Combat Support Soldiers secure Iraqi Police Station
Story by Pfc. Matthew McLaughlin, 10th Mountain Division Public Affairs

CAMP LIBERTY, Baghdad -- A motley assembly of combat support Soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (Commandos), 10th Mountain Division, earned their combat patches the 'hooah' way as they provided security for 10 days at an Iraqi police station in support of the democratic elections.
The Soldiers, many whom never left the confines of Camp Liberty, were organized and trained days before the mission in an attempt to have maximum boots on the ground during the elections, said Master Sgt. Richard Porter, an operations sergeant from 2 BCT, who trained the Soldiers.
A former drill sergeant and airborne and mountaineer trainer, Porter brought the Soldiers up to speed on basic rifle marksmanship, close quarter combat, and vehicle and body searches. The Soldiers weren't ignorant to basic Soldier skills, but they were definitely out of practice, he said.
"Soldiers lacked that type of training at that time, such as searching vehicles and casualty evacuation," he said. "That's simply because on a normal day on the job they don't deal with that. They all had that training before, but they needed a refresher."
The Soldiers' diversity of military occupational specialties ran the gamut from signal, personnel and staff judge advocate. Porter said he was surprised and impressed with their motivation.
"One signal Soldier told me it was his first time off post on a mission," Porter said. "He told me he was excited. Everyone was pretty motivated to get out and do it. I thought a lot of them would think of it as being stuck on a detail."
For Spc. Louis Flynn, a terrain specialist attached to 2nd BCT from 100th Engineer Company out of Fort Bragg, N.C., the experience of doing infantry-style work was well worth the hard work.
"It was more physically demanding than my regular job, but it was also more satisfying," Flynn said. "Overall, it was a positive experience. I feel fortunate to be able to take part in a more hands on mission."
Flynn said he enjoyed the experience, but knew it was a serious job with severe implications if the security team failed. Iraqi police stations were considered likely targets during the elections, and Flynn and other Soldiers could not be certain every Iraqi around them was friendly. The station was also used as a staging point for 2nd BCT operations in Iraq, which made the security even more vital.
"The security of everyone in our compound relied heavily on our alertness," Flynn said.

Some of the security detail members also participated in foot patrols and provided outer cordon security during raids with infantry Soldiers and Iraqi police detectives. This was a first time experience for Flynn and many Soldiers from the security team.
We were "patrolling at night, moving stealthily along the urban landscape of this nation's capital," Flynn said. It was "a homogenous mixture of IPs and American Soldiers moving about, all coming from different walks of life having only the soldiering bond to keep us together."
Porter and Flynn both said they felt the Commando's presence greatly diminished any possible attacks. Every possible avenue of attack was guarded by Soldiers who only a week prior were making maps, filing paperwork and connecting phone lines.
"Even when we were out there, other IP stations got attacked," Porter said. "The way we presented ourselves may have prevented an attack. Even if they thought they couldn't do it, I knew they could. They brought different talents to the job. They did an outstanding job."
Many Soldiers said they valued their time "outside the wire" and felt proud to contribute to the success of the democratic elections. Porter said it is something they will remember for the rest of their military careers and their lives.
"It was an opportunity for them to tell war stories they never could before," he said. "Now they can go home and talk to their wives, their kids and other Soldiers and say 'I did that.' They don't have to say they were on a base all year."