The Observation Post

New Look

2007-04-01T18:34:00.000-04:00

This blog's been stagnating for a while, mostly due to training demands and my increased posting over on OPFOR. I decided to change the look a bit, and I'll try to keep it updated more frequently.

Open Season

2006-12-18T22:38:00.000-05:00

Outstanding song by the band Stuck Mojo from Atlanta, GA.

I speak peace when peace is spoken, But I speak war when your hate is provoking, The season is open 24-7-365, Man up yo time to ride, No need to hide behind slogans of deceit, Claiming that you're a religion of peace, We just don't believe you, We can clearly see through, The madness that you're feeding your people, Jihad the cry of your unholy war, Using the willing, the weak and poor, From birth drowning in propaganda, rhetoric and slander, All we can say is damn ya

You can download copies of their songs at Stuck Mojo Media for free. However I highly recommend that you shell out the $15 and buy a copy of the CD to support these guys.

Airstrike flattens 15 homes in Ramadi?

2006-11-25T13:02:00.000-05:00

On November 15th, the L.A. Times ran a story titled "Iraqi resident says U.S. airstrike kills 30." The article had this to say:

Baghdad - A U.S. airstrike in the restive town of Ramadi killed at least 30 people, including women and children, witnesses said Tuesday.

....

A Times correspondent in Ramadi said at least 15 homes were pulverized by aerial bombardment and families could be seen digging through the ruins with shovels and bare hands.

I would try to debunk this myself, but Patterico has already done an admirable job of showing the complete lack of journalistic integrity on the part of the L.A. Times. Can anyone honestly say that they are surprised? This is just an example of why distrust between the military and the media is at an all-time high.

As you read Patterico's blog entry on this article, take note of the fact that the report is entirely based on the word of an Iraqi stringer employed by the Times. In military intelligence circles, this is known as "single-source reporting", and is generally considered untrustworthy and unsuitable intelligence for launching an operation. Apparently, it is good enough for mass publication to the American public.

Unfortunately, there are a number of other holes I could blast in their story, but I would have to cross, or at least stray dangerously close to, the OPSEC line in order to do it. Suffice it to say that, as a military forward air controller who recently worked in Al Anbar province, and who read the airstrike summaries Coalition Air Operations Center's (CAOC) webpage, an airstrike big enough to level 15 houses would require multiple sections of aircraft and enough ordnance to be highly unusual for any city in Iraq.

Hat tips to Patterico's Pontifications, Mudville Gazette, and Blackfive.

Six Steps... Part II

2006-11-21T20:42:00.000-05:00

MAJ Egland, author of Six Steps to Victory, says he has received an incredible amount of feedback. He plans to eventually publish a manuscript, but in the meantime he is trying to get the ball rolling on connecting American citizens with the counterinsurgency effort in Iraq. The following is excerpted from a letter to Blackfive:

Hey, do you know anyone who is just about to deploy, or has just arrived in Iraq, preferably in a line infantry, ground-owner type unit? Goal is to implement Step 3--connect the American people to the effort by giving them the chance to directly support the guys on the ground.

I am trying to line up a few battalions who would want to get sponsored by a city here and use the WalMart 'wedding registry' to order what they need-- video games, dvd's and books for themselves; cell phone cameras, laptops and video cameras to give to supportive locals for help with spotting bad guys; and dolls, bicycles, microwaves and generators to strengthen relations with the locals.

I have the list of deploying units, but prefer to go grass roots so I don't have to put up with some brigade XO tell me to send a white paper and powerpoint brief--only to never hear back from him.

Let me know if you or your readers can connect me with someone from a combat battalion either in country or about to deploy in the next few months. I can explain that all they would need to do is go to WalMart.com and sign up for a gift registry account, tell their buddies in the unit, send me the account information and I will take it from there.

Once they start getting stuff, they can take pictures and e-mail them back here so the folks supporting them can get the feedback to see that their efforts are really making a difference. I have mayors, CEOs, nonprofit presidents, church leaders, Rotary clubs, political groups and other local leaders from Alaska to Florida chomping at the bit to help out. People here really want to help but don't know how--beyond prayers, bumper stickers and care packages. Also, if one of your readers wants to sign their city up to sponsor a battalion, they can e-mail me at SixStepsInIraq@hotmail.com...

If you know someone with combat experience in Iraq or Afghanistan, make sure to tell them that this is a chance for their voice to be heard. E-mail the Major and help the true grass-roots movement.

Hat tip: Blackfive

Six Steps to Victory

2006-11-20T21:51:00.000-05:00

This is a repost of my most recent entry on OPFOR. I put it here as well to give as much attention as possible to MAJ Egland's article.

MAJ Eric Egland USAFR recently came up with what I believe to be an excellent plan for "changing directions" in our fight in Iraq. I found his article intriguing and very well thought out. I whole heartedly agree with some of his suggestions, and others challenge my own ideas on how to fight this war. I say "challenge" because they are forcing me to rethink my own ideas, and evaluate whether or not they are truly as sound as I thought they were.

Just to give you a taste, the six points of his plan are listed below.

1. Encourage innovation by emphasizing small-scale technological solutions and rejecting peace-time bureaucracy.

2. Improve pre-deployment training and abandon Cold War-era checklists.

3. Allow local commanders to buy what they need and nationalize the war effort by connecting the American public with the troops and their mission.

4. Strengthen intelligence sharing between tactical and national levels, and develop a national insurgent database.

5. Take the offensive by reducing the predictable patterns on the ground while conducting operations that hunt, rather than chase, the enemy.

6. Accept the realities of warfare in the media age by decentralizing the sharing of information with both the Iraqi and American public.

The last point in particular should interest our readers, and Milbloggers as a whole. It's been said again and again that if DoD does not embrace blogging, it will end up being a huge problem for the Pentagon and detrimental to the war effort. If they take advantage of the perspective offered by military bloggers, perhaps even embracing Egland's "unit blogger" concept, it could very well turn out to be a huge advantage in the information war.

MAJ Egland has some excellent ideas, and I hope that they garner the attention that they deserve. You can help by spreading the word about his article. In addition, for those with experience on the ground, MAJ Egland is actively seeking your thoughts and opinions. There is an e-mail address at the bottom of the last page of the article that can be used to submit your ideas.

Six Steps to Victory in Iraq

Soldier's Load

2006-11-20T21:43:00.000-05:00

Soldier's load has gone beyond the realm of sanity.

An excellent point by the CO of 2d Reconnaissance Battalion. I couldn't agree more.

Commanders are not allowed the flexibility to tailor the required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) according to their mission and the threat in that particular Area of Operations (AO). What is appropriate for a foot patrol in the streets of Ramadi or Baghdad is not appropriate for the fields of Jazirah.

Discuss.

Last Day

2006-11-11T07:26:00.000-05:00

Well, folks, this is it. The last day of the Project Valour-IT drive. Teams Navy and Marines have reached their individual goals, but the entire drive is still about $18,000 short. For those of you who gave to the Navy and Marine teams, thank you for your support, but it's not over yet. Time to support our brothers and sisters in the Army and Air Force so that we can reach our goal today.

Halfway There

2006-11-06T23:19:00.000-05:00

I noticed that we just passed the halfway mark in our fundraising drive for Project Valour-IT. Many thanks to all of you who have given so far, please continue to support this important project by encouraging friends and family to contribute as well. We have just a few days left to reach our goal, and we need the help of everyone, regardless of service, to make this happen.

Cross Into The Blue

2006-11-05T20:03:00.000-05:00

In celebration of Team Marines passing Team Chair Force the other day, I thought I'd add a motivating Air Force recruiting commercial. Finally, the boys in blue have put out a video showing what it's really like to serve in America's Air Force.

Airpower!

Update: In other news -

Washington (AP) The Air Force unveiled its new Battle Dress Uniform today. The utilitarian thing about the new uniform said Air Force representatives was that it has a built-in reversible Hawaiian shirt.

"This helps keep troops at the ready, " said one Air Force Official. "If they are off duty they simply turn the shirt inside-out and come into work."

For that matter, they could probably just wear the Hawaiian shirt to work, I doubt anyone would notice.

"America's Battalion" Corpsman Upholds the Tradition

2006-11-01T19:57:00.000-05:00

Hospitalman Aaron P. Maggard recently proved to his brothers in Echo Company 2/8 why a "Doc" is a Marine's best friend. After an IED exploded on a foot patrol, wounding two Marines and an Iraqi jundi, Doc Maggard rushed to their aid, ignoring shrapnel wounds to his own face.

"Doc was hit in the face with shrapnel," Walker said. "It had busted his jaw. It looked like someone hit him with a baseball bat."

After the QRF arrived, Doc Maggard continued to treat his brothers even as they were loaded on to the medevac vehicle and driven away.

Doc Maggard is currently recovering from his injuries, safely back in the United States. Outstanding job, Doc, you've done us all proud.

Press On

2006-10-31T20:29:00.000-05:00

The Project Valour-IT drive is getting interesting. Those blasted Doggies are proving hard to catch, but it's only a matter of time. The Zoomies were going strong earlier today, but are falling behind as I write this. There must have been a late tee time at the golf course. The Swabbies are lagging a bit behind, but to be fair it's probably due to someone sounding "Sweepers, sweepers, man your brooms" over the 1-MC. Make sure you give that ship a good sweepdown, fore and aft, boys. Don't forget those ladderbacks.

To my fellow Jarheads, keep it coming. We're the smallest in both size and budget, yet we're giving the heavily-overfunded Zoomies a run for their money. Big Army, you're next.

Interservice Love

2006-10-30T23:03:00.000-05:00

As the Valour-IT drive kicks off, you can positively feel the love between the services. Soldiers, sailors, and zoomies all break out their wittiest rhetoric and proceed to lob shots at one another.

Argghhh! took this cute little potshot at John Noonan of OPFOR.

They also thought it would be cute to list the Marine team and our team leader (Villainous Company) in a hot pink font.

The Navy is not to be left out of the "snarking", as Neptunus Lex delivers a pretty humorous riposte to the doggies of Team Army.

The race is on as the sojers have once again stolen a march on us in the dark o’ the night, what with their load-bearing equipment and muddy boots, brutally severe haircuts and pinched, shrewish faces all cammied up like.

If you haven't been by Project Valour-IT yet - well, what are you waiting for!?

Seriously, if you can think of a better cause please let me know, because I'm hard-pressed to myself.

EDITED TO ADD: We've already passed $10,000 in just the first day. At this rate, as the word continues to spread, we are well on our way to reaching our goal. Swing by Valour-IT if you haven't already, and throw your weight behind your favorite service. And if you have already, sit back and enjoy the interservice shenigans as Arrghhh, Neptunus Lex, OPFOR, Villainous Company, et al. "snark" each other for the next 2 weeks.

Project Valour-IT

2006-10-30T19:08:00.000-05:00

Friends,
I apologize for the way I have neglected LFTS over the past weeks. I have been a sometime contributor at OPFOR, as well as getting back into the swing of things back in the real world. It does feel good to be back at work with ANGLICO and preparing for our next deployment.

Now that the lame apologies and excuses are out of the way, on to the business at hand.

Some of you may have heard of Project Valour-IT. If you have not, allow me to introduce you to an amazing project. Project Valour-IT was started by an organization called Soldiers' Angels. It's goal is to provide voice-controlled laptop computers to our wounded warriors. Many of these warriors are unable to use their hands due to wounds received in Iraq or Afghanistan. With the laptop computers provided by Project Valour-IT, they will once again be able to connect with family, friends, and comrades through the internet.

Numerous Milbloggers have teamed up to raise $180,000 for Project Valour-IT. I have added LFTS to the Marine team to assist in the effort. Please visit and make a donation to help my wounded brothers.

Movie Review

2006-10-18T22:54:00.000-04:00

Please excuse my brief hiatus from the world of blogging, I've been spending a wonderful 3 weeks with Stephanie. You know, exscuse it or not, I loved every minute of it.

We were able to find some time to go view The Guardian with Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher during that time. For some reason, I did not have high hopes for this movie. Maybe it's because I've never been a big fan of Costner, and I suspected that Kutcher was a bit of a "one-trick pony" who had reached his zenith with the Punk'd series. Color me pleasantly surprised by his latest performance.

The Guardian is pretty formulaic, if you work at it you shouldn't have much trouble predicting most of the plot points. As noted elsewhere, it borrows heavily from Top Gun, Heartbreak Ridge, and An Officer and a Gentleman - to name a few. Kutcher's character has much in common with Tom Cruise's Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (even down to the sunglasses, or "clamps" as they were known at VMI).

However, I have to say that I was impressed by Kutcher's portrayal of the young, maverick (OK, is using that adjective a bit over the top?) rescue swimmer. All things considered, he did a very solid job, and made his character very believable. You can feel the arrogance of the high school star swimmer, yet there is something else lurking beneath the surface that you can't quite put a finger on until Kevin Costner's character does some digging.

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by Kutcher's demonstration of his real acting chops, and I hope to see more of him in similarly dramatic roles. Having seen him in this movie, I think he does have a bit more to offer than Punk'd and My Boss's Daughter let on. Costner does a good job as the salty senior chief, and I can forgive the film's formulaic plot because it is such a fitting tribute to the real-life rescue swimmers. If you think those guys don't earn their pay, then consider this: I've been shot at a time or two, and I know for a fact that I don't have the cojones to jump out of a hovering SH-60 into freezing waters.

Yet Another ANGLICO Blogger

2006-10-05T17:14:00.000-04:00

Today I came across another blog by a fellow ANGLICO Marine, Mark Glesne's blog Truth, Life, and Political Honesty.

Mark is an 0861 Fire Support Man with 3rd ANGLICO in the Marine Corps Reserve. In civilian life he is a Marketing Specialist with a company in California. He completed a deployment to Iraq with 1st ANGLICO earlier this year.

Mark's posts lean a bit more to the right of center than my own, but they are very well written and insightful. Enjoy.

Truth, Life, and Political Honesty

The League of Disgruntled Majors

2006-10-03T12:37:00.000-04:00

Now that my site has been officially added to the MilBlogs ring, I did some exploring of some other sites on the ring. If you click "Previous" it will bring you to The League of Disgruntled Majors. Although there's not a lot on the site just yet, it will be a good one to keep an eye on. Of particular note is the Manifesto posted by the Grand Poobah.

I have to admit, as a company grade officer and a still-active warfighter, I have often had malicious thoughts about various majors that I have come in contact with. Yet, I also felt pity for them. After all, who wants to be a major? They are the bitches of the field grade community. They shoulder some of the most difficult and least glorious burdens. They are almost universally despised or pitied by those beneath them, who frequently criticize them and ridicule them behind their backs. Of course they know this, because they did it too when they were still in that blissful status known as "company grade". Anyway, I would recommend keeping an eye on the League and its activities. Why? It's a League of Majors for God's sake. Can you imagine a more evil organization? It's like something out of a James Bond movie.

You know, there are only two ranks that wear gold rank insignia - second lieutenant and major. Coincidence? I think not.

The League of Disgruntled Majors

Assassination and Bin Laden

2006-09-28T22:14:00.000-04:00

While perusing Military.com I came across an editorial by Oliver North regarding President Clinton's exchange with Chris Wallace on FOX News. It seems LtCol North was a bit put off by President Clinton's proclamation:

“I worked hard to try to kill him. I authorized a finding for the CIA to kill him. We contracted with people to kill him. I got closer to killing him than anybody has gotten since.” -- William Jefferson Blythe Clinton, 24 September 2006

LtCol North seems to believe that President Clinton's outburst constitutes an admission of a crime - that of sanctioning the assassination of Usama Bin Laden. He points out the reaction to Rev. Pat Robertson's call for the assassination of Hugo Chavez, and asks why there was not a similar backlash against Pres. Clinton's statement.

The silence has been deafening from the barons of bombast and political potentates who went nuts last year when Rev. Pat Robertson suggested that Venezuela 's tin-horn dictator Hugo Chavez should be “eliminated.” Then, there were calls for an investigation of Dr. Robertson. Not so for Bill Clinton.

With all due respect, come off it. Where was the outrage when Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed in a deliberately targeted operation? Was no one outraged because AMZ was an enemy combatant who targeted American troops and interests? What is the difference between that and a Presidential finding authorizing the CIA to kill Bin Laden? I'd be real interested to hear the difference between the targeted killing of AMZ and authorizing the CIA to kill UBL. On the other hand, while Hugo Chavez may not be the friendliest man when it comes to our interests in Latin America, you'd be hard pressed to justify calling him an enemy combatant. That's why Robertson's statement was immediately attacked, not necessarily because of partisanship, as LtCol North seems to want you to believe.

The tape of a former President, arrogantly proclaiming on international television that he personally authorized the killing of a foreign foe may be great stuff for the screenplay of “Rambo V” -- but it's specifically forbidden by U.S. and international law.

Personally, I believed both then and now that Usama Bin Laden should be hunted and killed by any means possible. I fully expect that the Bush Administration will sanction killing him if we locate him in the near future, and I will lose absolutely no sleep over it. I suspect that neither will LtCol North. Frankly, I think his article smacks of an attempt to attack President Clinton along partisan lines, rather than legal or ethical ones. And the reference to Rambo V? Come on, sir, isn't that a bit melodramatic?

Before you think that I am squarely behind President Clinton on this, let me elaborate on my views. I do not think that President Clinton tried as hard as he would like us to believe. Both the 9/11 Report and the excellent book Ghost Wars by Steve Coll indicate that President Clinton beat around the bush about killing Usama Bin Laden; leaving the CIA and many of his advisors unclear on what measures they were authorized to take. There seemed to be very much a sense that if the attempt did not go perfectly that the CIA would be left to take the blame. I don't know much, but one thing I've learned as a leader is that if you want to authorize your subordinates to take decisive action, you have to be prepared to accept responsibility if they fail.

The 9/11 Report makes it pretty clear that neither administration did enough about UBL before September 11th. So how about we dispense with the partisan bickering and focus on the business at hand?

Either way, your Marines and soldiers on the "bleeding edge" (note to Mr. Morris: hope you don't mind, but I really liked that phrase) will continue to suit up and do just that. But it would be nice if we heard a little more of that "bipartisan" spirit that used to be vogue, and a little less partisan bickering.

Shift Fire

2006-09-23T16:52:00.000-04:00

OK, since this blog has outlived its original purpose, I've been faced with a choice to retire it until next deployment, or keep it going and shift focus. I've decided to go with the latter and add commentary on current events and various military-related topics as I get the opportunity. In addition, I will be posting on another related blog, OP-FOR. I'm currently working on a piece about my personal observations following the deployment, and how I think the war is progressing based on the small piece that I experienced in Jazirah.

HOME

2006-09-23T11:37:00.000-04:00

I've been a bit behind on posting this, but I make absolutely no apologies - I was spending time with my beautiful girlfriend.

We left Kuwait at about 8:30 Local on the morning of 17 Sept. We made a brief stopover in Amsterdam (where we were segregated from the rest of the concourse by barriers and police with H&K submachineguns) before landing at Cherry Point at 5:00 PM Eastern time. Of course it was another 3 hours or so before we actually made it to the reception area. Once I tracked down my family and finished hugging Steph, I grabbed my bags and we bailed. I almost felt bad for not introducing Steph around, but not really.

More to follow.

One Step Closer

2006-09-16T00:00:00.000-04:00

Brief update: after a week at Al Asad, we arrived in Kuwait early this morning. We should be home within the next 48 hours.

On a sidenote, after a few complaints I decided to remove the background image to make the blog easier to read.

Homeward Bound

2006-09-08T12:36:00.000-04:00

We've made the first step of our trip home. I left the OK Corral this morning to head back to Camp Habbaniyah. I'll post a few more short updates as we keep making our way back to North Carolina.

Rest In Peace

2006-09-04T07:08:00.000-04:00

One of our interpreters, Tom (not his real name, obviously) didn't return from leave last week. It wasn't the first time he had been late, so no one thought too much of it at first. However, his family reported that he left his house in Baghdad on time, so we began to get concerned. Two days ago we confirmed that his family located his body, he was killed by insurgents while trying to return to the COP.

Tom carrying a M249 ParaSAW on patrol near the Euphrates River

On the face of it, Americans might think that it shows a lack of commitment on the part of the Iraqi interpreters and jundi to take 10-15 days of leave every month. Most of us go without seeing our families for 6-7 months, so you would think that the Iraqis could go without taking a "vacation" every month.

Posing on top of an Amphibious Assault Vehicle from a platoon that wandered into our COP

A little digging would reveal the ignorance of that assumption, however. For one thing, Iraq does not have a working bank system, so the soldiers have no way to get money to their families without physically carrying a wad of cash home.

Me posing with Tom in front of the same AAV

Additionally, one of the ironies of this war, from the Iraqi perspective, is that the terps and soldiers are frequently in more danger at home than they are here in Jazirah. Many of them are from Baghdad, and have to conceal the fact that they are in the Iraqi army, or else they face kidnapping or murder by criminals or insurgents.

For those who doubt the dedication and commitment of the Iraqis who are fighting alongside of us, never forget that their tours never end, and they have to deal with the dangers of this war not only while fighting with their units, but also when they return home.

To get back to the real subject of this post, Tom was a friend to all of us here, and dedicated to helping the Coalition and the Iraqi Army improve the security of his country. Rest in peace, good friend.

Another ANGLICO Blogger

2006-09-03T04:10:00.000-04:00

While running a Google search, I stumbled across Mike Chankij's blog. Mike is a team leader with 5th ANGLICO, attached to 2nd ANGLICO for this deployment. His team is working in the Fallujah area. I was originally supposed to be working alongside Mike's team, but my team was shifted to Habbaniyah shortly before I arrived in-country. Anyway, Mike's blog is a pretty interesting read, have a look.

Mike's Blog

Why Men Love War

2006-08-24T14:38:00.000-04:00

I just stumbled on a great essay by William Broyles, Jr. Broyles was a Marine platoon commander in Vietnam, before becoming editor of Newsweek magazine and an accomplished screenwriter. Mr Broyles has written numerous screenplays, including Apollo 13, Castaway, Jarhead, and the soon-to-be-released Flags Of Our Fathers.

The essay I'm referring to was published in Esquire in November of 1984. Surprising that I just stumbled on it now, isn't it? Broyles ran into his old radio operator while visiting the Vietnam Memorial some 15 years after he had returned from Vietnam, and his friend's pronouncement sparked the reflections that turned into the essay.

"What people can't understand," Hiers said, gently picking up each tiny rabbit and placing it in the nest, "is how much fun Vietnam was. I loved it. I loved it, and I can't tell anybody."

The rest of the essay is a great read on the conflicting emotions that inexorably attract us to war. I found a lot of the article resonates deeply with me - I may not enjoy the patrols in 120 degree heat or cringing every time someone slams a door in the Marine house, but there is something that keeps drawing me toward Iraq. One of the unhappiest times of my career so far was about a year and a half ago, when I was told I could not transfer out of my unit to join another unit that had an impending combat mission in Iraq. I was, frankly, a bit depressed that I missed one of the most eventful periods of the war thus far, sitting it out on a ship or in North Carolina. I have friends who have said, with complete seriousness, that when they returned to Iraq for a second or third time they felt relieved, like they were at home.

Another good quote from the essay:

Part of the love of war stems from its being an experience of great intensity; its lure is the fundamental human passion to witness, to see things, what the Bible calls the lust of the eye and the Marines in Vietnam called eye fucking. War stops time, intensifies experience to the point of a terrible ecstasy. It is the dark opposite of that moment of passion caught in Ode on a Grecian Urn: "For ever warm and still to be enjoy'd/ For ever panting, and forever young. " War offers endless exotic experiences, enough "I couldn't fucking believe it! "'s to last a lifetime.

Anyway, enough of my thoughtless and unimaginative writing, Broyles says it much better than I ever will.

Why Men Love War

President Bush pessimistic about Iraq?

2006-08-24T11:24:00.002-04:00

Bush Shows Pessimism on Iraq

For three years, the president tried to reassure Americans that more progress was being made in Iraq than they realized. But with Iraq either in civil war or on the brink of it, Bush dropped the unseen-progress argument in favor of the contention that things could be even worse.

Obviously I am limited to what I can say on this subject, being a professional Marine officer, but this article screams out for some commentary. 3 and a half years ago, I believed whole-heartedly that we were doing the right thing in ousting Saddam Hussein, and I still do.

Hindsight being 20/20, now I would say that we should not have made the alleged weapons of mass destruction the linchpin of our case against Saddam, but I never believed that was the administration's primary motivation. I still believe that the policy-makers latched on to that issue because it was the easiest to sell to the American public. After all, I believe most of us thought that the hardest thing about the war would not be fighting it, but getting the American public to support it.

Most of the Marines I talked to in February and March 2003 expected a somewhat difficult fight followed by a quick and easy occupation. I differed from many of them in that I thought the occupation would be longer, but I never thought a full-fledged insurgency would break out. There was a general sense of optimism, that we would steamroll the Iraqis just like we did in 1991. However, when I was trained to be a platoon commander, I was told to plan not only for what I believed to be the enemy's most likely course of action, but also his most dangerous course of action. I believe we either planned for the wrong most dangerous course of action, or ignored it outright. Once the war became an all-out insurgency, it should have been obvious to everyone that it would continue for several years. Counter-insurgency campaigns are never short or easy, and anyone who expected this to be over by now was misguided at best and delusional at worst.

One of the most frustrating things to me has been the talk of immediate withdrawal. If we withdraw and the Iraqi government fails or is taken over by anti-American fundamentalists, then our enemies will all know that they can beat us by using insurgent tactics and outlasting us. Whether you wanted this war or not, it has happened and we must deal with it and continue to fight until we have achieved our goal of a completely self-sustaining Iraqi government.

I will tell you that in just the short time I have been here, this Iraqi Army battalion has made significant progress in securing the nearby villages. Their performance leaves plenty to be desired, but the civilians who live near the COP have said on numerous occasions that they feel much safer around their homes than they did just 4-5 months ago. Progress is being made here, and it will continue to be as long as we are allowed to do our jobs.

Dropping A Bomb

2006-08-22T00:47:00.000-04:00

No, not the 500lb kind that I would prefer to be dropping. David J. Morris, author of the book Storm On The Horizon, visited the OK Corral back in July to spend some time with a Military Transition Team. Dave is a former Marine infantry officer himself - he served in 3rd Battalion 5th Marines as a lieutenant in the late 1990's. You may remember that, up until the teams rotated in early August, the MTT team was drawn largely from 3/5. While he was here, Dave accompanied us on several patrols, and spent a large amount of time just listening to stories from the MTT and ANGLICO Marines. This article is largely a result of those conversations and stories.

I have to say that I agree with the overall tone of the article, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out that it isn't very optimistic. The big base mentality around here is truly disturbing, but you can tell that from some of my older posts. Down here where the rubber meets the road, there is definitely not a sense that we are the main effort, as we should be. I don't, however, believe that the situation is beyond hope. Trim the fat off of Multi-National Forces-Iraq (MNF-I) by getting rid of the "Fobbits" who contribute nothing to the war effort, and replace them with grunts, essential combat support troops, and advisors. Stop spending money on coffee shops and extravagant facilities on the large bases and focus on equipping the Iraqis with the necessary equipment to combat the insurgency. Anyway, the article is a great read, enjoy.

INSIDE THE IRAQI FORCES FIASCO
by David J. Morris

The US effort to train Iraqi forces -- and bring American troops home -- is mired in bureaucratic mismanagement, inept recruits and astonishing shortages of equipment.

Back in March, Marine Maj. William McCollough, the commanding officer of a small team of U.S. military advisors training an Iraqi army battalion in the volatile Anbar province, found out that his team had failed to receive a supply of 40 mm grenades. They were crucial munitions: Since the 15-man team of Marines had arrived in late January in the al-Jazirah region, an insurgent hotbed between Fallujah and Ramadi, the small compound they shared with their Iraqi counterparts had been attacked almost every night. In one of their first major engagements, the Marines simply lined up on the roof of their barracks and poured grenades into a nearby tree line until the enemy fire stopped. For an isolated advisor team living among foreign troops of questionable dependability, a supply of grenades could mean the difference in whether it could stop insurgents from overrunning the perimeter.

The missing supply of grenades was another in a string of shortfalls McCollough's team had experienced since arriving, and the major had had it. He sent a letter to the Marine high command in Iraq, stating that the Iraqi 1st Battalion they were training would have to cease operations due to the lack of logistical support. According to McCollough, a general on the receiving end of the letter "scorched some earth," and his team started to get more of what they needed.

I spent five days in July living and patrolling with this group of Marines and the Iraqis they were training. Initially, the prospect of embedding with what appeared to be a team of military baby sitters was uninspiring. But I soon realized it would provide an extraordinary look inside what strategists consider to be perhaps the last, best hope to salvage stability from the U.S. occupation of Iraq as it spirals toward full-blown civil war.

In a nationally televised speech in June 2005 at Ft. Bragg, N.C., President Bush made an announcement that has been repeated many times since: "As the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down." McCollough's team of advisors, known as a Military Transition Team, or MiTT, is at the center of that strategy. Comprising 10 to 15 U.S. servicemen drawn from across the armed forces, each MiTT lives with Iraqi forces for months at a time, providing them with training, oversight and operational support. More than 200 MiTTs are operating in Iraq, according to the Pentagon. The training and deployment of autonomous Iraqi forces is seen as critical to securing the country, handing it over to the fledgling Iraqi government, and bringing U.S. troops home.

But according to more than a dozen Marine and Army officers I spoke with, since its launch approximately a year ago, the MiTT program has been dogged by bureaucratic mismanagement, inadequate training, and an astonishing shortage of equipment and supplies -- the latter a predicament I witnessed firsthand with McCollough's team. Many servicemen assigned to the MiTTs are distraught by this state of affairs. One disillusioned lieutenant I spoke with said that despite his intense love of the Marine Corps, he would be leaving the service because of what he has observed during his advisory tour. A frustrated team leader told me, "Thirty years from now, when historians are trying to figure out how we lost this war, they'll look to the MiTT program."

Across the Euphrates River from Fallujah, al-Jazirah is a lush patchwork of palm groves and grass fields, bisected by dikes and dotted by the occasional farmhouse. Thickly vegetated and shockingly green, it is marvelous guerrilla country -- much more like Vietnam in appearance than anyone wants to admit.

When McCollough and his team arrived, the area was largely in the hands of hard-core Iraqi insurgents and foreign jihadis. The main road that connected the web of villages in al-Jazirah, dubbed "Route Duster" by the Marines, was virtually undrivable due to the constant threat of ambush. Mortar and small-arms attacks on the Marines compound became so commonplace through the spring that unless it was a sustained barrage, the Marines simply noted the time and went about their business. One afternoon I watched in amazement during an intense 120 mm mortar attack as one of McCollough's lieutenants stomped out of the team's barracks in nothing but shorts and flip-flops to get a closer look at the barrage. Marching back in, he declared, "It ain't that close" and went back to tinkering with the team's laptop computer.

McCollough's team is known as MiTT 3/5, because its members hail primarily from the 3rd Battalion of the 5th Marine Regiment. Embedding with them meant incurring a startling degree of danger. At one point McCollough showed me a calendar he kept inside his journal, on which a circled date indicated enemy contact. Beginning in early February, almost every date was circled. During one stretch, McCollough's team had either been shot at, mortared, RPG'd or hit by a roadside bomb on 37 out of 40 days. Nearly half of his team had been wounded, one member three times.

They were some of the most skilled soldiers I've seen, from my own service in the Marines to trips into Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein. Yet, as I would learn during this trip, optimism about the U.S. efforts to train Iraqi forces largely begins and ends with the top brass and Bush administration officials back in Washington.

By most accounts, McCollough's team is a model one. A Marine officer I spoke with in Ramadi described it as "exceptional." But that is telling in its own right: Even MiTT 3/5 is undermanned and grievously undersupplied, and it was given only skeletal preparation for its pivotal mission.

A survey of the MiTT compound revealed that much of the equipment had been acquired by scrounging or borrowing from other American units. The team's two generators -- without which the team would have no electricity, air conditioning or access to the U.S. military's tactical intranet -- were obtained by the team's logistics officer, who twisted the arm of a friend stationed at a nearby Marine supply depot.

Much of the Marines' gear was substandard. The doors of their dilapidated Humvees didn't close properly and had inch-wide gaps at the top of them -- potentially deadly in a sector rife with roadside bombs. At the beginning of my embedded tour I had noticed that all of the Marines at the public affairs office at Camp Fallujah had been outfitted with the latest fire-retardant combat uniforms -- but McCollough's Marines were all wearing less-protective cotton uniforms, despite an order from on high that all Marines in Iraq have the new ones.

In a document distributed to commanders after the MiTT program was launched, Lt. Gen. John Sattler, the head Marine general in Iraq, identified the advisor teams as "the main effort" -- an official designation that should have given them head-of-the-line privileges for supplies, ammunition, communication equipment and all the sundry items that a combat unit needs to function in the field. However, when the logistics officer assigned to MiTT 3/5 first submitted support requests, he told me, the response from Marine supply officers was, "Who are you? What unit are you with? What's a MiTT?" The disconnect between them and the larger American military apparatus drove the Marine advisors crazy -- "the main effort" was the punch line to many jokes told by McCollough's team while I was with them.

The MiTT program is strained by other fundamental issues. Historically, the mission of training indigenous troops has been handled by U.S. Army Special Forces, made up of experienced soldiers who have undergone years of specialized linguistic and culture-specific training. But with the military stretched thin by the Bush administration's far-reaching war on terror, there simply aren't enough Special Forces troops to go around, so the military has been forced to draw upon less seasoned troops from across the armed forces.

Despite an admirable track record in combating the insurgency in al-Jazirah, McCollough's team had a less-than-auspicious beginning. Formed around a few handpicked officers and sergeants, a number of the men who joined the team had been assigned against their wishes and on short notice from other noncombat units within the Marine Corps. The team's second in command came from the traffic-management office at Camp Pendleton and had never served in an infantry unit before. Only a third of the team had training in the foreign weapons the Iraqis use.

A senior enlisted Marine on the team described their mission preparation as "a joke." The entirety of it consisted of a week's lectures at Camp Taji, a forward operating base north of Baghdad. Most of the classes were hastily assembled slide presentations. One covered Iraqi radio equipment and was given by an instructor who had never seen the gear before. The sector-specific training consisted of a one-hour briefing given by an officer who had visited al-Jazirah only once.

One recent after-action report I saw, written by a MiTT team leader from elsewhere in Iraq, concluded that the Pentagon has "given lip-service to the importance of advisors but has not allocated resources (time, funding and command attention) to the training and equipping of the advisors."

In Washington, the message about the MiTT program remains upbeat. "The [Iraqi] army has been improving by leaps and bounds in the eight months we've been here," Army Col. Brian Jones, a commander in the Diyala province bordering Iran, said during a Pentagon press briefing on Aug. 4. "And truly I think we're starting to see the evolution of a professional force."

But McCollough's team expressed concern about the long-term prospects for the Iraqi forces they've been training. Soldiers continue to desert, and the battalion is never at full strength because Iraqis expect to have at least one week of leave per month in order to ensure that their families are safe and provided for.

Several of the Marines said they've seen some progress with the Iraqis. Yet, despite the Marines' continual hectoring, the Iraqis' field discipline leaves much to be desired. A gunnery sergeant told me that, with few exceptions, the Iraqis were poor shots. The Marines were happy to have at least curtailed the infamous "death blossom" -- the Iraqis' indiscriminate spraying of bullets into the air. But many moments were frustrating for Marines accustomed to working with well-disciplined troops. A prime example occurred in June: In the middle of an extended gun battle, the Marines were flabbergasted to discover some of the Iraqi soldiers relaxing and eating watermelon instead of manning their weapons.

A number of veteran U.S. military advisors I spoke with believe that the training under way essentially will last only as long as American officers are physically present and directly supporting the Iraqi army units.

In addition to the challenges posed by the Iraqi trainees, the Marine advisors have run into some galling problems with the U.S. military itself. In February, when the Iraqi 1st Battalion began taking casualties, the Marines took them to a U.S. medical facility at Taqqadum, a sprawling logistics base a few miles to the south -- and were initially turned away. "Iraqi soldiers aren't allowed on this base," they were told. After wrangling with the gate guards, they were eventually able to get the wounded Iraqis treatment, but it was an incident that none of the Marines forgot. The American attitude, according to McCollough, is frequently one of "Well, they're only Iraqi casualties" -- not something to get too worked up over.

There is an almost mind-boggling gap between the Marine advisors' daily reality and life on the large, relatively plush forward operating bases that support many U.S. troops in Iraq. This is a point of irritation for the Marine advisors, who refer to the other troops as "Fobbits," a derogatory term denoting those who never leave the safe environment of the large bases. At Taqqadum, American personnel dine on prime rib and enjoy Baskin-Robbins ice cream. In one of the chow halls there, I spotted a 4-foot-tall Statue of Liberty sculpted out of butter. In contrast, McCollough's men subsisted mostly on Iraqi army chow, Top Ramen noodles, Spam and junk food sent to them by family members back home. Combined with the relentless pace of operations in al-Jazirah, the poor rations resulted in major weight loss among some members of the team. One gunnery sergeant told me he'd shed almost 40 pounds over the course of the deployment.

While at Taqqadum, which increasingly resembles the "Little America" bases that became emblematic of the bloated U.S. war effort in Vietnam, I also noticed fliers for aerobics and salsa-dancing classes. There were weekly jazz concerts. When McCollough's team first arrived in Iraq, he told me, they went hunting at the Taqqadum post exchange for felt-tipped markers and protractors for their field maps. They were disgusted to discover that while there was thong underwear, hair care products and other luxury items available, they could not find some of the combat-essential items they needed.

As the U.S. military increasingly has dug in with large bases like Taqqadum, the trail of logistics and supplies supporting them has grown longer. As one particularly frustrated Army captain at Camp Ramadi put it, "We're chasing our own tail over here."

Yet, out on the bleeding edge of the war, the MiTT Marines took an unmistakable pride in their situation. They saw themselves as the magnificent bastards of the Corps, far away from the flagpole, and while they felt the burn of neglect from higher headquarters, the war seemed to retain an adventure-like feel for them. They had an unbelievable nonchalance toward danger. It seemed miraculous that none of them had been killed, which McCollough attributed in part to dumb luck.

In spite of the doubts hanging over the MiTT program, over time many of the Marines had developed a sentimental attachment to their Iraqi counterparts. And despite the Iraqis' mixed feelings about the American occupation, good will developed in the other direction as well. On my last day with McCollough's team, he told that he had recently taken the Iraqi 1st Battalion's executive officer, Lt. Col. Jafra, to the U.S. hospital at Taqqadum to have his leg looked at. Jafra, a Shiite from the Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad, had taken some shrapnel in his ankle from an American artillery shell during the Gulf War. At one point Jafra said to McCollough, "I prefer to think that you shot me, Major McCollough, because that way, if it was a fellow soldier I respect who shot me, then there is no anger."

During my time with McCollough's team, I was heartened by the camaraderie between the Marines and the Iraqis. But that couldn't obscure the feeling that the MiTT program appears headed the way of many aspects of this war -- another casualty of poor planning, attention and execution by U.S. leaders.

No Easy Day

2006-08-18T14:19:00.000-04:00

We stepped off on patrol at about noon today. I have no idea how hot it was, but I'd have to guess that it was at least 120 degrees out when we started. Most of us had assumed it would be a fairly easy patrol, despite the heat.

The Iraqis took us down this path, where the branches formed sort of an archway over our heads. Not really a good tactical decision, but it made for a cool picture.

We had almost reached our objective when several of the Iraqis succumbed to heat exhaustion. It's kind of ironic, since they carry a fraction of the weight that we carry, but the US military started teaching adequate hydration years ago. The Iraqi military hasn't caught up on that aspect of training and operations just yet.

Marine officers are taught that we are responsible for ensuring our Marines drink enough water. Some guys go so far as to supervise their Marines while they force down a quart or two of water before a physically strenuous evolution. I've heard some older veterans talk about our lack of "water discipline", but it pays off on days like today when an American Marine carrying 70-80 pounds of gear can walk longer than an Iraqi jundi carrying only 30-40 pounds of equipment.

After moving the afflicted jundi to a shady canal and trying to let the Iraqis rest for a while, we finally picked back up and started moving again.

We stopped at a nearby house and the civilians very kindly brought us a bucket of cold water and a dish for the jundi to drink from. By this point everyone in the patrol was completely out of water.

Fortunately it was only a few hundred meters to the closest observation tower, where we holed up and rested until a vehicle patrol could pick us up and return us to the OK Corral. Fortunately there should only be a few more patrols on days like this before it's time to head home.

Another update

2006-08-13T09:02:00.000-04:00

I hadn’t realized it had been so long since my last post. It doesn’t seem like the memorial service was that long ago. Chris Pate’s team was pulled off the line and a new team arrived to support 2d Battalion. The new team leader, Chris D., is actually a friend from my first deployment to Iraq in 2003. He is a fellow VMI alumnus, although he graduated several years before I started the Ratline. Chris was in charge of the artillery liaison section that was attached to my infantry battalion for the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

The old MTT team was replaced at the end of July by a new team that is drawn largely from 3d Battalion 2d Marines, another infantry battalion from Camp Lejeune. It’s been an interesting transition for my ANGLICO team, we had built a pretty solid rapport with the old MTT team and it’s taking time to develop that same relationship with the new guys. The new team leader was one of my instructors at the Infantry Officer Course, and we’ve played enough of the “Marine Corps Six Degrees of Separation” game with the other Marines on the team to find some common ground. For those who don’t know, the Marine Corps is, at around 180,000 strong, an incredibly small place. If you talk to another Marine long enough, you can guarantee that the two of you will both know someone who knows someone who knows someone… you get the point. Anyway, there have been some rough spots, but we’re starting to develop that same rapport with the new team.

Before the old team left, the Iraqis had a large outdoor dinner for the outbound advisors. A photographer from the New York Times was present, and took quite a few pictures. There was a genuine sense of camaraderie between the Iraqi officers and the advisors at the dinner, as we all traded jokes and banter in broken Arabic and English. The Iraqis gave each of the outbound advisors a gift, and after dinner the Iraqis and Marines posed for pictures with one another. What a unique experience, something that most of the Marines and soldiers who serve in Iraq will never know.

Thankfully the IEDs in our area have quieted down a bit over the last month. There was a period in late June and early July where we had around one a day. We lost several jundi during that period, unfortunately, and had two advisors wounded by separate attacks on the same day. Both Marines received minor injuries, a broken arm for one and a concussion for the other, but it was enough that they had to be sent back to the States. Now IEDs are a fairly rare occurrence, which has soothed our nerves a bit. There are several reasons for the reduction in attacks, and I won’t get into them, but suffice it to say that the Iraqi Army can claim quite a bit of the credit for themselves.

An Iraqi Army Humvee that was damaged by an IED in early June

Well, that’s all I have for now. To the guys from MTT 3/5, I hope you get home safely and enjoy your post-deployment leave.

34 and a wakeup.

More Pictures of Al Jazirah

2006-08-13T08:50:00.000-04:00

Our new truck on MTV's "Pimp My Ride"

Drinking chai with jundi

Memorial Service

2006-07-29T05:59:00.000-04:00

We held a memorial service for Chris at Combat Outpost Dunlap on the morning of July 26th. There were probably 50-60 people at the service, including all of the ANGLICO Marines that are supporting the 3rd Brigade. I'm sure many of the other Marines and soldiers barely knew Chris, but they still showed up to pay tribute to him. As some of the senior officers stood up to pay tribute to Chris, the common theme was his constant enthusiasm and eagerness. It was obvious that Chris made a significant impact on many of the Marines and soldiers who worked with him, and he is sorely missed out here.

Because there are others who can say it much better than I can, here are two articles about Chris from his hometown of Beaverton, Oregon.
Article #1
Article #2

Welcome home Spanky

2006-07-24T15:44:00.000-04:00

I was searching the web earlier tonight trying to find an article about Gunnery Sergeant Bill "Spanky" Gibson, one of our ANGLICO Marines that was wounded by a sniper in May. I couldn't find the article I was looking for, but I found a thread on the Patriot Guards' forum about his return to Oklahoma. Spanky flew in to Tulsa on July 22nd and was greeted by numerous well-wishers, who convoyed with him all the way to his hometown of Pryor. It was heartwarming to see the support that the Patriot Guards mustered for his arrival, and I would like to thank all of them.

Gunny Gibson was hit in the knee by a sniper's bullet back in May, and after being medevac'd to the States, lost his left leg below the knee. I know, for me, that would be an incredibly demoralizing injury, but the last I heard, Spanky is in great spirits and is planning to continue his service in the Marine Corps. He is pictured above with SSgt Villette (on the left), another 5th ANGLICO Marine, somewhere in Iraq.

Rest In Peace

2006-07-24T15:12:00.000-04:00

On July 21st, Capt Christopher T. Pate, another ANGLICO JTAC, was killed by an IED just a few miles from here. Chris was a mobilized reservist that volunteered to serve a second Iraq tour with ANGLICO. In April, the Marine Corps demobilized him, against his will, and sent him back to the States. While most people probably would have simply moved on with their lives and pursued a civilian career, Chris fought to get remobilized and rejoin the unit. He was unusually patient with the typical Marine Corps administrative screw-ups, and after a month was finally granted his wish and sent back over here. I always enjoyed talking to Chris when I saw him, as he was consistently upbeat and enthusiastic. Rest in peace, Chris, you will be missed.

Chris is the second ANGLICO Marine killed in action during this deployment. Corporal Christopher Leon was killed by a sniper in Ramadi on June 20th. Because Cpl Leon was augmented to 2d ANGLICO from 5th ANGLICO, I regret to say that I never got know him, but LA Times has a good article about him here.

Style Changes

2006-07-20T10:28:00.000-04:00

Bear with me, folks, I am trying some changes to the look of this thing. I will be making periodic tweaks over the next few days. The background image may not look right for everyone, if your screen resolution is over 1024x768 it will not fit your screen. Comments, both good and bad, on the new look are welcome.

The Truth

2006-07-19T07:26:00.000-04:00

This is a good letter written by one of the Marines from the MTT.

I felt the urge and need to say something. I want everyone to understand one thing about Iraq. What we are doing here is not only for our country or for you. Our government, as we all know, always has an agenda and we all have the right to speculate as to what that agenda might be. I live, work, eat, sleep, fight and bleed right alongside Iraqi soldiers every day. What everyone must understand is that this portion of the world has been in conflict for thousands of years and what we are doing here is nothing new to them. The fact remains that the majority of Iraqi and Arab people are God or Allah-fearing people and are basically good in their principles. True, they are a lot different than us socially, economically, politically, you name it; but they have the inherent right and desire to have a free and safe nation under a common government. Their government is going to be based on their religion and that is not unique to them but it seems that many people in our society think that this automatically makes them evil. This is simply not true. I have had the honor of meeting some of the most pure people on the face of God's green earth. I might not have a strong religious belief but I can see why the Arab and Iraqi people would have to believe in something larger than themselves in order to survive. The soldiers that I work with are married, single, have kids, have no kids, have big families - I even have a soldier that is with me (and saved my ass one day) who had US bombs kill 3 members of his family in 2003, and nearly kill him, yet he fights with us side by side because he believes Iraq will be a great place one day! I have never seen a society like this one be able to find the joy in life among so much sadness. The horrors that take place here are many and you all know of them, thanks to our not so wonderful media, but what you don't hear about is the victories that we achieve together, US and Iraqi forces side by side, along with the coalition. The families that we have helped, the areas that are free of violence, and insurgents from foreign countries who came here with only the desire to harm innocent civilians and line their pockets in the name of Allah, who are now in jail or dead. When I first arrived at my current location seven months ago we could not walk outside without getting shot at or taking incoming mortar rounds. Those days are long past. Times are changing and progress is being made, understand though, we will have a presence in this part of the world for many, many years to come. I guess what I am getting at is that I do not want to be thanked, congratulated or rewarded for my duties, I only hope that the citizens of our nation, as great as it might be, one day realize that the Marines, soldiers, sailors, and airmen that serve along side our coalition partners are here for the guy on the ground next to them. They sweat, bleed, cry, and smile together and this is their family. Many of you will not be able to understand this feeling or have the ability to know what it means but be sure these are the men that fight the good fight, that protect each other, and, maybe for what would seem like a short period of time to you, these men become brothers and trust in each other in a way that you could never ever be able to comprehend. We are not here because of our individual beliefs or those beliefs of our government or our family or friends - we are here for each other. The man in the arena, that is where my respect begins and ends! This is the truth and that is where the "rubber meets the road".

GySgt Richard A. Anderson,
U.S. Marine Corps

Updates

2006-07-17T07:12:00.000-04:00

I apologize for not posting recently, it’s been a tough couple of weeks. Early in July (Or was it late June? The days have started to blend together.) two of the MTT advisors were wounded by IEDs. Both were minor injuries, but it was enough to get them both sent back to the States. Couple that with several other small occurrences, and we ended up with a demanding schedule of patrols. My commitments as a JTAC also kept me up all hours of the night, so I spent a lot of my downtime in the rack instead of typing blog updates.

Just a few days ago we mounted a fairly major operation into an area over which we have no real control or presence. Our battalion’s piece was to move to the objective area by convoy and search several areas of interest. Because of the high threat of IEDs along the route, we had an EOD team come out and lead the convoy. I can’t say enough about those guys, they found and recovered more than half a dozen IEDs without a single one going off. Thanks to them, we covered the entire distance to the objective and back with no casualties or damaged equipment, which was certainly better than what I expected to happen. The only downside is that it was extremely slow going.

I spent over ten hours cooped up in the back of a Humvee during the operation, and because it was my job to coordinate the aircraft that were overhead covering our movement, I couldn’t really leave the Humvee and its radios. The Marines on my team are very experienced at doing the ANGLICO thing from a Humvee, so they moved two laptop computers and a radio into the back of the vehicle and turned my seat into a no-kidding workstation. I had several capabilities back there, not the least of which was being able to call up maps and satellite imagery of the area on one of the computers. As cool as that was, after ten hours we were starting roast inside the vehicle. I was definitely glad to return to the OK Corral so I could stretch my legs and cool off.

About a week before all of this happened, we inserted a large patrol in the same area using Army Blackhawk helicopters. I wasn’t sure how the Iraqis would handle the helicopters, but they took it in stride and were very quick to adapt to basic heliborne operations. The operation went very smoothly, and we surprised a car-full of bad guys while searching a couple of houses. The Iraqi jundi, with no prompting or assistance from the American advisors, stopped a passing car and detained the men inside the car once a cursory search turned up a car battery, copper wire, and several digging tools. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that these guys were geared up to plant an IED somewhere. The jundi pulled the car off the road and set it on fire, and after we had left the area, we heard two large secondary explosions come from the burning wreckage. The rest of the patrol was pretty uneventful as far as enemy activity. We inserted early in the morning, so by the time we were getting close to our pickup point the sun was starting to bear down. Of course, the toughest terrain was at the end of the patrol. We had numerous canals to cross, some of which required a running leap, and some of which we just gave up and slid in. All in all, it was six tough hours from the time the helicopters touched down in the landing zone until we were picked up by a convoy from the OK Corral.

More to come soon.

Life in Jazeerah

2006-07-02T00:41:00.000-04:00

Now that I've gotten the rants out of my system, I figured I'd just post some pictures.

Iraqi soldiers manning a PKC machinegun

A patrol of Iraqi soldiers, almost looks like a scene out of another war

Covering a road with a 50 cal. Because of the MTT's size and
composition, it's not uncommon for officers and SNCOs to drive
or man the gun, which is unthinkable in most units

Scanning the area through my ACOG

The Felon watching some suspicious characters

Two of the puppies that live on the COP

I Went to War and a Garrison Broke Out

2006-07-01T18:38:00.000-04:00

It's a quiet night so far, and I'm on a reverse cycle now (sleep during the day, work at night), so bear with me, I'm seeking to cure some of my boredom.

Here is the original article that I referred to in the previous post. This was written while I was in Afghanistan in 2003, and I had the opportunity to witness this phenomenon first-hand. This article is so true it's almost enough to make you cry.

The "firebase" I lived in when this article was written, Camp Blessing, was located in the heart of Indian Country. It came into existence only in October/November of the same year, when it was called Firebase Catamount. For the month or so before it was turned over to a Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA), Catamount was home to a battalion of soldiers from the US Army's 10th Mountain Division. They were subjected to attacks almost daily, ranging from 107mm rockets to IEDs and RPGs and small arms fire. Once they left, it was up to the ODA, plus a reinforced platoon of Marines (66 Marines total) and 120 locally-recruited Afghan Security Forces to secure the area. So we're talking 75-80 Americans and 120 Afghans. Mind you, the Afghans had no formal military training and relatively little experience. The next closest American outpost, Asadabad, was 20-30km away by air. It was about a 4-6 hour drive by HMMWV, over a narrow, treacherous road that was strewn with IEDs. The first time I attempted to hitch a ride with the ODA to A-bad, an IED blew the front end of my Humvee off. That was the last time we attempted that drive during daylight.

Most outposts in Afghanistan and Iraq are ringed by a type of barrier called "Hesco". Hesco barriers are a wire basket with a cloth liner that can be filled with dirt to create a wall. You've probably seen Hescos on the news without knowing what they are. Next time, look for a wall that has wire mesh and a grey cloth lining. That is a Hesco barrier. During my time there, Camp Blessing had Hesco on only two sides, and one side was not high enough to provide adequate protection from enemy fire from that direction. One of the houses occupied by the Marine platoon was dangerously exposed because of this. The Special Forces team leader submitted numerous requests for more Hesco to complete the perimeter around the camp, but could never get enough to adequately protect the camp.

A row of Hesco barriers at Camp Blessing

Now imagine how we felt when we returned to Bagram Airfield and saw that each unit that lived on the airfield had a Hesco perimeter around their little section of the base. Some had even stacked them two high, meaning they had a double row of Hesco on the bottom and a single row on top of that. Some of these mini-camps were not much smaller than Camp Blessing itself.

The only engineering asset we had at Camp Blessing, AFG

After we left Asadabad and Blessing, our company became responsible for securing the Airfield perimeter. The Marines stood watch in guard towers that were positioned around the base. One tower was set back from the perimeter wire by a good distance, and was not able to see the concertina wire fence that ran through their sector. The end result was that the locals stole the concertina wire that was supposed to prevent them from entering the base. The tower was not able to see the gap in the wire, so kids would frequently slip through the gap and throw rocks at the guard tower. We were only allowed to respond with non-lethal weapons, so the Marines usually engaged the kids with 12 gauge beanbag rounds or high-velocity paintballs (you might laugh, but these things were pushing a lot more muzzle velocity than your standard commercial paintball gun, and the paintballs themselves were pretty nasty looking). It was usually pretty harmless, and I'm sure the kids considered it a game, but it wasn't lost on the company leadership that this situation presented the potential for very bad things to happen. We searched for ways to stop the kids from coming through, and were eventually successful, but the one thing we could never get was more concertina wire to plug the gap. So, during the two months we guarded the base, there was always a gap in the wire in this spot, and we had to find other ways to keep people out.

Afghan soldiers standing in formation at Camp Blessing

While all of this was going on, a new unit arrived on Bagram and set up their new camp, including a motor pool in an unoccupied gravel lot. What did they have surrounding their motor pool? A shiny, new triple-strand concertina wire fence. For those who don't know, triple-strand simply means that there are two rolls of concertina wire on the bottom, with another roll of wire on top. We couldn't even get a single strand to cover a gap that was obviously exploitable.

OK, I've been writing enough about this, I think my blood pressure is starting to spike. Mind you, those are two extremely small examples of some of the garrison-mindset stupidity that goes on in Iraq and Afghanistan. People wonder how I can enjoy life so much in a place like Camp Blessing or OK Corral, well now you can get a glimpse of why I hate places like Al Asad and Bagram.

Oh yeah, Bagram is a saluting base, meaning you have to salute superior officers on the base. I guess somebody needed a salute in the morning to feel good about himself.

The Self-Licking Ice Cream Cone

2006-06-28T20:45:00.000-04:00

Apologies to Mr. Robert Kaplan, as I am borrowing the above term from an article he wrote a few years ago following a visit to Afghanistan. When Mr. Kaplan referred to the “self-licking ice cream cone”, he was specifically referring to Bagram Air Field, which by that time had become swollen with various Army and Air Force support personnel who seemed to have no real impact on the war effort. They basically existed to justify their own existence. Of course, this is no isolated incident, it’s in fact a disturbing trend in recent US military history, and all four branches are guilty.

For instance, there is apparently a Corporals Course being held at Al Asad air base. It seems that the units on Al Asad can not only spare enough Marines to teach this course, but also the students to attend it. Meanwhile, advisor teams such as this one are short handed and must stretch themselves thin trying to accomplish their mission, all while constantly exposed to enemy attack. Not to mention frontline infantry units that are stretched to their limits. How does the corporal from 3rd Battalion 5th Marines feel when he hears that his counterparts have the time to learn drill and sword manual at Al Asad? Meanwhile he is manning an observation post along an Iraqi highway, trying to prevent the emplacement of IEDs in his area of responsibility, all while being subjected to attacks by car bombs, RPGs, and snipers.

About a week ago, I received an e-mail telling me where I could find the Al Asad Base Order regarding traffic regulations. It addresses such key issues as wearing headphones while running and coming to a complete stop at stop signs. There are US servicemembers deployed to Iraq who exist for no other reason than to enforce traffic regulations. I’ll say that again; they get paid hazardous duty pay and collect the combat zone tax exclusion so they can write traffic tickets. They even write parking citations! Our combat forces are stretched thin, but we apparently have no shortage of glorified meter maids? It blows my mind! To top it off, violators must report to the base magistrate. So, again, we are paying a field grade officer how much to sit over here and adjudicate traffic violations!?

All of the talk on the news about troop withdrawal mentions, very specifically, withdrawing “combat” troops. I hope that they are ignorantly lumping everyone together as “combat” troops, instead of planning to withdraw actual combat arms units while allowing the Al Asad Meter Maid Platoon to remain. People ask me if I plan to make the military a career, and then act surprised when I say no. Why, they ask? Because, as much as I love my job on the frontlines and the Marines I serve with there, I can’t stand to wear the same uniform as the people who write up traffic regulations for a base in Iraq. I’ve only been able to stomach it this far because I have remained in combat units and away from those people. But then I see things like e-mails about traffic regulations and Corporals Courses in a supposed combat zone, and I realize that I can’t avoid the self-licking ice cream cone forever.

Hydrate or Die

2006-06-26T17:53:00.000-04:00

We’ve stepped up the patrolling recently. A few days ago we left for one of the longer foot patrols we’ve done in a while. We stepped off at 6:00 PM, as the sun was starting to set. The temp was probably pushing 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and the humidity was pretty close to the same levels you might experience in eastern North Carolina. In other words, it sucked. After leaping a few canals, we decided to change up the route a bit to hug the river so we could avoid the canals. An hour into the patrol, I had drained about 2.5 – 3 liters of water from my Camelbak, and sweated so much that it looked like I’d been swimming.

In the picture you can see Lt Parks and SSgt Newman taking a break as we wait for our ride back to the COP. Shortly before this picture was taken, as we made our way to the pickup point, a couple of muj (bad guys) pulled up in two cars and shot a small mortar in our direction. It was an ineffective attack, since they missed the entire patrol by over 100 meters, but unfortunately they got away clean. It was good that no friendlies were hurt in the attack, but frustrating that we weren’t able to make them pay for the attempt. Oh well, hopefully next time…

Article about 3rd Brigade

2006-06-20T06:49:00.000-04:00

I Have Seen The Enemy
by Franklin Raff

An Iraqi officer of significant rank approached my translator as I quietly took notes near the banks of the Euphrates River, at a combat observation post named COP Dunlop. He knew I was an embedded American. He had a sense, perhaps, that I was a sympathetic soul, and he wanted to pass along an urgent message.

We shook hands and exchanged pleasantries. I learned he was an educated and successful man, an accomplished soldier, and quite knowledgeable about the affairs of the world. He had served under Saddam. He openly spoke about the likelihood of corruption in the new Iraqi Ministry of Defense. We spoke about black-market arms trading, ancient smuggling routes, and the problem of porous borders.

We even discussed personal matters, and the question of his taking a second wife. (I told him the one about a thousand pair of panty-hose hanging from King Solomon's shower-curtain.) We had a reasonably long and genuine conversation about matters of importance to all men. And at a certain moment, he grew a little uneasy and blurted out what he had wanted to say from the beginning:

Why do you people not tell our story? Why do you not say what is going on? Why do you come to our country and see what is happening, you see the schools and the hospitals and you see the markets and you eat with Sunni and Shia soldiers – everybody eats together, everybody works together –you see that Saddam is gone forever and we are free to speak and complain.

You see we are working and eating together and fighting together – Sunni and Shia – you see what we are building here, you see the votes we make as one people. Then you say to the world about a great war and horrible things and how we are all killing each other? We are not animals! We are Iraqis. Look around you! Look!

Non-English speaking Iraqis are distressed and disheartened by American media bias. Many feel personally offended by what they read in translation and hear of in the foreign press. I am not talking about press information and public affairs officers. I am not talking about coalition soldiers (though every one I spoke with on the subject was equally frustrated.) I am talking about Arabic-speaking Iraqis. They see a difference between what we're seeing and what we're saying. What does that tell you about the extent of our problem?

I was truly "downrange" in Iraq, embedded in Baghdad, Sadr City, Fallujah, and a series of remote combat outposts and forward operations bases in the Sunni Triangle. I spent much of my time in areas that were in immediate transition or wholly controlled by Iraqi forces. I wanted to get dirty, and I wanted to see the worst of it.

I was entirely too close to a vehicle-borne IED – intended, possibly, to destroy my party – which tragically killed a U.S. Marine and a young Iraqi boy. I trampled through a mass of depleted uranium, breathed the squalor of a Saddam-era slum, slept uneasily through the bursts of an urban gunfight, and dined on the partially-cooked head of a sheep. But these are not my most disturbing recollections.

Civil unrest is distasteful and at times gruesome, but in much of the Middle East it is an abiding condition. The scenes that flicker in my mind seem graver than the filth, disorder, and sorrow that have been a part of Iraq's dramatic transition. And now that I have returned to Washington, as memories play alongside my daily media intake, they combine to create an increasingly gloomy montage.

It was hilarious at the time. So funny, in fact, I nearly wept. I will never forget the sight of my colleague, a well-known, market-leading radio reporter feverishly clutching his satellite phone as a Chinook transport helicopter flew by, half a mile or so away. He was standing right beside me as he dialed through the time zones to go "live from Iraq":

We're right in the middle of the action! I'm sorry ... I can't hear you! There's a Blackhawk landing right behind me! I can't quite describe what's going on! This is unbelievable!

At the time, you see, we were just outside an Embassy chow hall, quietly discussing the weather. We had just eaten a magnificent lunch. In this combat reporter's trembling right hand was the target of his desperate screams, the satellite phone – his listeners' link to the horror and chaos of war, the sweat and tears, the booming, blood-shod tragedy of it all. And in his left hand – I swear it – a chocolate milkshake.

There is plenty of bombast in the green zone. "On the scene" excitement breeds hyperbole, and many reporters are pretentious and boastful to begin with. There's no need to name names: Most folks can smell manure wrapped in newsprint, no matter who does the wrapping. But I quietly curse when I think of all the self-styled Ernie Pyles in their Baghdad hotel rooms, staring out over the city skyline, giving you news "from the front."

Let me tell you what has become somewhat of a running joke among coalition soldiers. It is evening, and a boom is heard in the distance. Some foreign fighter has blown himself up, and maybe he's taken one of ours with him. Maybe it's an IED. Or it might be an attack on one of our new electrical transformers, engineered to dishearten and confuse Iraqi citizens by depriving them of a nights' electricity. Nobody knows yet, but that doesn't really matter.

Our journalist, "on the line" in his cushy suite, scrambles to the balcony. He sees a puff of dust on the horizon, shivers in the cool night air and the intensity of the moment, and turns down CNN on the television. He e-mails his editor about these explosive developments and then, with a cool beer in hand, begins writing about a great and desperate war. Brothers in the crosshairs. A rag-tag insurrection, gaining momentum in dramatic increments. A few historical references. A scribbled, out-of-context comment overheard in the mess hall. A line or two from some radical imam, if a desirable translation can be found. Bingo: It's a front-page story.

Embedded news-gatherers – even those with military experience, as was the case with me and my immediate company – are essentially expensive luggage. We take up valuable space. We are unarmed, untrained, generally unfit, and we tend to get in the way. We are valuable targets for the border-hopping, media-crazed murderers who seek instability and chaos. But this isn't what irritates our defenders. What bothers them is that when we put pen to paper, we tend to stab them squarely in the back by misrepresenting and over-dramatizing our experiences. It is no wonder a "PRESS" tag will get you a few hairy eyeballs in the field: There's a general consensus that we are liars.

The lies aren't relegated to firsthand reports. I listen to NPR every morning. I read the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and scan any number of online media. As a lifelong and moderately accomplished student of war history and of the works (and memoranda) of men like Sergei Eisenstein and Josef Goebbels, I have been keenly aware of an increasing use of elemental propaganda techniques and tactics in "mainstream" reporting on the war.
Good news from Iraq, for instance, is systematically, if delicately, prefaced with the indication of a biased source. I am almost certain there is a standing order at outfits like NPR's "Morning Edition" to compromise positive stories with selections from an arsenal of useful poll numbers. For good measure, the stories are often relegated to commentary segments of the program, in order to lend a casual and dismissive air to core information.

Let's use, for example, the fact that Sunni, Shia and Kurdish leaders are organizing innumerable micro-summits to resolve their tribal differences in the name of national unity. Participation is nearly 100 percent, negotiations are largely fruitful, and leaders from local imams on up want to reiterate to the press, just like our Iraqi officer did, that despite isolated attacks and foreign insurgent activity, there is no "civil war" going on. So the Pentagon releases selections from this tapestry of reassuring stories in the standard manner along with requisite sound-bytes, interview opportunities, and raw statistics. The news is verifiable, rich in human interest, and undeniably positive. Here's how it plays on "Morning Edition":

The president has admitted he was wrong about WMD, and now, according to the White House, Shia and Sunni leaders are evidently trying to work together to try and quell the burgeoning civil war. Approval ratings for the Bush administration and the war are at an all-time low, so the question is: What's behind these last-ditch efforts, and can they possibly succeed? Joining me to discuss this is NPR senior news analyst Cokie Roberts ...

In the minds of those who do not recognize the telltale signs of subversive delivery, the desired effect is achieved.

This effect – to convince the world that Iraq is a hopeless and violent wasteland, heartbreaking evidence, even, of a trigger-happy cowboy's hubris – is compounded and reaffirmed day after day, as biased and exaggerated reports reverberate through and within thousands of local and syndicated media outlets. As George Orwell explained in his dystopian novel "1984," "If all records told the same tale – then the lie passed into history and became truth."

I wanted to confess to my new friend, the Iraqi officer at COP Dunlop, that we have an autocracy in America that has never been deposed – an imperious corps of convenience-isolationists with short memories and powerful imaginations. I wanted to explain that though there are hardly any soldiers among them, they rule the thoughts and actions of legions of citizens.

I wanted to tell him about our media elite, about how "if it bleeds, it leads," about our 24-hour news cycle, and about the "Journal of Record" and its endless struggle to embarrass and discredit our president. I wanted to tell him that the same folks who tell us they're giving the world "all the news that's fit to print" are the same ones who deep-sixed Babi Yar and ignored the Holocaust, the same ones who bury stories about Saddam's mass graves and "spike" Iraqi efforts to show us the awe-inspiring progress they have made.

I wanted to acknowledge that too many Americans lack the fortitude and patience to stand behind our new Iraqi allies as they forge a new nation. I wanted to explain that certain powerful Americans feel we didn't find quite enough chemical, nuclear and biological weapons to make our multinational effort worthwhile – no matter what we have, in fact, found; no matter what the Iraqis witnessed, no matter our soldiers' experiences and testimony, no matter Iraq's success thus far.

I wanted to tell him that not all media people are liars. But I knew that my thoughts were too complicated to make it through translation. I knew that when I returned to America, the words "civil war" would be plastered all over the mainstream media, just as they were when I left. So I held my tongue.

I returned to what I expected. All the hotshot analysts and commentators are speculating, with that requisite gravitas, about the "roots" of civil war.

I was there. I was in some miserable places, but I saw a miracle every day. I saw a lot of smiles, a lot of hope, and a lot of pride in that traumatized country. I saw a remarkably fraternal affection between Iraqi and coalition soldiers. I saw bustling markets, busy streets, and peaceful demonstrations. I believe I may have witnessed a pivotal time in the infancy of a vibrant, freedom-loving ally in the Middle East.

I did not see a civil war. I did not see the beginnings of a civil war. But I did learn a thing or two about the "roots" of this civil war: Iraq's civil war has been engineered, in no small part, from the comfort of a Baghdad hotel room. It is catalyzed by minor exaggerations, partial facts, and propagandistic suppressions. It will escalate, over time and across media, as minor mistruths beget outright lies, until the truth itself begins to change.

As our new Iraqi allies become discouraged by what they see in the world news, and as they start losing hope, they may abandon their dreams once and for all. Our media's dark prophecies will then have fulfilled themselves. Then, and tragically, Iraqi and coalition pleas for "truth" may finally be silenced.

The Marines of FCT 1-7

2006-06-16T18:10:00.000-04:00

Bones and Kirk

The Felon

Update

2006-06-16T14:00:00.000-04:00

Well, we’ve settled into a bit of a routine around here. [Changed after this was proven untrue]

There’s been a noticeable effect in the nearby villages. On the drive back from today’s patrol, several of the Marines from the MTT commented that they had never seen so many people outside. Kids were playing soccer in the fields and families were gathering outside of their houses. It’s very rewarding to see that the people around here feel secure enough to come out and do these sorts of things. People are also friendlier when patrols come by. Hopefully this will be a lasting condition.

We made a run to the airbase on Al Taqaddum the other day, and it was the first time in almost a month I had seen luxuries like a portapotty. It’s almost mind-blowing to see the difference between the life they live there and our life at the COP. A full-bird colonel actually decided to interrupt his run and flag us down for driving over the posted speed limit. I’m not sure why the staff sergeant that was driving didn’t just tell him the speedometer was broken, but I was too stunned to speak up. All I could think of was “Are you kidding me?” Maybe if the colonel would like to switch places with the staff sergeant for a few days and experience some of the things that the Marines from the MTT have been through, he would have a different perspective on the importance of speed limits. And if pigs had wings…

The Towers

2006-06-01T10:00:00.000-04:00

The last few days were busy as we kicked off an operation to build several observation towers along a small paved road that is the major thoroughfare in 1st Battalion’s area of operations. The engineers, of the 9th Engineer Support Battalion from Okinawa, worked diligently and completed the project in under half the amount of time they had advertised. The enemy stayed fairly quiet, but he did lob a couple of mortars and take a few potshots at the engineers, which didn’t slow them down a bit. I have to admit they impressed me, and moved “Group” engineers up a notch in my estimation.

A bit of explanation – I spent three years, from 1998 to 2001, as an enlisted combat engineer in a reserve unit in Virginia. We were part of the 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, which in turn fell under the 4th Marine Division. Combat engineers have one of the most diverse missions in the Marine Corps. They exist in three distinct units.

First is the Combat Engineer Battalion (CEB) that falls under a Marine Division. These guys are frequently called “Division” engineers, and are the ones that respond when the infantry calls, “Engineers up!” They do most of the breaching and fortification in support of frontline combat units. In 4th CEB, we spent considerable time working on patrolling and other infantry skills, because in time of war we would be called on to not just keep up with the grunts, but often go ahead of them when they needed our skills to breach obstacles. Division engineers are usually well respected by the grunts, they are probably the only other group of Marines that a grunt will grudgingly admit might be as tough as he is. The engineer platoon that was attached to my infantry battalion last year was as tough and hardworking a group of Marines as anyone else in the battalion.

Next is the Engineer Support Battalion (ESB), which is part of the Marine Logistics Group (MLG). Hence my use of the term “Group” engineers. They focus more on construction tasks, and usually conduct the bulk of the vertical and horizontal construction in support of Marine ground units. They are not considered a frontline combat unit, which has always put them below the Division engineers in my opinion.

Finally, there is the Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS). They perform general engineering tasks, such as construction, in support of the Marine Air Wings. To be honest, I know very little about the MWSS engineers, having never really been around them. For that matter, I know very little about the Marine Air Wings, since I have been down in the weeds my entire time in the Marine Corps. The Wing is considered by most grunts to be the “land of milk and honey”, where the chow is always hot and the life is easy. Of course, it’s not really true, many of the Marines in the Air Wing work insane hours trying to keep the aircraft flying, but that’s how we view them.

As a grunt, I am typically biased against “pogues” (sometimes spelled as an acronym, POG). A pogue is any Marine that does not hold an infantry-related military occupational specialty (MOS). That’s not to say I believe a pogue is any less of a Marine than I am, but they just aren’t grunts. It’s difficult to explain to someone who hasn’t lived the life of a grunt. Of course, the neat lines of MOS tend to fade a bit out in the Fleet, as you can usually find Marines in non-infantry specialties that perform many of the same tasks and more. Division engineers and my fellow ANGLICO Marines are both excellent examples of non-infantry Marines that I don’t consider pogues. Group engineers do not fall in that category.

However, as I mentioned before, the engineers of 9th ESB put on an impressive display of determination as they finished constructing the towers, and from now on I will be a little less contemptuous of the Group engineers.

They’re still pogues…

Night Patrol

2006-05-28T05:15:00.000-04:00

You step off at 0200 to move to your destination. The Iraqis mostly stick to a formation known as the “Ranger file”, and they keep it tight. Americans are used to keeping their patrols dispersed, with at least five meters between each man, so it’s a bit uncomfortable at times as you feel like the Iraqis are crowding you. The helmet sits easily on top of your head – that is, until you add a small weight in the form of a night vision monocular on the front of it. It may not weigh much, but it shifts the balance of your helmet enough to be unpleasant. You used your NVGs while moving through the COP to the house where the Iraqi company has rallied, and in a few minutes you feel somewhat comfortable walking with them on. The green and black image deprives you of depth perception, so it is often difficult to judge when to step over obstacles. You compensate by walking more carefully and lifting your feet, which has to look comical, but it’s better than doing a face-plant. As soon as you leave the wire, the cultural lighting makes the NVGs useless. Every house has a light on it, and it’s enough to wash them out. Oh well, at least your helmet is better balanced with them flipped up.

It’s not a long movement, but the going is a bit slower since there is little moonlight and the fields are crossed by numerous ditches. Your radio operator takes a tumble, and given the size and weight of the gear he is wearing, you are impressed when he executes a pretty clumsy shoulder roll. There’s only one problem – a shoulder roll is supposed to end back on your feet, not on your back with your arms and legs waving. He looks like an overturned turtle for a few seconds before rocking on to his side and clambering back to his feet. He stumbles a few more times on the patrol, usually accompanying it with some muffled cursing. Fortunately, it gives you enough early warning to avoid the same holes.

Your body reminds you that it has been a while since you carried around this much weight. You start to get that familiar ache in your shoulders. Normally you don’t get it this early in a movement, but you haven’t done this in a while. During a brief pause, you squat at the knees and lean forward at the waist, hunching your shoulders to relieve the pressure for a few moments. It gives you a moment of relief, but it isn’t long before the vest and pack settle on the same spots.

You finally arrive at your destination, and the Iraqis move to occupy the house that will be your perch for the next eleven hours or so. Their actions on the objective are less than impressive, but if they executed it like a platoon of Marines then there would be no reason for you to be there, would there? You settle in on the roof to wait for the sun to rise so the engineers can get to work in a nearby field. Overall, it was an easy walk, but the walk back won’t be quite as fun.

First Patrol

2006-05-25T02:00:00.000-04:00

We left at 5 AM this morning to search a house about a kilometer and a half away for a known insurgent. The search turned up little, but it was a good chance for me to get out and see some of the terrain. It also gave me a chance to get out and walk around with my gear on and see how it works out. I have quite a bit of new gear since my last deployment, and as any infantryman knows, until you get out and walk with it on for a while, it’s impossible to know how well it will work. Because of the nature of our training back in the States, this was really my first opportunity to move a couple of kilometers with it on. With a few tweaks I think it will work pretty well. The Navy takes new ships out and “shakes them down” to work out some of the bugs – this is the grunt version. The patrol was a short one, lasting just under two hours, so we were back before it got too hot. I know I won’t stay that lucky for long, but it was nice not to kill myself on my very first trip outside the Corral.

The terrain around here is eerily reminiscent of my time in An Nasiriyah in 2003. Since we are on the banks of the Euphrates, the area is lushly vegetated. It’s also crisscrossed with small irrigation ditches, some of which can just be stepped over, but some of which require a running leap to clear. The mud clings to the bottom of your boots and gradually increases their weight, which doesn’t help when trying to jump over a ditch. We cut through numerous fields and fenced-in yards, trying to avoid roads as much as possible.

The patrols are made up of mostly the Iraqi soldiers, with a few Marine advisors. We try to send a small ANGLICO team out with at least one patrol a day to help them control artillery or air support if they get into a fight. The Marines from the MTT are all from combat arms specialties, so they are pretty good when it comes to controlling artillery, but the ANGLICO Marines have much more experience working with aircraft. I couldn’t help but smile to myself remembering the advice I had gotten from some of the older captains in ANGLICO before deploying. One such gem was that the Camelbak was worthless, since you could just carry bottled water in your vehicle. Nothing against those guys, we just happened to land in the one part of Al Anbar where cross country foot patrols are the norm.

OK Corral

2006-05-23T14:50:00.000-04:00

We left Habbaniyah this morning to make the 20 minute drive to Combat Outpost OK Corral, my new home. I’ll be working with the 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st Division of the Iraqi Army (1-3-1). The Iraqi Brigade Commander and Brigade MTT Advisor came along to talk with the staff of 1-3-1. This was my first time convoying with the Iraqis, who were in an uparmored Humvee that was almost identical to the one we were driving.

The COP itself is aptly named, there’s definitely a bit of a Wild West feel to this place. The battalion MTT is made up mostly of Marines from 3rd Battalion 5th Marine Regiment, an infantry battalion from San Mateo, CA. The ANGLICO Marines live with the MTT Team and the Iraqi interpreters in the Marine House. Hopefully no one needs that name explained. The Iraqi jundi are spread out through the rest of the COP.

Most of the day was spent getting oriented around the COP and meeting some of the Marines I will be working with over the coming weeks and months. Cpl Tressler, my team chief, and I conducted an inventory of all of the gear that I will be signing for on Thursday. I probably have about a half-million dollars’ worth of equipment between the radios and optics. That night, MSgt Bowden and I went to eat dinner with the Iraqi battalion staff and the MTT staff. The Iraqis put on quite a bit of a feast, serving up a freshly slaughtered sheep and a ton of rice. Rice is definitely a staple of Middle Eastern diets, I ate a lot of rice in Afghanistan as well. We drank chai tea after dinner before settling down for the nightly meeting to discuss the next day’s patrols. I do like the chai, but I think I prefer the green chai from southern Iraq and Afghanistan over the brown chai they serve here.

Overall, the jundi seem friendly, and even though the COP is definitely a rougher life than Al Asad or even Habbaniyah, I think I’m going to really like it out here. The next week or so promises to be busy as I get my feet wet and learn the new area.

The Alamo

2006-05-22T12:31:00.000-04:00

Habbaniyah

2006-05-20T13:44:00.000-04:00

I got up early this morning to catch a ride on a helicopter to my new home, Habbaniyah. We flew to Al Taqaddum first, then made the short trip to Camp Habbaniyah. The camp was an old British base, so there are some hints of colonial architecture. While TQ (Taqaddum) has almost no vegetation, like Al Asad, Habbaniyah is heavily vegetated. The camp is divided into an American and an Iraqi side, with a wall of dirt-filled Hesco containers separating the two. Since Spicoli (another ANGLICO JTAC) and I work for a Military Transition Team that is advising an Iraqi Army brigade, we live on the Iraqi side of the base. The MTT and ANGLICO Marines live in a building known as the Alamo, next to the Iraqi brigade headquarters.

Although there aren’t as many creature comforts as Al Asad, the environment is much more relaxed here. It’s no secret within the military that the nicer a base gets, the more it is occupied by officers and senior enlisted with nothing better to do than dream up stupid rules to make it more like a Stateside “garrison” environment. These are almost invariably people who spend little to no time outside the wire. In previous wars they were called REMFs. However, since the term Forward Operating Base, or FOB, became vogue in Iraq, the term REMF has been replaced by “Fobbit”.

During the afternoon, we took a short boat trip across the Euphrates River to visit a nearby Combat Outpost (COP). The COPs in this area are generally home to a battalion of Iraqis and their respective MTT teams. This is who I will be supporting in just a few days - one of the battalions occupying a COP across the river. A COP is similar to the A-Camp where I spent two months during my deployment to Afghanistan, so it will be a pretty spartan lifestyle. I ran into the Marines from my team this afternoon, and they say they are really enjoying the COP life. The MTT teams are a little better equipped than the Special Forces team that I lived with in Afghanistan - they have internet connectivity at the COP, for instance.

The next few days are likely to be busy as I prepare to take over my team and step into MSgt B’s shoes. It’s nice to finally be out here, another step closer to making a meaningful contribution in this war.

Bored

2006-05-19T13:42:00.000-04:00

It’s been a week of waiting patiently at Al Asad. We’ve been studying up on the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) that we’re going to employ while controlling aircraft, and trying to find out as much as possible about the areas that we are going to work in. This morning we took our rifles to a range here on the base to check the zero on our optics and practice some close quarters marksmanship.

The rest of the company has been busy throughout Iraq. Although they have been employing aircraft daily, they have controlled relatively few attacks on insurgent positions. Funny that we spent so much time in the States training to drop bombs when it is a pretty rare activity over here. However, it is the one thing that we can least afford to screw up, so in the end it makes plenty of sense. Despite the rarity of getting ordnance off of aircraft, ANGLICO is still managing to put a dent in the country’s “muj” (mujahadeen) population, so all is well.

The Flight Over

2006-05-12T04:00:00.000-04:00

Well, the 10th was a long day. After saying good-bye to my family and girlfriend at Camp Lejeune, we rode a bus up to Cherry Point, unloaded our baggage, and weighed in at the terminal. Following about a three-hour wait, we boarded the aircraft. We had the good fortune of being accompanied by about 20 dog handlers and their dogs. Fortunately they were at the back of the aircraft, so the smell didn’t get too bad and the engine noise drowned out the barking.

I have to say, I think I now prefer flying on an Air Force C-17 to flying on a chartered airliner. For one thing, the flight was much faster. Only 10 hours to Ramstein, Germany. Also, once we reached cruising altitude, we were allowed to get up and move around freely. Big deal, you say, I can do that on an airliner. But can you find a nice comfy piece of floor space to curl up and sleep? Between some room to stretch out on the floor and two Actifed that my girlfriend gave me, I was conscious for about two hours of the flight.

We finally landed at Al Asad at 4 AM on the 12th. It took us about two hours to track down the phone number for ANGLICO and get a ride from the terminal over to Camp Ripper. We spent the rest of the day getting somewhat settled in and catching up with guys we hadn’t seen in over two months. Now just to see when we actually push out forward and get to work. More updates soon.

Good article on another VMI grad

2006-04-23T14:00:00.000-04:00

This article was in the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star. I didn't know Matt well during my time at the Institute, but obviously he has lived up to Stonewall Jackson's quote, "The Institute will be heard from today."

Good to be back home Officer headed to VMI after fourth combat tour

Intro

2006-04-20T21:21:00.000-04:00

The title of this blog is Latin for "By help from on high." It refers to my job as a US Marine Joint Terminal Attack Controller. A JTAC is someone who is trained to provide terminal control of aircraft while performing Close Air Support. So I quite literally provide "help from on high", by requesting and controlling air support.

This blog was created as a way to keep family and friends updated on what I'm doing in Iraq. I will be deploying on or about May 9th. Since my unit left in late February, I am expecting to return around late September or early October. Stay tuned.