Army 1st Lt. Jim Gurbisz of Eatontown, N.J., platoon leader for the special security unit put together by the 26th Forward Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, briefs other soldiers before a recent convoy out of Forward Operating Base Rustamiyah, Iraq. (Vince Little / S&S)
FORWARD OPERATING BASE RUSTAMIYAH, Iraq — The 2nd Brigade Combat Team’s 26th Forward Support Battalion decided last fall that protection of its convoys would have to come from within.
So officials with the Fort Stewart, Ga.-based unit formed a special security platoon to handle the task during a yearlong deployment at this tiny Army outpost in southeastern Baghdad. The 33-man platoon is composed of volunteers such as mechanics, drivers, supply personnel, medics and ammunition handlers.
The plan has paid off so far. Incidents outside the wire have been minor and few, and the assignment is revitalizing the careers of many soldiers who say they enjoy the newfound sense of adventure.
“As soon as I heard they were doing a security platoon, I volunteered,” said Spc. Van Torres of Fort Lupton, Colo., a mechanic now playing the role of gunner. “I love this stuff. Any chance I get to be behind a gun, I’m pretty happy.
“It’s been pretty scary at times, but I like it a lot. You don’t just sit around the FOB and do nothing,” Van Torres said. “We’ve always got a mission, and it’s pretty important stuff.”
Sgt. Alejandro Michel of Amarillo, Texas, another mechanic by trade, is a vehicle commander for the security platoon. Two years ago, he was a gunner during the U.S. march into Baghdad.
“It’s a lot of fun rolling out with these guys,” he said. “I won’t say it’s better than doing my [regular] job, but it’s definitely more exciting.”
The 1st Cavalry Division’s 115th Forward Support Battalion originated the idea, according to Capt. Jet Mattus of Worcester, Mass., commander of the 26th FSB’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company. Mattus is responsible for the security platoon.
The 26th began practicing convoy escort in September at Fort Stewart. The training continued over the winter at Fort Polk, La., where the platoon went through a session at the Joint Readiness Training Center, and again at Camp Behring, Kuwait.
“That was a real benefit,” said 1st Lt. Jim Gurbisz of Eatontown, N.J., the security platoon leader. “We got a chance to train together and blend all of our personalities before we came here.”
Rustamiyah convoys routinely travel to the smaller forward operating bases and some of the bigger bases such as Logistics Support Area Anaconda and Baghdad International Airport.
The mixture of occupational backgrounds would enable security team members to help in an emergency, battalion officials said.
“They’ve got a security background now, but they also have their specialties,” Mattus said. “They all play secondary parts. It’s never strictly security. They’re putting their other skills to use to help out the convoys.”
Capt. Chris Harrison of Desoto, Texas, the 26th’s Company B commander, said his maintenance unit provided 14 soldiers for the security platoon.
“It’s paid big dividends for us,” he said. “It was a little painful at first giving up all those people. Our company has 100 personnel, and that takes away from the maintenance mission. But when you get over here, it makes the job a whole lot easier.”
Since arriving in Iraq, the platoon has encountered some small-arms fire and dodged a few roadside bombs, none resulting in casualties. The switch to full-time security, however, is rejuvenating a few careers, Mattus said.
“It’s been a great change for some soldiers who might not have been enjoying where they were too much,” he added. “Once they got here, they’ve been full of energy and really come into their own.
“It’s more of a combat-arms type of environment, and probably not something they considered doing before, but it’s brought out the best points in all of them.”
