Friday, May 07, 2004
Journal Entry: Spreading the Word
Journal Entry: 16 May, 2316 hrs
Al Asad Air Base
The trucks were late returning from Hadithah Dam today, so we attempted to get 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, operating near Hadithah to send a runner to the dam to give the battalion commander the word about the change of mission. We got a message back, essentially saying that Hurricane (my battalion, the 1-124th) received the FRAGO at 1547 hours.
I decided to head out to the dam anyway, so I could speak to the S-3 in person about the scheme of maneuver, so I could work out the transportation plan and the rest of the logistics piece, on both sides of the move. Which meant I had to have a plan to recover two companies from Hadithah Dam, get them to Al Asad, and then move the whole show down to Ar Ramadi.
I policed up 1 gun humvee and 5 empty five ton trucks, in case the battalion commander had already decided to move his TOC and his aid station and had them packed up already to move tonight. I thought it was important to keep the battalion commander's options open. I also borrowed a few security soldiers from Bravo Co. and HHC, and a medic, just in case.
The view from the dam down the Euphrates river valley and the town of Hadithah was spectacular.
Our soldiers got a chance to go swimming on the lake side of the dam, which was nice in the 104 degree heat. Or it would have been nice. I had work to do.
I went down five floors into the dam's interior, where I found Major R., the battalion S-3 pacing around like he usually does. He was surprised to see me.
"What brings you here?"
"Sir, I came to confirm you knew about the FRAGO."
"What FRAGO?"
He had no idea. The report we got from 1/3 was false. He had not received a FRAGO, and no one from 1/3rd ACR had shown up yet to conduct their right seat rides so they could relieve us.
Moral of the story: There is no substitute for personal coordination, especially during a change of mission. Had I not personally gone to Hadithah--and I was certainly tempted not to go when the 1/3 told us the commander had already received the message--the whole battalion would have lost more than a day of prep time, reconnaisance, and movement.
I left the gun truck and and two five tons up at the dam for the BC to use on his leader's reconnaisance of Ar Ramadi the next day, scooped up my remaining three five tons and my five man security detachment, and went home to Al Asad to issue orders to the truck platoon for the next day's movement.
[To be continued...]
Al Asad Air Base
The trucks were late returning from Hadithah Dam today, so we attempted to get 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, operating near Hadithah to send a runner to the dam to give the battalion commander the word about the change of mission. We got a message back, essentially saying that Hurricane (my battalion, the 1-124th) received the FRAGO at 1547 hours.
I decided to head out to the dam anyway, so I could speak to the S-3 in person about the scheme of maneuver, so I could work out the transportation plan and the rest of the logistics piece, on both sides of the move. Which meant I had to have a plan to recover two companies from Hadithah Dam, get them to Al Asad, and then move the whole show down to Ar Ramadi.
I policed up 1 gun humvee and 5 empty five ton trucks, in case the battalion commander had already decided to move his TOC and his aid station and had them packed up already to move tonight. I thought it was important to keep the battalion commander's options open. I also borrowed a few security soldiers from Bravo Co. and HHC, and a medic, just in case.
The view from the dam down the Euphrates river valley and the town of Hadithah was spectacular.
Our soldiers got a chance to go swimming on the lake side of the dam, which was nice in the 104 degree heat. Or it would have been nice. I had work to do.
I went down five floors into the dam's interior, where I found Major R., the battalion S-3 pacing around like he usually does. He was surprised to see me.
"What brings you here?"
"Sir, I came to confirm you knew about the FRAGO."
"What FRAGO?"
He had no idea. The report we got from 1/3 was false. He had not received a FRAGO, and no one from 1/3rd ACR had shown up yet to conduct their right seat rides so they could relieve us.
Moral of the story: There is no substitute for personal coordination, especially during a change of mission. Had I not personally gone to Hadithah--and I was certainly tempted not to go when the 1/3 told us the commander had already received the message--the whole battalion would have lost more than a day of prep time, reconnaisance, and movement.
I left the gun truck and and two five tons up at the dam for the BC to use on his leader's reconnaisance of Ar Ramadi the next day, scooped up my remaining three five tons and my five man security detachment, and went home to Al Asad to issue orders to the truck platoon for the next day's movement.
[To be continued...]
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