COURTESY OF 1ST SGT. ROBERT JENNINGS Pfc. Michael Rogerson, Statesville, N.C., 2nd Platoon medic, delivers crutches, pediatric breathing equipment and some bandages to the local pediatric hospital.

Attacks in Kirkuk
come from beyond city

Sept. 27, 1400 hours: I was talking with some soldiers at one of the plane hangars on the air base, about to go on R&R leave. Two explosions rocked the ground. I walked outside and saw smoke coming from the northeast of where I was standing. The air base alarm was sounded and personnel started moving to concrete bunkers. After the "all clear" was given, I walked to the headquarters command post and got the update.

It seems two rockets or mortars were fired at the air base. One impacted in an open area on the air base, but the other fell short in a neighborhood by the train station. No casualties, just some property damage and some shaken up residents. After doing an analysis on the impact area, it was determined that the rounds were fired from outside the city of Kirkuk.

This seems to be a new tactic resurfacing. Our enemy has been all but shut down within the city by our constant presence. We don't have any areas that we don't patrol, therefore they know coalition patrols are likely to find them if they decide to try and attack us.

I was away from my unit for most of the week, but I kept in touch via phone:

Sept. 28 >> We received some intel on one of the top bad guys in the area. Capt. Derek Bird, company commander, and soldiers from 2nd Platoon moved out to do some surveillance. After pinpointing the possible residence, the soldiers moved in and apprehended the suspect.

This is the biggest fish we have nabbed to date, one of the cell leaders of a terrorist group that aligns itself with Ansar al-Sunna, a Sunni Muslim group that has claimed responsibility for the beheading of 12 Nepalese hostages.

A lot of the credit for the bust goes to one of our interpreters, "Mike." He was able to identify this guy right away. Sgt. 1st Class Richard Woodruff, 2nd Platoon sergeant from Pompano Beach, Fla., said nothing but high-fives after transporting this guy to the base detention cell.

After returning to the patrol base, Pfc. Michael Rogerson, Statesville, N.C., 2nd Platoon medic, and the rest of the platoon were able to deliver some supplies to the pediatric hospital. This is one of the things that the soldiers really enjoy. We are hoping to help this hospital out more in the future.

This week we picked up a few new sectors. They are west of town, so we have sent numerous patrols out to recon the new terrain. On Thursday our soldiers received a tour of one of the areas by the South African security team hired to guard it. They are building barracks for the new Iraqi army that will be positioned in the area. Staff Sgt. Robert Ryder, of Portland Ore., told me that they showed him where numerous rockets have been fired, so we have conducted anti-rocket observation posts and patrols in the area.

Sgt. 1st Class Woodruff said of the new areas, "We'll continue to do these anti-rocket missions until the rocket fire either moves out of the area or ceases. Sometimes you come back with dead bad guys, sometimes nothing. So far, nothing."

Oct. 1 >> 2nd Platoon discovered a small cache just outside a small village in some abandoned buildings. They recovered an RPG, some rounds and an anti-personnel mine.

Another problem we are facing is the influx of squatters in the area. The local residents are upset because they want the land that the squatters are trying to claim. We'll have to keep an eye on these new areas to try to quell any tensions in the area.

God Bless and aloha.