Scouts Make Friends, Help Keep Community Safe

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As the sun baked the urban Iraqi streets to a soul-melting 120 degrees, Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers continued a mission that has occupied much of the past four months for them.

Members of the Scout/Sniper Platoon from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, walk and drive the streets of the Sha’ab neighborhood in the Adhamiyah district of northern Baghdad to meet the people and to help deter extremists from conducting attacks there.

But, these Soldiers aren’t the only ones on the front lines protecting the Iraqi people as well as American Soldiers. Members of the Iraqi security forces and Sons of Iraq play a vital role in the security here.

“It helps them to get involved and it lets them know exactly what they’re looking for and work together with us to deter that threat as far as searching vehicles, helping with community and give their presence and have them put a face on the same mission that we’re trying to accomplish over here which is to keep the neighborhood safe,” said Sgt. 1st Class Lanny McLaughlin, a Nogales, Ariz., native who serves as the platoon sergeant for the Scout/Sniper Platoon.

McLaughlin stops at several checkpoints during his routine patrols in the area. Once there, he speaks to the men running them – be it national police, Iraqi army or Sons of Iraq (Abna al Iraq)– to ensure they have the proper uniform, enough ammunition and are properly checking vehicles.

This is also a time for McLaughlin to learn about the needs of the neighborhood. In talking to the people, it has opened up another source of information to keep the people safe.

“They will talk to us on a regular basis. If they do see something suspicious, then they’ll stop us and let us know what’s going on,” he said.

He also noted an instance when a welder pulled up wires for an improvised explosive device and gave them to his patrol.

These improvements to what was once a bastion for terrorists are an encouraging site to the Soldiers walking the streets daily.

“When we first got here there was still a lot of trash lying around. It’s cleaned up a lot. For the most part, from the time that we took over, the people that have lived around here, the majority of them have been all about us. They’ve very happy that we’re around,” said Cpl. Robert Stearns, a Clackamas, Ore., native, who serves as a scout with the Scout/Sniper Platoon, HHC, 1st CAB, 68th AR.