Take the Iraqi Army 1st Brigade, 1st Division - add in the Teufelhunden of the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines and supporting aircraft from the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing - and what do you have?
Operation Moonlight is the name, and America's Son gives us his view from the ground.
It's 1815, Tuesday evening. Bingo and I have just returned from assisting the Iraqi Army in Operation Moonlight; a "cordon and knock" mission along the Euphrates river. There were three Iraqi battalions from the 1st Iraqi Brigade involved in the operation which covered a large swath of desert on either side of the river just East of the city of Ubaydi.
I was greatly impressed with the performance of the Iraqi soldiers who bring a much needed local face to the coalition's operations. Many of the soldiers whom I served with brought a wealth of combat experience to the fight from previous operations in Fallujah, Najaf, and most recently Operation Steel Curtain within the cities of Husaybah and Karibala. Most importantly, the Iraqi soldiers fight with passion fueled by a their desire to take the torch and defend their homeland unassisted. While they are willing to serve beside coalition forces, each soldier that I spoke to about their progress told me (in broken English) how much pride they take in the defense of their country. They are also quick to tell you how thankful they are for "Ameriki's" assistance. Also worthy of note, is that Operation Moonlight was a milestone for the Iraqi army as it was the first ever brigade size operation conducted by the newly created army.
There's a lot more ... Go read the whole thing here. Make sure you include a pat on the head for his 4-footed partner as well.
Also, if you aren't already following Bill Roggio's reporting from Iraq (and why aren't you??), check out these articles :
Operation Moonlight, with a Twist The Teufelhunden of the 3/6 |
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