(July 23, 2008)--Waves of 1st Cavalry Division soldiers hit the ground Wednesday, preparing for what looks to be another trip to the Middle East in 2009.
They came by air, numbering in the hundreds as soldiers of the 3-8 Cav took the enemy by surprise in the helicopter air assault the division has used since the war in Vietnam to put large numbers of troops on the ground before there’s time to react.
"Having the ability to come in and land will afford us the opportunity to not incur casualties by driving on the roads because that's one of the dangerous times on the road in Iraq," Capt. John Bradley said.
It’s a tactic that’s particularly effective against underground targets, such as the troops may encounter in Iraq.
"It will be dark, confined, restricted terrain,” Bradley said, “Somewhat as if you were going to a high rise building in Baghdad and there was a basement that could be two, three stories deep."
As they land, ground support troops set up a perimeter, protecting the unit's lifeline, the landing zone.
Air assaults do bring the element of surprise but one of the most dangerous times is when troop are arriving and departing, and that's when the terrain of the ground becomes a safe haven for soldiers.
"Once the force gets on the ground, that's what we call our decisive point,” 3rd Brigade Combat Team Commander Col. Gary Volesky said.
It’s “where we begin to win and the enemy begins to lose."
"This is the first time any of these units have ever planned an operation like this. So you could say, we're all new soldiers at this, at some level," Volesky said.
It’s a tactic they hope to have down to perfection before deploying back to the war zone early next year.
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