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.