A Bird's Eye View

1st Lt. Joseph Martin, a platoon leader with B Company, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment talks through an interpreter with a resident of Hurmuz during a village assessment.

HURMUZ, Iraq, Mar 23, 2007- Villagers looked up to the sky, shielding their eyes from the sun as Blackhawks circled overhead. They headed in from both countryside and streets as the helicopters landed in a nearby field and troops spilled out their open doors.

U.S. Soldiers of C Company, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry regiment conducted an aerial reaction force (ARF) mission to the small of village of Hurmuz to perform an assessment and talk with the residents about living conditions in their village.

"Recently, we've been utilizing the helicopters to get to some of the villages that are kind of difficult to get to," said 1st Lt. Joseph Martin, the platoon leader in charge of the mission.

"It's good to get a complete view of the village, and I think a lot of the time you can't get that from the ground," Martin continued. "When you fly on the helicopter, you can take a look at what's going on in the village, how people are out in the fields and working, and get an overall impression of the village."

The village assessments are important for the U.S. Soldiers who work in the area, providing vital information regarding any possible suspicious activities, such as emplacing IEDs.

These engagements also give the Soldiers the opportunity to evaluate the needs of the villages as well as address any concerns the locals have about the Coalition presence in the area.

"All these villages out in this area are our business, so we need to have a general assessment of the villages so we know the kind of people we're working around," said Staff Sgt. Christopher Malone, a squad leader in charge of security on this mission.

"The location is pretty close to a main avenue of approach to a lot of other villages and Iraqi army compounds. For that reason, we wanted to talk to the muqtar and see how the locals are acting in that village," Malone continued.

Martin met with the muqtar of Hurmuz, which is an honorary position similar to that of a mayor. They spoke of several issues affecting the lives of the villagers, such as the availability of medical care, the water supply and education. Martin also fielded any questions and complaints the villagers had.

U.S. Soldiers with B Company, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment provide security with the aid of the Blackhawk helicopter during a village assessment of Hurmuz.

"A lot of times they're honest and they'll tell us that fuel was much cheaper and they didn't have to worry about IEDs when Saddam was here," Martin said. "We go into the fact that the government is in a transitional state right now and that, for the long run, this is really what's going to be best for all of Iraq, and it's going to make Iraq a stronger, better country."

At the end of their meeting, the muqtar and Martin shake hands and exchange farewells. The troops head back to the Blackhawks to continue on with their mission.

ARFs are multi-purpose missions with dual objectives. Besides the village assessments, the Soldiers perform an aerial route reconnaissance of the roads frequently used by U.S. and Iraqi security forces, looking to interdict any insurgents emplacing IEDs along these routes, Martin said. 

They also keep a lookout for any suspicious vehicles on the roads. The infantrymen look for vehicles that don't fit the local profile. These serve as warning signs for the Soldiers, indicating that the drivers don't belong in the area or that an insurgent may be emplacing and IED.

The mobility of the helicopters enables the Soldiers to react quickly in such situations, allowing them to quickly set up traffic control points to conduct searches and question the vehicle's occupants.

"We're not trying to disrupt them in their movement or mess with anybody," Malone said. "This is generally how we're going to be able to find somebody and catch them off guard when they're least expecting it."

We have stopped vehicles on these missions and captured people that were carrying IED materials, mortar tubes, a pretty big quantity of weapons with ammunition, things like that," Malone continued.

At the end of the day, the ARF missions offer several benefits. Beyond providing security on the roads, they also afford the Soldiers an avenue to reach inaccessible villages in order to engage the locals.

"I think it's the overall influence of these people realizing that we are checking on them and that the government hasn't forgotten about them," Martin said. "If the people give it time, I really believe the Iraqi government is going to come around and the people will see benefits from this new government that they hadn't seen from the old government."

Article courtesy of BlackAnthem.com