drivers.

When the landscape became impassable for even the fleet of seven Humvees, 278th officers radioed a request for help from the sky. Within minutes an F-15 fighter jet dropped out of the clouds, tilted one wing and released a single red flare marking the site of a suspected cave. "That’s joint service at its best," said Maj. Blevins, one of several 278th soldiers who could not refrain from smiling about the resources at their disposal.

CRIME DETERRENT

Capt. Bowlin said using airplanes is a great crime deterrent in rural Iraq. The people believe the planes and helicopters are watching them 24 hours a day even if pilots fly by only once or twice a week, he said.

In addition to the fighter jet, several artillery pieces back at Forward Operating Base Bernstein kept track of the unit’s position and prepared to launch heavy rounds in support if needed.

Iraqi and 278th soldiers hiked along the bank of a dried-out riverbed in the direction of the jet’s flare.

"It’s good to get out and walk," said Sgt. John Morehouse, 31, of Greeneville, who added that most patrols today depend on Humvees. "It takes me back to my youthful infantry days."

Throughout the afternoon mission, gunners stayed on their .50-caliber machine gun mounts atop each Humvee and scanned the horizon for possible attackers. With no relief from the 108-degree heat, Sgt. Frank Hutchins, 34, of Kingsport, Tenn., emptied a cooler of bottled water during the day. He said manning the gun on a moving Humvee at least provided some wind on his face. After eliminating the possibility of a cave at the first site, the convoy drove to a second location where a series of mountains surrounded a tree-filled green valley and a small stream. Spread out along the hills, some soldiers spotted manmade steps cut into a hillside. But the unusual stairway did not turn up a cave.

When the climbing became too steep in the area, 278th officers called for the launch of the Raven, a model airplane with a built-in camera used to help scouts see a target area before entering.

Sgt. Tom Wexler, of Kennesaw, Ga., navigated the Raven using a viewfinder. The technology of the U.S. military temporarily clashed with Iraq’s simple life as the buzzing Raven swooped down during its search and stirred several sheep. Sgt. Wexler reported seeing shadows among the mountain crevices but nothing deep enough to be classified as a cave.

Calling off the hunt as one soldier called for intravenous fluids in the heat, the scout team headed back to base. But the day did not end until after the scout unit assisted Iraqi soldiers at a traffic stop in response to reports of a possible kidnapping. Like the cave hunt, the search for a suspect did not bear fruit. But the scout team’s presence did not go unnoticed by the stream of cars passing the late afternoon roadblock set up to locate the kidnappers’ getaway car.

"For the most part we are military policemen," said Sgt. Douglas Edmisten, 24, of Jonesboro, Tenn., referring to the scouts’ role in an Iraq where peacekeeping and seeking out caves or kidnappers occurs much more regularly than firefights.

E-mail Lee Pitts at lpitts@timesfreepress.com

U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Russell Lee Klika Sgt. Tom Wexler, of Kennesaw, Ga., and the 278th Regimental Combat Team, launches a Raven, a remote-controlled airplane with a camera on it, to look for hidden caves in the mountains of northeastern Iraq.

U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Russell Lee Klika 278th Regimental Combat Team soldiers and Iraqi army troops patrol on foot looking for a cave near the town of Tuz, Iraq.

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