Hunch leads to large weapons cache  

A Task Force Baghdad Soldier keeps digging in search of more weapons in a cache discovered in west Baghdad Oct. 10. Soldiers from B Troop, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry uncovered its seventh weapons cache in October during cordon-and-search operations. (U.S. Army photo)

Blackanthem.com, ABU GHRAIB, Iraq, October 11, 2005

Soldiers from B Troop, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment discovered a very large weapons cache Oct. 10 in the Abu Ghraib district.

The unit had been conducting cordon-and-search operations in the neighborhood and was just about to leave, but—acting on a hunch—they remained at the site for another two hours, digging for buried munitions

This is the seventh cache discovered in October by this unit.

The day began with the Soldiers searching a residence suspected of harboring terrorist activity. Using metal detectors, the unit began to get positive detections and, after staying in the area, unearthed a large cache.

The cache included 13 mortar rounds, five rocket-propelled grenade rounds, four rifle grenades, two RPG launchers, a mortar tube, a 55-gallon drum with explosives, six bundles of fuses, 67 RPG propellants, and 110 explosive timers.

"This is an example of how a Soldier’s intuition and experiences have resulted in uncovering another cache," said Capt. Ryan Keys, B Troop commander. "I am proud of the hard work and dedication that every Soldier has been putting into this mission here," he said. "The terrorists are learning that it is just a matter of time before we find their next cache."

By Capt. Marc Pelini
1/10th Mountain Division

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:

A portion of a weapons cache is laid out for inventory. Soldiers from B Troop, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry uncovered its seventh weapons cache in October during cordon-and-search operations in west Baghdad Oct. 10. (U.S. Army photo)