Soldiers Find Cache Of Weapons In Pile Of Hay
Forward Operating Base Hammer
They thought it was a simple delivery of fuel to some deserving local Iraqi Citizens.
Instead, troops from Company B, First Battalion, and Fifteenth Infantry came across a large cache of weapons on December 1st. They discovered the weapons in a pile of Hay, in Al Ja’ara while delivering Kerosene.
First Lieutenant Matt Barwick said “We went out to the place on the fuel delivery and we saw a pile of hay about seven feet or so in height. Four of my soldiers started digging.” The soldiers were delivering about fifteen thousand liters of kerosene to the Al Ja’ara Village Sheik. During the fuel transfer they were told about a possible weapons stash.
Four of Barwick’s Soldiers dug into the stack of hay. Pvt Phillip Crum, Pfc’s Mark Hayes and Steven Moya, and Spc. Mishael Francois went through the whole pile and found the weapons. Their searched was based on a informer who tipped them off.
They discovered seventeen grenades, ten pounds of explosive propellant, a two-liter container of explosive material, and two mortars.
“We are sending a message to the remaining extremists in this area: You are not safe. You cannot successfully hide weapons. We WILL find them” said Barwick. “By us finding these weapons, we continue to disrupt extremist operations in the entire Al Ja’ara area,” said Captain Barwick.
Captain Barwick and his team are assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division, and they have been deployed to the Iraq region since last March.
