PUTTING THE TROLLING IN PATROLLING

While many soldiers think of patrolling in terms of tough foot patrols on the city’s streets, this group of combat engineers considers patrolling a blessing.

They could be spending eight hours a day staring off into the distance beneath the blazing rays of the sun, pulling guard duty -- an extremely important, but rarely well-liked, job.

Instead, the 671st, a company that builds multi-purpose bridges for the military, uses their boats to patrol the murky, yet placid waters of the Tigris, where Iraqis can be found relaxing, fishing and swimming.

The unit has been patrolling up and down the Tigris River since early May in their MK-2 boats. The boats are essentially miniature tugboats normally used for erecting bridges, said Dorris.

“We regularly take interpreters with us,” Dorris said. “We get a lot of information from people along the river.”

Soldiers from the unit have apprehended people smuggling illegal items on the river and found unexploded ordnance along the banks, he said.

“One time, we brought out the father of a drowning victim to help him search for his son,” Dorris said.

The unit has also escorted soldiers from other Army units, such as psychological operations soldiers who use the river to spread information to the Iraqi people about curfew and coalition operations.

“We like doing this a lot,” Dorris said. “It’s a lot better than guard duty.”

The soldiers have seen the result of their presence as well, he said. “Every time we’ve helped someone in a particular area of the river, whenever we go back, everyone waves.”