Teenage Ally Helps Soldiers in Iraq
Friday, August 13, 2004
FORT CARSON, Colo. — In the Iraqi border town of Al Qaim, U.S. forces were getting pounded by insurgents up to 10 times each day.
Tankers from the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment (search) knew that intelligence was key to battling the enemy. Capt. Chad Roehrman was at a checkpoint when he thought another dodgy informant walked up.
"One of my guys came to me and said, 'Hey, sir, we got another boy who says he has information,'" he said.
What the boy had was information on a well-connected cell of 40 fighters whose leader was a former officer in Saddam Hussein's (search) army. He was also the boy's father.
The Americans hid the boy in an armored Humvee and checked out his report of a weapons stockpile in his backyard.
They found explosives, rocket propelled grenades and a complete weapons system they hadn't seen before. The father and another man were arrested.
After the bust the boy couldn't go home so he moved in with the soldiers. They gave him the nickname "Steve-O" and a bunk right next to theirs. He later gave them more intelligence that led to other arrests.
