52nd Infantry Regiment (United States) - Iraq (OIF 01-02)

Iraq (OIF 01-02)

C Company, 52d Infantry Regiment was assigned to 3d Brigade, 2d Infantry Division during its deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 01-02 from November 2003 – November 2004. From December 2003 – January 2004, it supported 4th ID and 3-2 SBCT, the Army’s first Stryker brigade, during Operations Arrowhead Blizzard and Arrowhead Polaris, the brigade’s successful attack of insurgents in and around Samarra, Iraq During twenty seven days of continuous combat operations in Samarra, the company contributed to significant losses to the enemy in terms of personnel and equipment and neutralized enemy activity throughout their battalion’s area of operations.

Upon completion, the company followed the brigade’s movement north in order to conduct a relief in place with 101st Airborne Division in Mosul, Iraq, where they operated out of Forward Operating Base Marez. Avalanche Company was assigned to Task Force Minute, 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery under command of LTC Sliwa. During combat and stability operations in the Upper Tigris River Valley south of Mosul, the company conducted over 150 full spectrum missions totaling over 18,000 Stryker miles. The company regularly served as the Task Force Main Effort on many cordon and searches, convoy security, area and route reconnaissance, counter improvised explosive device (IED) sweeps, and counter mortar / area security operations, which resulted in significant losses to the enemy in terms of personnel and equipment, as well as neutralizing enemy activity in the company’s area of operations. Such areas as Hammam Al Alil, Ash Sharuh, Qayyarah, Hatra, Makhmur, and Tal Abjah were frequently patrolled.

Some of the operations the company conducted which led to the successful capture of both battalion or brigade high value targets, as well as a multitude of caches, included Operations Decimation, H3, Thunderbolt, King’s Gambit, Warrior Strike, Avalanche Fury, and Operation Rude Awakening. In 4 June, C-52d IN was also responsible for the training and equipping of the new “Iraqi National Guard,” in which the company trained 30 platoons comprising over 1,500 new Iraqi soldiers.

The company successfully redeployed to Fort Lewis in November 2004 with no loss of equipment or life and was subsequently awarded with a Meritorious Unit Commendation and Superior Unit Award for their operations in theater. Avalanche was reassigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment under the command of LTC Flowers and LTC Huggins. The company successfully completed reset in record time and deployed twice to the Yakima Training Center, successfully completing Operations Arrowhead Quiver and Arrowhead Warpath which included both platoon and company maneuver live fires, Stryker gunnery, ATGM gunner’s skills testing and TOW tables 1–12.

• Avalanche soldiers secure a City Hall in Iraq, November 2003.

• C-52d IN Christmas photo from FOB Pacesetter, Iraq. December 2003.

• C-52d IN soldier patrols in the snow south of Mosul, 2004.

• C-52d IN patrols through the snow, January 2004.

• C-52d IN at a security halt in Iraq. June 2004

• C-52d IN poses with a Thank You banner from Lacey, Washington. August 2004