Friday, 28 March 2008
Saturday (22 March), I participated in my first patrol of Tour #3. My mission was to assist my counterpart, Kirk, in escorting Jane Arraf. She works for a liberal think tank, called International Crisis Group. (When she visited me in 2006 at Camp Taji, she worked for CNN.) Her organization’s premise is that there is no progress in Iraq. General David Petraeus (King David, as we call him, is the senior man here as the Multi-National Forces – Iraq commander.) told her to come see us. So, we took her to Doura, a neighborhood in East Rashid. (East Rashid is a district in southern Baghdad. Our area is the southern portion of Baghdad, which is about one fourths of the capital city.)
For your information, Doura was the worst area in Baghdad during May – July 2007, but now it is the best. So, that’s where we took her and boy was she surprised. The last time she saw this neighborhood it was piled high with trash and had raw sewage running in the streets. Gun battles in clashes between Sunni and Shia groups were common. No U.S. patrol could venture into this area without exchanging gun fire. Dr. Mooyad Homad, a cardiologist, contractor, businessman, and entrepreneur is a big factor in the difference. He bought 12 trash trucks and hired a bunch of local military-aged males to pick-up the trash and sweep the streets. They did it the old-fashioned way…brooms, shovels and wheelbarrows and dumped the wheelbarrow loads into the trash trucks. (It is critical to hire military-aged males and keep them employed, or they may be tempted to work for the “dark side” by planting road-side bombs or engaging in other terrorist activities for hire.) They have cleaned up this area of town, so there is no rubble, trash or sewage on the streets and sidewalks. This area is beautiful, neat and clean. It has electricity with street lights and ornaments hanging from the power lines along the main street. He also owns a construction company that repairs the infrastructure. Now there are also T-walls that separate the neighborhoods from the main highways and each other. The T-walls were part of the Baghdad Security Plan which restricted the freedom of movement for the bad guys. Before, the bad guys could do mischief in one neighborhood and quickly scramble to another so we couldn’t find them. That ability no longer exists with the “gated community” concept in place. The T-walls in some areas were painted. One set of T-walls was painted with a Wisconsin farm scene; other sets had U.S. aircraft along Airport Road; still other sets had a beach scene. The artists are definitely making this sliver of Iraq look much better.
On this patrol we visited a flower shop, an automotive shop, a gym (a small version similar to Gold’s Gym) and an artist’s home. Boy, I never knew Iraq could smell so nice. The flower shop was like a small slice of Eden with all the lush greenery and blooming flowers.
An older gentleman is the artist, who has an art studio adjacent to his home. He creates beautiful clay statues and other works of art. He invited us into his home and treated us with roasted date palms and Turkish coffee. We chatted with his family and Jane interviewed them. Dr. Mooyad guided us during the patrol showing Jane many of the improvements where he played a central role. (ABC News’ Nightline with Terry McCarthy aired a segment 19 March featuring Dr. Mooyad as part of their “Fifth Year in Iraq” story. To me, he is a true Iraqi hero. I was privileged to meet him for the first time when he came to speak to us at the Counter Insurgency Academy at Camp Taji 16 March. We need more Iraqis like him to step forward.)
The bottom line is that Jane has plenty of real evidence to refute her agency’s premise. The patrol returned to our forward operating base without incident.
Saturday night I attended the Eucharistic Protestant Easter Service. It was nice, but anti-climatic as the Chaplain read the script. There was no instrumental music in the service, which did not help. However, we did sing three songs A cappella.
Sunday morning, I attended the non-denominational sunrise Easter service. Then I attended the Contemporary Protestant Service later in the morning. It is neat to hear all the different messages and perspectives from multiple services. There was a small praise team to lead the music in the first service and it was larger at the second service. After the second service, I picked up my laundry, which I dropped off two days earlier. (I don’t know why we call it laundry when we pick it up, because now it’s clean. It’s another oxymoron.)
Late Sunday night, one of our subordinate units hit a road-side bomb destroying the Bradley fighting vehicle, which made international news because the death toll for Operation Iraqi Freedom reached the 4,000 milestone. Four Soldiers were killed-in-action instantly and one flew to Baghdad’s combat support hospital with burns on 100% of his body.
Monday (24 March), was a sad day. In the morning, I attended the Hero Flight Ceremony. The ceremony was very solemn as Soldiers lined each side of the sidewalk facing each other leading to the landing zone. The brigade colors and four battalion standards with several company guidons were posted at the end of the sidewalk at the edge of the LZ. We saluted as the five litters carrying the remains of each Soldier in a black body bag passed between us to be loaded on the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. As the aircraft flew away, we faced the aircraft and saluted again. (I am uncertain to why there were five litters. Perhaps, the fifth was the remains of the Soldier who was killed by mortar fire on Good Friday.) Their memorial service is scheduled for Monday night.
The rest of the day I edited some stories, shadowed Kirk and typed up the Parish Council monthly meeting notes from Feb. (I served on the Parish Council since March 2007 at the 1st Cavalry Division Memorial Chapel, also known as 73rd Street Chapel at Fort Hood.) I sent the stories to Multi-National Division – Baghdad, our higher headquarters, which is also the 4th Infantry Division Headquarters and the Parish Council notes to the Installation Chaplain’s Office at Fort Hood.
Tuesday (25 March), I flew to the International Zone with Kirk. Our mission was to do some networking with the Coalition Press Information Center and facilitate the link-up of media for one of our units. Our flight was delayed due to weather and then mechanical issues with the aircraft, so we saw “Lethal Weapon 2, 3 & 4” in the flight operations office until our flight finally departed. When we finally arrived, things did not go smoothly. We endured five indirect fire attacks, which caused many things to come to a grinding halt in the IZ. The media link-up happened without us. However, Kirk showed me where he often links up with local Iraqi media and those kinds of things as we transition. He also showed me the CPIC, the AFN studio and the Media Operations Center at Camp Prosperity. (I was at the CPIC a few times during 2004, but it had moved since I’ve been there last.) These sites are important, because I need to know the lay of the land for when I conduct press conferences periodically or as the need arises. When our mission was complete, we could not fly back to Forward Operating Base Falcon due to a dust storm. So, we were stranded overnight and we learned that we could not get flights the next day either. We spent the night at the MOC at Prosperity. It’s a good thing we planned ahead and brought our toiletry kits and extra clothes in our assault packs.
Wednesday (26 March), Kirk and I returned to the IZ. We visited the Presidential Palace to do more networking and I bumped into the guy that I replaced as the 4th Public Affairs Detachment commander four years ago. He runs the day shift for the MNF-I Public Affairs section. So, we swapped some stories as things screeched to a halt again due to an IDF attack. This time in the IZ, we endured four IDF attacks. Kirk frequently used his cell phone to get us home and his non-commissioned officer scored by arranging for a patrol to pick us up in the IZ. However, the continued IDF attacks kept our ride home at bay for awhile because they could not get into the IZ since the gates were closed. After we finally linked up, we returned to FOB Falcon without incident. However, as soon as we cleared our weapons, we received another mortar attack. So, I was greeted with another bang. (These bad guys sure know how to make me feel welcome.)
I was chatting with the patrol leader, who is a Cajun from Louisiana. He told me that he is the only remaining initial leader in his platoon. All the others were killed or wounded during the tour. His platoon has had a 70% casualty rate. He also explained that if I knew all those facts about his platoon, I would not want to travel with him again. To his surprise I replied, “No, I’d be happy to go on future missions with you.” The reason is that his guys are combat tested and I feel safe with them. (The Dragon Brigade from 1st Inf. Div. is a good unit and has suffered over 90 KIAs and 800 wounded, most of them were returned to duty.)
Later in the afternoon, Annie Garrels of National Public Radio arrived at brigade headquarters. She had been with one of our battalions the previous day. (She was one of the 13 media reporters embedded with me when I was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines during October – November 2004 for the Battle of Fallujah. Annie was so glad to see me she practically gave me a big hug. We had to catch up with each other on what happened since we went our separate ways. She’s now 57 and her husband is 60. She was in Baghdad before OIF kicked off. She wrote the book, Naked in Baghdad, which explained her perspective during the initial invasion as she was behind enemy lines.) Kirk facilitated her interview with his boss, COL Ricky Gibbs, as I sat in on the event. Afterwards, I facilitated an interview with my boss, COL Ted Martin.
One of the things Annie wanted to know was why the spike in indirect fire, especially 25 – 26 March. She wanted to know what’s going on in Sadr City. She also wanted to know if there is a difference between good Jaysh al Mahdi and bad. (JAM is a militia group of thugs that follow the Shia cleric known as al-Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr. They are also sometimes called Mahdi Militia.) She also asked if the security situation is unraveling here. It is easy to explain why there’s an IDF spike in our area. Kirk’s unit has been doing an awesome job of capturing big fish and taking them off the streets. The bad guys were retaliating against us in one of the ways that they know…IDF. Regarding Sadr City, a different unit is responsible for that area, so it is not our lane. That’s a question for the unit working that area. Regarding good vs. bad JAM, COL Gibbs gave her a great answer. “We aren’t going after the “good JAM” that is reconcilable to the Government of Iraq and are abiding by al-Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr’s cease fire. The “bad JAM” (AKA Special Groups Criminal or Rouge JAM) is on notice and we are going after them.” (They are the ones shooting IDF at us and planting many of the road-side bombs made in Iran.) Regarding the security situation unraveling here, COL Gibbs was very eloquent by saying, “It’s just a burp compared to spring 2007.” Annie asked about U.S. troops killing innocent Iraqis. COL Gibbs smoothly pulled out some photographs that he uses to show the Shia sheiks, when they make the same accusations. The images show Iraqi males on rooftops holding AK-47 assault rifles, PRK machine guns and RPG rocket-propelled grenade launchers shooting at U.S. troops. The next set of images show them dead holding the same weapons. He politely asks the sheiks, “My men don’t carry these weapons. These weapons are illegal. Are you bad, too?” This shuts them up. (Kirk and I listened to Annie’s broadcast the next day that aired in the U.S. on her NPR news segment and she explained that she saw the photos and the men we killed were bad.)
Thursday, I spent most of my time writing Annex R (Public Affairs) for the tactical operations order that we are writing for our battalions when we officially assume this battlespace from Kirk’s unit, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. I borrowed some data from Kirk and what he is doing plus I called the MND-B PAO for some additional input. I also added some things that are unique to our units and submitted the document. It was due later in the day. I don’t usually wait until the last moment; however, I was outside of the wire three of the last five days.
Today, I attended meetings as I do everyday when I’m on the FOB and wrote this. The meetings are quite fascinating about what is going on here, but I’m not at liberty to explain since it contains future operations. We definitely have the bad guys on the run that’s as much as I’ll say.
I have been reading in Joshua lately as I’m on my eighth iteration of following my “Read through the Bible in a Year” program. (In the New Testament, I finished Luke on Easter.) I’m reminded of how many times God had to tell Joshua, do not be afraid for I am with you. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Josh. 1:9, NIV) God kept telling Joshua that until Joshua started telling his men the same thing. Then, look at what Joshua was able to do. He defeated many armies larger than his own during the Israelite conquest of Canaan. In a similar way, I’ve been though many indirect fire attacks. [16 rocket, 62 mortar in 2004; 19 rocket, 15 mortar in 2006] I don’t have to worry about my destiny…I’m at peace knowing my eternal destination. However, I am often reassuring my fellow Soldiers who are on their first tour or even on their second, who have been at places where they did not receive IDF.
Being on the receiving end of indirect fire can be demoralizing. IDF can be a used as a psychological weapon. (I saw it used by the Sunni against the Shia in Saab al Bour in August 2006. The Sunni lobbed 24 different mortar attacks in a single day against the Shia neighborhoods of that town of about 30K people. The Iraqi Security Forces who had taken the lead from us in May 2006 broke and ran away. Incidentally, the Shia finally said, “enough” and fled town. The population dropped to about 6K people and we had trouble convincing the Shia that it was safe to return after we restored order a few days later. Ironically, a Sunni majority replaced a Shia majority as they reoccupied the vacant homes.)
Let’s face it; this is an election year in Iraq and the U.S. The bad guys know this. If the bad guys can “show” the media that Iraq is unstable with U.S. casualty figures rising, they think the weak-minded American public will tire of this conflict and vote for “change.” In other words, elect a liberal president to bring the troops home as some candidates claim they will do. I don’t believe this will happen, even if a liberal candidate wins the presidential race. As soon as the new commander in chief realizes how big the void would be if we pulled out, which would destabilize the region causing more bloodshed, and how committed the U.S. government is in the Middle East, they’ll change their tune and balk at keeping their campaign promise.
Therefore, if you see headlines like “Baghdad is on fire!” Don’t believe it! There may be one building on fire in the IZ, the one housing the Iraqi vice presidents. One of the VP offices was hit killing two staffers (bodyguards) and injuring others. However, the rest of the city is not on fire.
Thanks for all the prayers. Pray for our troops over here. They are doing a tremendous job. Also, keep our Families in your prayers. They are the ones carrying the load in this conflict. God is definitely in control…and I’m glad He is. I wish you well. Psalm 91
Keep looking up!
Friday, March 28, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Weeks 1 - 2, OIF6
Fri. 21 March 2008 “Good Friday”
I have been in the Middle East for two weeks. I departed Fort Hood, Texas on a DC-10 March 7. We made two fuel stops enroute to Kuwait. The first one was Gander, Newfoundland, Canada and the second was Leipzig, Germany (former East Germany). Gander had about a foot of snow on the ground and it had just rained in Germany.
For your information, we had about 16 flights spaced over two weeks to get our troops from Texas to Kuwait. Each flight took different routes, so they make different fuel stops partly because many of the flights have different carriers. Some might be United Airlines, Delta Airlines, World Airlines or a myriad of companies, whomever the USAF contracted for our travel. Plane loads varied in size depending on the nomenclatures of the aircraft. My flight this time happened to be ATA and carried about 300 personnel. There are many variables that go into flight planning. We had a lot of weight due to additional cargo, which means we burned more fuel on take-off and the aircrew was very mindful of the fuel consumption.
During fuel stops, everyone must get off the plane for safety reasons. In Newfoundland, we visited the shops and I bought post cards for $1 each. The Canadians were friendly. (I was escorting Zack & Jim, two radio personalities from Waco 100. They do the “Morning Show with Zack & Jim” from 6 – 10 a.m. every weekday. They play two kinds of music as disc jockeys between their jokes…country and western. Their show is rated number one in two radio markets: Waco and Temple/Killeen. They were bound for Camp Liberty to do live radio broadcasts from Baghdad. That’s another story.) One of Zack & Jim’s sponsors was a telephone company, so the radio guys were issued a Blackberry cellular phone with international calling capability. Plus the company gave them a bunch of international calling cards to issue to Soldiers. Needless to say, Jim let me use their phone to call Lois, because mine did not have a signal.
In Germany, it felt like we were being pushed off into a back corner of the airport and isolated/contained to be out of sight, out of mind. It seemed that part of Germany is still in the Cold War, because the East Germans were suspicious of us. There were two airport shops and the shop keepers were friendly, but the merchandise was expensive. Post cards were $6-7 each, so I didn’t buy any. We did play many games of fusbol during the layover. (On a flight behind me, a crewmember died on the airplane. Therefore, our troops spent about 36 hours in that same airport waiting for the investigation to be completed. A source told me they had massive fusbol tournaments, because they had nothing else to do. The airline carrier fed them during the adventure.)
After getting off the plane, we boarded buses and rode to Camp Buehring. I was the senior man on the flight, so I was invited to ride in the lead vehicle (a SUV) and issued ammunition to be a gunner. Each vehicle had a gunner, SUV or bus. My charges, Zack & Jim, were invited to ride in the trail vehicle (also a SUV). We arrived at camp just after midnight Sunday morning (local time); however, my biological clock was still set for Central Time, which was eight hours later. We inprocessed Kuwait that night by getting our identification cards swiped. Our ID cards have a microchip with lots of personal data on it, so inprocessing didn’t take long. We also had a welcome briefing telling us where the dining facility, post exchange and other services were located with their operating hours (plus a video with the CFLCC commander), finance briefing detailing all of our financial entitlements plus the various savings plans in a combat zone, and an administrative briefing. We were issued Rules of Engagement cards for Kuwait and Iraq.
My first day (Sunday) in Kuwait was spent sitting in a large building in the receive mode listening to one speaker after another give briefings. The briefings consisted of many topics: improvised explosive devices, electronic countermeasures, fratricide taught by the British and so on. Other than the British guy with his corning jokes my biggest battle was the Z-monster. (Jet lag is a funny thing especially going against the time zones.) I also walked around camp trying to get body armor and flights north for my media friends. By now, I knew them very well. Both of them can snore real loud...they slept next to me. (In a circus tent sleeping on cots with 100 other guys with various schedules and snoring… I did not sleep well in Kuwait. It didn’t help that I was right beside the door and heard it open every time someone entered or departed.)
On Day 2 (Monday), I secured transportation (another SUV) and drove to an airbase and secured body armor and flights for my radio personalities. (On the Kuwaiti highway, we saw the old “Basra Road of Death” from Desert Storm plus many herds of camels and flocks of sheep & goats. I also took two staff buddies with me who had brothers in the USAF at this airbase. (I also issued ammunition to my buddies and me.) So, after putting Zack & Jim on an aircraft bound for Baghdad, I socialized with two sets of brothers for the rest of the day until it was time to head back to my Kuwait home. We also played a few games of billiards. One of my new USAF brothers was a pilot on a C-130. The other is a shop foreman at a wheeled maintenance facility. In the evening, I attended a MySpace live concert shown around the world sponsored by Morale Welfare Recreation. Jessica Simpson was the last performer. She wasn’t feeling well but sang three songs anyway. She had trouble hitting the high notes, but to me she was the highlight of the event. The other bands and “talent” were vulgar and offensive.
On Day 3 (Tuesday) we headed to the range for most of the day and I fired both of my weapons: M4 Colt 5.56mm carbine and M9 Beretta 9mm pistol. We saw camels up close and personal again. The rest of the day, I raided the post exchange for an alarm clock, sun screen, towels and more postcards. Then I wrote on the postcards and mailed them.
On Day 4 (Wednesday), I reconfigured my A, B & D duffle bags, because I could only fly north with one. I gave my B & D bags to my men to load in our container that they would retrieve from the port in a few days. (My C bag departed months ago on the container, which sailed around the world on one of the Army’s contracted cargo ships.) Then, I boarded a bus and rode to the same airbase that I visited on Day 2. We boarded a USAF C-17 cargo plane and flew north to Baghdad. In Baghdad, I switched to a U.S. Army CH-47D cargo helicopter and flew to Camp Taji under cover of darkness. I checked into the Counter Insurgency Academy and the logistics sergeant issued me the key to my own “bedroom.” It was really half of a shipping container with my own sink, toilet and shower, which leaked all over the floor (but I’m not complaining) stacked inside of a warehouse. It was furnished with a bed, mattress, wall locker (wardrobe), desk, refrigerator and TV with five AFN stations. I was able to watch some March Madness. That was nice, since I haven’t watched college basketball all season. (The last few months I’ve been working from 6 a.m. to 8 – 10 p.m. every workday, so this was a nice break.) When I arrived at Camp Taji, it seemed like “wow, I’m back from a long R&R trip.” It was like I had never left 15-months ago. (I was also happy to get out of Kuwait. Each time on my past two tours, I’d get the Kuwaiti Crud. Last time I was so weak from sickness, I was out of action for a whole day. So I was glad to get out of Kuwait unscathed for once. People in my unit were getting the Crud before I left, so it was a concern.)
From March 13 – 18, I attended the COIN Academy. (The COIN Academy was started by GEN George Casey, then the Multi-National Force – Iraq commander, now the U.S. Army Chief of Staff, in August 2005. My brigade attended the first class in Dec. 2005, but I was not invited that time. Casey wanted to train the leaders of each U.S. Army Brigade Combat Team or USMC Regimental Combat Team coming to Iraq how to defeat the insurgency.) Every morning I would run the roads of Camp Taji for 4 – 6 miles with a few of my buddies working out before class. I also hit the gym a few times to lift weights. The first morning it rained on us, so we looked like pigs that had found our favorite mud hole. The moon dust turns to peanut butter when it gets wet, so from the knees down we were muddy. Our classes ran from 8 a.m. to 8 – 9 p.m. One evening after class, we rode to the PX on a MWR trip. After picking up some electrical adapters, I visited my old office. The maps I hung on my walls in 2006 were still there. Other than the furniture being rearranged, it looked like I’d never left. I made a call to Kirk, the guy I would be replacing and had a nice chat. (I also wrote a story about my brigade attending the COIN Academy again, which hit the media outlets a few days ago.)
On March 18, we boarded another Army CH-47D and flew south to Forward Operating Base Falcon under cover of darkness. (CH-47Ds only fly at night for force protection reasons. They are huge aircraft and very valuable. It takes a general’s signature to authorize a day flight with this type of helicopter.) I visited FOB Falcon once in 2006 to attend a memorial service for one of our killed in action Soldiers. (One of our battalions, was stationed here for the first half of 2006.) Kirk met me at the Landing Zone and I moved my bags to temporary billets. I live in a trailer with three rooms. I have my own room, but the trailer has no water fixtures. I have to hike about 80 meters to the latrine/shower trailers, but I’m not complaining. My room is furnished with two beds with new mattresses, two wall lockers and two smaller dressers. (I am not unpacking because I’m told I’ll be moving again in a few weeks.) Then I linked up with Kirk at the office that I take over in a few weeks. Soon after I arrived, a 107mm rocket exploded just outside the building. I was covered in dirt that flew through the boarded up window. My friend LTC Mike McNally, whose office is on the second floor about 20 meters away, was sitting at his desk. Shrapnel came through his boarded up window and impacted his interior walls in several places. So, FOB Falcon welcomed me with a bang. (Mike and I were stationed together in an infantry battalion at Fort Chaffee, Ark. and we were running partners.)
March 19 – 21, I have been shadowing Kirk but giving him enough space to do his job. I’m impressed with what his unit, 4th Infantry BCT, 1st Infantry Division from Fort Riley, Kan. has done. The 4th Inf. Div. (and Multi-National Division – Baghdad) public affairs officer, LTC Steve Stover, who is an old friend of mine, told me that Kirk’s public affairs section is the best one in the entire Iraqi theatre. So, I am observing what he does and I will continue to do what works well and will modify where I think I can do the job better. However, he is an awesome PAO. Just for an example, in 12-months at Taji in 2006 I had 30 embed reporters and 35 VIPs with me. Kirk has had over 70 media embeds during his 14-months here. Of course, the Rashid District of Baghdad is much more popular to the International and Iraqi media than the Taji area plus Kirk doesn’t handle VIPs. Someone else does. His staff also cranks out more print stories than any other public affairs section in Iraq. (My staff cranks out more print and broadcast products than any other PA section in the 4th Inf. Div., so I think I can continue Kirk’s trend.)
On March 19 when my boss, COL Ted Martin, arrived here for the first time, he rushed up and asked me, “are you OK?” For a second I thought he was going to hug me. I was startled and surprised. I did not know what he was talking about.
I replied, “of course.” I was still bewildered. Later, I found out that my friend, Dave, our night battle major who is shadowing his counterpart from 4/1ID passed on to him that I was nearly hit in Tuesday’s rocket attack. I don’t remember telling Dave, so I’m not sure how he found out.
We have received an indirect fire attack everyday since I’ve been here. Today, while I was in the dining facility, 10 81mm mortar rounds hit the camp. One round landed just outside the building but did not explode. So now my boss asks, “were you near that attack?” So far my answers have been “yes.” So he jokingly calls me a mortar magnet.
It’s not alarming that the indirect fire has increased lately. The enemy is responding in one of the only ways they know how. The unit here is doing an awesome job of catching bad guys. In recent days they have captured some big fish and the enemy does not like it.
Camp Taji was pretty big. If I remember correctly, it was about 45 square kilometers. FOB Falcon is small, maybe two square kilometers. It takes me less than 40-minutes to run around the entire perimeter and that’s when I run into a few dead ends and backtrack several times. So when the bad guys shoot at us it is like shooting fish in a barrel.
FOB Falcon does not have very many trees. If I’m not mistaken, I’ve seen three buildings with a handful of trees around each building. So, this camp is not attractive, but it has everything a Soldier needs. The PX is not very well stocked, but I don’t make many stops there anyway.
I must get back to work. I have an operations order annex to complete.
Thanks for all the prayers. Pray for our troops over here. Being on the receiving end of indirect fire can be demoralizing. Keep Jazz in your prayers. God is definitely in control…and I’m glad He is. I wish you well.
Happy Easter!
I have been in the Middle East for two weeks. I departed Fort Hood, Texas on a DC-10 March 7. We made two fuel stops enroute to Kuwait. The first one was Gander, Newfoundland, Canada and the second was Leipzig, Germany (former East Germany). Gander had about a foot of snow on the ground and it had just rained in Germany.
For your information, we had about 16 flights spaced over two weeks to get our troops from Texas to Kuwait. Each flight took different routes, so they make different fuel stops partly because many of the flights have different carriers. Some might be United Airlines, Delta Airlines, World Airlines or a myriad of companies, whomever the USAF contracted for our travel. Plane loads varied in size depending on the nomenclatures of the aircraft. My flight this time happened to be ATA and carried about 300 personnel. There are many variables that go into flight planning. We had a lot of weight due to additional cargo, which means we burned more fuel on take-off and the aircrew was very mindful of the fuel consumption.
During fuel stops, everyone must get off the plane for safety reasons. In Newfoundland, we visited the shops and I bought post cards for $1 each. The Canadians were friendly. (I was escorting Zack & Jim, two radio personalities from Waco 100. They do the “Morning Show with Zack & Jim” from 6 – 10 a.m. every weekday. They play two kinds of music as disc jockeys between their jokes…country and western. Their show is rated number one in two radio markets: Waco and Temple/Killeen. They were bound for Camp Liberty to do live radio broadcasts from Baghdad. That’s another story.) One of Zack & Jim’s sponsors was a telephone company, so the radio guys were issued a Blackberry cellular phone with international calling capability. Plus the company gave them a bunch of international calling cards to issue to Soldiers. Needless to say, Jim let me use their phone to call Lois, because mine did not have a signal.
In Germany, it felt like we were being pushed off into a back corner of the airport and isolated/contained to be out of sight, out of mind. It seemed that part of Germany is still in the Cold War, because the East Germans were suspicious of us. There were two airport shops and the shop keepers were friendly, but the merchandise was expensive. Post cards were $6-7 each, so I didn’t buy any. We did play many games of fusbol during the layover. (On a flight behind me, a crewmember died on the airplane. Therefore, our troops spent about 36 hours in that same airport waiting for the investigation to be completed. A source told me they had massive fusbol tournaments, because they had nothing else to do. The airline carrier fed them during the adventure.)
After getting off the plane, we boarded buses and rode to Camp Buehring. I was the senior man on the flight, so I was invited to ride in the lead vehicle (a SUV) and issued ammunition to be a gunner. Each vehicle had a gunner, SUV or bus. My charges, Zack & Jim, were invited to ride in the trail vehicle (also a SUV). We arrived at camp just after midnight Sunday morning (local time); however, my biological clock was still set for Central Time, which was eight hours later. We inprocessed Kuwait that night by getting our identification cards swiped. Our ID cards have a microchip with lots of personal data on it, so inprocessing didn’t take long. We also had a welcome briefing telling us where the dining facility, post exchange and other services were located with their operating hours (plus a video with the CFLCC commander), finance briefing detailing all of our financial entitlements plus the various savings plans in a combat zone, and an administrative briefing. We were issued Rules of Engagement cards for Kuwait and Iraq.
My first day (Sunday) in Kuwait was spent sitting in a large building in the receive mode listening to one speaker after another give briefings. The briefings consisted of many topics: improvised explosive devices, electronic countermeasures, fratricide taught by the British and so on. Other than the British guy with his corning jokes my biggest battle was the Z-monster. (Jet lag is a funny thing especially going against the time zones.) I also walked around camp trying to get body armor and flights north for my media friends. By now, I knew them very well. Both of them can snore real loud...they slept next to me. (In a circus tent sleeping on cots with 100 other guys with various schedules and snoring… I did not sleep well in Kuwait. It didn’t help that I was right beside the door and heard it open every time someone entered or departed.)
On Day 2 (Monday), I secured transportation (another SUV) and drove to an airbase and secured body armor and flights for my radio personalities. (On the Kuwaiti highway, we saw the old “Basra Road of Death” from Desert Storm plus many herds of camels and flocks of sheep & goats. I also took two staff buddies with me who had brothers in the USAF at this airbase. (I also issued ammunition to my buddies and me.) So, after putting Zack & Jim on an aircraft bound for Baghdad, I socialized with two sets of brothers for the rest of the day until it was time to head back to my Kuwait home. We also played a few games of billiards. One of my new USAF brothers was a pilot on a C-130. The other is a shop foreman at a wheeled maintenance facility. In the evening, I attended a MySpace live concert shown around the world sponsored by Morale Welfare Recreation. Jessica Simpson was the last performer. She wasn’t feeling well but sang three songs anyway. She had trouble hitting the high notes, but to me she was the highlight of the event. The other bands and “talent” were vulgar and offensive.
On Day 3 (Tuesday) we headed to the range for most of the day and I fired both of my weapons: M4 Colt 5.56mm carbine and M9 Beretta 9mm pistol. We saw camels up close and personal again. The rest of the day, I raided the post exchange for an alarm clock, sun screen, towels and more postcards. Then I wrote on the postcards and mailed them.
On Day 4 (Wednesday), I reconfigured my A, B & D duffle bags, because I could only fly north with one. I gave my B & D bags to my men to load in our container that they would retrieve from the port in a few days. (My C bag departed months ago on the container, which sailed around the world on one of the Army’s contracted cargo ships.) Then, I boarded a bus and rode to the same airbase that I visited on Day 2. We boarded a USAF C-17 cargo plane and flew north to Baghdad. In Baghdad, I switched to a U.S. Army CH-47D cargo helicopter and flew to Camp Taji under cover of darkness. I checked into the Counter Insurgency Academy and the logistics sergeant issued me the key to my own “bedroom.” It was really half of a shipping container with my own sink, toilet and shower, which leaked all over the floor (but I’m not complaining) stacked inside of a warehouse. It was furnished with a bed, mattress, wall locker (wardrobe), desk, refrigerator and TV with five AFN stations. I was able to watch some March Madness. That was nice, since I haven’t watched college basketball all season. (The last few months I’ve been working from 6 a.m. to 8 – 10 p.m. every workday, so this was a nice break.) When I arrived at Camp Taji, it seemed like “wow, I’m back from a long R&R trip.” It was like I had never left 15-months ago. (I was also happy to get out of Kuwait. Each time on my past two tours, I’d get the Kuwaiti Crud. Last time I was so weak from sickness, I was out of action for a whole day. So I was glad to get out of Kuwait unscathed for once. People in my unit were getting the Crud before I left, so it was a concern.)
From March 13 – 18, I attended the COIN Academy. (The COIN Academy was started by GEN George Casey, then the Multi-National Force – Iraq commander, now the U.S. Army Chief of Staff, in August 2005. My brigade attended the first class in Dec. 2005, but I was not invited that time. Casey wanted to train the leaders of each U.S. Army Brigade Combat Team or USMC Regimental Combat Team coming to Iraq how to defeat the insurgency.) Every morning I would run the roads of Camp Taji for 4 – 6 miles with a few of my buddies working out before class. I also hit the gym a few times to lift weights. The first morning it rained on us, so we looked like pigs that had found our favorite mud hole. The moon dust turns to peanut butter when it gets wet, so from the knees down we were muddy. Our classes ran from 8 a.m. to 8 – 9 p.m. One evening after class, we rode to the PX on a MWR trip. After picking up some electrical adapters, I visited my old office. The maps I hung on my walls in 2006 were still there. Other than the furniture being rearranged, it looked like I’d never left. I made a call to Kirk, the guy I would be replacing and had a nice chat. (I also wrote a story about my brigade attending the COIN Academy again, which hit the media outlets a few days ago.)
On March 18, we boarded another Army CH-47D and flew south to Forward Operating Base Falcon under cover of darkness. (CH-47Ds only fly at night for force protection reasons. They are huge aircraft and very valuable. It takes a general’s signature to authorize a day flight with this type of helicopter.) I visited FOB Falcon once in 2006 to attend a memorial service for one of our killed in action Soldiers. (One of our battalions, was stationed here for the first half of 2006.) Kirk met me at the Landing Zone and I moved my bags to temporary billets. I live in a trailer with three rooms. I have my own room, but the trailer has no water fixtures. I have to hike about 80 meters to the latrine/shower trailers, but I’m not complaining. My room is furnished with two beds with new mattresses, two wall lockers and two smaller dressers. (I am not unpacking because I’m told I’ll be moving again in a few weeks.) Then I linked up with Kirk at the office that I take over in a few weeks. Soon after I arrived, a 107mm rocket exploded just outside the building. I was covered in dirt that flew through the boarded up window. My friend LTC Mike McNally, whose office is on the second floor about 20 meters away, was sitting at his desk. Shrapnel came through his boarded up window and impacted his interior walls in several places. So, FOB Falcon welcomed me with a bang. (Mike and I were stationed together in an infantry battalion at Fort Chaffee, Ark. and we were running partners.)
March 19 – 21, I have been shadowing Kirk but giving him enough space to do his job. I’m impressed with what his unit, 4th Infantry BCT, 1st Infantry Division from Fort Riley, Kan. has done. The 4th Inf. Div. (and Multi-National Division – Baghdad) public affairs officer, LTC Steve Stover, who is an old friend of mine, told me that Kirk’s public affairs section is the best one in the entire Iraqi theatre. So, I am observing what he does and I will continue to do what works well and will modify where I think I can do the job better. However, he is an awesome PAO. Just for an example, in 12-months at Taji in 2006 I had 30 embed reporters and 35 VIPs with me. Kirk has had over 70 media embeds during his 14-months here. Of course, the Rashid District of Baghdad is much more popular to the International and Iraqi media than the Taji area plus Kirk doesn’t handle VIPs. Someone else does. His staff also cranks out more print stories than any other public affairs section in Iraq. (My staff cranks out more print and broadcast products than any other PA section in the 4th Inf. Div., so I think I can continue Kirk’s trend.)
On March 19 when my boss, COL Ted Martin, arrived here for the first time, he rushed up and asked me, “are you OK?” For a second I thought he was going to hug me. I was startled and surprised. I did not know what he was talking about.
I replied, “of course.” I was still bewildered. Later, I found out that my friend, Dave, our night battle major who is shadowing his counterpart from 4/1ID passed on to him that I was nearly hit in Tuesday’s rocket attack. I don’t remember telling Dave, so I’m not sure how he found out.
We have received an indirect fire attack everyday since I’ve been here. Today, while I was in the dining facility, 10 81mm mortar rounds hit the camp. One round landed just outside the building but did not explode. So now my boss asks, “were you near that attack?” So far my answers have been “yes.” So he jokingly calls me a mortar magnet.
It’s not alarming that the indirect fire has increased lately. The enemy is responding in one of the only ways they know how. The unit here is doing an awesome job of catching bad guys. In recent days they have captured some big fish and the enemy does not like it.
Camp Taji was pretty big. If I remember correctly, it was about 45 square kilometers. FOB Falcon is small, maybe two square kilometers. It takes me less than 40-minutes to run around the entire perimeter and that’s when I run into a few dead ends and backtrack several times. So when the bad guys shoot at us it is like shooting fish in a barrel.
FOB Falcon does not have very many trees. If I’m not mistaken, I’ve seen three buildings with a handful of trees around each building. So, this camp is not attractive, but it has everything a Soldier needs. The PX is not very well stocked, but I don’t make many stops there anyway.
I must get back to work. I have an operations order annex to complete.
Thanks for all the prayers. Pray for our troops over here. Being on the receiving end of indirect fire can be demoralizing. Keep Jazz in your prayers. God is definitely in control…and I’m glad He is. I wish you well.
Happy Easter!
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