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File: 082696_d50022_223.txt
Page: 223
Total Pages: 242

   the green/~hite star combination just eight minutes a+ter       ocating
   the rnine+ield signi+ying that the lane was clear.. at:t~2O.8.
        Team tiech +aced.much o~ the same~adversitywit~~-t+ew
   additional twists.  ~eam Mech~s OCD-rnoved +orward `and~a-red a
   singleshot line charge and came~.up2mptyhanded. *T~e.shot~as a
   compl~~e .~ud unable rt~~be `manual 1 y priqied ~~.: ~T.he thr~e"~ho~t `line
   charge-came +orward-:and Team Mech continued todrive-on       --They
   +ired'the three shot, primed it manually:,. arid-proofed through the
   length.;o.+ the blast expl~di.ng -a -mine on the~..way.'- `They then +ired
   anp~t~er-~wo which did not explode ifl.:an.atternpt *to~cl'ear-Fthe ~ast
   1O.~eters~+-the +ield. ~inall-y.,- Captain..Craig -Baker'&tia~~ the~
   cal 1 `-~nd ordered Sergeant. Car los :-.~rahm to -~roo+ the rest to+ ~he
   w'ay-.wi'th-.~ut the~bene+it-~o+ -a reassuring ljne'char~eeb~st."Lane 3
   w&s:brea'ched, proofed, and marked~y 1225.3.'.-:.    -..:-~~.-~ ~f'..
   *   ..Tiger 3 e++ectively :~assed through :tpth Janes~'    ~t rthis-
   point tundreds upon -hundreds --of Iraqis t:sport'ing -.whit~~~~gs began
   convergi~g on the breach ~ites, -.especiall-y' lene 3. r~~aptain. .~aker
   punched Lieutenant Jim Heads platoon through to secur~~~t~e ~ar
   s'i de., th~n ordered.Lieutenant John ~nders'en's~in+antry and-
   L,Leut~n~n,~t; Brent Wi1hoyt~U.engineer plato~ns to attempt to herd
   the EPW~s bac~ through the-breach.   -Inrthe process,~tieutenant
`Wilhoyt uncovered a cache with numerous RP6's and blew it in
     ace.
        The overwhelmin  numbers 0+ EF'W 5 began to bog down Team
   Mech-s advance.  ~t 1221 the Jump CF called Captain Stan-Snock +or
   a platoon (Lie~tenants Ord's). +rom Company-C to take -charge 0+ the
   EPW situation by moving them 3O(:) meters south 0+ the breach and
   handing them over to Company B 1/5, the--T~sk Force~eserve.       The
   volume of EF't4's becoming even larger and the number 0+ units in
   such a small space compounded the con+usion on the ground.       The
   Jump CF seized contrc'~ ~y calling +or all units to remount and
   dispatching elements 0+ the Combat Train to relieve the line
   compenies of their t~~k. ~ll elements were directed to bypass and
   point the EF'W's south.      -   -       . .-: . -
        Meanwhile, Team Tanr. had +ollowed in trace 0+ 3rd Tank
   Battalion through breach lane 4 and pushed 2 1/2 kilometers Out on
   our right flank, moving beyond our boundary with Task Force Papa
   Bear. They uncovered numerous bunkers and more EPW's'.      0++ to
   their right flank, they with C~~T 2 engaged two tanks and
   destroyed them.  The Jump rein'ed them .back, directing them to
   bypass al? EF.W's ano move to a support by fire position south of
   the Emir's Farm.
        ~s Team Tank with C~~T 2 were establishing their position,
   the rest o+ the Battalion prepared to kick off the attack at 14C)0.
   Team Mech and Company C were to envelop from west to east,
   basically straddling Phase Line Hickock, with Team Mech as the
   main e++ort. Groups 0+ artillery targets were +ired during the
   conduct 0+ the second breach so the area had already been
   softened up a bit +or the maneuver elements.       ~s they wheeled
   around to the north, Team Mech called for, then soon~therea+ter
   checked fire on ~8C and ~9C due to the number of EF.W's fleeing the
   orchard.  They moved to a position 17C)C) meters +rom the western

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