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SUMMARY OF ACTION: AWARDS 06 NOV 06 BRONZE STAR / NAVY AND MARINE CORPS ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL RECOMMENDATIONS

DO TO THE CONTINUED AND ON GOING THREAT NEAR AND AROUND THE THAR THAR BRIDGE LOCATED ON MSR MOBILE AT GRID 38 SLC --- CONSTRUCTION MECHANIC CHIEF (CMC) ROB BURROUGHS, CONVOY COMMANDER FOR NMCB 18 PILEDRIVER (CSE-1) DEVELOPED AND EM-PLACED T.T.P’S REGARDING NIGHT MANEUVERS THROUGH THIS GRID LOCATION. M-203 ILLUMINATION ROUNDS ARE/WERE TO BE DEPLOYED LEFT AND RIGHT, 100M AS APPROACHING THE THREAT AREA EAST OF THE BRIDGE AND AGAIN TO THE WEST SIDE OF THE BRIDGE LEFT AND RIGHT AGAIN ON THE OPPOSITE SIDES IN ORDER TO DETOUR ENEMY CONTACT AND SUPPRESS HOSTILE (SAF) SMALL ARMS FIRE IN THIS AREA.

ON THE NIGHT OF 04 NOV 06 NMCB 18 CSE TEAM 1 PILEDRIVER, DEPLOYED A TACTICAL CONVOY TO ESCORT: 10 REGIMENTAL KEY STAFF PERSONNEL (SEE ATTACHMENT A ) 7 GUN TRUCKS, 25 CSE PX, 51 COMMERCIAL TRACTOR-TRAILERS LOADED WITH CLASS IV AND CAMP INFRASTRUCTURE EQUIPMENT ACROSS IRAQ FROM CAMP FALLUJAH TO CAMP AL TAQQADUM. PILEDRIVER STEPPED OF ON TIME WITH ALL PERSONNEL AND ASSETS IN GOOD ORDER. UPON APPROACHING THE EAST SIDE OF THE THAR-THAR BRIDGE V-1 BEGAN THE DEPLOYMENT OF M-203 ILLUMINATION ROUNDS FORWARD AND AFT OF THE CONVOY THROUGH THE THREAT AREA. APPROXIMATELY 1 KM WEST OF THE THAR-THAR BRIDGE V-1 SPOTTED A SUSPICIOUS OBJECT LOOKING LIKE AN PIED IN THE CENTER MEDIAN AS IT PASSED BY. V-1 CALLED OUT TO V-2 AND V-3 TO STOP. THE VEHICLES STOPPED AND VERIFIED A PIED IN THE MEDIAN AND MARKED WITH CHEM-LIGHTS. THE CONVOY COMMANDER CMC ROB BURROUGHS ROLLED UP ON THE SCENE AND CONFIRMED PIED, THEN SET FORWARD SECURITY, AFT SECURITY AND CORDONED THE AREA OFF. PAYSTAR 1 (COMMODORE NEWMAN) WAS LOCATED IN HIS ARMORED HUMVEE NEAR V-5 LOCATED IN THE CENTER OF THE CONVOY. CMC DIRECTED V-5 TO ESCORT PAYSTAR 1 TO THE REAR OF THE CONVOY WHERE V-6 WOULD CONTINUE TO SECURE PAYSTAR 1. CMC DIRECTED ALL THE THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS (TCN) TRUCKS BE BACKED UP OUT OF THE THREAT AREA, V-3 DIRECTED TRAFFIC. ON FURTHER INSPECTION THE PIED WAS FOUND TO HAVE HEAVY DUTY FISHING LINE ATTACHED TO IT FOR PULLING ACROSS THE LANE IN FRONT OF THE ONCOMING CONVOYS ALONG WITH WIRES FOR COMMAND DETONATION. THE WIRES RAN FROM THE PRESSURE PLATE ACROSS THE ROAD 100-150 METERS TO THE NORTH SIDE OF THE ROAD INTO HIGH THRUSHES ALONG A DITCH. CMC CALLED IN TO HIGHER A 9-LINE IED/UXO REPORT AND EOD WAS NOTIFIED AND SENT TO THAT GRID LOCATION.

WHEN EOD ARRIVED THEY INSPECTED THE PIED AND CONFIRM IED (PPIED) PRESSURE PLATE IED. THEY PROCEEDED TO BLOW THE PULL WIRE AND COMMAND WIRES. UPON CLOSER INSPECTION EOD ESTABLISHED THE PPIED TO BE A SPEED BUMP IED 42” LONG BY 22” WIDE BY 4” HIGH WITH APPROXIMATELY 100 LBS OF PE-4 AS THE EXPLOSIVE. EOD STATED “OUTSTANDING FIND” IT WAS THE LARGEST SPEED BUMP IED THEY HAD SEEN IN THEATRE SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR. THE IED WAS PICKED UP BY EOD AND TAKEN BACK TO BE ANALYZED AND USED FOR TRAINING. EOD STATED THAT, “THE ONLY THING THAT KEPT THE CONVOY FROM BEING ATTACKED, WAS THE DEPLOYMENT OF ILLUMINATION ROUNDS PRIOR TO ENTERING THAT AREA”. DO TO THE FORESIGHT OF CMC BURROUGHS INSETTING THESE NEW T.T.P.S, IT IS STATED AND RECOGNIZED [THE DEPLOYMENT OF ILLUMINATION SCARED OFF THE INSURGENT ATTACK, LEAVING THE IED UNATTENDED AND VULNERABLE TO PILEDRIVER]. THIS ACTION SAVED THE LIVES OF ALL CONVOY PERSONNEL AND POSSIBLY OTHER CONVOYS MOVING THROUGH THIS THREAT AREA.

AFTER EOD HAD CLEARED THE SIGHT OF THE SPEED BUMP PPIED. CMC BURROUGHS REDIRECTED THE CONVOY PERSONNEL TO STAGE FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THE CONVOY TO TQ. THE CONVOY REGROUPED AND PROCEEDED FORWARD AGAIN WEST BOUND ALONG MSR MOBILE. APPROXIMATELY 1 ½ KM WEST OF THE THAR THAR BRIDGE V-1 CAME ACROSS A SECONDARY PIED ALONG THE NORTH SIDE OF MSR MOBILE. V-1 ROLLED THROUGH THE DANGER-ZONE AND CALLED OUT TO V-2 TO HALT. THE CONVOY HALTED AND V-4 ROLLED UP TO THE FRONT OF THE CONVOY, SO THE CONVOY COMMANDER CMC BURROUGHS COULD ASSESS THE SITUATION. CMC BURROUGHS VISUALLY VERIFIED IT WAS A PIED AND CALLED FOR FORWARD AND AFT SECURITY TO BE SET WITH CORDONS. ALL VICS PERFORMED 5/25 AND FOUND THE AREA CLEAR. CMC BURROUGHS DIRECTED V-2 TO UTILIZE THE MARCBOT FOR FINAL VERIFICATION OF THE PIED. UPON DEPLOYMENT OF THE MARCBOT, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE PIED WAS A ARTILLARY ROUND IN WRAPPED IN A CLOTH TYPE SACK SITTING APPROXIMATELY 6 FT FROM THE WESTBOUND NORTH SHOULDER OF THE ROAD, WITH WIRES RUNNING OFF THE EDGE OF THE ROAD AND DOWN THE EMBANKMENT. CMC BURROUGHS AGAIN CONTACTED HIGHER AND REPORTED THE IED/UXO 9 LINE REQUESTING EOD FOR A SECOND TIME. CMC BURROUGHS REDIRECTED AL VEHICLES BACL TO 300 METER SAFE ZONE AND PROCEEDED TO WAIT FOR EOD. M-203 ILLUMINATION ROUNDS WERE AGAIN DEPLOYED SOUTH AND WEST OF THE HALTED AREA TO VERIFY NO ENEMY IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA AND TO SHOW PROACTIVE MEASURES AGAINST HOSTILE THREATS. AT 05:45 ARRIVAL OF EOD COULD NOT BE D-2 AND V-3 WOULD LEAD THE CONVOY AND V-5 AND V-6 WOULD RUN REAR SECURITY. THE (ACC) BU1 YOUNG WOULD BE IN CHARGE OF THE RETURN CONVOY. V-1 DETERMINED BY HIGHER SO CMC BURROUGHS DIRECTED THE CONVOY TO TURN AROUND AND PROCEED BACK TO CAMP FALLUJAH BEFORE DAY LIGHT. V WOULD CONTINUE TO HOLD FORWARD SECURITY, V-7 CONTINUED TO HOLD REAR SECURITY AND V-4 HELD COMMAND AND CONTROL AT THE PIED SIGHT. AT APPROXIMATELY 06:45, CMC BURROUGHS AND BU 2 GARDEN PERFORMED A RECON DOWN AND AROUND THE PIED SIGHT APPROXIMATELY 75 METERS TO THE NORTH OF THE PIED LOCATION TO ESTABLISH THE COMMAND WIRE TERMINATION. V-4 GUNNER PERFORMED OVER-WATCH SECURITY. CMC BURROUGHS FOUND A (LRCT REMOTE PHONE UNIT ATTACHED TO A NEW CAR BATTERY AND WASHING MACHINE TIMER WITH WIRES RUNNING FROM THE INITIATOR TO THE PIED LOCATION. CMC BURROUGHS TOOK PICTURES OF THE ITEMS FOR INTEL AAR.  CMC BURROUGHS CONTINUED THE FOOT PATROL WEST BOUND ALONG MSR MOBILE APPROXIMATELY 100 METERS FORWARD TO A WADI OVERPASS TO VERIFY NO ENEMY WAS HIDING NEAR THE PIED AREA.  UPON APPROACHING THE BRIDGE HIEROGLYPHIC TYPE WRITING WAS FOUND SCROLLED ON THE SIDE OF THE BRIDGE DEPICTING SOME TYPE OF INSURGENT MESSAGE [A WOMAN CRYING WITH A HEART WITH AN ARROW PIERCING IT].  CMC BURROUGHS CLEARED THE AREA AND PROCEEDED TO TAKE PICTURES OF THE GRAFFITI SIGHT.  (UPON LATER INTEL INVESTIGATION THE GRAFFITI PROVED TO BE A SOUK INSURGENT MESSAGE TO OTHER INSURGENTS IN THE AREA. IT WAS DEEMED TO BE AN EXCELLENT INTEL FIND). AT APPROXIMATELY 07:35 EOD ARRIVED AND DETONATED THE PIED.  UPON POST BLAST ANALYSIS EOD FOUND FIVE MORE 155 ARTILLERY ROUNDS BURIED NEXT TO THE SHOULDER UNDER GRAVEL AND PROCEEDED TO DETONATE THE SECOND IED GROUPING.  UPON EOD CLEARING THE AREA CMC BURROUGHS DIRECTED V-1 TO MAKE A U-TURN AND RETURN TO THE POSITION OF V-4 AND V-7 NOW LOCATED ON THE EASTBOUND LANES PREPARING TO HEAD BACK TO CAMP FALLUJAH.  AS V-1 PASSED ACROSS THE WADI BRIDGE IN THE EAST BOUND LANE THEY WERE STRUCK BY A THIRD IED AND EXPLOSION, APPROXIMATELY 50 METERS AWAY FROM V-4 AND V-7.  V-1 PUSHED THROUGH THE BLAST AREA AND STOPPED BETWEEN V-4 AND V-7.  AS A (CLS) CMC BURROUGHS PERFORMED A MEDICAL ASSESSMENT AND FOUND THE V-1 PERSONNEL TO BE SHAKEN BUT OK. AS (CONVOY MECHANIC) CMC BURROUGHS PERFORMED A HASTY BDA ASSESSMENT ON THE V-1 MTVR AND FOUND THE MTVR TO BE ROAD WORTHY. CMC BURROUGHS RETURNED TO V-4 AND CALLED IN A THIRD IED/UXO REPORT, REQUESTING EOD AGAIN. THE PREVIOUS EOD TEAM HAD HEARD THE EXPLOSION AND ARRIVED BACK AT THE SEEN ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. UPON A POST ANALYSIS BLAST INVESTIGATION. EOD FOUND A COMMAND WIRE LEADING FROM THE THIRD BLAST SIGHT APPROXIMATELY 450 METERS OUT INTO A FARMERS FIELD NEXT TO A SIDE ROAD SOUTH OF THE BLAST AREA. EOD ALSO FOUND ANOTHER COMPLETE (LRCT SINAO SET UP WITH BATTERY AND WIRES, ALONG WITH A EMPTY 155 ARTILLERY ROUND TO BE USED AT A LATER TIME BY THE INSURGENTS. CMC BURROUGHS TOOK PICTURES OF THE EVIDENCE AND SUBMITTED THEM IN THE AAR.  UPON BEING CLEARED WITH EOD, CMC BURROUGHS ALONG WITH V-1, V-4 AND V-7 PROCEEDED BACK TO CAMP FALLUJAH ENSURING ALL PERSONNEL AND ASSETS WERE SAFE INSIDE THE WIRE AT CAMP FALLUJAH.

CMC (SCW) ROBERT R. BURROUGHS IS BEING RECOMMENDED FOR A (BRONZE STAR WITH VALOR) FOR HIS COURAGE AND LEADERSHIP IN IMPLEMENTING LIFE SAVING TTP’S AND PROACTIVE SAFE GUARDS FOR HIS TEAM, REGIMENTAL STAFF I.E. (REGIMENTAL COMMODORE) AND ALL OTHER CONVOY PERSONNEL.

V-1 VC-EO2 GANT, GARRY DR-HT1 FOWLER, SPENCE GN-BU2 WINGERT, TIMOTHY V-2 VC-ET2 ROE, DAVID DR-SW1 STRONG, DEREK GN-PALAMAR, PETER

V-3 VC-CM1 RODRIGUEZ, LEONEL DR-BU2 MANGUNE, CHRISTIAN GN-BU1 FILES, ERIC AG/COMM-BU2 WHITE, RYAN

V-4 VC/CC-CMC BURROUGHS, ROB DR-EO2 HAMPA, ANDREW GN-SW1 OCONNOR, JAMES AG/COMM-GARDEN, JEFFREY

THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE BEING RECOMMENDED FOR NAVY AND MARINE CORPS ACHIEVEMENT MEDALS WITH VALOR, FOR FINDING THE LARGEST SPEED BUMP IED IN THEATER WITH 100 LBS OF PE-4 AND PERFORMING THEIR DUTY UNDER EXTREME HOSTILE CONDITIONS.

SUMMARY OF ACTION: COMBAT ACTION RIBBON 06 NOV 06

ON 05 NOV 06, NMCB 18 CSE TEAM 1 (PILEDRIVER) DEPLOYED A 7 VEHICLE TACTICAL (AD-LOG) CONVOY ESCORTING 51 COMMERCIAL TRACTOR-TRAILERS, LOADED WITH CLASS IV AND CAMP INFRASTRUCTURE EQUIPMENT ACROSS IRAQ FROM CAMP FALLUJAH TO CAMP (TQ) TAQQADUM. THE CONVOY WAS HALTED ON MSR MOBILE 1 ½ KM’S WEST OF THE THAR-THAR BRIDGE, HOLDING FORWARD AND REAR SECURITY ON A SECOND PIED (5-155 HOWITZER ROUNDS, WITH A (LRCT) DETONATION DEVICE). THE MAJORITY OF THE CONVOY HAD BEEN TURNED AROUND AND SENT BACK TO CAMP FALLUJAH DUE TO THE ONSET OF DAYBREAK. V-1/V-4/V-7 REMAINED ON SCENE TO CONTINUE HOLDING SECURITY AND COMMAND AND CONTROL UNTIL EOD ARRIVED ONSITE. THE IED WAS CLEARED BY EOD AT 07:35. AT APPROXIMATELY 07:55 V-1 WAS STRUCK BY AN IED, ALL PERSONNEL WERE DETERMINED TO BE OK. V-1 GUNNER HAD MINOR CUTS AND BURNS, V-4 GUNNER WAS STRUCK BY BLAST DEBRIS AND WAS FOUND TO BE OK. V-4 AND V-7 WERE WITHIN 50 METERS OF V-1 WHEN IED WAS DETONATED. ALL PERSONNEL RETURNED BACK TO CAMP FALLUJAH SAFELY.