The brain that harnesses the brawn of the war in Iraq

  • Published
  • By Maj. Eric Hilliard
  • PACAF Public Affairs
BAGHDAD, Iraq --  There are many different units, personnel, and pieces of equipment assigned to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. There is one unique organization designed to bring them all together in order to defeat and drive out the al-Qaida presence in Iraq-- that organization is known as the Fusion Cell.

Set up to bring intelligence and operational resources together in one room in order to carry out timely and accurate terrorist interdiction in Iraq, the Fusion Cell is a revolutionary way of fighting modern day warfare.

The concept of combining these entities is not new however, the application of the concept is dramatically reshaping the battlefield as we know it.

The thought is that by putting the brightest Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine military members from the Intelligence and operational world together and forcing them to think and behave proactively, the fusion cells will be able to effectively identify, find and eliminate terrorist activity before devastation and destruction can occur.

With operations and Intel folks sitting together looking at the same information, potential terrorist threats are identified early and units like the 1st Calvary Division out of Fort Hood can immediately launch and engage the enemy before that enemy can cause any additional harm to coalition forces or innocent Iraqi citizens.

Whether the information is derived via eyes in the sky like the Global Hawk or Predator or via boots on the ground from the many different task forces assigned to the region....everybody gets the same actionable information and everyone responds appropriately with the right amount of resources to eliminate the threat.

Over the past four to six months, Coalition and Iraqi Forces have been very successful tearing apart and dismantling the al-Qaida network. However, one of the unanticipated consequences of having a dysfunctional and significantly diminished network is that individual rogue elements are taking the initiative on their own and are using Improvised Explosive Devices against Coalition Forces and innocent Iraqis. The random death and devastation caused by IEDs is seemingly at an all-time high but recent statistics actually show that the average number of deaths from IEDs per month has steadily declined over the past 4-6 months.

Part of the reason for this decline is the introduction of the fusion cell and its ability to...for lack of a better phrase...get the bad guys before they can get us.

The terrorists do not limit themselves by operating in strict unit boundaries and often use this to their advantage by working along the seams of coalition forces. The Fusion Cell eliminates this advantage by seamlessly sharing intelligence and synchronizing operations across units. Everyone has an equal stake in defeating al-Qaida and other terrorist networks in Iraq.

"Fusion Cells are really changing the way we apply military doctrine," said one Marine Captain in this joint special unit. "We are using new ideas, developing new solutions to combat terrorism like we have never fought before."

It's a combination of personality-based targeting and rapid interdiction by strike force units, said the Marine.

The Army Lt Colonel in charge of the Baghdad Fusion Cell elaborated.

"To do this type of terrorist targeting, several fusion cells have been set up throughout Iraq. We are a network inside of a network," said the Lt Colonel. "We have found that different insurgents and terrorist cells habitually operate in certain areas or along certain networks. Our fusion cells are also located in and around those networks and with our exceptional intelligence capabilities, coupled with the rapid response strike forces assigned to each area, we are able to maximize our ability to catch the terrorist in the act....or better yet, before he acts."

The senior analyst in the organization, an Air Force TSgt Sgt, says the success of the fusion cell lies in the culmination of many different elements.

"When we get buy in from all the organizations on the battlefield, it serves to magnify our ability to accomplish a very important mission," he said. "I think I can speak for most everybody here when I say that we get the ultimate satisfaction from all the hard work we put in when one of the task force units is able to capitalize on all the information and successfully captures or eliminates a potential terrorist threat before someone else gets hurt."

In time, the fusion cell concept will be realized in other theaters across the world where violence and the al-Qaida terrorist threat continues to spawn. While these processes are still being formed, the fusion cells in Iraq will continue harness their collective Intel/combat capability and use innovative ways to dismantle the al-Qaida network and ultimately defeat an ever-changing enemy.

Editors Note: Major Hilliard, normally assigned to PACAF Public Affairs, is currently deployed in support of the War on Terror.