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U.S. Choppers the Peace From Above Iraq


02:24 AM EST June 03, 2003
The Associated Press


ABOVE BAGHDAD, Iraq

The half-dozen Apache and Black Hawk helicopters clattered above this sprawling capital, hovering over intersections and crisscrossing paths as they banked over palm-lined avenues and the winding Tigris River.

Lt. Col. James Schrote, a Black Hawk pilot from the newly arrived 1st Armored Division, pointed down at cars jumping over curbs and medians to avoid a huge traffic jam at a downtown intersection, and radioed details to troops on the ground.

"We're essentially observers, looking out for something that doesn't seem right," said Schrote, of Alexandria, Va. "That's all part of our duty - to make sure nobody is carrying firearms, to monitor traffic and gas lines and make sure the guys down there don't get too unruly."

The division - normally based in Wiesbaden, Germany - has extensive experience in peacekeeping from Kosovo and Bosnia. It is gradually assuming responsibility for security in and around Baghdad from the 3rd Infantry Division which led the ground assault on the capital.

Commanders of the 1st Armored say they plan to introduce a number of changes into the way Baghdad has been policed since April. This includes increasingly relying on their choppers for reconnaissance missions to help troops on the ground and the Iraqi police force maintain order and provide security in the city of five million people.

"These helicopters can cover much more ground than ground troops can," said Col. Lawrence David, commander of the 4th Brigade, which groups the 50 rotary-wing aircraft in the division's inventory. It consists of 18 anti-tank Apaches, 16 UH-60 Black Hawk utility choppers, and 16 Kiowa light reconnaissance craft.

The helicopters also remain on the lookout for Saddam loyalists and other militants who have mounted a series of hit-and-run attacks on U.S. troops in Baghdad and elsewhere since ground combat ended in mid-April.

"If the soldiers on the ground get into trouble in some areas where they can't see who's shooting at them, we can quickly give them a description or even take out the bad guys," said Spec. Aaron Hardin, of Rock Hill, S.C., a crew chief and door gunner.

The 3rd Infantry has been criticized for not doing enough to prevent the breakdown in law and order that followed Saddam's ouster, which escalated into the wholesale looting of government buildings, museums and other institutions.

Although the rampage has died down in recent weeks, many Baghdadis say the damage inflicted was greater than that sustained during the coalition bombardment of key military installations during the war.

Viewed from the air, the damage caused by bombing appears to have been localized, confined almost exclusively to communications centers, ministries, and buildings within the grounds of Saddam's sprawling palace complexes.

Some of the targets, such as government office towers that appear nearly untouched from street level, have neat round holes in their roofs indicating where guided bombs penetrated. Others, like the Republican Guard headquarters, were pulverized into a jumble of collapsed concrete roofs.

U.S. tanks and armored vehicles now surround the Martyrs Monument and its two massive, semi-elliptical turquoise domes that stand out starkly from the dominant khaki of the city. The monument's wide approach avenue is now used as a military parking area.

During a one-hour mission, the Black Hawk ranged over the entire capital, crossing from the slums of al-Thawra - once known as Saddam City - to the central business district and the upscale Mansour area of mansions with empty, dust-covered swimming pools.

Helicopter pilots say flying at low levels over the city is difficult because it is hard to visually make out potential hazards such as communications masts, electricity pylons and high-tension wires. Although these are painted in red and white, this year's sandstorms have covered them with dust, blending everything into the tan facades and unpaved alleyways.

"I cannot tell you how difficult it is to fly in an urban environment like this," David said.

Still, the pilots and their crews enjoy the experience of flying outside the murky, confined skies of Northern Europe. They say the new missions offer unique opportunities to perfect their skills.

"We fly as much as we can every day," Schrote said after landing, as he took off his heavy, sweat-drenched bulletproof vest and flight helmet.

He said the most serious problem 4th Brigade's pilots had encountered so far was the unrelenting heat, particularly since their overhead windows allowed the sun to beat directly down upon them in flight.

 
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