On Jan. 29 soldiers from Fort Carson on Baghdad patrol uncovered a huge stash of American uniforms and equipment at a warehouse that could have been used to disguise scores of insurgents for a sneak attack. “There was enough gear in there to outfit a battalion,” the brigade’s Capt. James Ojeda said.
The work to uncover the equipment started when a senior sergeant from the brigade spotted the American military items for sale in an open market in eastern Baghdad. Troops moved quickly to gather information about how the equipment was being sold and whether more was stored elsewhere. A search of the neighborhood led soldiers to the warehouse, with enough equipment to stock a stateside Army surplus store. The stash included 200 pairs of military boots, 150 helmets, 150 flak vests, 75 armor plates, remote control for a roadside bomb, meals ready to eat, and a variety of uniforms, including U.S. uniforms, the Army said. In pictures sent by the brigade, some of the loot includes “chocolate chip” desert camouflage uniforms used by American troops in the 1991 Persian Gulf War and now used by Iraqi Army units.
Ojeda said the equipment in the warehouse appeared to be in storage for later use rather than being prepared for sale. Brigade spokesman Maj. Sean Ryan said where the gear was stolen from remains under investigation.
U.S. forces and other coalition nations have spent millions of dollars outfitting the rebuilt Iraqi Army, but reports from Iraq have shown heavy corruption that has put everything from weapons to fuel on the black market. |