Quite a few times during the course of the war, we posted some correspondence (mostly uncredited, by request) from reader Sondrak K.'s Cousin Joe.

One year into the war, Cousin Joe, by way of Sondra, has sent us this excellent, informative and detailed article on the first year in Iraq.

A Year in the life of Cousin Joe...

The 504th Military Police Battalion Secures the Iraqi Theater Main Supply

The Long Road to Baghdad

By Major John Voorhees and First Lieutenant Adria Toth

The advanced party of the 504th Military Police Battalion arrived in Kuwait on 20 March 2003 and immediately began operations to receive assigned follow-on units. The battalion was assigned to the 220th Military Police Brigade (a U.S. Army Reserve unit from Maryland), as part of the 377th Theater Support Command (TSC). Due to the critical need for military police to support combat operations, the advanced party was tasked to move forward to occupy Convoy Support Center (CSC) Navistar on the Kuwait/Iraq border. Its mission was to coordinate and direct essential troop movement and combat resources across the border into Iraq by the theater Main Supply Route (MSR) Tampa. With equipment loaned from Headquarters Company, 220th Military Police Brigade, and some staff augmentation from the brigade adjutant (S1), intelligence officer (S2), and supply officer (S4), the 504th entered combat operations. With no originally allocated units, the battalion took command and control of L Troop, 3-2 Armored Cavalry Regiment, 302d Military Police Company (Texas Army National Guard) and 2d Platoon, 410th Military Police Company (Fort Hood, Texas) (all previously assigned security force missions in Kuwait) and began securing CSC Navistar. They worked to protect, stage, and move the convoys in support of 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (1MEF) and V Corps offensive operations in Iraq.

The 504th Military Police Battalion has a rich history of supporting and securing its military brethren during combat operations, as reflected in its support of World War II and Vietnam. Then after several contingency deployments to Panama and Kosovo the 504th was battle-tested again during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The task organization of the battalion included the 105th Military Police Company (New York Army National Guard), 300th Military Police Company (Fort Riley, Kansas), 333d Military Police Company (Illinois Army National Guard), and 933d Military Police Company (Illinois Army National Guard).

The small battalion staff worked with the British forces, movement control units, Coalition Forces Land Component Command (CFLCC) operations (C3) and logistics (C4) personnel and individual convoy commanders to prioritize, stage, and secure all coalition convoys passing through CSC Navistar. By setting up a briefing area in the staging yard, the S2 section ensured that convoys were situationally aware as they readied to cross the border. The operations (S3) section used military police on the ground to ensure the most combat essential supplies were moved forward quickly. This required establishing hasty holding areas and staging yards to accommodate the increased traffic volume at Navistar, which exceeded the capacity of the initial staging yard. Working with limited resources, the battalion continued planning and conducting security operations.

On 4 April, three days after landing in Kuwait, the 300th Military Police Company arrived at CSC Navistar. The company soon became the main effort for escorting critical Class III (petroleum, oils, and lubricants) and Class V (ammunition) supply convoys along the extended supply lines to keep 1MEF and V Corps forces on the offensive. On 8 April, the remainder of the 504th’s headquarters detachment arrived and began to integrate into ongoing operations. At the same time, the battalion’s area of responsibility was extended 125 miles north of CSC Navistar to Tallil Air Base in An Nasiriyah, Iraq, as the 18th Military Police Brigade moved forward in support of V Corps. This was a result of the CFLCC directive for the 377th TSC to secure MSR Tampa.

One of the first efforts to improve security for units on the MSR was the battalion’s installation of a 911 emergency frequency utilizing a series of communication relay points and two OE-254 antennas per site. The self-secured relay sites provided an emergency frequency for coalition forces traveling the MSR and enabled the battalion to operate a communication network to direct operations. The relay system has become the primary method for convoy assistance and medical evacuation requests-its relevance reflected in the fact that it’s still in use today and has been specifically tasked to other units by Coalition Joint Task Force-7 (CJTF-7). The large-scale dependency upon the communication system was not anticipated at the battalion level, but its frequent use by thousands of convoys has made it an essential element of MSR security. By holding key terrain, operating the communication relay system, and conducting round-the-clock security patrols along the route, the 540th created an effective security corridor for movement on the MSR.



Movement Into Central Iraq

As the 377th TSC assumed responsibility for the security of MSR Tampa (from Kuwait to Baghdad) and support for the forward movement of the 1st Armored Division and 4th Infantry Division (4ID), the 220th Military Police Brigade tasked the 504th to secure the newly established CSC Scania, south of Baghdad. On 11 April, elements of the battalion moved 300 miles north of CSC Navistar to Shumali, Iraq, and occupied an abandoned rest stop and gas station adjacent to the MSR to begin supporting the 377th TSC. The same coordination and effort required to make CSC Navistar efficient was implemented at CSC Scania to move crucial supplies and units forward in support of the offensive on Tikrit. Working continuously and gathering resources from wherever possible, the battalion transformed the location into a critical transportation node. Additionally, as soldiers endured the debilitating heat of summer, the battalion continued to expand CSC Scania and make quality-of-life improvements for soldiers living there, constructing a $10 million life-support area and a dining facility.

Although the battalion headquarters was located at CSC Scania, the headquarters detachment had to overcome the challenge of supporting four military police companies in three locations on the battlefield: Tallil Air Base, CSC Scania, and CSC Scania’s Forward Operating Base (FOB) Kalsu (positioned in Iskandariyah, Iraq, north of Scania and south of Baghdad). Maximizing its ground movement assets, the headquarters detachment conducted sustainment operations from three support nodes: CSC Scania; Log Base Seitz, near Baghdad International Airport; and a small cell in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. Conducting weekly logistic runs from Kuwait to the company locations, the headquarters detachment was able to assist the battalion in overcoming a critical shortage of Class II (clothing and individual equipment), Class IV (construction materials) and Class IX (repair parts) supplies. Though the headquarters detachment was not resourced to conduct extensive split operations, it afforded exceptional logistical support to the battalion, which was stretched more than 400 miles.

When the battalion moved to CSC Scania, it assumed responsibility for convoy and route security along MSR Tampa from Tallil Air Base to CSC Scania, a distance of more than 187 miles. With the expanded battlespace came the extension of the relay communication system and the number of committed military police patrols and convoy security squads. The main effort for the battalion in these operations included the 300th, 333d, and 933d Military Police Companies. The battalion directed air and ground medical response operations for major traffic accidents and enemy engagements, saving the lives of many coalition soldiers as units from the 1st Armored Division and 4ID pushed into Iraq. The battalion conducted both convoy security and MSR combat patrolling. Convoy security operations focused on logistical convoys, including contracted “sustainer” pushes. In addition to maintaining a coalition presence as an enemy deterrence, MSR combat patrols targeted enemy ambushes and snipers, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and problem areas along the route.

Extended Battlespace Into the Sunni Triangle
In May, the 220th Military Police Brigade directed the 504th to expand its area of responsibility north along MSR Tampa, from CSC Scania to the intersection of MSR Tampa and Alternate Supply Route Jackson, south of Baghdad. The extended area, which later became known as the true start of the Sunni Triangle, was the most problematic area of the battalion’s area of responsibility. In an effort to stop enemy activity and continue to provide a secure MSR for troop movement, the battalion established FOB Kalsu, named in honor of First Lieutenant James Robert Kalsu, a Buffalo Bills defensive lineman killed in Vietnam on 21 July 1970. Initially occupied by the 105th Military Police Company (Buffalo, New York) and then the 300th Military Police Company, FOB Kalsu quickly became a critical site with two objectives to provide immediate emergency response to convoys under attack and, due to its location, operate continuous MSR combat patrols in the battalion’s most active area. FOB Kalsu’s location at the start of the Sunni Triangle, just south of Baghdad, has made it an essential location to conduct operations against enemy forces and provide rapid assistance to coalition forces traveling on MSR Tampa. The 105th and 300th were engaged in more than 50 direct enemy contacts along MSR Tampa. As a result of FOB Kalsu’s strategic placement, the battalion effectively responded to 20 IED attacks against coalition convoys, and combat patrols discovered more than 25 IEDs before detonation. Although FOB Kalsu came under frequent attack by enemy rocket-propelled grenade, small arms, mortar, and rocket fire, the units continued to provide an effective and aggressive defense, ensuring that the FOB remained open. FOB Kalsu was transformed from a bombed and abandoned former regime military antiaircraft radar station to a U.S. military base whose sphere of influence extended well beyond the battalion’s original expectations. The FOB now supports more than 350 soldiers from the battalion and the 2-505 Parachute Infantry Regiment and is slated to become a long-term base in support of future Operation Iraqi Freedom operations.

From FOB Kalsu, the battalion conducted operations with the 4ID, 1st Marine Division, 1MEF Aviation, 1-152 Infantry Battalion, and 1-162 Infantry Battalion in an effort to maintain security on MSR Tampa. Recently, CJTF-7 supported the request of the 220th Military Police Brigade to employ Company B, 2-505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, to assist with security operations along Tampa.

Humanitarian Fuel Convoys
One of the most operationally significant missions of the battalion has been humanitarian assistance. With Iraq’s oil and fuel production and transportation completely in ruins, the 504th was called upon to escort badly needed fuel (kerosene, gasoline and diesel) for the Iraqi civilian population. The fuel convoys originated in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and traveled to Tallil Air Base and CSC Scania, where they were sent on to major fuel distribution points. Scania became a vital fuel distribution hub. The battalion safely transported millions of gallons of fuel in an effort to bring about a stable and secure environment for the Iraqi people. A significant responsibility for this mission fell on the shoulders of the 333d Military Police Company, operating from CSC Scania, and the 933d Military Police Company, operating from Tallil Air Base. Experiencing IED attacks and attacks by hijackers in the desolate sections of the MSR in the south, the battalion did everything possible to keep the convoys operational.

In support of the mission, the 333d encountered 7 IEDs en route to fuel depots in and around Baghdad. Working to eliminate the dangerous criminal threat to the convoys, the 933d conducted antihijacking operations against armed Iraqis, capturing a dozen criminals and sending them to prison in An Nasiriyah.

The Ultimate Sacrifice

By creating CSC Scania and FOB Kalsu to launch security operations and maintain the extensive communication relay system along the MSR, the 504th successfully secured the coalition’s logistical lifeline into Baghdad. The battalion worked tirelessly to maintain security and stability on their watch¾with a cost of 3 soldiers killed in action and 6 wounded. The battalion’s dedicated efforts to keep MSR Tampa safe prevented additional loss of life.

Significant Accomplishments

In addition to security operations, the units in the 504th executed multiple combat operations with 1MEF, Polish forces, and Special Forces, bringing the combined arms concept to the small-unit level. The battalion completed more than 20 cordon-and-search operations, 10 raids, and hundreds of hasty and deliberate vehicle checkpoints leading to the detention of more than 200 people suspected of anticoalition or criminal activity. The battalion placed a special emphasis on protecting Iraqi infrastructure within and adjacent to MSR Tampa, to include oil pipelines, power lines, power substations, and fuel holding tanks. Iraqis found looting or stealing from these critical sites were apprehended. This effort drastically reduced the number of incidents with the battalion’s area of responsibility.

From May through early August, the 504th provided relief operations for 1MEF to secure the bridge crossing the Euphrates River on MSR Tampa north of An Nasiriyah, allowing thousands of convoys to safely cross a vulnerable target. Additionally, the battalion provided security from June through September to support the 724th Engineer Battalion as it worked to improve the 60-mile unpaved and dangerous stretch of the route.

The battalion also became involved in cultivating civil-military relationships with the Iraqi people from Ash Shumali, Al Imam, Al Mashru, Al Nile, Al Zubyar, Sumar, Tunis, and Latifiyah towns adjacent to MSR Tampa and within the battalion area of responsibility. The battalion participated in restoration and reconstruction projects for schools, medical clinics, and police stations and allowed local families living behind CSC Scania to establish a market. Additionally, the battalion nurtured its relationship with the local sheiks, capitalizing on their influence in the surrounding area. This rapport was paramount for gathering intelligence information and as a reference point for identifying local people to work on the base camps, ultimately gaining positive word-of-mouth contacts in the area concerning the military presence. The positive civil-military connection with the sheiks was fully felt when the enemy activity around CSC Scania significantly decreased.

Tribal Relations
The battalion’s community relations deepened after a meeting with one sheik in particular. The coincidental encounter with a Shia sheik of the Abu Sultan Tribe one of the largest tribes in central Iraq proved to be a solid partnership for the battalion and the Iraqi reconstruction process. The battalion became the liaison between the sheik and officials at the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Al Hilla. Additionally, the battalion was able to foster a relationship with an influential Sunni sheik from north Babil, who provided necessary connections with the Sunni population in the battalion’s northern area. He facilitated civil affairs projects and worked aggressively to convince the local Sunni population that the coalition was a positive force working for Iraq. Though the battalion made a tangible impact in tribal relations, its most significant accomplishments were truly captured in the relationships developed in the Iraqi communities.

Base Camp Construction
At CSC Scania, the battalion focused on making the CSC fully operational and secure to support the heavy flow of convoys, while simultaneously upgrading the quality of life for soldiers. Efforts were set in motion to construct a force provider logistics support area (LSA). Contracting for the real estate leased from a local farmer began in July. Working with the support services contractor, Kellogg Brown and Root, the battalion played a lead role in the planning, design, and construction of the LSA and improvements to existing on-site structures, including the current tactical operations center and medical treatment facility. The construction began in August, and the battalion worked with the contractor on a daily basis to ensure that all project objectives were met. On 1 November, LSA Nakaamura officially opened to house CSC Scania’s tenant units; in December, the CSC was fully operational to support the convoy movement of CJTF-7.

Iraqi Highway Patrol
In September, the battalion began working to turn over highway security to the Iraqis by establishing the Iraqi Highway Patrol in Babil Province. Working with the regional CPA, the battalion received funding for the construction of the first highway patrol station in one of the most active enemy areas, south of Baghdad and west of Iskandariyah. In November, the battalion opened the station with 60 police officers and 24-hour operations. The military police in the battalion contributed to the training and resourcing of the highway patrol, making it a true success that has paid dividends in protection for the coalition forces and the Iraqi people. The highway patrol has grown from a concept to a reality and, through the efforts of the battalion, has expanded to include additional existing police stations. In February 2004, the battalion assumed resourcing and training responsibility for two additional highway patrol stations along MSR Tampa and in An Nasiriyah and Al Zubyar all part of a program designed to build on the highway patrol system that will eventually be handed off to the Iraqis.

Civil Affairs Efforts
The 504th widened its scope of responsibility and assumed civil affairs projects within the battalion area. The battalion initially solicited donations from family support groups back home to provide needed supplies for local schools in and around the area. Getting more involved in the civil affairs efforts, the battalion created a civil affairs staff “out of hide.” In addition, the battalion teamed up with the Philippine Civil Affairs Battalion to leverage a needs assessment for the areas in and around MSR Tampa. Obtaining funding from the commander’s Emergency Relief Program, the CPA, and the Multinational Division-Central South, the battalion acquired more than $500,000. Projects included the refurbishment of four water treatment systems, the restoration of two medical facilities and four schools, and the resourcing of five police stations. Additionally, the 504th played a critical role in the reactivation of the Baza irrigation system, which provided water to thousands of farms south of Baghdad, and the Shumali water pumping system, which prevented hundreds of families from being flooded out of their homes during the winter rains. The battalion was recognized by the CPA as one of the most effective military units working civil affairs projects in the region.

Operational Summary
In January, the battalion became a part of the 16th Military Police Brigade (Airborne) where it will continue to operate until relieved of its mission. The operations of the 504th Military Police Battalion in Iraq have included more than 70 armed engagements with the enemy. While conducting more than 4,000 combat patrols on more than 300 miles of MSR Tampa, the battalion confiscated more than 1,200 weapons and detained 201 Iraqis suspected of anticoalition activities. Further, the battalion was responsible for the apprehension of hundreds of Iraqis caught damaging or destroying critical Iraqi infrastructure. Working to protect coalition forces, the battalion ensured the safe detonation of 30 IEDs and is working closely with the newly formed Iraqi Highway Patrol to continue locating devices before additional damage occurs. Finally, the battalion has secured more than 8,000 convoys and ensured the safe passage of more than 25,000 convoys moving troops and resources across the MSR.

Conclusion

On of the biggest morale boasts for the battalion was the extensive support of the 504th Military Police Battalion Association. Many World War II and Vietnam veterans from the battalion wrote letters and sent packages to the deployed Dragon Fighters. The sense of camaraderie from these great Americans, who knew first-hand the sacrifices and the challenges the battalion endured, gave many an inner motivation. These veterans had a special way of saying “thanks” that encouraged soldiers to give their best every day, no matter how difficult the mission, adding chapters to the honorable history of a great and proud organization the Dragon Fighters!
Major Voorhees is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy and is currently the executive officer of the 504th Military Police Battalion. He previously served as the battalion S3.

First Lieutenant Toth is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy and is currently the assistant S3 of the 504th. Her previous assignments include platoon leader in the 170th Military Police Company.

[Thank you to Sondra, Cousin Joe, Lt. Toth and Major Vorhees for this article]

Posted By Michele Catalano at March 19, 2004 10:33 AM | TrackBack