WEBVTT 00:00.040 --> 00:00.250 mm 00:06.640 --> 00:09.350 Welcome back to tales of glory . When 00:09.350 --> 00:11.572 people think of the Iraqi countryside , 00:11.572 --> 00:13.517 they picture an endless expanse of 00:13.517 --> 00:15.739 desert . Well as specialist Justin puts 00:15.739 --> 00:17.961 found out soldiers sometimes have to be 00:17.961 --> 00:20.017 able to use all of the training they 00:20.017 --> 00:22.183 have received to adjust to the various 00:22.183 --> 00:25.510 types of terrain . Soldiers from the 00:25.520 --> 00:27.630 fifth italian 20th infantry Regiment 00:27.640 --> 00:29.584 has spent their deployment to Iraq 00:29.584 --> 00:31.584 fighting in mostly urban and desert 00:31.584 --> 00:33.696 environments . Now they are getting a 00:33.696 --> 00:35.584 taste of something new . The palm 00:35.584 --> 00:37.751 groves and orchards of baquba , Iraq , 00:37.751 --> 00:39.973 palm groves and these orchards is quite 00:39.973 --> 00:41.973 different . You have the software , 00:42.320 --> 00:45.780 Most of our combat experience deals 00:45.780 --> 00:48.002 with the inner city and everything like 00:48.002 --> 00:50.210 that . Fighting where he has a lot of 00:50.210 --> 00:52.321 cover has a lot of advantages terrain 00:52.321 --> 00:55.730 whereas out here it's pretty , even if 00:55.740 --> 00:58.240 it's two spots to first commission has 00:58.240 --> 01:00.407 declared this palm grove of insurgents 01:00.407 --> 01:02.620 search for weapons caches and deny its 01:02.620 --> 01:05.680 future use by the insurgency operation 01:05.680 --> 01:08.040 reminds many of time spent back home . 01:08.050 --> 01:10.830 There's a lot more more houses from a 01:10.830 --> 01:14.470 lot more places , a wooded environment 01:14.470 --> 01:16.526 like this . It's a lot like training 01:16.526 --> 01:18.470 back home , just a little warmer . 01:19.000 --> 01:21.260 Alpha and bravo company's discovered 01:21.260 --> 01:23.316 and destroyed a weapons cachet along 01:23.316 --> 01:25.371 with the bunker . The grove has been 01:25.371 --> 01:27.149 handed over to bronco troops to 01:27.149 --> 01:29.204 maintain a presence in the area from 01:29.204 --> 01:31.093 baquba Iraq . I'm specialist just 01:31.093 --> 01:33.250 inputs soldiers have to ensure their 01:33.250 --> 01:35.310 rifles are properly set just in case 01:35.310 --> 01:37.421 they need to use them . Same goes for 01:37.421 --> 01:39.640 artillery except this process involves 01:39.640 --> 01:42.060 a lot more people . Army Sergeant Kevin 01:42.060 --> 01:43.150 Allen has more 01:45.440 --> 01:48.920 all the final adjustments were made to 01:48.970 --> 01:51.192 entertain , checked and rechecked . The 01:51.192 --> 01:53.359 ambo is distributed to powder measured 01:53.359 --> 01:55.526 and the rounds refused . The artillery 01:55.526 --> 01:57.748 men of Alpha battery 37 field artillery 01:57.748 --> 01:59.970 on forward operating base . Mchenry are 01:59.970 --> 02:02.026 registering their guns , registering 02:02.026 --> 02:04.081 the howitzer is a lot like zeroing a 02:04.081 --> 02:06.248 rifle just bigger louder and involving 02:06.248 --> 02:08.248 a whole team for this register that 02:08.248 --> 02:10.470 will be forward observers closer than a 02:10.470 --> 02:12.303 kilometer from the impact zone . 02:12.303 --> 02:14.359 Getting every regulation setting and 02:14.359 --> 02:16.526 aim has to be perfect . These are high 02:16.526 --> 02:18.637 explosive rounds , can't be our TNT . 02:18.637 --> 02:20.859 Um today we're shooting danger close so 02:20.859 --> 02:20.800 that's dangerous for the people down 02:20.800 --> 02:22.967 there . Uh , is high explosive stuff . 02:22.967 --> 02:25.078 So we gotta make sure everything's uh 02:25.140 --> 02:27.550 squared away . Before we sit down range . 02:27.560 --> 02:29.282 The section has five different 02:29.282 --> 02:31.060 positions , all of them working 02:31.060 --> 02:33.060 together like a choreographed dance 02:33.060 --> 02:35.116 line to send destruction on target . 02:35.116 --> 02:37.282 The section chief gets the coordinates 02:37.282 --> 02:39.393 verifies them and the round and makes 02:39.393 --> 02:41.560 the last check before ordering the gun 02:41.560 --> 02:43.671 or to fire the gunner is the expert , 02:43.671 --> 02:43.460 exciting the gun on the target even 02:43.460 --> 02:45.516 miles away from a target and without 02:45.516 --> 02:47.810 direct line of sight behind the crew 02:47.810 --> 02:50.143 and constantly yelling at the R . T . O . 02:50.143 --> 02:52.366 The crew's ears on the battlefield . He 02:52.366 --> 02:54.532 keeps track of the whole operation and 02:54.532 --> 02:56.699 relays commands from the radio . The M 02:56.699 --> 02:58.810 18 chief is charged with prepping the 02:58.810 --> 03:00.532 rounds with powder and fuses , 03:00.532 --> 03:02.754 considerations are that the charge , we 03:02.754 --> 03:05.088 can shoot up to seven different charges . 03:05.088 --> 03:04.500 Other considerations that type of fuse . 03:04.500 --> 03:07.100 we can shoot the fuse to detonate on 03:07.100 --> 03:09.200 impact . We can set the fuse to 03:09.210 --> 03:12.070 detonate in the air up 2/10 of seconds . 03:12.080 --> 03:14.136 We have different types of rounds of 03:14.136 --> 03:16.302 illumination rounds , 80 rounds rocket 03:16.302 --> 03:18.136 assisted around . And lastly the 03:18.136 --> 03:20.247 assistant gunner is there to load the 03:20.247 --> 03:22.247 round and remove the case after the 03:22.247 --> 03:24.358 gunner pulls the trigger altogether . 03:24.358 --> 03:26.302 The operation local and feels like 03:26.302 --> 03:28.358 clockwork , sending rounds on target 03:28.358 --> 03:30.524 time and time again after each round . 03:30.524 --> 03:32.802 The forward observers radio back there , 03:32.802 --> 03:34.636 adjustments and the registration 03:34.636 --> 03:36.747 continues from forward operating base 03:36.747 --> 03:38.747 Mchenry near Hawija , arrest them . 03:38.747 --> 03:40.802 Army sergeant kevin out . Not all of 03:40.802 --> 03:42.969 the soldiers time in Iraq has spent in 03:42.969 --> 03:45.191 a constant firefight . Sometimes we are 03:45.191 --> 03:47.413 given time to reflect and relax . There 03:47.413 --> 03:49.247 are many places in Iraq that are 03:49.247 --> 03:51.358 dedicated to this for instance , para 03:51.358 --> 03:53.469 morale welfare and recreation centers 03:53.469 --> 03:55.413 and chapels built specifically for 03:55.413 --> 03:57.580 these ideas . These places can even be 03:57.580 --> 03:59.747 left over from a time many people have 03:59.747 --> 04:03.710 long forgotten personally in Mosul Iraq 04:03.710 --> 04:05.821 soldiers gathered to celebrate easter 04:05.821 --> 04:07.877 sunday at a monastery that was built 04:07.877 --> 04:11.160 around 5 95 A . D . This historic site 04:11.160 --> 04:13.382 is located on base where soldiers could 04:13.382 --> 04:15.438 feel free to relax and enjoy what to 04:15.438 --> 04:18.870 say and this place means to them and 04:18.870 --> 04:20.981 out of all the people that I've taken 04:20.981 --> 04:23.314 through here . I've always noticed this . 04:23.314 --> 04:25.203 They seem to forget for just that 04:25.203 --> 04:27.259 little while while they're here that 04:27.259 --> 04:29.537 there in Iraq , you know , and so what , 04:29.537 --> 04:31.670 what I've gotten notices , I think it 04:31.670 --> 04:33.781 takes some stress off of what they're 04:33.781 --> 04:35.726 doing , what they're involved in , 04:35.726 --> 04:37.781 where they're at , how life is going 04:37.781 --> 04:40.003 for right now . Uh , And even for those 04:40.003 --> 04:42.240 that are not religious . After a brief 04:42.240 --> 04:44.462 service from the 25th Infantry Division 04:44.462 --> 04:46.573 Chaplain , soldiers were treated to a 04:46.573 --> 04:48.740 tour of this ancient site that many of 04:48.740 --> 04:50.870 them never even knew existed on the 04:50.870 --> 04:53.730 base . But for some soldiers , this 04:53.730 --> 04:55.786 location is more than just a tourist 04:55.786 --> 04:57.952 stop during their deployment to Iraq . 04:57.952 --> 04:59.952 I've seen people come here and they 04:59.952 --> 05:02.174 feel like they need to take their shoes 05:02.174 --> 05:04.341 off practically because they feel like 05:04.341 --> 05:06.563 they're in such holy ground . It's very 05:06.563 --> 05:08.674 respectful to see that . But even for 05:08.674 --> 05:10.397 those that are not necessarily 05:10.397 --> 05:12.619 religious , I'm noticing that they even 05:12.619 --> 05:14.841 themselves have such a high respect and 05:14.841 --> 05:17.750 admiration for this site to pay to have 05:17.750 --> 05:19.730 questions . But even with all the 05:19.730 --> 05:21.508 chaplain's found out about this 05:21.508 --> 05:23.619 monastery , there are still mysteries 05:23.619 --> 05:25.841 about the people who lived here and how 05:25.841 --> 05:28.063 certain details seem not to match other 05:28.063 --> 05:30.119 parts of the monastery . If you ever 05:30.119 --> 05:32.230 find yourself in module , contact the 05:32.230 --> 05:34.452 chaplain's here and then we'll set up a 05:34.452 --> 05:34.350 time for you to see the majesty of the 05:34.350 --> 05:36.920 sanctuary outside of the second largest 05:36.920 --> 05:39.580 city in Iraq . Well , that's all we 05:39.580 --> 05:41.913 have for this edition of Tales of Glory . 05:41.913 --> 05:44.024 I'm army Sergeant Patrick Michel will 05:44.024 --> 05:46.080 leave you this time with some of the 05:46.080 --> 05:48.191 amazing sites that are , cameras have 05:48.191 --> 05:50.413 caught over the past month . Thanks for 05:50.413 --> 05:52.636 tuning in . And we'll see you next time 05:52.636 --> 05:53.540 you're on Glory .