Day 264

Yesterday on Christmas day a colonel from another battalion stopped in to say hello and wish us happy holidays. We held formation at 1400 and he gave a speech and then the chaplain that accompanied him gave us all a blessing. I talked with the chaplain, a major, briefly before the formation. He said that our unit will be home this summer. He said that the enemy is being pushed off the supply line from the Iranian border to Baghdad up into the mountains. I told him that their resistance was like a blob of jelly: when you press down in one spot the jelly just squirts out to the side. then when you press on that spot it just moves again. What we're trying to do with this surge offensive is get them all at one time and be done with it. I'm not sure that's really possible but we have to stay positive. Every day we bring in more detainees for questioning, usually blindfolded and with zipcuffs on.

After the formation we all sat down to eat Christmas dinner. We had mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and chicken instead of turkey. It was pretty good and everyone had a fun time talking. There was even an eagle ice sculpture which I helped prepare. The cook was all by himself trying to cut the plastic mold off so I decided to give him a hand. It took almost half an hour to cut the plastic off!

It has been getting pretty cold so we got a bunch of kerosene heaters. Because of the high ceilings in the building there's no problem with the fumes and we turn the heaters way up so the flame is high and it looks like a small fire. There's a bunch of ammunition and weapons around so we have to be careful.

The day before Christmas we fired the mortars. We used both trucks and fired more than 90 rounds. Usually we just fire a short distance and you can see the rounds impact, the "splash" it's called. This time however we fired at a target a few miles away. It was pretty loud in the truck firing all those rounds, even with double hearing protection of earplugs and a headset. The truck absorbed the shock of the cannon each time we fired, rocking down a foot or so. There was a lot of smoke from the cheese charges which are the small canisters of gunpowder that send the round flying. There was lots of yelling and shuffling to get the rounds out of the casings and hand them to the assistant gunner. It's the kind of thing you never forget.

I waited until Christmas day to open all my mail, but it turned out that I got too much and I didn't even open it all. I still have some packages for the new year! Thanks to everyone back home who sent me letters and gifts, I really appreciate the support. A big thanks to Dino Campanis of Bellefonte, PA for sending me over 120 care packages since June. Everyone still runs over to see what's inside them. I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the holiday season and good luck in the new year! Hopefully the war will be over soon and things will lighten up.

Day 253

When I signed up to be an infantryman two years ago, I was designated 11 X-ray. That means they can make you a regular foot soldier (11B) or they can make you a mortarman (11C.) I was trained as a mortarman. It's a pretty cool job; we fire a giant cannon with a range of four miles or so. In the current war however, the mortar is rarely used for combat missions. This leaves me and my crew looking like Maytag men on some days.

The leadership in our company has been trying to keep our nine man squad busy as the commander's personal security when he goes out on patrol. Four of us must stay back at all times on what's called the hot gun, ready to fire the mortar at any time of the day or night at whatever the target may be. Besides that I do a guard shift twice a day at the front gate, receiving visitors and keeping watch.

The local people come to the gate sometimes if they need something. One day a woman in the traditional black garb that covers the entire body approached the gate. I called for the interpretor on the radio and he arrived in a few minutes. She wanted to know the wherabouts of her son who was treated for wounds from a suicide vest. The last time she heard from him he was being treated at a U.S. medic station, but she did not know where. I'm not sure we could help her.

There is an Iraqi Army soldier at the gate at all times as well. They show up in mix and match surplus military gear left over from Desert Storm and play with their cell phones. I usually stand behind the small hesco barrier filled with sand and look through the frame of bullet proof glass that has been posted on top. Sometimes I get tired of that though, it seems unfair, and I sit to the side of the barrier with the IA soldier and talk a bit. This can be an interesting experience, because they speak only a little English and I know only a few words in Arabic. There is a lack of things to talk about as well, we're just bored. So we come up with simple things. Their favorite question is, "Ma'dam?" meaning are you married followed by "Baby?" which means do you have kids. From there they move on to their own marital status and state that it is good to have kids and am I happy to be single. Sometimes the guys have multiple wives and a whole bunch of kids. I have learned to count to 30 in Arabic and know basic words and phrases like sun, rock, alibaba (terrorist), and I'm bored.

I start my two hour guard shift at 0600. It's a bit cold when I wake up and the sun rises as the guard shift ends, providing a bit of warmth. There is a 50ft. wide corridor leading from the gate to the road 200 meters out to stop any hostile intruders. The whole thing is filled with trash, spools of concertina wire and stray dogs. I stare at this image waiting for visitors or possible enemy. The town is all around us, there are houses and people and various kinds of commerce here and there. Our building is right in the middle of this small city called Baqubah.

Sometimes the CLC (concerned local citizens) come by to talk, but they aren't much help. They're untrained civilians licensed to carry AK-47's. One day they were all lined up outside to have their pictures taken and get their licenses. I brought out a few sodas for them and they passed them down the line, each taking a sip. These people are poor. The IA guys get paid better than the townspeople, they get around $600 a month and think that's great. Even $100 a month is a lot here.

I'd like to wish a Merry Christmas to all the folks back home and good luck with the snow up north. I wish I could be there, but I guess this is more important. I'll still get presents mailed over here which is a consolation. Thanks for reading my blog and happy holidays!

Day 237

After getting a late night flight to Camp Warhorse from Balad, I was quickly sent to the JCOP (joint combat outpost) in Baqubah, Iraq. This large three story building is manned by our company and Iraqi Army soldiers. Although patrols are more fun here due to the number of people on the street, the living quarters aren't that great. The building has high ceilings and is open to the outside. The weather has gotten cooler and it gets pretty cold at night. That means you get cold even in a heavy sleeping bag and we've been wearing plenty of extra clothes.

For the most part things are slowing down and the situation here is under control. Every so often you hear a random gunshot or an explosion from somewhere in the surrounding area. Usually the explosions are controlled detonations, IED's that our patrols find before our vehicles hit them. Our leadership has been working with that of the local town to clean up buildings and public works that were destroyed such as hospitals, schools and peoples' houses.

A few days ago a female suicide bomber injured seven of our soldiers while they were on patrol. She was wearing a vest with explosives and ball bearings, the equivalent of a claymore mine. A few of our guys might not make it, and seven of them are out of the fight for sure. There was an anonymous threat of more vests in the area as well, causing some tension and increased awareness on patrol and on guard at the entrance to the compound. The threat of suicide bombers and extremists is all too real, and it gets in the way of interacting with the people in the area. You don't want to get friendly with them because this can become a weakness. Often times children will come up and ask for food or chocolate, but this can be a big distraction.

There is a resistance group here in Baqubah called 1920, why they are called that I don't know. They used to work with al-Qeada but got fed up with them because they don't treat people right and pay them enough. Supposedly the 1920 forces have agreed to work with the U.S. forces to combat terrorism in the area. To what extent they are actually helping I can't be sure. There are also neighborhood guards who wear reflective belts and are allowed to carry AK-47's. We don't really work with them but they are not against us. I think these guys should join up with the Iraqi Police and get paid, but some people disagree with the Iraqi Police force. There is not enough entry level screening and some of them have ties to terrorism and extremist groups.

I have been hanging out with the Iraqi Army guys on the second floor where they stay. I like to play chess and some of them are willing to play, so I go up there every so often. Their Sergeant Major is a nice guy who tries to relate to the U.S. forces when he can. The Iraqis drink lots of tea, chai as they call it. They just toss the ground up leaves right in the pot and boil it. The tea is strong and they take lots of sugar. The other day I went up there during the afternoon and they boiled potatos and we ate them salted with pita bread and some kind of pickled vegetable on the side. The Muslim world has their own TV networks as well, including Al-Jazeera. They watch soccer and soap operas and lots of music videos, the music is mostly about Allah, their god.

We are all hoping this situation will end soon and that we will begin to pull out. There have been rumors that our unit will leave in May 2008, but there is no guarantee. The latest we will leave is August. I look forward to getting home and eating good food rather than this quickly prepared cafeteria food. I try not to complain though, things could be much worse.

Stuck in Balad

Upon reentering Iraq from Kuwait, everyone must go to Balad (buh-lahd) air force base south of Baghdad. Here in Balad, all soldiers entering and exiting the country wait for flights that will take them to their respective destinations. In some cases it takes up to a week to get the flight you need. I have been here for three days now with a few other guys from my unit. We were told yesterday that we will catch a plane out tonight.

Being here is something like being in limbo. You arrive after the long flight from the states with a few layovers and a stop in Kuwait for in processing. In processing is just a bunch of paperwork. Once in Balad you go to transit housing and put your stuff down. Transit housing is like row housing in the ghetto; little wooden buildings lined up in a big grid with a basketball court in the center. You get assigned a bunk in one of the little barracks buildings, each of which house 20 bunk beds, and settle in.

On the one hand this is an extension of your leave time. There's no one to order you around and the base is pretty big with lots of stuff to do. These things include a big movie theatre with a balcony, two PX's, a recreation center, and of course the row housing with your own little bunk bed where you can sleep as much as you want. On the other hand there is no work to be done and it gets boring being laid over.

There is no schedule, you simply go to the 1445 daily meet up at the PAX terminal to see if there are any flights out. Me and the other guys stuck here went to the PX and then Pizza Hut after the brief announcement that there was nothing new to report. 1st sergeant Horney who is an old army ranger in charge of our company talked our ears off over pizza about promotion opportunities and advancement in the military. The longer you're in the better you know everyone and the more options you have. Then today after the 1445 daily meet up we went to the movie theatre and saw The Guardian with Jamie Foxx. I give it a 4 out of 10. The theatre is pretty cool though, it has a balcony and a subway restaurant and popcorn and candy and everything. I went to the rec center later on and played chess with a guy in the air force stationed here. He was pretty good at it, but I pulled out a surprising win in the first game!

My Battalion has changed locations to Camp Warhorse which is about 25 miles northeast of camp Taji where we were before. I have yet to see how good or bad it is, although it has all the basic amenities such as a PX, chow hall, and laundry facilities. Once I get there I will sit around some more, we don't pick up our patrol route until the 1st of December.

On Leave in the DR

Today is the last day of my vacation in the Dominican Republic. Despite daily rain showers and in some cases a downpour, I have managed to squeeze out some fun every day. In fact a tropical storm called Noel hit the island, killing some people in the mountainous interior. I have passed all six days in the town of Las Terrenas on the Samanà peninsula. The town is mostly French, and then there are Italians and some Germans. If they don´t speak English or Spanish then I can´t talk with them. I have been hanging out more with the locals on the other side of town, playing dominoes or billiards and drinking mixed drinks. I say billiards because they play a different form of pool down here. And they´re good at it. I spend all of yesterday afternoon at a local pool hall open to the outside. It rained and it poured, but we kept playing pool on the four tables under the thatched roof. It was a lot of fun, and I have found out that I´m still pretty good at playing pool and speaking Spanish.

Another night I went out with some of the local surfers who I met playing volleyball in front of a hotel. We went and ate dinner, a plate of seafood pasta, and then split. I wandered a bit and ended up at a small bar with some women playing dominoes. It was too early to go to the disco, so I had a seat and we played for a few hours. It turned out that the older of the three was the mother of two daughters from different fathers. One of the daughters was clearly black and the other looked more like one of the natives that were pushed out with the conquest hundreds of years ago. You could tell there was competition between them, who was prettier and who could play dominoes better. After drinking a few beers and talking it up we all went to the bodega together and danced the night away.

The next day I woke up and went to El Limòn waterfall with a guide I had met from the town of that name. He was a nice guy at first, but it turned out he was more interested in getting my money than making friends. I should have known. That´s how the people are. If they see you are willing to part with your money they will pressure you. All in all they´re pretty laid back though. I had a good time riding a horse up the mountain from the town of El Limòn to the picturesque waterfall. When we got back, we had lunch at his mother´s house and met his family and the people hanging out at the small cafe next door. They were all very friendly in a way that isn´t seen in the US. I guess it´s because they don´t have much.

It rained all the next day which was kind of a bust. In the morning I walked along the beach and spent some time alone. It is off season here so there aren´t so many people. That´s both good and bad. I didn´t realize there would be all this rain. There will be rain when I return to Iraq as well but that place is really nasty. The mud gets caked to your boots and everyone tracks it inside with them creating a real mess. It´s either that or the heat.

Tomorrow morning I say goodbye to Las Terrenas which has been good to me. I haven´t seen another American in six days which is a bit strange. We dominate the fenced in resorts; these days the most notable is Punta Cana. I chose to go outside the fence and see some more of the local culture, which is "tranquilo" as they say.

Day 175

The days continue to pass by with little excitement. I was told a few weeks ago that our mortar squad would start tower guard October 1st while everyone takes turns going on leave. That has changed for some reason and we will be handing over our duties here at the JSS to B company permanently. Supposedly our mortar squad will be attached to 4th platoon and we will conduct regular patrols. You never can tell what will happen though because things change so quickly and the planning never stops.

I have to admit the JSS isn't such a bad assignment. I have guard shift from 0200-0400 everyday, so that leads me to sleep from the time I get off until some time in the afternoon. Pfc. Thompson mans the radio in the Stryker out back, but usually he comes in during the day for a few hours to stretch out and eat. This is my wake up call and I go out to "the truck" as we call it, and pass the time reading or watching DVD's. Right now I'm reading Live and Let Die by Ian Fleming, the second book of the Bond series. I plan to read all of them.

There is always some kind of improvement going on. Today the detail to be taken care of is the removal of the wood box shaped latrines that were in use by the Iraqis before we got here. Right now a team of men is carrying the wood over to the burn pit and taking care of the rest.
We are down to MRE's again and the next shipment is still five days away. I ran out of snacks on the third day here, leading me to look forward to an occasional bag of skittles or some potato sticks that pop up in an MRE.

One guy stationed here with us is coming up on the time when he leaves Iraq. He's planning a trip across Europe when he gets out of the army. I have been giving him tips and helping with some internet research since I have been there twice. Another guy, one of the medics, already went on leave back home to Louisiana and then to Florida with his wife. He went bunji jumping and jet skiing. This was shortly after an accident he had on a patrol. He was riding in the stryker when they hit an IED. He took shrapnel to the side of the head and the thigh and was medevac'd to Balad where they stitched him up. He's OK now, but with a few scars.

Every so often there is an explosion outside the compound. Some are louder than others depending on how far away. Some are controlled detonations-IED's that have been spotted on the roadside and set off by the EOD crew (bomb squad.) There is a boom and then you feel the shock wave through the ground. The most serious controlled detonation was a few weeks ago when they blew up the abandoned train station 300 yards down the road. There were plans to remove the site because the enemy could use it for cover. I was walking in the main entrance at about 2300 one night when it went off, the shockwave actually pushing me in the door. It was very loud so they probably used an excessive amount of C4. One guy recorded it on his digital camera; there was some sort of blue electrical surge and then a large explosion in the night. Needless to say there is no more train station.

The Iraqi police are fasting for Ramadan. It lasts 40 days and nights, and they stop to pray often during the day. This morning while I was still on my hall guard shift, a group of them came in to eat before dawn. I was hungry so I popped in to the office to ask for some real food instead of MRE's. There was a small cooked hen laying on top of a platter of rice and sliced cucumbers. I gave them a few diet sodas in return for a plate. We have no more good drinks such as 'Rip It', the energy drink over here, or regular Coke and Pepsi. Only Diet Sprite and an endless supply of Gatorade packets for our bottled water.

I go on leave in less than two weeks but there will probably be a layover in Kuwait for a few days. After spending some time at home I'm flying down to the Dominican Republic. I will make sure and bring my camera.

Interview with an Iraqi police lieutenant

Lieutenant Muhammad Mahmud, shift commander at the Joint Security Station, was nice enough to answer some questions about his job. With the help of an interpreter I was able to get his opinion on some of the important issues facing the people in the surrounding area. In the following answers to the questions I have taken some liberties in translating the responses from the simple English used by the interpreter. I made an effort to record his thoughts accurately, although the true meaning may have been lost in translation.

SPC Matsick: How old are you, and are you married?

LT: I'm 30 years old, and yes I'm married.

SPC Matsick: Do you like your work?

LT: Yes.

SPC Matsick: Is the police force at this station improving?

LT: Yes, but slowly. Three months ago before your unit took over for the previous unit, it was very dangerous to travel on the highway. there were kidnappings, vehicles were stolen, and the station was attacked by terrorists.

SPC Matsick: Do the people in Mushada (the surrounding town) respect/support the police force?

LT: Everyone in the town supports the IP's, because they are in need of the medical support, water, food rations, etc.

SPC Matsick: Do you want the U.S. forces to be here in Iraq longterm?

LT: Yes. The Iraqi government is not ready to protect the people from terrorists and militias.

SPC Matsick: Would different regions of the country clash if we left?

LT: Yes. Many parties in Baghdad kill people. Three weeks ago, a militia group called Jaysh Mahadi, said not to patrol near Baghdad gate and Adan square or there would be violence.

SPC Matsick: Is there conflict between the Iraqi Army and the Iraqi Police?

LT: The Iraqi Army is mostly a Shiite Muslim force, and the Iraqi police are Sunni. Therefore they are at odds. The two forces accuse each other of attacking the other, killing civilians and acting irresponsibly.

SPC Matsick: Does the Iraqi youth support IP's/American forces?

LT: Yes. Sometimes the American forces don't do what they say however, they promise to bring rations or to make changes in patrols and they don't. And sometimes their conduct is bad. This sets a bad example for the young people.

SPC Matsick: Are you confident as policemen?

LT: We rely heavily on the American forces to control violence in the area, but are ready to act according to their orders.

SPC Matsick: What do you think of President Bush?

LT: He has lied to the American people, and those of Iraq as well. We still want help from him so we cooperate with what he says.

SPC Matsick: Do you think democracy will work in Iraq?

LT: No. It will only create problems. I support Iyad Allawi to be the leader of Iraq. He does not side with either Shiite or Sunni Muslims.

SPC Matsick: Where do you go on vacation?

LT: I never get more than a few days off. I don't want long vacation because I would just stay at home. There's nowhere to go in Iraq because it's dangerous to travel and most of the sites in Baghdad and the north are ruined by the war.

Notes on the Iraqi police force

One of the main goals of the troop surge is to prepare the Iraqi police force to keep control of the country when we leave. General information about the training of the forces is available from larger news sources. Here are my impressions of the force at the joint security station where I have been working for the past few months.

There are 40 or so policemen that show up for shifts although the official roster boasts well over 100. I am not impressed with their conduct and can't say much for their training. The MP's stationed with us go out on routine patrols with them. From what I can tell the Iraqi policemen are unprofessional and do things their own way. They have opened fire on civilian vehicles for questionable reasons, and I have seen them come back to the JSS injured from IED blasts and gunshot wounds on several occasions where I haven't seen any MP's or our guys injured.

They do not handle their weapons in a controlled manner the way we do, by that I mean muzzle awareness (keeping the gun pointed at the ground). That is the most detectable sign that they don't know what they're doing. There are also safety checks with a weapon that they don't do, resulting in a few accidental discharges. I have seen them carry handguns without a holster (tucked in the belt), and they have been given extendable batons, but are not trained to use them.

Although they are supposed to be trained to similar standards as our police, they do not have the same level of discipline. I have heard that the lower level officers are not respected within their group due to inexperience and the higher ups have a tough time enforcing rules and regulations regarding conduct.

After 1700 their shirts go untucked and they put on sandals. Their group seems to get along well, they eat together and have good relations. The core of the group seems to be devoted to the job, suggesting they will stay together after we leave. All in all however, they are undertrained and do not manage their resources. Every ten days they are given a ration of water which they squander with tea and quick baths, cleaning their face and hands. The result is that they ask for water from our supply and we have to tell them no. The same goes for fuel. They do not have enough fuel to conduct their patrols and are willing to steal from our supply. As a result we have to run a long chain through the handles of the plastic gas cans to secure them.

Most of these policemen are the able bodied men from the village across the street. Their reach extends into the surrounding community, and there are informants and supporters which help them out. Our unit is attempting to give them a working police station so we can back out. The framework is there, but signs of progress are lacking. These guys look almost like a militia group with machine guns and AK's rather than a protective force. It might be argued that they are prepared to act rather than react to violence. Eventually they are supposed to work together with the Iraqi Army, which has a similar but farther reaching role. The two groups are somewhat at odds, and I think the Army is trained better. The guys look more serious at least.

On the personal level they seem like good people bound by their religion, Islam. I like some of them and in general our guys get along with them. This has nothing to do with the job they do however. I wish them luck, but do not expect much.

Day 146

There hasn't been much action here at the JSS, but there has been lots of time for me to visualize what I will do on leave, and when I get back from Iraq. That's better than dwelling on the past, bad memories have a way of creeping in when you're far away from home.

The JSS is slowly being upgraded from a dirty old police station into something more like a hostel. We soon will have showers, toilets and sinks in addition to bunk beds and air conditioning. Right now we have to don our vests and helmets to go to the porta potties out front just to pee. That's about to change. Iraqi workers have been sawing tile and laying concrete for the past few days, causing an uproar. They mix well with the Iraqi Police, eating and drinking tea. For lunch they have shopping bags full of vegetable pitas, which are pretty good. Last night we got some more ready to eat meals of a different variety, Jimmy Deans. They come with a small sandwich, chips, soda and cookies. Everyone is thrilled, even the guys that don't have to stay long. The bridge to Baghdad was bombed a few weeks ago which stops any large shipments of supplies to come in from the south.

The Iraqi Police are not allowed to eat our food, and as a result we have a stair guard, who watches the entrance to the food and water area. That's my job while I'm not firing the mortar, which is almost always. I had a four hour shift today, 1200 to 1600. What a bore. The IP's took our fuel cans for a while too, until we started chaining them up outside by the generators.

The generator is another issue we face here. There are three of them, two for electricity and one for phone lines and internet. The problem is keeping them fueled up, and lately the work on the building has been overloading them. The mechanic is always running in and out to check on them, coming back in sweaty with dirty hands. We jab at him every time the lights flicker.

There are boxing matches scheduled for Labor Day, but I'll miss them. Some of the guys are good at boxing, and have been training for a while. It gives them something to do and something to focus their workouts on. A lot of guys keep in shape out here. In addition to being infantry, there's a lot of downtime.

We took fire from the south and west last night while me and another guy from my squad were out refueling the stryker. The enemy initially fired at a convoy a few hundred meters up the road, and then at the rooftop. This is a very common occurrence, and we hardly stopped to question what was going on. I calmly walked to fuel cans back to the fuel point as I looked up at the tracer rounds pumping out of the 240. We have been lucky with not having any casualties here at the JSS, although there have been several in our company.

Day 134

I am stuck here at the JSS for a double shift totalling more than ten days. There isn't much to do here for the mortars, we're just on standby. It sounds interesting going out on patrol but it's so hot out there I'd rather not. For the first five days I pulled guard on the roof with fourth platoon. Three hour shifts twice a day from 0300-0600 and then 1500-1800. It gets so hot up there on the roof that the corporal in charge of our four man team told me to go downstairs and 'lower my core temperature.' I thought it was a bit funny but he wasn't joking. The vest we wear weighs a good 30lbs. and with the helmet and weapon you have to drink water continuously. Wouldn't it be great if we took fire, I thought to myself. There were some pop shots down at the flea market 500yds away, but I couldn't identify a target. Sometimes they just fire their AK's around like toys.
There has been some action outside the wire, one of the snipers shot a suspected terrorist who fled from a vehicle with a rifle. An Iraqi man was escorted to the medic station by the Iraqi police after someone stole his truck and shot him in the crotch for resisting. The bulk of the cases our medics treat here are Iraqi citizens and the Iraqi police. Occasionally one of our guys will come in badly dehydrated but that's about it.
General Patraeus and another general came around this past week on separate occasions, but I missed them both. I had to pull gate guard, where you block the entrance to the compound with the stryker. I did however manage to swipe a coin from the second general, one of the other guys didn't want it. The generals hand out coins randomly based on merit. The visits were the highlight of the week, besides the new weight set they put in upstairs. That means that everyone can do bench presses instead of sitting around.
One day I was pulling radio guard outback in the stryker. I was standing up in the hatch getting some fresh air when I heard a whistling sound like a roman candle or something. They fired an RPG at the rooftop but missed. It exploded in the field on the other side, and then they shot at us and fled. We fired back and the whole thing was over quickly. They fired the 240 from the roof right over my head, and man was it loud. anytime a weapon is pointed in your direction it is much louder. Another time late at night I was standing up looking around, which I'm not supposed to do and there was a large fluorescent burst and a crack from a bat flying into the power lines. The guys were laughing about it over the radio. That's about all there is for real excitement out here besides DVD's and reading and some card playing. Everyone plays spades. I'm starting to smell bad and want to go back and relax and eat real food. All that's left is MRE's and self heating beans in a can. God bless America.

Day 118

After a six day shift at the JSS our mortar team is back at camp Taji for six days off. There was an air assault mission in which two of our team members helped raid a number of houses to confiscate weapons and capture suspected terrorists. I didn't go because they didn't need more people. I had mixed feelings about this; it sounded kind of exciting and boring at the same time. At first were told that our mortar team would set up outside of the village to fire white illumination rounds to light up the sky. We would have to wait a few hours to fire only a few rounds and not witness any of the action. Of course it's much safer to be removed from the actual raid. I don't get worked up over these missions because the details change as the event gets closer. There is continuous planning and changes to the structure of the mission. So I sit and wait until it's actually time to go and my team leaders give me direct orders. Other teams say they've been working very hard in comparison to us. a mortar team for a different company said they did two missions in addition to the air assault mission I described and they were exhausted. So maybe we're just cooling our jets. I don't mind, that gives me time to read books and stay in shape. Boredom has become my main concern. We did provide fire support for Bravo company one day last week. they called for fire some time in the afternoon. I'm not sure what the target was but it was for real this time.

Specialist Bowles, a member of the other mortar team on our squad will receive an article 15 for an accidental discharge into a clearing barrel. He didn't clear his weapon properly upon returning to the gate and fired off a round still in the chamber. It was unlucky that the company executive officer was standing behind him when it happened. So he'll be demoted and lose some money. This is another case where I don't pay attention to the details until it actually happens.

Guys have started going on leave. Initially leave was for 14 days, but they have extended it to 18. This is in addition to the week or so you must spend in Kuwait before shipping back, so you're really out of the action for a month or so. There are also guys that are going home for this or that reason, like settling a divorce or a family member's funeral. I go on leave in October. My destination is the Dominican Republic.

Day 101

Another three day shift at the JSS is over and without any mishaps. I filled the time mostly with reading and sleeping, although there was some work. We had to fill hesco barriers outside the larger concrete barriers which surround the compound. Although a bulldozer filled the large wire mesh containers, it took human hands to put them in place. They came folded up on the backs of trucks and took as many as ten men to move them, stand them up and unfold them like accordians. Much is being done to fortify our position and maximize safety, although I think 15 foot high concrete barriers are enough. We did all the work under the cover of night. Occasionally convoys would pass and light us up with their headlights and the sergeants would yell in protest. Right outside the barriers is a good place to get shot.

There is a dog that follows us around and hangs out by the front door. We have given him the name rusty due to his reddish color. Most of the dogs are strays of a mixed breed, but this one appears to have been a pet. The Iraqi police don't like the dog, they say it's dirty and see it as a pest. I agree and won't touch it, however most of the guys like him.

One day a man had a heart attack in the village across the way and they brought him over for treatment. Our medics are clearly more qualified and have more equipment than any doctor in the area so sometimes they bring sick people to see us in emergencies. They brought him in on a stretcher and saved his life.

The Iraqi police are beginning to seem more like normal people as we learn their customs and vice versa. We share magazines like Maxim with pictures of women and new cars and watches and comment on them. Some of them know English words so we can piece together conversations. They aren't trained very well and it shows in the way they carry their weapons and conduct themselves. Their are military police from Fort Drum stationed at the compound as well, training them to be policemen.

Day 89

There's not much action outside the wire for my squad. A lot of sitting around and waiting. One day we fired four mortar rounds at an unspecified target. The next night we fired illumination rounds (flairs that burn for 30 seconds or so) in order to see what effect it would have. There is a curfew in place and anyone prowling around at night will be shot.
The joint security site was attacked by bombers this past week. A man in a dumptruck full of explosives drove right up to the gate and blew up. I was in the stryker when it happened. You could only have seen it from the second story roof because of the large concrete barriers surrounding the building. I felt the wave of the explosion though. No one was hurt, but it left a crater ten feet deep. The next day there was another bombing at the train station across the road. The whole side of the building was blown out. Apparently whoever occupies the 'train station' these days sympathizes with the Iraqi army.
I talked with an Iraqi interpreter who shed some light on the conflict brewing in the country. He said that there are different factions, not necessarily divided by religion but by region or political interest. The Iraqi parliament is in disarray and there is constant fighting between the members. Representatives are killed, threatened and disobeyed. It seems there is no way to take control besides military action. There is no telling whose side the bands of unofficial Iraqi police are on. The people in the villages and communities are caught between taking action and supporting their leader and obeying the threats of terrorists that threaten their lives. In fact, many of the people that attack our compound are not criminals themselves, but are forced into service by threats to their families. Many of the suicide bombers have their hands taped to the steering wheel. The bombs are then detonated with a remote device, or once in place the explosives are shot from afar.

There was a small 4th of July celebration yesterday at the barracks. We played volleyball and ate hamburgers and hot dogs. All of the commanding officers were there. It was uncomfortable because of the heat and the situation we're in. I forced down some food and talked with a few people I hadn't seen in a while.

Day 81

Things are kind of boring here. Our team has sunk into the three days on, three days off routine. It is frustrating because we don't get to fire at real targets, They just have us on standby. We go out to the stryker in full kit for a few hours a day and occasionally fire test rounds.

One day a sergeant called in on the radio saying they were taking mortar fire. He got us a grid to fire at, and once we got the necessary approval from all the higher ups it turned out that we couldn't fire because another unit was occupying that area. It's like having your hands tied. Occasionally the guards up on the roof will take fire from the fields or the edge of the palm groves in the distance. Just a few shots from an AK sends a ton more people up to the roof to start firing at an unknown target. Even if they see where they were, they quickly scurry away leaving us to fire our big machine guns into the dirt.

On the other hand things are going smoothly. The hit and run mortarman has not landed a round inside the compound for days. We targeted a suspected location and fired some mortar rounds to let him know we can hit back. The bravos are hauling in suspected terrorists for questioning from their raids and from anonymous tips. Word has it we're making more progress in the area than previous units. Credit is due to our commanding officer and the rest of the leadership.

I continue to read action novels to the point of eye strain. Right now I'm finishing up 'Brotherhood of the Rose' By David Morrel, then it's on to 'The Lost World', sequel to 'Jurassic Park'.

Day 68

Things have changed a bit and our mortar squad has been assigned to the JSS forward observer base. We have two four man teams that will rotate out every five days or so. The JSS as it's called is located in an area known for terrorist attacks. They fire their mortars at us almost every day and they're pretty accurate. We have to get in full kit; vest, helmet, weapon and eye protection, any time we leave the building. If they fire at us, our mortar team waits for a grid (target coordinates) to fire back. Unfortunately it's hard to locate them and we feel like sitting ducks. Our mortar team is a new addition to the team of infantrymen that stand guard over and patrol around the compound.
The building we occupy is shared with the Iraqi police force. They are generally not to be trusted and are considered crooked. The building itself is light blue and has camo netting on top. The camo net looks like tackle used for fishing which makes it look like a marina or a seafood restaurant, strangely enough. The inside is dingy with supplies stacked up the walls. At least there's air conditioning and a refrigerator for cold drinks.
The other night they had us working. The second cavalry unit just handed over the building to us and we want to set it up our way. About 40 of us filled sand bags for an hour or so then unloaded 5 pallets of bottled water from the back of a flatbed truck. They sent us all kinds of goodies like chips and soda and fruit too. It took an hour or so to unload all the boxes off the truck and then hand them up the stairs. We all had our vests and helmets and weapons which makes it all the harder. I just wish more was getting done over here, a lot of our resources and man power is going to waste. Slowly we're catching the bad guys. But we can only delay the inevitable, which is a clash between the shiites and sunnis to decide their new government.

Day 59

Time has been going fast. I haven't been able to make it to the computer because we have been busy with patrols. Routines in the army generally get easier as time goes on, but it can be tough to get the ball rolling. My job is to pull rear guard out the back of the stryker vehicle Alpha 51 attached to 4th platoon. We go out in convoys of 3 vehicles or more (usually more) and guard the highway that connects Baghdad to the north. A lot of roadside bombs are planted along this route and every so often insurgents will attack with small arms fire and RPG's. We've taken a few casualties.
So we get a mission - You're going out with three other vehicles from 0000 to 0600 to patrol route tampa. We gear up the stryker with the mortar equipment a few hours early, get radio communications set, and coordinate with the other vehicles. Then we roll out the gate and sit on the median enforcing curfew. Sometimes we are with abrams tanks, heavy armor humvees and strykers. We have to wait for them, because there's no way to identify them.
My vehicle has been lucky enough not to "hit contact" in over ten missions. This is lucky. This is also not to say that we haven't run into trouble. A suicide bomber blew himself up at the Iraqi army traffic control checkpoint. Civilians have been shot on our shift and bombs have hit convoys very close to us.
Last night we went to the Iraqi army compound to stay the night. We were a quick reaction force if needed. Me and the driver of our vehicle, PFC Thompson ventured into the compound itself, an old building stripped to the essentials. There was a squad of Iraqi soldiers hanging out in one of the rooms and they welcomed us. We proceeded to play dominoes, watch some TV and then eat food. They put a tray of vegetables and beef patties on a small table on the floor. We removed the dominoes from the table and loaded the vegetables into pita bread and ate. Then we had tea. What nice people. I new some words in Arabic and they could pick up enough English that we could have a conversation. The food was fit for the weather and left us with a good feeling in our stomachs.

Day 40

I have been in Iraq for a few weeks now. Patrols started not long ago and there has been some action, but not for my squad. We've been assigned to the night shift which is uneventful and safe. We ride up and down "route Tampa and make sure no one plants roadside bombs. We wear night vision goggles and use thermal sites to see better. There is almost nothing the enemy can do against us directly at night. As soon as they attack us we will fire back and conduct a full search of the area. I've got it easy. Other platoons go to the villages and talk to people and put themselves in danger. I just sit in the truck and pull guard. There will be all kinds of missions from what I hear, not like I'm off the hook.
Life at camp Taji is not what I would call pleasant, but it's livable. The roads are not paved, but a truck rolls around every so often and sprays water on the road to keep the dust down. One of the most exciting things to do is go to the PX where you can buy whatever personal items you need. My squad goes there almost every day. I try to save as much as possible but some things you've gotta have. Back at the barracks they've built for us, known as surge housing, we live about thirty to a room in bunk beds. Buses take us to the PX and the rec center and chow hall because they haven't built us that stuff near our housing yet. One of the main complaints is that we don't have a gym. I haven't been getting much exercise and have been eating, I'm not in tip top shape anymore. This tour is going to fly by I can tell. We're always busy.