This is a story of some badassery. I was lucky enough to work with these great guys. The night stalker comment represents our actions not a motto. Our motto among the soldiers was "Brotherhood". This unit is not operational anymore so there should be no operational security issues.
FORWARD OPERATING BASE MCHENRY, Hawijah, Iraq, July 21, 2008 -- It's well after normal hours of operation for most citizens in this northeastern district of Iraq. While most are preparing to bed down for the evening, it's then that an elite soldier awakes, adjusts his sights to night vision, and metamorphosis's into one of the most lethal hunters of insurgents in this region. He is a member of the, Predators, a Light Infantry Reconnaissance or Scout Platoon, of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, based at Forward Operating Base McHenry in Hawijah, Iraq.
"These young men possess a tactical patience I haven't observed in 18 years of service to include 11 years in the 75th Ranger Regiment," Lt. Col. Christopher Vanek, commander, 1-87 Inf. Regt. said.
The 1-87 Scout platoon is a lethal tool utilized in precision targeting of insurgents, driven by intelligence gathered by human sources and other intelligence-gathering methods in the district. They have been credited with the capture of two of the top ten most wanted Brigade targets in the province, and over 167 detainees to-date (over 20 percent of the battalion's total captures). They maintain the highest percentage of detainees (80 percent) that have been transferred to brigade headquarters in Kirkuk, of which 70 percent have been transferred to the Theatre Interment Facility, for further processing, according to battalion records.
"The Predators are committed to succeed in everything they do from individual skill training such as marksmanship, communications capability, extreme physical endurance to their refined collective skills, and Tactics Techniques and Procedures development," Vanek said.
Their tasking is three-fold: kill Improvised Explosive Device emplacers; kill Indirect Fire Teams; and kill or capture the battalion's targets in an area measuring 4,200 square miles.
Pennsylvania native 1st Lt. Collin Hamel, 1-87 Scout Platoon leader, encapsulates their purpose in every pre-mission brief with this explanation, "Our mission tonight is to detain, destroy, [the objective/objectives named], in order to disrupt, destroy the Al Qaida in Iraq network." The 27-year-old first lieutenant., a former Marine reconnaissance sergeant, joined the scout platoon in February.
According to the Army's Field Manual, a Recon platoon will be made-up of the battalion's most technically, and tactically proficient soldier.
Task Force Summit soldiers displaying those qualities were sought across the battalion by Sgt. 1st Class David Hanson, 30, the scout's platoon sergeant from Rhode Island.
Once identified, an interested candidate then undergoes a rigorous selection process. The individual's marksmanship is tested, followed by a board, run by non-commissioned officers from the scout platoon.
While the board is set up to test the soldier's technical and tactical know-how, "it is equally important to determine the individual's personality -- we're pretty unique." Staff Sgt. Nic Laplante, 27, said.
This is Laplante's first year with the Scout platoon. He's been with the battalion for six of his nine years in the Army. Unique; as Laplante refers to the cast of characters that are the 'Predators', may better be described as -- colorful.
Laplante, a Vermont native, is known as the 'Wildman', sporting tattoos from his neck to his toes -- that are visible. He has gained notoriety throughout the battalion for a winking cheese burger -- its location remains unseen -- most of the time.
There's Sgt. Justin Hines, 22, one of three school certified snipers in the platoon. The Boston native has four and one half years of Army service under his young belt -- two in the scout platoon. His perception of life is caustic, but some of that rawness may have been caused by his fall into "a deep hole that was filled with human waste," a scout confided. Their dedication to each other and the discipline ingrained -- might explain why Hines remained immersed in excrement for an extended period of time so as not to, compromise the mission -- until its completion.
"We are a brotherhood" Spc. Johnny Knight, 25, said. Knight has been with the scout platoon for two of his three years of Army service. This is his second tour to Iraq. The former, sponsored, skateboarder whose good nature is played out with jokes and kidding before and after missions, never during, earned him the distinction as the joker of the platoon. "In the last couple of years, I've spent more time with my Scout brothers than I have with my own family," the Michigan native said.
"We're successful because of the aggressive mentality and dedication of the soldiers in the platoon," Capt. Daniel S. Wilcox, former scout platoon leader and current assistant operations officer for 1-87 said. The Pennsylvania native said the quality of soldiers selected in addition to the flexibility afforded to them by the battalion's commander, Lt. Col. Christopher Vanek, set the platoon up for success. "Lt. Col Vanek didn't micromanage how we conducted business. He didn't get down in the weeds about petty things -- but he demanded results," Wilcox said. "Our whole area of operation was ours to go hunting in."
The platoon's operational tempo is brisk with nightly raids and ambushes on known AQI targets; however, they do pull missions during the day such as security for distinguished visitor visits and other similar events. It's not uncommon for the Predators to run multiple missions in a single night. "Our operational tempo is higher and our missions come with higher risks than most platoons in the battalion," Wilcox said. Even so, the scouts have suffered no casualties since arriving in October.
"Sgt. David Fortier's team hit two improvised explosive devices while driving to an ambush early on -- before I became their platoon leader. No one was seriously injured and they lost no time getting back on task," Hamel said. "The only loss we've suffered is to manning -- as we had a soldier who tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament during a mission."
The platoon numbers around 32 scouts: with six, five-man teams and a floating HHC element. As a whole, they are unaware of their successes and are quick to credit their accomplishments to the camaraderie they share in this divine brotherhood or to the support given by the battalion, and others.
"We owe a good deal of our successes to our human intelligence team and the unit before us who had good information," Staff Sgt. David Feeney, 27, of Pennsylvania said. Ohio native Sgt. Joshua Barr, 22, attributed the platoon's success to, "well planned missions and the diversity of our members."
"Our battalion is leaving here knowing we made life better for the people of Hawijah," Staff Sgt. Rich Baez, 33, said, referring to the 90 percent decrease in violent activity against civilians, Iraq security forces, and the coalition force which has restored, "a sense of normalcy here," he said. The Nevada native is serving his second tour in Iraq and has served a tour in Afghanistan. He's into his sixth year of Army service.
"There's no magical key to their success, it's a combination of incredibly talented professionals and their commitment to their unit, the mission, and the nation," Vanek said.
As to what motivates these 'night-stalkers' whose job it is to hunt a human enemy and those that support them, most nights -- the memory, still fresh to most, of a fallen 1-87 comrade.
"I love what I'm doing. My motivation is a hero of mine -- Sgt. Cody Legg. He believed in the Army. He lost his life in a fire fight, June 4, fighting for the people of Iraq -- he believed in freedom for all. We are continuing to accomplish the mission he died for and believed in -- he's mine; our motivation," Knight said.
Shadrach D Miller "These young men possess a tactical patience I haven't observed in 18 years of service to include 11 years in the 75th Ranger Regiment," Lt. Col. Christopher Vanek, commander, 1-87 Inf. Regt. said.
The 1-87 Scout platoon is a lethal tool utilized in precision targeting of insurgents, driven by intelligence gathered by human sources and other intelligence-gathering methods in the district. They have been credited with the capture of two of the top ten most wanted Brigade targets in the province, and over 167 detainees to-date (over 20 percent of the battalion's total captures). They maintain the highest percentage of detainees (80 percent) that have been transferred to brigade headquarters in Kirkuk, of which 70 percent have been transferred to the Theatre Interment Facility, for further processing, according to battalion records.
"The Predators are committed to succeed in everything they do from individual skill training such as marksmanship, communications capability, extreme physical endurance to their refined collective skills, and Tactics Techniques and Procedures development," Vanek said.
Their tasking is three-fold: kill Improvised Explosive Device emplacers; kill Indirect Fire Teams; and kill or capture the battalion's targets in an area measuring 4,200 square miles.
Pennsylvania native 1st Lt. Collin Hamel, 1-87 Scout Platoon leader, encapsulates their purpose in every pre-mission brief with this explanation, "Our mission tonight is to detain, destroy, [the objective/objectives named], in order to disrupt, destroy the Al Qaida in Iraq network." The 27-year-old first lieutenant., a former Marine reconnaissance sergeant, joined the scout platoon in February.
According to the Army's Field Manual, a Recon platoon will be made-up of the battalion's most technically, and tactically proficient soldier.
Task Force Summit soldiers displaying those qualities were sought across the battalion by Sgt. 1st Class David Hanson, 30, the scout's platoon sergeant from Rhode Island.
Once identified, an interested candidate then undergoes a rigorous selection process. The individual's marksmanship is tested, followed by a board, run by non-commissioned officers from the scout platoon.
While the board is set up to test the soldier's technical and tactical know-how, "it is equally important to determine the individual's personality -- we're pretty unique." Staff Sgt. Nic Laplante, 27, said.
This is Laplante's first year with the Scout platoon. He's been with the battalion for six of his nine years in the Army. Unique; as Laplante refers to the cast of characters that are the 'Predators', may better be described as -- colorful.
Laplante, a Vermont native, is known as the 'Wildman', sporting tattoos from his neck to his toes -- that are visible. He has gained notoriety throughout the battalion for a winking cheese burger -- its location remains unseen -- most of the time.
There's Sgt. Justin Hines, 22, one of three school certified snipers in the platoon. The Boston native has four and one half years of Army service under his young belt -- two in the scout platoon. His perception of life is caustic, but some of that rawness may have been caused by his fall into "a deep hole that was filled with human waste," a scout confided. Their dedication to each other and the discipline ingrained -- might explain why Hines remained immersed in excrement for an extended period of time so as not to, compromise the mission -- until its completion.
"We are a brotherhood" Spc. Johnny Knight, 25, said. Knight has been with the scout platoon for two of his three years of Army service. This is his second tour to Iraq. The former, sponsored, skateboarder whose good nature is played out with jokes and kidding before and after missions, never during, earned him the distinction as the joker of the platoon. "In the last couple of years, I've spent more time with my Scout brothers than I have with my own family," the Michigan native said.
"We're successful because of the aggressive mentality and dedication of the soldiers in the platoon," Capt. Daniel S. Wilcox, former scout platoon leader and current assistant operations officer for 1-87 said. The Pennsylvania native said the quality of soldiers selected in addition to the flexibility afforded to them by the battalion's commander, Lt. Col. Christopher Vanek, set the platoon up for success. "Lt. Col Vanek didn't micromanage how we conducted business. He didn't get down in the weeds about petty things -- but he demanded results," Wilcox said. "Our whole area of operation was ours to go hunting in."
The platoon's operational tempo is brisk with nightly raids and ambushes on known AQI targets; however, they do pull missions during the day such as security for distinguished visitor visits and other similar events. It's not uncommon for the Predators to run multiple missions in a single night. "Our operational tempo is higher and our missions come with higher risks than most platoons in the battalion," Wilcox said. Even so, the scouts have suffered no casualties since arriving in October.
"Sgt. David Fortier's team hit two improvised explosive devices while driving to an ambush early on -- before I became their platoon leader. No one was seriously injured and they lost no time getting back on task," Hamel said. "The only loss we've suffered is to manning -- as we had a soldier who tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament during a mission."
The platoon numbers around 32 scouts: with six, five-man teams and a floating HHC element. As a whole, they are unaware of their successes and are quick to credit their accomplishments to the camaraderie they share in this divine brotherhood or to the support given by the battalion, and others.
"We owe a good deal of our successes to our human intelligence team and the unit before us who had good information," Staff Sgt. David Feeney, 27, of Pennsylvania said. Ohio native Sgt. Joshua Barr, 22, attributed the platoon's success to, "well planned missions and the diversity of our members."
"Our battalion is leaving here knowing we made life better for the people of Hawijah," Staff Sgt. Rich Baez, 33, said, referring to the 90 percent decrease in violent activity against civilians, Iraq security forces, and the coalition force which has restored, "a sense of normalcy here," he said. The Nevada native is serving his second tour in Iraq and has served a tour in Afghanistan. He's into his sixth year of Army service.
"There's no magical key to their success, it's a combination of incredibly talented professionals and their commitment to their unit, the mission, and the nation," Vanek said.
As to what motivates these 'night-stalkers' whose job it is to hunt a human enemy and those that support them, most nights -- the memory, still fresh to most, of a fallen 1-87 comrade.
"I love what I'm doing. My motivation is a hero of mine -- Sgt. Cody Legg. He believed in the Army. He lost his life in a fire fight, June 4, fighting for the people of Iraq -- he believed in freedom for all. We are continuing to accomplish the mission he died for and believed in -- he's mine; our motivation," Knight said.
