While in Iraq for a year, the 1140th Engineer Battalion completed a litany of tasks, from vigorous patrolling to clearing roadside bombs from a main supply route, but Maj. Ed Gargas told a group of Cape Girardeau business leaders Friday what the most significant accomplishment was.

"Most important, we took 476 people with us and we brought 476 people home," Gargas said to clamorous applause at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Coffee.

Gargas was greeted with a standing ovation in a packed room at the Show Me Center. He was again given a standing ovation when he finished his remarks.

But the battalion also accomplished remarkable -- and often dangerous -- objectives, Gargas said.

The battalion's mission had several tasks. One was ensuring the safety and reliability of traffic through the southern theater's main supply route with sweeping and clearing operations, heavy patrolling, route maintenance and making improvements.

The battalion was responsible for about 290 miles of roadway, which included about 250 miles of six-lane asphalt highway and 40 miles of roadway that Gargas said "wouldn't even have qualified as a gravel road here." The 1140th repaired that stretch of road and made it driveable, he said.

As part of that duty, the soldiers cleared 13 improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, and 24 pieces of unexploded ordnance with no loss of life or government property. IEDs, often called roadside bombs, are the top killer in Iraq, blamed for more than half of coalition forces killed or wounded in action.

The 1140th conducted sweeping and clearing operations on 26,000 miles of roadway, he said. Those vast majority of these operations took place in unarmored vehicles.

"It was very important, but dangerous on roads looking for roadside bombs," Gargas said.

The 1140th also undertook similar clearing operations in support of Korean and Ukrainian units as well as in and around Baghdad. As part of these operations, the 1140th identified and destroyed 28 IEDs and 173 pieces of unexploded ordnance and cleared 1,423 miles of road.

27,000 rounds of ammo

The 1140th also supported local policing and security efforts by training, equipping and joint patrolling with Iraqi highway patrol and Iraqi national guard units as well as providing force protection and life support improvements to their headquarters, Gargas said.

As part of 3,701 combat patrols, the 1140th confiscated 157 weapons and more than 27,000 rounds of ammunition. Patrolling units also located, marked and reported more than 2,200 pieces of unexploded ordnance and other teams destroyed 113 of them in place and provided protection to local explosive ordnance teams that destroyed numerous explosives.

Patrols also led to more than 90 detainees who were transported to local Iraqi police for suspected crimes ranging from hijacking and kidnapping to theft and murder.

The 1140th also performed route maintenance on nearly 300 kilometers of the main supply route and continuing maintenance operations of bypasses, median, shoulders, overpasses and ramps.

The battalion also conducted many humanitarian missions in southern Iraq. A family support group donated school supplies to distribute. Crossroads Church of Jackson donated school supplies to the children of Dhi Qar province. The 1140th also coordinated with the Wisconsin National Guard to deliver 30,000 pounds of school supplies for the Red Crescent and Save the Children organizations in Dhi Quar province.

Gargas said that efforts like these led to making friends there.

"Where we were, they were pro-Shiite, anti-Saddam so they were very glad we're there," he said. "... So I believe the friendships were lasting, at least in the southern Iraq area."

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137