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WASHINGTON D.C. (March 18, 2008) - U.S. soldiers captured an
individual designated a "high-value target" for his role in several
improvised explosive device attacks during a raid in Narhwan, Iraq,
March 16.
Coalition forces also suspect the individual of smuggling
weapons and explosives to several criminal groups throughout
Iraq.
"The target was a really bad guy," said 1st Lt. James Self, a
platoon leader in Troop B, 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment.
"It's a very good thing that he is off the streets. His capture not
only makes Narhwan a safer place, it makes Iraq, as a whole,
safer."
During the raid, scouts from the unit, currently attached to 1st
Battalion, 10th Field Artillery, cleared three houses during and
detained three men for questioning, in addition to the target.
Soldiers uncovered a small cache in the target's home containing
an AK-47 assault rifle, two shotguns, a bayonet and a small
quantity of small arms ammunition.
"Everything went perfectly," said Capt. Jared Albright, Troop B
commander. "Our guys did everything according to plan and it went
exactly as we rehearsed it."
The earlier this month, Troop B detained another high-value
target in a raid outside of Narhwan.
"This isn't the first time we've done this," said Staff Sgt.
Denis Pettitt, the troop's operations noncommissioned officer. "On
average, we've been capturing about one high-value target a month,
so our guys know what do."
Troop B is mainly comprised of scouts serving their first
deployment, but the troop's performance hasn't suffered due to lack
of experience.
"Our new guys have performed well," Pettitt said. "Part of that
has to do with our NCOs. They keep our guys calm and have done a
good job getting them ready for those situations. They stay calm
and haven't gotten a big head about our successes."
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