European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 10, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 stars and stripes june 10 Penny one of the hardest things is that youve got a lot of Nice kids and a lot of Nice families around the new face of the War in Iraq at a combat troop c seeks to separate enemies from mends but the thing is you never know if there who Are turning around later and taking a shot at 1st Anthony von Pinksy patrol base Kwal by Drew Brown stars and Stripe Iraq a handful of soldiers and an iraqi interpreter move out at dusk into the streets of this garbage strewn looking for the sniper who killed one of their com rades three months ago and has continued to take potshots at them Ever its been six Days since the sniper was last but soldiers with troop 6th 9th cavalry sure Hes out there they take up positions atop the Flat roof of an iraqi just 50 meters from a Milky Green canal flanked by Lush grass on either using Rifle Scopes and they scan a handful of two Story mud Brick houses about 250 meters across the the troopers stay past dark before re turning to patrol base a combat out Post on the outskirts of Shakara in the heart of Iraq volatile Dyala the snipers rendezvous with death will have to wait until another As they a his an old two teenage girls and a couple of Small children Are huddled in the court Yard the interpreter thanks the family for allowing the troops to use the the adults nod their and wish the soldiers Well As they one of the hardest things is that youve got a lot of Nice kids and a lot of Nice families around 1st Anthony von a 28yearold scout platoon Leader from said before heading out on the but the thing is you never know if there the ones who Are turning around later and taking a shot at As commanders implement presi Dent Bush six Montgold surge Strate such encounters have become the new face of the War in by pulling forces off big bases and pushing them to smaller the goal is to secure the iraqi populace and drive a wedge Between them and photos by Drew and stripes top soldiers with troop 6th 9th cavalry regiment return to patrol base above Josiah of troop 6th 9th cavalry searches for possible insurgent sniper activity near the base for the 70 or so soldiers of troop the new approach Means pulling 15to 21day stints at a three Story Brick House on the Edge of town that since been surrounded by Hesco Concrete blast Walls and concertina a huge Tan Nylon net provides some Relief from the scorching Sun More it Shields the troops inside from stemming the infiltration since troop c moved into Kwal in engagements with the enemy have been Small in scale mor Roadside a grenade hidden in the tool Pouch of a bicycle Ridden by a teen age iraqi casualties have been relatively a sniper killed one Soldier on March the outpost was later named in his a Roadside bomb last week took the life of an seven other soldiers have been the troopers say Treyve accomplished their primary Mission since they arrived in the canal Bridge once served As a primary conduit for insurgents who would slip terrorize local residents and use the Village As a staging area for attacks on and iraqi army traffic on the near by the infiltration has mostly and Market stalls in Shakara have largely re a sign of Confidence the local popu lace has in their the soldiers insurgents Are constantly probing for weaknesses in the soldiers when we first got out we were Tak ing sniper fire almost every said 2nd John a mortar platoon Leader from but that pretty much quieted its just mortars Early insurgents fired two Katusha but they fell wide of their Likely a Bradley parked near the canal a Soldier at a checkpoint found a hand grenade in the tool bag of a by the teenage boy Riding the Bike claimed that it want his and that someone else must have put it the troopers had Little Choice but to let the boy go pos session of a hand grenade is not enough to get a conviction for insurgent activities in an iraqi they varying the routine As the insurgents so do forc to keep the insurgents the troopers Fry to never establish varying the times they go on the routes they the areas they visit and the number of troops they take on a mis a Static defense is going to get you von Plinsky one insurgent was killed while filming an attack with a video but they still Haven been run completely out of the its just like any other Hunting said staff Craig of bang sometimes you get some times you shortly after moving into troop c started feeding and taking care of a mule that Hung around the the soldiers took to calling the Donkey Das the Donkey took to following forces out on then one the Donkey Digap word got on the streets that he was our said Josiah of the insurgents assassinated that really irritated email Drew Brown at custom Low monthly payments nok Reditt product consultant Gas use Koh Lucius  Leikarts Forster Hof 14 69124 Heidelberg 08000003104 0800 too 3392 172 722 1803 customer service Gas Mandy Sayer Mandy , modern 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