Doing What They Are Paid For

Since a Sunday morning rocket attack on Camp Pacesetter, the base camp for Stryker brigade, the 1st Squadron has been patrolling the wide-open areas around the base. Troopers from the 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment are back to working a more traditional role after a week working the checkpoints outside Samarra, Iraq.
The squadron is the eyes and ears of the Fort Lewis-based Stryker brigade, typically conducting reconnaissance - finding the bad guys - and then directing the infantry to the attack. Now they are ranging across open desert around the camp, keeping eyes open and ears tuned for danger.
But out on the checkpoints they pretty much were stationary and got shot at from time to time - two things they don't much care for in the cavalry.
"I think we've been shot at more than any other unit in the brigade," said Maj. Joe Davidson, the squadron command operations officer.