Sisters soldier conducts recon in Iraq

TAWAITHA, Iraq – Staff Sgt. Zak Ingle of Sisters is busy doing what cavalrymen do best.

The section sergeant with B Troop, 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division and his fellow soldiers scouted new routes in Tawaitha, Iraq, gaining familiarity with their newly assigned area of operations, July 27.

“We’re looking for any suspicious activity in the area, and interviewing people to get a sense of the security situation here,” said Staff Sgt. Ingle, in a U.S. Army press release. “Talking to people of influence in town also gets you a good idea of what infrastructure projects are needed. Sewer, water and electricity are the main needs around here.”

Looking at a map, the area B Troop searched appeared to be a desolate network of farmers’ fields, but the recon revealed a maze of dirt roads and collections of homes along a canal. Soldiers on recon missions are also responsible for recording the locations of mosques and schools using global positioning systems, or “pluggers.” The information is used during mission planning to ensure the safety of residents.

“We definitely became familiar with a lot of roads that aren’t on the maps,” said Ingle. “Recons are crucial to understanding the area. I like to know every nook and cranny of my AO — if we have to run down some dirt path to engage a mortar team, I don’t want to have to look at a map or a plugger and wonder where I am.”

Driving armored humvees bearing the scars of previous attacks, the troopers examined a number of suspicious objects to ensure there were no improvised explosive devices on the route. One crumbling building was spray-painted “UXO,” a military acronym for unexploded ordnance. Troopers found two deactivated mortar fuses inside.

“I like being out here in the country, going down roads no one’s gone down before,” Ingle said. “It’s great doing what we’re trained to do — recon is what every cav scout loves best.”