Our battalion is back at Fort Lewis, Washington in time for the summer weather. It has been cloudy and a bit cool for this time of year but that is a wonderful contrast to the dry heat of Iraq. The next week will consist of reintegration briefs and medical exams. Yesterday we were lectured on correct conduct in uniform. This morning we did dental check-ups.
It feels great to finally be back in the states after so long. It will take a few weeks to get back in the swing of things but that's fine. Things have changed slightly in the U.S. over the past year. I would describe the differences generally as a quickening of pace in public places and more streamlined operations in stores and the like. I got a cup of coffee at Starbucks and it tasted great. It was partly because I haven't had Starbucks coffee in a while, but I think their house blend got a little better. Prices have gone up but I knew that over in Iraq. Civilians that I have come in contact with are sympathetic and considerate. Most people value what we have done for the country. This is an improvement on the Vietnam era when people were rude to GIs returning home.
Our unit is supposed to redeploy to Iraq in 2010 but I will be out by then. The Army has the right to call me back to duty but I doubt that will happen. It's usually people in leadership positions who are called back. Also with a democratic president taking office there's a good possibility of a troop drawback. Frankly I never want to go back to Iraq. I served one term and that's enough. There were guys with us who were on their second or third deployment and you could see it had a negative effect on them.
My tour in Iraq was a long one, 14 months. Our battalion accomplished a lot over that time. Many terrorist suspects were brought in from the areas we patrolled and things slowly quieted down over the time we were there. There was a noticeable difference in the streets from when we arrived and when we left. The Iraqi Police and Army have picked up some of the slack for us and there is clearly more order in their public works. I am just one person but I know that I made a difference in the war on terror.
Welcome!
13 June 2008
06 June 2008
Day 431
Able Company 4-9 is now in Camp Virginia, Kuwait for three days preparing to go home. We must stay here for 72 hours for what's called "decompression." I guess that means R&R. Here there is a PX, McDonalds, Subway, etc. The local merchants have stores to sell local crafts but a lot of their offerings come from Pakistan where the labor is cheaper. Not all is well however. There is a sandstorm in progress and the sand gets in your eyes. We had to unload our heavy ruck sacks off of pallets and onto trucks. Each man also had a duffel bag and an assault pack with personal items. We did all the loading and unloading with our personal weapons slung and wearing our gear (vest and helmet.) After arriving and taking all our gear from the trucks into the temporary barracks, we all took a nap. Our flight out of Balad left late last night and we didn't arrive until 0900 this morning. Military transit is a real pain because things go so slow and there are lots of changes. We are traveling with part of 2-12 field artillery which includes the commanding officer who is a lieutenant colonel and the battalion sergeant major.
The first two months of the tour were the most difficult. At that time we were still getting situated and patrolling out of Camp Taji heavily. There was no set schedule then and we were going out at all times of the day and night. Danger of hitting IED's or taking fire were high as well. There was a greater sense of urgency and more excitement however. We knew there was enemy in the area and we were there to back up an ailing cavalry unit that wasn't outfitted correctly for patroling the area.
Over the past two weeks all weapons and a wide range of gear had to be packed and put in connexes for overseas shipping. Vehicles had to be cleaned inside and out. That means unloading all of the trash and dirt that had collected in them, unloading all the electronic equipment and cleaning it for inspection, and then driving them to the washrack to wash them down. This was an exhausting process. There were all kinds of loose ends too; medical paperwork to identify possible cases of PTSD among the men for example.
Long days were spent out in the sun doing layouts of all our gear. A lot of guys got sunburnt because we were wearing the PT uniform not ACU's. There were a few fights. The worst part is knowing you are so close to going home and being confined to this place. It has been pretty hot, over 100 degrees every day and there is lots of work. The past two weeks has actually been some of the hardest work I have ever done. In a way I'm glad I'm not 11B, going on night raids and kicking down doors. That puts real wear on you. I spent much of the deployment sitting and waiting, pulling guard. Part of the forces are set aside for headquarters duty, sort of a standby that leaves the compound less. That means safer and easier work. I'll take it.
The first two months of the tour were the most difficult. At that time we were still getting situated and patrolling out of Camp Taji heavily. There was no set schedule then and we were going out at all times of the day and night. Danger of hitting IED's or taking fire were high as well. There was a greater sense of urgency and more excitement however. We knew there was enemy in the area and we were there to back up an ailing cavalry unit that wasn't outfitted correctly for patroling the area.
Over the past two weeks all weapons and a wide range of gear had to be packed and put in connexes for overseas shipping. Vehicles had to be cleaned inside and out. That means unloading all of the trash and dirt that had collected in them, unloading all the electronic equipment and cleaning it for inspection, and then driving them to the washrack to wash them down. This was an exhausting process. There were all kinds of loose ends too; medical paperwork to identify possible cases of PTSD among the men for example.
Long days were spent out in the sun doing layouts of all our gear. A lot of guys got sunburnt because we were wearing the PT uniform not ACU's. There were a few fights. The worst part is knowing you are so close to going home and being confined to this place. It has been pretty hot, over 100 degrees every day and there is lots of work. The past two weeks has actually been some of the hardest work I have ever done. In a way I'm glad I'm not 11B, going on night raids and kicking down doors. That puts real wear on you. I spent much of the deployment sitting and waiting, pulling guard. Part of the forces are set aside for headquarters duty, sort of a standby that leaves the compound less. That means safer and easier work. I'll take it.
19 May 2008
Day 414
Aco. 4-9 is packing up and getting ready to hand over control of the JCOP to 2nd Cavalry Regiment. The tour is almost over for us but their guys will have almost a year left. Headquarters platoon is going back to Camp Warhorse tomorrow night and we will not come back here.
Five days ago another female suicide bomber detonated a vest killing Iraqi Police and Army here in Baqubah. None of our men were injured. It seems that Al Qaeda is targeting Iraqi forces more than us. This is a good thing for me because I just want to get home safe at this point. Two of the Iraqi Army soldiers stationed here received awards for stopping a second suicide bomber and handling the situation.
Things have relaxed a bit over the past month. We have grilled pork chops and steaks and ribs a few times. The chow tent was taken down so we get our food from the chow hall at FOB Gabriel down the road. It will be nice to get home and eat some good food. There was a stomach bug going around for a while, five guys from headquarters got sick including me. I think I got it from the stir fry grill at Camp Warhorse but I'm not sure. I try not to complain about the food because the Iraqi Army soldiers eat chicken and rice every day. When we first got here back in November of last year we had to eat the same thing for about a month. After a while it became hard to eat the chicken and one of the medics said you can actually develope an allergy to poultry.
When people think of war they think of firefights with rifles and grenades, smoke and yelling, like the movies. That hasn't been the case for me and the mortar squad. A lot of the time has been spent in the compound waiting around and pulling guard. Maintaining equipment of all kinds is another big part of what we do. The generator outside that powers electricity to the JCOP must be refueled and tended to. It overheats every so often so a large camouflage net had to be posted over it. Dust makes its way into every nook and cranny so there is always sweeping to do. Trash must be picked up and taken out to the burn pit. Of course weapons must be cleaned periodically. When all the work is done a lot of the guys lift weights, that is the most common activity. I lift weights a few times a week but a lot of these guys lift every day. Even with air conditioning it gets up to 90 degrees inside and guys are pouring sweat. I'll wait till Fort Lewis to get in shape.
Five days ago another female suicide bomber detonated a vest killing Iraqi Police and Army here in Baqubah. None of our men were injured. It seems that Al Qaeda is targeting Iraqi forces more than us. This is a good thing for me because I just want to get home safe at this point. Two of the Iraqi Army soldiers stationed here received awards for stopping a second suicide bomber and handling the situation.
Things have relaxed a bit over the past month. We have grilled pork chops and steaks and ribs a few times. The chow tent was taken down so we get our food from the chow hall at FOB Gabriel down the road. It will be nice to get home and eat some good food. There was a stomach bug going around for a while, five guys from headquarters got sick including me. I think I got it from the stir fry grill at Camp Warhorse but I'm not sure. I try not to complain about the food because the Iraqi Army soldiers eat chicken and rice every day. When we first got here back in November of last year we had to eat the same thing for about a month. After a while it became hard to eat the chicken and one of the medics said you can actually develope an allergy to poultry.
When people think of war they think of firefights with rifles and grenades, smoke and yelling, like the movies. That hasn't been the case for me and the mortar squad. A lot of the time has been spent in the compound waiting around and pulling guard. Maintaining equipment of all kinds is another big part of what we do. The generator outside that powers electricity to the JCOP must be refueled and tended to. It overheats every so often so a large camouflage net had to be posted over it. Dust makes its way into every nook and cranny so there is always sweeping to do. Trash must be picked up and taken out to the burn pit. Of course weapons must be cleaned periodically. When all the work is done a lot of the guys lift weights, that is the most common activity. I lift weights a few times a week but a lot of these guys lift every day. Even with air conditioning it gets up to 90 degrees inside and guys are pouring sweat. I'll wait till Fort Lewis to get in shape.
05 May 2008
The Stryker
We have spent a lot of time in the Stryker vehicles over the past year. Our squad started in the mortar carrier, but the vehicle is not meant for patrol. For the first six months of the deployment the mortar vehicle was stationed at the JSS waiting to fire. We rotated out the two "trucks" from that location back to Camp Taji every five days or so. On occasion we fired the mortar but it was more of a training exercise to assure readiness. As a result I spent a lot of time just sitting in the Stryker manning the radio waiting for a possible call for fire. There isn't much room inside but there is enough to sit down and watch a DVD or read. You can even lay down in the passage connecting the driver's hatch to the main interior of the vehicle.
Our battalion uses several different versions of the Stryker. The first is the infantry carrier vehicle. The interior has benches on the sides and can hold 11 people officially but I have been in one with 18 passengers. The 11B teams use these vehicles for routine patrol and for missions. Examples of missions are raiding a house and bringing in a suspect or checking out reported terrorist activity, whether it be planting IEDs or suspected weapons caches. There is a lot of room in the back so you can haul equipment inside and on the roof as well.
Another variant used by our unit is the Mobile Gun System. The MGS vehicle is a Stryker with a 105mm howitzer mounted on top. This is better than towing the howitzer, but there is very little room inside for the three-man crew, making it uncomfortable. There is also a medical evacuation vehicle with a slightly higher roof and two litters on the sides for casualties instead of benches.
A number of additions have been made to the vehicles during our year here in Iraq. For one we put up sheets of bulletproof glass to protect the vehicle commander and the "air guards" which pull rear security. We've also put large pieces of ballistic fiberglass on the floor of the Stryker to protect against IED blasts. This makes it a little uncomfortable and adds some weight but it could save lives. The slat armor or "birdcage" is a metal fence that stands out a foot and a half from the body of the vehicle and will catch a rocket projectile without allowing it to detonate. We put them on right before we deployed. There is also a need for concealment of the men standing up in the hatches so camouflage netting was attached to the roof. This also provides shade for our guys or anything being carried up top. On really hot days it's almost a necessity for patrol.
The Stryker has been reliable over the course of our deployment. Considerable maintenance is needed for the engine and the tires, etc. We take our vehicles to the mechanics bay a few times a month for minor repairs. Most of the problems were worked out or identified before we deployed.
Looking to the future, the new Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle has some added features like the slanted undercarriage for IEDs and the full range of vision for the passengers out the side windows. There have been very few reported casualties related to the vehicle so far and it seems pretty hard to knock it off the road. Although I have only climbed in the back of one, not ridden in it, the MRAP seems fairly comparable to the Stryker.
For technical information about the Stryker, see this website:
29 April 2008
Day 390
Aco. 4-9 will spend the next month getting ready to return home. We sprayed fresh bumper numbers on the Strykers so they can be shipped from Kuwait by boat. Some men will have to stay with the vehicles on a special detail and return home a few weeks later. It takes about a month to make the trip. I heard today that the 4-9 battalion advance party is already back in the states. That party is mostly the people that do all the paper work, lucky them.
Two new mortarmen have arrived and been incorporated into our platoon. One has college credit and has been given the rank of Private First Class. I came in a Specialist for completing my degree. It is odd to get new people so late in the deployment. The day after they arrived our platoon went back to Camp Warhorse and began packing our extra equipment into shipping containers, theirs included. That's the way the Army runs things. No point in having them sit back at Fort Lewis until we redeploy.
The Iraqi Army continues to improve their operations here in Baqubah. More and more they look like professional soldiers. It isn't just their conduct but also their numbers that will determine when U.S. forces can hand over control. I heard that as of now there are enough IA to cover 50 percent of Iraq. I spoke with one IA Lieutenant that is a professional soldier and served in the Iraqi Army under Saddam Hussein. He says there have been drastic improvements made to their forces since we stepped in, both training wise and in regards to equipment and organization. Iraqi soldiers now carry M16s and officers have M4s. They patrol in our humvees and old armored personnel carriers. I have seen them in MRAPs as well which is a big deal.
Iraqi Army outposts are not up to par however. They continue to patrol out of old buildings without necessary fortifications. Road checkpoints are guarded out of small bunkers, parked vehicles or from behind concrete barriers. I'm guessing that the construction and engineering section of their army is ailing or nonexistent. Whenever we pass their posts in our Strykers we wave to them. They seem content with their situation but obviously they do not have the training and work ethic that we do. I'm not sure their situation can even be improved greatly, the cultural standard for their army is just more relaxed.
My main concern is still to get out of here unharmed. Pretty soon a new unit from a different brigade will show up and start doing our patrols. I have managed to make it through this deployment without firing my personal weapon (M4). I haven't been in a vehicle when it hit an IED. I have not been in a firefight and there have been no training accidents in our platoon. With all that said, I will not consider myself safe until I am on the tarmac at Balad and board the plane for Germany. Not much more to go, just hanging in there bearing the heat.
Two new mortarmen have arrived and been incorporated into our platoon. One has college credit and has been given the rank of Private First Class. I came in a Specialist for completing my degree. It is odd to get new people so late in the deployment. The day after they arrived our platoon went back to Camp Warhorse and began packing our extra equipment into shipping containers, theirs included. That's the way the Army runs things. No point in having them sit back at Fort Lewis until we redeploy.
The Iraqi Army continues to improve their operations here in Baqubah. More and more they look like professional soldiers. It isn't just their conduct but also their numbers that will determine when U.S. forces can hand over control. I heard that as of now there are enough IA to cover 50 percent of Iraq. I spoke with one IA Lieutenant that is a professional soldier and served in the Iraqi Army under Saddam Hussein. He says there have been drastic improvements made to their forces since we stepped in, both training wise and in regards to equipment and organization. Iraqi soldiers now carry M16s and officers have M4s. They patrol in our humvees and old armored personnel carriers. I have seen them in MRAPs as well which is a big deal.
Iraqi Army outposts are not up to par however. They continue to patrol out of old buildings without necessary fortifications. Road checkpoints are guarded out of small bunkers, parked vehicles or from behind concrete barriers. I'm guessing that the construction and engineering section of their army is ailing or nonexistent. Whenever we pass their posts in our Strykers we wave to them. They seem content with their situation but obviously they do not have the training and work ethic that we do. I'm not sure their situation can even be improved greatly, the cultural standard for their army is just more relaxed.
My main concern is still to get out of here unharmed. Pretty soon a new unit from a different brigade will show up and start doing our patrols. I have managed to make it through this deployment without firing my personal weapon (M4). I haven't been in a vehicle when it hit an IED. I have not been in a firefight and there have been no training accidents in our platoon. With all that said, I will not consider myself safe until I am on the tarmac at Balad and board the plane for Germany. Not much more to go, just hanging in there bearing the heat.
16 April 2008
Day 377
Yesterday a bomber detonated a vehicle borne IED in front of the government center here in Baqubah. Over 40 people were killed and many more were injured. Bombings took place in Baghdad and Mosul in the north the same day, so the bombing here was part of a series of attacks. I was sitting at one of the computers in our upstairs computer room when there was a large bomb blast somewhere close by. You can usually tell the bigger ones because the shockwave rocks the building more. Immediately people started to speculate on what happened. About a half an hour later our headquarters platoon along with the commander and first sergeant were on the way to Camp Warhorse to get the vehicle mounted bomb squad (EOD) and escort them to the site. We had to take a roundabout route to get to Warhorse because the bombing occurred in the middle of heavy traffic on the route we usually take.
It is really terrible that there were so many civilian casualties. I'm not sure how many Iraqi Police if any were hurt, but the bombing targeted civilians, not our forces. Our platoon drove through the crowded street less than an hour before the bomb went off while on a different mission. I feel very lucky we weren't there because a bomb of that size would have injured us even if we were in our vehicles.
Riding through the center of town today I noticed a mark on the pavement where the bomb went off. There was barely any traffic, in stark comparison to the traffic jam there the day before. I looked at some of the Iraqi Army soldiers standing guard on the side of the road there and they looked disturbed. They may have helped haul the bodies off.
Although things have been quiet here for the most part, there is a constant threat. According to Rear Adm. Greg Smith “They (Al Qaeda) no longer possess the capability to terrorize and intimidate major population centers or large swaths of Iraq’s countryside, but they certainly maintain both the will and the capacity to indiscriminately kill and maim innocent Iraqi citizens with vehicle and suicide bombs”
--http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20080416/ZNYT03/804160331/1003/NEWS
I have learned that the conflict is not what you expect or what you want it to be, and that bombings or attacks will come at odd times. We are trained to spot roadside bombs and suspicious vehicles, but there isn't much we can do when the attacks are so few and far between. With less than two months left my main concern at this point is to make it out of here safely. Whether the Iraqi Army and Police are trained and competent to take over our duties or not, I am ready to get out of here.
In other news, a number of our guys have been arrested while on leave or have gone AWOL. One soldier is rumored to have joined the UFC rather than coming back from leave. It's true he is a fighter but I have no idea what he's up to. Less recently one of our guys committed arson while on leave and went to prison rather than come back to our unit. Several others have been arrested on leave for drunk driving and spousal abuse and their return was delayed.
The list goes on - there was a guy from my squad that didn't show up the day we deployed. Instead he stayed back and was attached to a different brigade. Word came around that he landed in jail as well; there was a bench warrant out for his arrest in Louisiana. One of our sergeants supposedly went crazy and insisted that he couldn't take it any more, he needed a drink of whiskey. I was on leave at the time, and when I came back he wasn't with us.
This is not to say all our men are criminals or capable of evil deeds. We have a lot of stand up guys that are here to fight for our country and our people and that includes myself. In fact our unit is statistically one of the better ones. There is enough stress and bad feelings around here that people want to leave for good. Going AWOL isn't the solution though because they usually drag you back.
It is really terrible that there were so many civilian casualties. I'm not sure how many Iraqi Police if any were hurt, but the bombing targeted civilians, not our forces. Our platoon drove through the crowded street less than an hour before the bomb went off while on a different mission. I feel very lucky we weren't there because a bomb of that size would have injured us even if we were in our vehicles.
Riding through the center of town today I noticed a mark on the pavement where the bomb went off. There was barely any traffic, in stark comparison to the traffic jam there the day before. I looked at some of the Iraqi Army soldiers standing guard on the side of the road there and they looked disturbed. They may have helped haul the bodies off.
Although things have been quiet here for the most part, there is a constant threat. According to Rear Adm. Greg Smith “They (Al Qaeda) no longer possess the capability to terrorize and intimidate major population centers or large swaths of Iraq’s countryside, but they certainly maintain both the will and the capacity to indiscriminately kill and maim innocent Iraqi citizens with vehicle and suicide bombs”
--http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20080416/ZNYT03/804160331/1003/NEWS
I have learned that the conflict is not what you expect or what you want it to be, and that bombings or attacks will come at odd times. We are trained to spot roadside bombs and suspicious vehicles, but there isn't much we can do when the attacks are so few and far between. With less than two months left my main concern at this point is to make it out of here safely. Whether the Iraqi Army and Police are trained and competent to take over our duties or not, I am ready to get out of here.
In other news, a number of our guys have been arrested while on leave or have gone AWOL. One soldier is rumored to have joined the UFC rather than coming back from leave. It's true he is a fighter but I have no idea what he's up to. Less recently one of our guys committed arson while on leave and went to prison rather than come back to our unit. Several others have been arrested on leave for drunk driving and spousal abuse and their return was delayed.
The list goes on - there was a guy from my squad that didn't show up the day we deployed. Instead he stayed back and was attached to a different brigade. Word came around that he landed in jail as well; there was a bench warrant out for his arrest in Louisiana. One of our sergeants supposedly went crazy and insisted that he couldn't take it any more, he needed a drink of whiskey. I was on leave at the time, and when I came back he wasn't with us.
This is not to say all our men are criminals or capable of evil deeds. We have a lot of stand up guys that are here to fight for our country and our people and that includes myself. In fact our unit is statistically one of the better ones. There is enough stress and bad feelings around here that people want to leave for good. Going AWOL isn't the solution though because they usually drag you back.
03 April 2008
Day 365
It has been a year since our unit arrived in Kuwait. We were originally slated for a 495 day deployment, but that has been cut short. President Bush vetoed the bill that would have brought us home much earlier, maybe before the end of last year. Everyone has had their fill of the desert and wants to go home to their family and friends.
New Iraqi Army soldiers arrived a few days ago and are being incorporated into their jobs here at the JCOP. I met a group of them on guard today, both enlisted men and officers. They are generally friendly and always ask the same questions like are you married, do you have kids and have you been to New York. A few of them went to the market to get lunch for everyone and they got me something too. We only get breakfast and dinner chow here at the JCOP so it was nice to get a small sandwich to tide me over. The sun is shining every day and the temperature has been in the 80s. Hopefully we will miss most of the heat that comes with the summer. At night it doesn't get too cold either.
The rest of my squad is out on a mission with one of the bravo platoons. I am at the JCOP pulling guard at the back gate. The situation has both good and bad qualities. There is a chance the team will fire the 60mm mortar without me so I will miss some action. It is kind of fun to fire the mortar handheld, but it is a pain to clean up all the packaging from the round casings. The team will be gone for two days and I have the room where we stay to myself. It is relatively quiet so I can read.
Baseball season has started up and everyone has been watching the NCAA basketball tournament on our satellite TV. I hope they broadcast hockey playoffs on ESPN, the Penguins are 1st place in the East going into the playoffs. I might have to wait till next season to see the action.
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