bandit.three.six

I'm Home

2006-11-24T12:46:00.000+03:00

As of the day this picture was taken, I had been deployed for just over a year. The last time I had seen my son (on R&R) he was 10 days old, now he's almost 5 months. My sweetie, bless her heart, is no longer a single-mom, though I must say that she did a great job while she was. Now I get to learn how to be a dad.

I would like to thank the friends I've made over the last year through this blog, your support has helped me immeasurably and I thank you all for it. My plea is that no one forgets that we still have troops in harm's way and they still need your support. They need to know that there are people back home who still think that what they're doing is good and right, because it is.

Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers, they DO make a difference.

Letting Go

2006-11-10T16:24:00.000+03:00

*** I had originally titled this post "Hurry Up & Wait", but after writing it I thought I should rename it to something a bit more appropriate ***

It's all over but the flying now. I have officially been replaced. I've turned over my key, my cell phone, my desk, my computer, my responsibilities. I am now excess baggage as far as Iraq is concerned. But that's ok, the military is funny that way. It's the goal of the military to work itself out of a job.

Take Iraq for example - when we accomplish our mission here we will no longer be needed. We're building an Army and taking out the bad guys. Once the Army that we're building is capable of taking out the bad guys without our help, we'll be able to go home. We're working ourselves out of a job.

Anyway, I'd rather not get too deep in thought right now. It's still taking some getting used to to realize that if there's a problem that I'm not the one to fix it. Phones ring and I jump to answer it. People knock on the door to ask for help and I turn to assist. It's tough to give up that responsibility, to not be the go-to guy. I have to keep reminding myself that it's someone else's turn, that it's not my show anymore, that if I see things going a direction that I don't think they should go that it's not my place to adjust their course. It's what I think it's like to drop a kid off at college, you're confident that they'll do well, but it's not in your hands anymore to make sure they do.

So now I just sit and wait. Predicting the next several weeks is fuzzy at best. We have general ideas for when things will occur, but they're all subject to mission requirements. I've learned that when you're in transit you MUST have something to occupy your time that isn't battery operated as the bateries will likely die before you get where you're going. Books fill this void nicely, so does planning. Planning for the future, for things I want to do with my family, people I want to see again, people I don't, places I want to go, clothes I want to wear that aren't ACU patterned, so on and so forth, it's one of those 'set your mind free' kind of things.

Unless something happens that is really interesting and is something that I can share, I likely won't be making another post from here in Iraq. Don't be mistaken though, this doesn't mean that after publishing this post I'm going to go get on a helo out of here, I just think it's a good thing to sort of make a clean break, I think it helps with letting go.

When Nicknames Stick

2006-11-07T11:04:00.000+03:00

I think I did a bad thing during the handover. Ya see, the new guy bears a striking resemblance to me - same haircut, same glasses, same general features though my face is a bit thinner. The main difference between us is that I'm about 10 inches taller than he is.

I was introducing the new guy to a couple of the people I work with who still have some time here and one of them (we'll call him Bill) commented on how similar we looked. I responded by chuckling and saying, "Yeah, he's my very own 'Mini-Me', haha."

A couple days later my replacement was sitting at my desk (as he should be) so I decided to go for a walk. I ran into a group of people I work with and started chatting with them when Bill walked up and asked, "Hey, where's the new guy?" Before I could answer, someone else who hadn't been introduced to the new guy yet asks, "Who? You mean LT's Mini-Me?" I looked over at Bill who was cringing because the other person had made such a blunder as to call the new guy by his nickname in front of me.

I stood there for a moment trying to comprehend what I had done. People who had never even seen him already knew him as a smaller version of me, as my 'Mini-Me'. With one simple reference to a popular comedy linking my replacement with a bald, pale, pinky-nibbling dwarf, I had set the new guy up for failure. I looked down to aviod making eye contact with anyone and shook my head in disgust at what I had done while doing my best to stifle my laugh which only made matters worse. I fear that I have branded him before he had the chance to brand himself.

Saddam Guilty

2006-11-05T12:09:00.000+03:00

1201 - Just heard it on the news, Saddam is guilty and the sentence is death. I'll post updates as the day goes on. Now where'd I put my kevlar...

1230 - First sound of gunfire. Sounds pretty close.

1315 - Initial celebratory gunfire didn't last long, though I'd be willing to bet that it was only the first round. I bet that when night sets in there will be a lot more, you can't really see tracers so well during the day.

1430 - Still pretty quiet, haven't heard any gunfire in the last couple hours.

1500 - Ambassador Khalizad releases a statement on the verdict. Read it here.

1800 - Night fell about a half-hour ago and still no major gunfire. A few pops every now and then, but nothing unusual.

2215 - I've heard a few explosions over the last few hours, but nothing that I'd say is extraordinary. On my end it seems like the heightened security did it's job. Now we just have to see how long until the die-hard knuckleheads start shooting again, but I'm willing to bet that following the verdict that a good portion of the Saddam loyalists will call it quits. I'm hoping that the appeal will be handled quickly and that we'll see this guy swinging from the nearest palmtree sometime soon.

Stuk in Irak

2006-11-02T16:10:00.000+03:00

Won uf my Soldjurs cent me ths pikshur and i cudnt stop laffing!

UPDATE

These troops inspired me! ... to post my own picture, but I chickened out. I know, I know, I don't get to have any fun.

And can you believe they're already making T-shirts?!

My Bags Are Packed

2006-11-02T12:23:00.000+03:00

What you see here is everything I'll be heading home with. A backpack with a map sack attached, a duffel bag, a laptop bag, and a foot locker (the black case on the bottom). I've moved out of my room into a tent and I'll be living out of these bags until I get home. I won't actually be traveling with the foot locker because I like to travel light so I'll be mailing that right before I roll out. That way I can still pack things up until the last day and my sweetie won't have to try and drag it home from the post office.

The 'go-home' day isn't here yet, but it's quickly approaching. Each day I'm getting more and more out of the operations loop and my replacement is taking over. I find that when the people we work with here go to him for something that I start to feel slighted, but then I remember that this is what's supposed to be happening and that the more it happens the closer I get to going home. It's tough to let go of the leadership position, but I just have to remind myself that letting go here means grabbing hold back home.

The unit that will be replacing my guys has finally landed. The guy who will be my replacement has been here for a while to help get thins set up for when the rest of his unit arrives. Now that they're here we can really start making a transition. It still doesn't feel real to me that I'll be getting out of here for the last time soon. Maybe it will set in when I'm actually on my way back, maybe when I set foot on home soil, maybe when I hug my wife and son, maybe weeks after that. I know in my head that I'm going to be going home soon, I just don't feel it yet.

One Day Closer

2006-10-30T15:00:00.000+03:00

Well, I'm no longer accountable for any property here in Baghdad. At least none that I signed for while I was here. It's a good day when your replacement can sign what used to be your property book and everything is accounted for.

Inventories are the bane of just about everyone in the military. I hesitate to say everyone because somewhere out there is a masochist who just loves to crawl through dusty storage closets and squint his beady little eyes to read serial numbers on widgets just so that he can get another bullet on his evaluation. I, however, am not one of these creatures, but I do make a concerted effort to do a good job because if I don't I could go to jail.

There are some pieces of equipment that if lost through my negligence I could become a guest of the federal government at sunny Ft. Leavenworth where I would get to make big rocks into little rocks for a number of years. I keep this cheery thought in the front of my mind whenever it comes time to do inventories and it does a lot to motivate me to do a good job. On the other end of the spectrum, there are some things that if lost I would simply have to fork over the money to replace them. While this isn't as motivating as not going to a federal "pound-me-in-the-_ _ _" penatentary, I'd still rather not have to spend the money.

For this inventory, not only did I not lose any equipment, but neither did any of my Soldiers. None of us have to pay for new equipment and none of us will become Bubba's special lady. That makes me happy.

In much more significant news ... when was the last time you heard a civilian body count? I sure haven't been hearing those headlines of "Hundreds die every day in Baghdad" like I used to. Could that maybe be because civilians aren't being killed by the hundreds? ... curious

Maybe it has something to do with the Iraqi Security Forces. Listen to what MG Caldwell had to say about them:

In total today, there are six of 10 Iraqi army divisions in the lead, 30 of 36 Iraqi brigades, and 90 of 112 Iraqi battalions in the lead. And we operate in support of them. All across Iraq, we continue to see an increasingly capable Iraqi security force continuing to take the lead. [And let's not forget two whole provinces!]
There have been isolated clashes recently in locations around Iraq between the militias and government of Iraq forces, such as in Amarah, Diwaniyah. We've seen sectarian violence in Balad and Saba al-Bor, primarily between Sunni and Shi'a. These clashes have garnered sensational headlines, however, they are not clashes that had uncontrolled continued violence. What we saw, to the credit of Iraqi security forces and local leaders, was some action. In each case, Iraqi security forces, acting on their own, played a critical role in quelling the violence within days. Local leaders, both political and religious, in coordination with Iraqi security forces, came together to take action necessary to prevent the violence from spiraling out of control.
So what we see in actions taking place all over Iraq is that Iraqis are taking charge of their country, and they're doing it valiantly. Violence will flare up again in areas that are under Iraqi control. The question will be, can they handle these situations themselves? In all these incidents they did; they responded and they returned calm to the areas. The Iraqis brought an Iraqi solution to an Iraqi problem, which is precisely the strategy for Iraq.

Yeah ... it's quite the quagmire here. Ya know, I don't claim that the strategy or our execution of it is perfect, but what I do claim is that it is working. People portray things as lost and beyond control, that everything we're doing is 180 degress off course in order to further their agenda, whatever it may be. These people are wrong. There may be a better way to win this war, but this is the way we're doing it and we are winning.

B36 News - 25 October 2006

2006-10-25T13:07:00.000+03:00

PT tests, inventories, weapons ranges... we've been really busy here lately. The busyness comes in bursts though. Half of the day will be spent twiddling our collective thumbs, something will happen and the rest of the day is spent running around like madmen with our hair on fire.

It's all ok though. Whatever hoops they put me through, I jump with a smile on my face because I know that I'll be headed home soon.

The news has been looking pretty good lately too. Of course all you're hearing in the MSM is body counts, car bombs, sectarian violence, blah, blah, blah... To the collective 'Chicken Little Media' I only wish to quote General Casey:

The tearing down that our enemies do is infinitely easier than the building up that Iraq requires after three decades of neglect. But building is what Iraq needs, and we have committed $400 million already to projects in support of the Baghdad effort, with almost 600 more million dollars in additional projects to kick in here over the next couple of months

Make no mistake about it, we are in a tough fight here in the center of the country and in Anbar province. But I think it's important to remind people that 90 percent of the sectarian violence in Iraq takes place in about a 30-mile radius from the center of Baghdad; and that secondly, 90 percent of all violence takes place in five provinces. This is not a country that is awash in sectarian violence. The situation is hard, but it's not a country that's awash in sectarian violence.

The American people already know what a magnificent job the men and women of their armed forces are doing here, and we continue to be grateful for their continuing support. But they should also know that the men and women of the armed forces here have never lost a battle in over three years of war. That is a fact unprecedented in military history. They and our Iraqi security forces continue to carry the fight to the enemy every day, and I continue to be in awe of their courage, their agility, their resourcefulness, and their commitment. You can be confident that our service men and women are well-trained, well-equipped, and well-led.

And here's my challenge to the American media:

How about you take the knife out of the back of the those of us who protect your freedoms and stick it in the evil-doers who would pull said knife from our back only to cut our head off with it.

These Chicken Littles say that troops are doing a magnificent job in spite of our civilian leadership. I say we're doing a magnificent job in spite of the subversion of the media.

General Pace, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, held a press briefing in which he tactfully and subtly leveled the same accusation at the media. Basically he said that the bad guys know that the will of the American people is what allows the military to do its job and that the media was doing a good job of helping them defeat that collective will. To all you 'average Americans' out there, this means that the bad guys are trying to make you think it's not worth it and we should come home... this is what the bad guys are saying, sound familiar?

Oh yeah, let's not forget Anbar. The Iraqi Army assumed security responsibility for more of Anbar during the week. This is in spite of media reports claiming Anbar was 'lost'. Also, in the Salah ad Din province, which borders Baghdad to the north east, the tribal leaders followed the example of those in Anbar and are coming together to help secure their province. Shia and Sunni working together to make life better for everyone.

The New Guys

2006-10-23T17:44:00.000+03:00

Well, my replacement has been here for a few days and I've almost totally got him spun up on how to do my job, but that doesn't mean that I'll be leaving any sooner though. There's a date in the near future that someone picked from a calendar as the magic day when I pass off my cell phone to the new guy and put him in charge and until that day comes it doesn't matter how competent he is, I'm the one who get's poked in the eye if something goes wrong.

It's interesting to talk with him and listen to how he thinks things should be run. I remember when I first landed here and talked with the guy I was replacing. I listened to all the things he complained about and worked up solutions to his problems in a matter of seconds. "Wow, this place is messed up! I'm going to turn this place around! I'm going to fix everything!" I said to myself back then. Now as I hear him saying things much the same as I did I realize that it's more of a relay race than a contest of who can do better. The guys before me started from zero and handed me the baton at 50 meters which I percieved to be zero. Now that I've moved it forward another 50 meters, the new guy thinks that he's starting at zero again just like I did.

I guess it's a good thing though. If he landed here, looked around and said to himself, "Ok, I just gotta go through the motions for a year and go home," then nothing would improve. One day, about a year from now, he'll look back and think something simliar to what I'm thinking now as he's getting his replacement ready.

The countdown to home continues.

B36 News - 18 October 2006

2006-10-18T12:18:00.000+03:00

The days are starting to run together now and I imagine that this phenomena will only get worse ... or better depending on your point of view. It's nice because time seems to go faster, but that also means that I run the risk of missing deadlines. I haven't yet, but only because of reminders from my NCOs and my To-Do list.

When I first deployed I had two foot lockers, a ruck sack, a laptop bag, and a duffel bag. A year later I'm headed back with four foot lockers, a back pack (smaller than a ruck sack), and a laptop bag. Some stuff I used up, some I already sent home, some stuff is in the same wrapper it was when I was first issued it, some stuff I'll wear until I step off the bus at home. Both coming and going, the foot lockers were shipped so I didn't have to mess with transporting them myself, but stumbling off a bus while balancing a ruck sack, duffel, laptop case, a weapon, and body armor isn't what I'd call a good time. On the way back I plan to limit myself to the back pack, laptop case, weapon, and body armor. Each piece can be worn or slung over a shoulder and I will still have use of my hands so I can squeeze my wife and hug my kid when I see them.

Anyway, good things are still happening in Iraq, check these stories out:

Anbar Progress
Remember this map? It shows you how much of the country is under Iraqi military/police control. Notice Anbar? Yeah, it's the big white area on the left. No worries though, the 7th Iraqi Army Division responsible for the province is beginning to assume more and more of their territory.

1st Battalion of the 1st Brigade of the 7th IAD assumed a portion of the Ramadi area on 14 October. Let me remind everyone that our goal here is not to kill every last terrorist in the country, but to diminish their (the terrorists) capacity to operate while building the Iraqi Security Forces so that they can maintain security in Iraq and free us up to come home. These kind of events are excellent milestones along that path- along the path of progress and victory.

Supplies
Without supplies no military force in the world can operate, including the bad guys. Troops from the 10th Mountain Division conducted Operation Commando Hunter in the Yusufiyah area which is 20 miles southwest of Baghdad and rounded up 78 weapons caches. Rocket launchers, RPGs, dynomite, 82mm mortars, IEDs, machineguns, AK 47s, Dragunov sniper rifles... the list goes on and on. Think of this kind of stuff as preventative surgery - there will be that much less of a body count now because these troops captured this stuff.

Transport
Tying the previous two stories together is this one. Supplies do no good if they can't get to where they're needed, but thanks to the 4th Motor Transport Regiment of the 4th Iraqi Army Division that will be less of a problem now.

The 4th MTR recently took the lead of it's own operations which means that it now answers to an Iraqi command structure or more importantly, it takes orders from the Iraqi command structure. Without the beans and bullets in the right place at the right time, the troops that conduct combat operations won't be able to do their job. With the 4th MTR in the lead now, the Iraqi military is that much closer to sustaining itself.

Ask A Troop Sunday

2006-10-15T15:07:00.000+03:00

Chances are you know the drill, but on the off chance you don't, this is your chance to ask or say anything to a Soldier in the US Army that you've ever wanted. Just bear in mind that whatever answer I give is mine alone and should not be considered an official DoD statement.

FAMILYDAY

2006-10-15T09:52:00.000+03:00

The picture on the left is the last picture of Mark that I took before getting back on the bus/train/plane back to Iraq, he was about 10 days old in this picture. The picture on the right is the newest picture that my sweetie has sent me. Mark is about 3.5 months old in this one.

When I look at the newer pictures of Mark my initial thought is, "Hey, that's a cute kid!" Then I remember that he's MY kid.

Before troops go back home, the Army sends us to a bunch of different briefings that try and prepare us for life outside the war zone. In one of those briefings we hear a guy tell us that even though we've been gone for a year that the world has kept spinning and that things have changed back home. "It won't be the same as when you left," they tell us.

When I first left for Iraq, my wife was barely (emphasis on barely) showing that she was pregnant. When I came back for R&R she was 9 months pregnant and when I left again for Iraq we had an adorable little prune named Mark. Now I see pictures and videos of this little person smiling, wiggling, making noise. Yeah, things have changed.

B36 News - 13 October 2006

2006-10-13T12:10:00.000+03:00

It's something of a bitter-sweet occasion today, but a lot more sweet than bitter. I'll soon be meeting the guy who's going to replace me here and will be working to get him spun up on how things work and what his responsibilities will be. As such, my attention may have to shift more away from the blog and towards handover preperation.

While this is most assuredly NOT the last news update, the past week is probably the last full week of daily updates. I haven't really figured out what kind of schedule that I'll keep posting on, but rest assured I'll still do my part to help raise awareness of the progress we're making.

I'm not sure if my replacement will continue the blog, I'd imagine that if he's anything like me, he'll be so busy trying to figure things out for the first few months that he'll barely have time to eat let along write in the blog. I'll pose the question, but no promises.

And now, the good news from Iraq-

'Lost' Anbar
Remember when it was reported that Anbar was 'lost' to the insurgents? I guess the 300 Iraqi Army Soldiers who just graduated from boot camp there in Anbar didn't hear that one.

“The (Iraqi Army’s) noncommissioned officers are really stepping up. They’re developing their own schedules and teaching all the classes,” said Army Master Sgt. Kary C. Allen, school commandant and senior advisor at the Regional Training Center here. “The instructors had a lot in front of them, and overall they’ve done an admirable job.”

Sadr City Raid
On the 10th I posted a story about a combined Coalition/ISF raid in Sadr City that resulted in the capture of IED builder. In yesterday's MNF-I press briefing, MG Caldwell released a chart with much more detailed information about that specific raid and made the following comment:

More specifically, you can see it there. You can see the troops from the operation that night coming in towards the objective site. They drove into Sadr City. Primary target -- it says two here -- it was actually five persons that were detained. There was one hostile that was killed in that engagement, but there was no escalation of force required other than that. So they were able to get the specific person in question.
The reason we went in -- that person we assessed to be an IED maker and key member of an illegal armed group that had links clearly to death squad activities. No question who this person was, and we wanted him. He had been on one of our high-value target lists, and he's now currently in detention, along with five other personnel we picked up at that site.

So I mean, we're conducting operations still throughout the city. It's not any one particular focus area. If we find somebody like this -- doesn't matter where they are -- and they're operating outside the law, we're going to go after them. We just did it on the 9th of October, just a couple days ago.

Man's Best Friend
While not strictly a "good news story", I couldn't not post this picture. It was taken by SGT Thomas Wheeler of the 138th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

B36 News - 12 October 2006

2006-10-12T12:11:00.000+03:00

I think that one of the larger reasons that so many Americans think that the war isn't going well is because they've adopted what I like to call the "microwave mentality" or M&M for short. Some people call it instant gratification, but I like to keep things simple and easy to understand so that the M&Mers don't have to waste time thinking about it for it to make sense.

Think of it like this: you grab a Crispy Crust Hot Pocket out of the freezer, toss it in the microwave, set the timer for 3 minutes and presto, you've got dinner. What the M&Mers do is apply this same logic to pretty much everything else including war; grab some troops, toss them into Iraq, set the timer and presto, you've got victory. What's so deceptive about this is that it's almost true. Take out the step where the timer is set and you've got it.

Perhaps a short review of what happened to other countries after we beat them militarily would help M&Mers understand how well we're doing:

Germany - 10 years from the end of combat ops to sovereignty despite having previously had an elected government. US troops still present.
8 May 1945 - Surrender
23 May 1947 - Establishment of West Germany Government
5 May 1955 - West Germany is sovereign
12 October 2006 - US troops still present
Japan - 6.5 years from the end of combat ops to sovereignty, never previously had elected government. US troops still present.
2 September 1945 - Surrender
3 May 1947 - Constitution is ratified
28 April 1952 - Japan is sovereign
12 October 2006 - US troops still present
Iraq - 3 years from the end of combat ops to elected government despite decades of tyranny. US troops still present
1 May 2003 - End of combat ops against Iraq
15 October 2005 - Constitution is approved
8 June 2006 - Democratically elected government is seated
12 October 2006 - US troops still present

Patience M&Mers, we're doing good over here.

IED Hunters
Raise your hand if you'd like to go looking for IEDs today. Anyone? Here's what SSG Ramon Martinez says about that,

“I want to go out there and find bombs,” said Martinez, a native of Yuma, Ariz. “It’s our job to look for, and contain, bombs. We get hit hard sometimes, but we still continue to sweep. We take it upon ourselves to look at every little thing.

“You get an attitude that comes from (terrorists) trying to blow you up. When (terrorists) put an IED out there, I’m gonna find it! That’s my contribution to this war.”

At the time this story was written, SSG Martinez had personally survived 19 IED explosions and his battalion was responsible for finding 310. It's reported that when SSG Martinez returned to his FOB he backhanded Chuck Norris who then sobbed like a little girl.

SWIFT, Iraqi Style
SWIFT was the secret program that the US used to track terrorist finances right up until the NY Times made the world aware of it. The spies of WWII wish they had it so easy as the American media.

Well the Iraqis conducted their own version of the SWIFT program on 9 October when they shut down a hawala, an informal local financial system for banking and money exchange. Bad guys were laundering money and using it to get their hands on weapons that would be used against us.

But wait, that's not all! This particular operation was kicked off because local Iraqis provided tips to the good guys. This is how it's supposed to work.

Army Strong

2006-10-11T18:26:00.000+03:00

To be perfectly honest, the first time I heard the "Army Strong" motto my first thought was some hairy, grunting knuckledragger with a club. Then I saw this video.

B36 News - 11 October 2006

2006-10-11T15:29:00.000+03:00

I had worked up a nice little narrative about my experience of the explosions that resulted from the fire at FOB Falcon, but as I reread it I started thinking OPSEC and decided that if I had to think twice about it that chances are I shouldn't post it.

According to MNF-Iraq.com's report, a bad guy's mortar landed in the ammo dump and was responsible for the fires and explosions. Let me just say that these guys were shooting blind and just happened to land a lucky shot somewhere that made a lot of pretty sparkles and loud noises that got them in the news.

Today I've been reading some of the reports in the news about last night and couldn't help but laugh at how wrong they are. Two early reports, one from Reuters and another from eCanadaNow, claimed that the explosions were actually in the Green Zone... Sounds to me like some chicken-s**t reporter was hiding in a bunker and made a quick cell phone call to his editor after hearing the first few explosions and didn't bother to make sure that he had his facts straight.

Afghanistan to Basrah
Umar Faruq had been detained in a prison in Afghanistan, but he had managed to escape only to be waxed in Basrah.

Ground forces have verified the death of Mahmoud Ahmed Mohammed Al-Rashid, also known as Umar Faruq, through DNA testing.
During a raid, Sept 25 in Basrah, ground forces killed Mahmoud Ahmed Mohammed Al-Rashid Faruq. As forces maneuvered to the objective, they received small-arms fire from suspected terrorists. Forces killed an individual wielding a firearm as they reached the objective. After taking photographs and gathering DNA evidence from the individual, ground forces left the suspected terrorist remains at the site. It was later determined through DNA gathered the individual killed was Umar Faruq.

But Iraq isn't a part of the war on terror or anything so he was probably visiting family or vacationing in sunny Basrah... nevermind the AK47 he was firing.

Quantifiable, Verifiable Progress
So you want proof that we're still making forward progress? Try this:

This week, one brigade and three battalions of the Iraqi Army assumed the lead in their areas of operation, bringing the total of Iraqi units in the lead to six Iraqi Army division headquarters, 30 brigades and 89 battalions, he said. Of the 110 bases that Coalition forces have occupied since 2003, 52 have been turned over to Iraqi control, he added.

In September, Iraqi and Coalition forces killed more than 110 terrorists and detained more than 520 suspected terrorists in 164 operations, Caldwell said. Based on information received from a recently detained al-Qaida member, Coalition forces
detained a former driver and personal assistant of Abu Ayyoub al- Masri, the purported leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, along with 31 others during a series of raids in the Baghdad area Sept. 28th.

But aren't we supposed to be bogged down in an untennable quagmire? That's what the media keeps telling us. Maybe I just don't know what I'm talking about.

B36 News - 10 October 2006

2006-10-10T12:36:00.000+03:00

Sorry for the short post today, I'm really swamped with work today so I won't have time to really dig in to the good news from around Iraq. That said, here are a few links to stories that I would like to draw people's attention to.

Also, be on the look out for the second installment of 'The Wiz Interviews' which should be coming shortly. I know he's been busy lately, but I think he'll be able to contribute sometime this weekend.

ISF Raid in Sadr City
Iraqi troops conducted a snatch-and-grab raid yesterday in Sadr City that resulted in the capture of a known IED builder.

"So what?" you ask. Let me pare it down and add emphasis: Iraqi troops captured a bomb maker in Sadr City. Good guys went into unfriendly territory and caught a bad guy.

CF/ISF Catch More Bad Guys
... this time in southern Baghdad. Coalition and Iraqi troops rolled into a neighborhood, captured a wanted bad guy, and fought their way back home with the bad guy in tow.

BlackAnthem Ops Roundup
BlackAnthem.com is a military themed news site that I've only recently came across and I find that I really like it. I would highly recommend it as a source of good military news.

In this story, the guys at BlackAnthem give a good summary of various operations from around Iraq.

B36 News - 09 September 2006

2006-10-09T12:06:00.000+03:00

So it seems that body counts are making headlines again, except that this time they belong to the bad guys. I'm referring to the battle in Diwaniyah that caused about 30 bad guys to reach room temperature which is somewhat elevated here in Iraq. Of course the media can't focus on our successes too much and are quick to mention that an Abrams tank was disabled by RPG fire, but allow me to help frame that based on reports from MNF-Iraq.com, DefenseLink.mil, and FoxNews.com.

Bad guys put up a stiff defense against a combined CF/ISF patrol that included armor assets. During the fight, as many as 10 RPG teams were engaged and 6 were eliminated, but not before they disabled one of the tanks. Disabling a tank means exactly that, it didn't explode in a fireball or burn to the ground, it was simply disabled much like a car with a flat tire. The crew of the tank made it out just fine. Once the site was secured (code for killing the bad guys or running them off) the tank was recovered; think tow-truck for tanks here.

But that wasn't the end of it. After all this, the patrol was still able to see their mission through to a successful end in the capture of a high-value bad guy. Mission complete.

Anbar Police Chief Drives On
A few days ago I posted a story about the tribes of Anbar banding together to drive terrorists from the province. PM Maliki recenlty threw his support behind their efforts to clear out the bad guys so now we just need to keep an eye on it and make sure it happens.

An example of making happens was provided by Iraqi Police Colonel Sha'ban al Obeidi. After being wounded in an ambush on his patrol, he passed on the following message to his fellow policemen

Continue to take care of the people, continue the fight. No food, no drink, no pleasure, only fighting the terrorists and eradicating them.

Troop Makes Kids Lives Better
What can one troop caught up in the war for civilization do to make a difference? SSG Valrica Pollard decided to do what she could.
Pollard said she visits the clinic whenever she gets a chance, usually about every other weekend.

After turning in the boxes of goodies, she likes to play with the Iraqi children, who get excited about new toys and the animated movies playing in the waiting area.

“Regardless of what your purpose is, you have a good feeling that you did your part,” said Pollard.

Ask A Troop Sunday

2006-10-08T12:58:00.000+03:00

Man, is it Sunday already?

During the week I weed out the occasional idiotic rant because I don't want this blog to deteriorate into a flamewar firepit that I've seen so many become. An ounce of prevention don't 'ya know.

Sundays are different though. On Ask A Troop Sunday I invite moonbats of every pursuasion to spill their bile all over the comments section in hopes of containing the child-like "did not, did too" arguments that are so pervasive on the net.

If you've got a question that you've always wanted to ask a Soldier in the US Army then now's your chance. The only disclaimer is that the answer you get will be my opinion based on my observations and experiences as a troop and in no way represents an official statement by the DoD. I also will not answer questions that my give bad guys a piece of the puzzle they can use to figure out how to hurt my buddies over here.

FAMILYDAY

2006-10-08T12:38:00.000+03:00

When my sweetie sent me this picture I wasn't sure if I should smile or put on my war face, but when I heard the story behind it I couldn't help chuckling.

It would seem that little Mark was left in the care of some kids from the youth group that my sweetie and I volunteer at while my sweetie was attending to some necessary chores. I can't recall what it was exactly that drew her away, but it was during this time that the kids hatched their diabolical plot. They put a new liner in the garbage can which was followed by an unsuspecting Mark and both were put in the middle of the room the kids were in. After completing this step of their plot, one of them produced a camera and positioned herself by the door to capture my sweetie's expression upon discovering her only child wasn't on the can, but in it.

I'm told that her expression was captured in pixels and was well worth the trouble, something of a mix between amusement and the urgent desire to shred the limbs of those responsible. I'm still looking forward to seeing that one, but I doubt I'll share it here.

It's another picture to put in the album to show girlfriends we don't approve of.

In other news, the go-home day is quickly approaching and I find that I'm starting to have to find distractions to keep from thinking about it. Unfortunately for those efforts, a lot of the tasks we're doing right now are go-home tasks so I have no choice but to think about it.

I have noticed that when I do start thinking about home, my thoughts don't extend much further past being with my family. Going places and doing things with them, heck I'm even fantasizing about sitting on the couch and napping with them.

As far as my job goes, my official title is Platoon Leader which is typically a job you get for no more than 12 months. I've had it for 15 so there's no doubt that I'll be getting moved out shortly after getting home. I've heard rumors about where they'll be assigning me and what I might be doing, but in any case it's back in Germany with my family. Right now I'd be happy to dig a hole and fill it up every day if it meant I could go home and see my sweetie and my son at the end of the day.

Even though I'm really looking forward to seeing my family again, don't be mistaken; serving my country and the people of Iraq for these last months is something that I'm extremely happy and proud to have been a part of. The day when my son is old enough to start asking questions about the world and he asks me if I was in the war will be a very proud day for me. Being able to look him in the eye and say, "Yes I was, I was in Baghdad," and answer all his questions will be one of the thrills of my life.

Rolling Victory Fast ... Again

2006-10-07T17:19:00.000+03:00

Well it's my day for the Rolling Victory Fast again and so far so good! I managed to snag something of a day off and I slept in this morning, a very welcome break indeed.

B36 News - 06 October 2006

2006-10-06T12:26:00.000+03:00

By way of www.mnf-iraq.com I got my hands on the al-Masri video which you can see below.

I did a bit of research and found that it was two months to the day between when we captured Zarqawi's 'fumbler' video and when we gave him the 500lb lobotomy. Based on this and the fact that we've been nabbing his buddies left and right, I'd say that he's got less than two months left until he's either captured or finds out if he gets his virgins.

Iraqi Troops Learn Fiber Optics
This one is particularly near and dear to me as this story is about the kinds of things that my troops do every day. Along with all of the shooter training that Iraqi troops are getting, they're also getting trained up on how to do ... my job and my troops job.

Fiber optics is a great (expensive!) way to build a network, or at least the backbone for a network. You can run it farther than you can run regular copper cable and it carries more bandwidth. It also provides the opportunity for a lot of "fiber" related jokes. In the picture above is a cross section of some fiber optics cable. On the outside all you see is the thick black cable, but inside you see several individual, color coded strands. A cable can have differing numbers of strands in it, but each cable can make half as many links as it has strands.

For example, if I had a 12 strand cable I could make 6 connections. Each connection uses two strands, one for transmitting and one for receiving.

Troops Deliver School Supplies
We don't just build and protect schools, we also supply them - and it's not just us. A combined patrol of troops from 3rd Brigade of the 5th Iraqi Army Division and US troops from the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division delivered school supplies to kids in the Diyala province.

Despite the heavy attacks from eager school children, there were no reported casualties for anyone involved. Except, I guess, for the bad guys who are being increasingly marginalized.

Macedonian SF Train Iraqis
By Spc. C. Terrell Turner
1st BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div.
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Iraqi army soldiers from 1st Platoon, 5th Special Troops Company, 3rd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division, graduated from the Macedonian-led basic combat training course Sunday at Camp Taji.

The course was designed by the Macedonian Special Forces Regiment, which is attached to 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, to supplement the training the soldiers received in basic training and to allow them to better execute their daily missions alongside the Macedonian soldiers.

“For more than 16 days, we assisted the Macedonians in providing the Iraqi soldiers with additional combat training, to include marksmanship training, two ranges, a shoot house, structure clearing procedures and first aid,” said Sgt. 1st Class Russell Coughenour, noncommissioned officer-in-charge, 3rd Bde, 9th IAD Military Transition Team. “We also focused on basic discipline and noncommissioned officer development during the training.”

Six MTT members and 28 Macedonian soldiers trained the platoon of 52 Iraqi soldiers from start to finish. The platoon will return to its area of operations to conduct military operations.

“It was fabulous,” said Coughenour. “They were a refined crew by the time they were done. They’re just a super bunch of guys.”

The training came to fruition after the Macedonian SF Regt. conducted an assessment of the Iraqi forces during some initial missions.

“Our job is to assist and advise the Iraqis,” said Capt. Zoran Ivanov, contingent commander, Macedonian SF Regt. “The training will allow them to be more confident and proficient in their training.”

The Iraqis seemed to appreciate the additional instruction.

“The training was tough, but good,” said Pvt. Ali, an infantryman with 5th STC, in his second year of service in the new Iraqi army. “I learned some new skills and they taught us things like self-confidence, duty, loyalty, respect and discipline.”

The soldiers are the first to go through the training, but not the last, Ivanov noted. Two more cycles of training are scheduled, which will mean 150 Iraqi soldiers will have gone through the additional training.

“I feel good that I graduated from this course, and I hope I will be able to fight the terrorists,” said Spc. Adel, infantryman, 5th STC. “I want my nation to be at peace.”

Ivanov said he recognized an almost instant change in the soldiers after they completed the training.

“They will go back to their units and begin going on missions after this,” he said. “The soldiers displayed lots of effort. They want to learn. At the end of the training, the difference was obvious. The ‘Scorpions’ of 5th Special Troops Company are completely different soldiers.”

The next graduating class is scheduled for late October.

B36 News - 05 October 2006

2006-10-05T12:08:00.000+03:00

There are some headlines floating around right now claiming that Al Masri, the new leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, was killed in a recent raid in Haditha. I would advise readers look past the headline and read the whole story before they start dancing in the streets.
(FoxNews) (BBC)

Al Masri Aide Captured
We may not have gotten Al Masri yet, but we got a buddy of his along with 31 of his buddy's buddy. I believe that the interrogators are using the tickly-feather-of-death technique to extract further information about insurgent actions aimed at gutting and beheading people who don't want to convert to Islam. As long as they don't make him uncomfortable I'll be able to sleep at night.

Wait, is that how it works? Or will I be able to sleep at night because the men who want to gut me and cut my head off are being hunted and killed? Anyway, what's on MTV?

ISF Take Out Terrorists
An increasingly capable ISF conducts many operations throughout Iraq, here is one that you get to hear about.

After receiving reports that bad guys were kicking people out of their houses, troops from the 2nd & 3rd Brigade of the 8th Iraqi Army Division, which is in the lead, rolled into the Obiedi area and set up a cordon and search resulting in 8 bad guys captured.

Weapons Siezed, Rape/Murder Prevented
Troops in Baghdad have had a busy few years protecting innocents and killing bad guys and the last few days are no exception. In two seperate operations troops siezed a whole heck of a lot of weapons, ammo, and explosives along with the bad guys who were trying to hide them.

On top of those siezures troops also stopped a bad guy from raping and killing a woman along the side of the road. While they were investigating they found that the bad guy had a stash of weapons and body armor.

*POOF*

One less bad guy roaming around.

Goes Around...
So what happens to those weapons once we put our hands on them? Much of it is destroyed, but some of it is finding a new home in the hands of the ISF.

By Lance Cpl. Ben Eberle
1st Marine Logistics Group
CAMP TAQADDUM -- Since March 2003, coalition forces have seized thousands of unauthorized small arms through security patrols and urban search operations.

Marines and civilians with Ammunition Platoon, Supply Company, Combat Logistics Regiment 15, 1st Marine Logistics Group (Forward), are redeploying these weapon systems into the Iraqi Army, turning insurgent resources into coalition assets.

“We need to arm our allies,” said Warrant Officer Robert P. Smith, officer-in-charge of Camp Taqaddum’s Ammunition Supply Point (ASP). “We not only need to train them on our tactics, we need to arm them with what they need to fight the insurgents.”

Thousands of weapons, mostly AK-47 assault rifles, have been brought to the ASP where a team of specialists inspects the recovered items to determine which are still operational.

“As units conduct patrols, they come up with unauthorized weapons that eventually come to one of these collection points,” said Gunnery Sgt. Mark W. Scarlata, electro-optics maintenance chief for Maintenance Company. “Our primary function is to sort the serviceable and unserviceable, authorized and unauthorized (for use by the Iraqi Security Forces).”

To determine which weapons are operational, the team forms an assembly line with each individual conducting a separate function check. The team can make basic repairs on location, such as changing a pair of hand guards or replacing a bolt assembly, said Scarlata, a 38-year-old from Lakeland, Fla.

Some of the weapons coming to the ASP are unsalvageable. Faulty trigger mechanisms, for example, commonly keep weapons from redeploying. Some weapons never have a chance for redeployment. Homemade mortar tubes and rocket-propelled grenade launchers are destroyed along with the assault rifles, shotguns and pistols that are beyond repair.

“We’ve got a good crew here, everyone’s playing their part,” added Scarlata. He refers to his team as a “hodge-podge” of Marines, some of whom have military occupational specialties as motor transportation operators, administration specialists and legal clerks.

“We give them the rundown of what to look for, and with the seven (small-arms repairmen) we have here, we’re not running into any problems,” said Scarlata.

Three of the seven specialists are civilian contractors with prior military service.

“I never expected to be here, but I decided to come out because I knew I had something to contribute,” said Chris Piepgrass, a 50-year-old from Springfield, Ore., who retired after 22 years in the Air Force. “It feels good to be a part of this.”

One of the small arms repairmen is a former Marine who is getting his first taste of a deployment to Iraq.

“I’m just doing my part to help out, turning some of these guns around and getting them into the right hands,” said Adam G. Garner, a Robbins, N.C., native. He served in the Marine Corps from 2001 to 2005.

What Garner might lack in deployment experience he makes up for in his knowledge of small arms.

He rummaged through a bin of weapons and randomly pulled out pistols and shotguns and at a glance, described their features - even where they were manufactured.

“I’ve seen Egyptian, German and Czechoslovakian Mausers,” said Garner, referring to some of the rifles he’s seen since the weapons started coming in. “Some of these (AK-47s) are more than 30 years old. They’re fairly indestructible,” he said as he gestured toward the assembly line.

Camp Taqaddum is not the only base contributing to the redeployment of seized weapons. The Marine Corps has also established collection points in Al Asad and Fallujah.

“This is going to help arm the Iraqi Army with what is authorized, giving them more of a starting point than they already have,” said Scarlata. He added that once the IA is properly trained, they can assume responsibility for the security of Iraq.

Rolling Victory Fast

2006-10-05T09:19:00.000+03:00

Mission complete!

See you again on Saturday!

Media Questions to MG Caldwell

2006-10-04T19:08:00.000+03:00

MG Caldwell is the spokesman for Multi-National Forces-Iraq, the headquarters that drives the fight in Iraq. Every week he holds a press conference here in Baghdad that is the source of the OTF maps that I post here. At the end of each brief he opens up the floor for a question and answer session with the media. Digital copies of the whole brief are published on the MNF-I.com website and I watch them all.

While watching this one I was struck by the questions that were asked of MG Caldwell and thought I would make it easy for everyone else to see what he goes up against every week. I cut together clips of the questions that these 'journalists' asked into a single video that you see here.

Operation Together Forward Update

2006-10-04T18:01:00.000+03:00

MNF-I just released the latest update on Operation Together Forward. The map on the right is from last week, on the left is this week. If you remember, last week's map was different than previous maps because they got rid of the 'hazy yellow' sections that were highlighting the neighborhoods that we were operating in. The black and yellow striped sections now illustrate areas that are being patrolled in a focused manner.

MG Caldwell can give you some more insight into exactly what these maps mean.

And while I'm at it, the picture you see here shows everything I've consumed today in support of Rolling Victory Fast.

B36 News - 04 October 2006

2006-10-04T12:32:00.000+03:00

It's a 1230 as I write this and so far I'm not feeling too hungry. I've gone 24 hrs without food before and I've been working myself up for this so I'm confident that I'll be able to make it. So far I've had one cup of coffee and half a red gatorade.

If you haven't signed up for a day to fast in support of victory (and in opposition of the nutcase surrender mom), then I'd highly advise you do! Go see the Tanker Brothers for more information!

Iraqi Air Assault
In a recent raid near Taji, north of Baghdad, Iraqi Special Ops Forces (ISOF) conducted an air assault operation to snatch a terrorist with sparkling results. Air assault is a tactic that relies on helicopter insertion much like what was seen in the popular movie Black Hawk Down. It's a technique used with a lot of success by our military and now by the Iraqi military.

The video below is an example of what an Iraqi air assault looks like. This is not footage from the actual operation.

School Opens in Babil
A small example that despite what you may be hearing in the news, good things continue to happen in Iraq. Under the storm of bad news, troops are driving on and making it happen, though not without a large helping hand from Iraqis.

The construction of this particular school was done by an Iraqi contractor who employed Iraqis and used Iraqi materials. The building of the school cost about $128,ooo and all that money went directly into the local economy through the workers and the suppliers, not to mention the benefit that the school will provide to the children of the community who had previously had to walk 10 miles to the nearest school ... uphill ... both ways.

Support for PM Maliki
Despite the recent rumors of a coup and the car bombing threat in the IZ, PM Maliki continues to unite Iraq and help make life better for his people. To help combat the sectarian division in th government, PM Maliki announced a four point plan that called for the creation of local committees whose members hail from each sect, ethnicity, political party and tribe in the district they represent. This way if one group feels like they are being ignored or abused their representative can raise the issue in the committee.

Lawmakers from each stripe agreed to support this plan - Sunni, Shia, Kurd, they all agreed that this was a good idea. Now it's just a matter of making it happen.

UPDATE!!!
Remember the Doc?
Last Friday I posted a story about Navy Seaman Samuel L. Blanco, a corpsman attached to RCT 5 west of Fallujah in Anbar province. Today I came across this picture of the Doc and couldn't help but post it here.

Rolling Victory Fast

2006-10-04T08:21:00.000+03:00

Today is my day to fast in the Rolling Victory Fast sponsored by the Tanker Brothers! It's 0800 and I've had precisely nothing to eat. If you'd like to know why I'm chosing to abstain from food for 24 hours, you can read more about it on the Tanker Brother blog. I'll also be following this up with another fast on Saturday!

When's your day?

B36 News - 03 October 2006

2006-10-03T12:09:00.000+03:00

I was looking at my referral list on my hit counter yesterday and came across an unusually high number of hits from WillToExist.com, a milblog run by a fellow patron of the IZ. When I checked out his website I saw that he had posted a link to my blog as an alternative to his own as he's getting ready to redeploy (go home).

It got me thinking about how I'm going to handle this blog once I follow his lead and vacate my spot in the IZ, a day that's not too far away (big smile here). I think that once we start to really buckle down with getting ready to roll out of here I'll drop back to only posting the news once or twice a week and continue that pace once I get back as most of my free time will be put into my family.

ISF Own Fallujah
Yesterday in a ceremony held in Fallujah, the 4th Brigade of the 1st Iraqi Army Division was turned over to Iraqi control. Fallujah is one of the larger cities in the Anbar province, a province that I've revently been focusing on in reaction to the negative coverage.

To followup on the 'Optimistic in Ramadi' story I posted yesterday, I found this clip of COL MacFarland talking about why things are improving in Ramadi.

ISF Own Diyala
In another ceremony yesterday, Iraqi troops from the 3rd Brigade of the 5th Iraqi Army Division also took responsibility for their area of operations. With the 3rd Brigade now under Iraqi control, all of Diyala is protected by Iraqis so the next time you see a graphic highlighting the areas of Iraq controled by Iraqis you'll see a lot more green.

Iraqi Army Schools
Training is a big deal in the US military. We are trained by the best in everything we do so that we can become the best, be it shooting, driving, or building communications networks. The Iraqi Army is using the same model to train their troops in their areas of expertise, and one job that has no room for untrained troops is explosive ordnance disposal (EOD).

EOD is the group of guys who are responsible for destroying IEDs, they're the bomb squad, and in Iraq there is plenty of opportunity to perfect your skills as an EOD technician.

B36 News - 02 October 2006

2006-10-02T12:08:00.000+03:00

Yeah, so we almost had a bang-up weekend here.

That knucklehead that got picked up for trying to blow up some car bombs was looking to blow them up here. Understand though that the last ground attack was back in 2004, it doesn't mean that we're safe forever, but it does mean that the guys who are responsible for making sure that the IZ stays "heavily fortified" are doing a good job of it. I slept just as good after hearing about this as I did before I heard it, it's not a macho thing, just that if I worried about every threat or possibility for attack I'd be wound so tight I'd snap.

To the troops who put the flexcuffs on this guy - good job, thanks for making me safe.

Sadr Backs His Thing Up
If images of the rotund Sadr gettin' jiggy don't send you into a fit of laughter then they'll send you to the hospital and I'm sorry for that. However, images of Sadr telling his militiamen to back down from confrontations with the Iraqi and Coalition forces though should make everyone happy. It's taken a while and a couple good battles, but it seems that Sadr is getting the idea that he isn't above the law.

According to the reports, Sadr gave his leaders the following instructions:

Reduce the size of units to 75 fighters, from as many as 400, to make the units more manageable.
Issue new identification cards to Mahdi army members to replace IDs that have been forged.
Send every member to an orientation course that would outline the group's mission.
Lay down weapons temporarily.

Optimistic in Ramadi
COL MacFarland of the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division says that the situation in Ramadi has tipped in favor of the good guys. Ramadi is located in the Anbar province which had been getting a lot of bad media recently after a leaked classified report was interpreted as portraying the situation as a stalemate. Well, even if that was true, now with the support of the majority of the tribes in Anbar, the Iraqi government is set to put a hurtin on the bad guys.

If I was someone who was interested in what was going on in Iraq, I'd keep an eye on Anbar in the next few months.

SGT Leigh Ann Hester
On 20 March 2005, one squad of MPs escorting a supply convoy was ambushed by 34 bad guys. After applying a hearty helpin' of whoopass there was one squad of MPs escorting a supply convoy while 27 bad guys were dead, 6 were wounded and one was captured. SGT Hester was awarded the Silver Star for her part in the fight.

Hester, 23, who was born in Bowling Green, Ky., and later moved to Nashville, Tenn., said she was surprised when she heard she was being considered for the Silver Star.
"I'm honored to even be considered, much less awarded, the medal," she said.
Being the first woman soldier since World War II to receive the medal is significant to Hester. But, she said, she doesn't dwell on the fact. "It really doesn't have anything to do with being a female," she said. "It's about the duties I performed that day as a soldier."
Hester, who has been in the National Guard since April 2001, said she didn't have time to be scared when the fight started, and she didn't realize the impact of what had happened until much later.
"Your training kicks in and the soldier kicks in," she said. "It's your life or theirs. ... You've got a job to do -- protecting yourself and your fellow comrades."

If being interrogated by a woman is an outrage on a bad guy's personal dignity, I wonder what getting killed by one is.

Ask A Troop Sunday

2006-10-01T13:01:00.000+03:00

I met this 'little' guy early Thursday morning as I was getting ready for my first meeting of the day. I had just sat down at my desk and was leaning forward on the desk while I clicked open my email when I felt a slight brush on my right ear. The door was open behind me and I figured I had just caught a gust of wind so I didn't think anything of it, but then I felt it again, a bit more scratchy though. As I lifted my hand to brush away whatever it was the wind had blown onto my neck I turned to watch it fall. That's when I saw the tail.

I only saw it from the corner of my eye, so when it started moving I thought it was a scorpion. I jumped out of my chair and started swatting at my shoulder, trying to knock the scorpion away and after a furious bout I stopped to look around and see where it fell. That's when I felt it scratch my ear again.

With visions of scorpion stingers stuck in my ear I frantically started shaking my ACU top with one hand to keep him off balance while trying to unzip it with the other hand so I could toss him away. I managed to get the zipper about half way down when the bug fell off and landed at my feet.

I stopped to get a look at the vicious menace that was threatening my earlobe and watched in slight amazement as he scrambled back over to my boot and up my calf. After showing him off to my buddies and recounting how I had done the disposal dance I ended up setting him free on a nearby palm tree.

...

Ask A Troop Sunday is the day when I entertain anyone with any point of view no matter how idiotic it is. If you want to claim that President Bush is actually being controled by space aliens who are trying to get us to thin eachother out so they can swoop in and plunder our corn crops to power their interstellar craft, here's your chance.

FAMILYDAY

2006-09-30T13:05:00.000+04:00

My sweetie and my son made it back to Germany in one piece and I'm another week closer to seeing them again. I've found that by focusing on weekly occurrences rather than daily ones, that time here seems to go faster. Every Saturday I can't help thinking, "Is it FAMILYDAY again already?" I'll have to remember to do the opposite when I get back so that time seems to take longer.

It's amazing how by just looking at pictures like this I can just melt my anxieties away. Whenever there's something stressing me out I can just look at a picture of my family for a minute and everything else will come into focus. Those big looming monsters threatening to make life suck suddenly become nothing more than pesky annoyances.

B36 News - 29 September

2006-09-29T12:09:00.000+04:00

Sorry for yesterday's absence. I was out of action as a result of a flu that seems to be going around. My brain still doesn't feel like it's firing on all cylinders so the charm and wit that is such an integral part of the B36 News will be somewhat lacking today.

Baghdad Press Conference
In this week's press conference, MG Caldwell released the newest graphics showing the progress that's been made with regard to the Baghdad security plan, more formally knownas Operation Together Forward. This has been an ongoing update for the last several weeks and if you compare this map with previous maps, you'll notice much less of the shaded yellow areas. The shaded yellow areas were used to help visualize the neighborhoods that we were operating in so just because you don't see it doesn't mean that we've scaled back or abandoned those areas

In the same press conference, this graphic was also released that shows what areas in Iraq are currently under control of the Iraqi security forces. It also highlights the two provinces that are completely under Iraqi control. Remember where we were three years ago? Precisely zero square miles were under Iraqi control.

Good OPSEC
In Wednesday's update, I wrote about the NY Times constantly violating the integrity of classified information and I always check what I post to make sure that I'm not giving away information that could be used against my fellow troops. Wrapped up in MG Caldwell's press conference was a subtle example of just how seriously we take OPSEC.

At the very end of the conference, a reporter from a local paper asked MG Caldwell about a recent raid that left nine people dead including four women. You can read about the operation here to get the whole story, but I want to focus on the follow up question that was asked.

The reporter asked if he could clarify whether a plane or a helicopter was used to attack the house to which MG Caldwell said:

We -- it -- no, I'd have to get -- I'm not sure -- I do know what the asset was, but I'd have to go back and get clearance on the exact -- but it was an aerial asset that was used.

A plane or a helicopter? The point is that even General Officers check themselves when it comes to OPSEC and divulging potentially classified information.

Reconcilliation
Give me a second so I can set my hair on fire and put my running shoes on

...

Ok, now I'm ready - SECTARIAN CIVIL WAR QUAGMIRE!!! BLAHHHH WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!

Just don't tell that to the 15 Sunni tribal leaders in Anbar who just took the first official steps towards working with the elected Shia Prime Minister to kick al Qaeda out of Iraq.

The Doc
By Lance Cpl. Ray Lewis
Regimental Combat Team 5
Navy Seaman Samuel L. Blanco is a healer. The hospital corpsman, geared up in layers of body armor, has a bag of tricks he carries that heals not just bumps and bruises, scrapes and cuts, but also relations and trust between Americans and local Iraqis.

During a Sept. 23 patrol with 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Blanco provided health care for dozens of Iraqi villagers.

“From an American view, it gives us a sense of pride to know that Iraqis would come to us,” said Blanco, a 26-year-old from Justin, Texas, assigned to Weapons Company.

He said less than two months ago, at the start of his service under Regimental Combat Team 5, Iraqis in this area west of Fallujah were hesitant to even speak to him or the other Marines. But over time, the mood has changed. Now, instead of leery stares, parents are bringing their children forward to get a once-over from “Doc” Blanco.

“When they get a serious problem they can come to us,” said Lance Cpl. Paul J. Burns, a mortarman. “They’re starting to get close to us and recognizing the ‘doc.’”

Burns said the locals could pick out the Marine's resident medical expert by his calm persona.

“Soon as they found out that I was a ‘doc’ everybody was like, ‘fix me, fix me, bandage,’” Blanco said.

Blanco said he enjoys regular contact with the Iraqis, while his teammates appreciate the benefits of his relationships.

“Doc’s not afraid to get hands-on with the residents,” said Lance Cpl. Liam E. Izar, a mortarman with Weapons Company. "He helps us focus on doing our job.

B36 News - 27 September 2006

2006-09-27T11:30:00.000+04:00

Ever wondered what the American version of the RPG is? Here it is! A high-ranking, anonymous military official leaked this picture of a new weapon that is described as a shoulder-fired bad-guy-blower-upper, or SFBGBU (pronounced es-ef-bug-boo) as it's known by its developers. The troops who have tested it have affectionately named it the 'bugger' not only in reference to the acronym, but for the effect it has on the bad guys.

Yeah, and if you believe that I've got some seafront property in Afghanistan to sell you too.

Leaks
On the topic of leaked sensitive information, the NY Times is at it again. The NY Times is not a friend of America or those of us who defend her. Their track record of violating the integrity of classified information is proof of this. This organization isn't operating under the freedom of the press, it's abusing it and those responsible for these injuries to America should be held just as accountable as the terrorists who use the information they divulge to attack our country and my brothers and sisters in arms.

As a result of the leak the President declassified a portion of the report which you can read for yourself here.

Doing My Part
While not news from Iraq, this story is something near and dear to my heart. When asked by Marine CPL John Stukins was being done to counter the negative media coverage in Iraq and Afghanistan, GEN Pace replied with the following:

[It's necessary] to make ourselves more available to the American people so that we can, in fact, get more of the story out here so that the American people -- whose center of gravity is really very, very solid -- have the opportunity to digest all that information and judge for themselves what’s really going on.

Anbar Assessment
Fellow Military.com/Blog contributer Noah Shachtman published a letter he received from a Marine in Anbar that worked in an intel section during his most recent deployment. The email was a sort of 'Most Amazing' list of people and events that the Marine encountered and I though I'd share some of them here. You can read them all at DefenseTech.org.

Most Surreal Moment - Watching Marines arrive at my detention facility and unload a truck load of flex-cuffed midgets. 26 to be exact. I had put the word out earlier in the day to the Marines in Fallujah that we were looking for Bad Guy X, who was described as a midget. Little did I know that Fallujah was home to a small community of midgets, who banded together for support since they were considered as social outcasts. The Marines were anxious to get back to the midget colony to bring in the rest of the midget suspects, but I called off the search, figuring Bad Guy X was long gone on his short legs after seeing his companions rounded up by the giant infidels.

Most Profound Man in Iraq - an unidentified farmer in a fairly remote area who, after being asked by Reconnaissance Marines (searching for Syrians) if he had seen any foreign fighters in the area replied "Yes, you."

Biggest Surprise - Iraqi Police. All local guys. I never figured that we'd get a police force established in the cities in al-Anbar. I estimated that insurgents would kill the first few, scaring off the rest. Well, insurgents did kill the first few, but the cops kept on coming. The insurgents continue to target the police, killing them in their homes and on the streets, but the cops won't give up. Absolutely incredible tenacity. The insurgents know that the police are far better at finding them than we are. - and they are finding them. Now, if we could just get them out of the habit of beating prisoners to a pulp . . .

Biggest Outrage - Practically anything said by talking heads on TV about the war in Iraq, not that I get to watch much TV. Their thoughts are consistently both grossly simplistic and politically slanted. Biggest offender - Bill O'Reilly - what a buffoon.

Best Chuck Norris Moment - 13 May. Bad Guys arrived at the government center in the small town of Kubaysah to kidnap the town mayor, since they have a problem with any form of government that does not include regular beheadings and women wearing burqahs. There were seven of them. As they brought the mayor out to put him in a pick-up truck to take him off to be beheaded (on video, as usual), one of the bad Guys put down his machinegun so that he could tie the mayor's hands. The mayor took the opportunity to pick up the machinegun and drill five of the Bad Guys. The other two ran away. One of the dead Bad Guys was on our top twenty wanted list. Like they say, you can't fight City Hall.

82nd in Bayji
by SPC Joshua R. Ford
3rd BCT, 82nd (AA) PAO

...
During engagements between the Paratroopers and key figures in the neighborhood, children flooded the street, surrounding the Paratroopers and greeting them with laughter and smiles.

The fact that the children were approaching the troops showed that the citizens of Bayji did not see the Soldiers as a threat to their safety or security, which were some of the issues discussed.

“The resounding answer from the civilians is that they like Americans because we treat them with dignity and respect,” said Peterman.
...

Full story posted in comments.

Found

2006-09-26T13:51:00.000+04:00

Lining the walls where we line up for chow are several bulletin borads with the usual lost & founds, ads for people selling stuff, notices for various religious and social gatherings. Today as I was walking past I noticed one in particular. It was a newspaper clipping that someone had laminated and pinned up with a short note. This is what I saw:
It's a big picture, but it's well worth your time to download and read.

This and Sunshine's post from a couple days ago is the kind of thing that make it worth it.

B36 News - 26 September 2006

2006-09-26T11:52:00.000+04:00

A couple days ago I was reading a post on Days of My Life, a blog written by Sunshine who is an Iraqi teenager. In this post she describes her experience while a gun battle took place near her house and one passage in particular made me nearly pop with pride:

I remembered the old days when we used to hide under the stairs or stand near the corner for 5 and 6 hours , everyone was praying for the policemen, national guards, and the neighbors safety, and that the good guys win the fight against the bad, and that’s what happened , after an hour our policemen and national guards with the help of the US troops who came after an hour with many helicopters defeated the terrorists.

This is exactly what we're here for, to protect Sunshine, her family, and every other Iraqi who just want's to live free and peacefully.

Baghdad Violence
There are those who would hold up continuing violence in Baghdad as proof that Operation Together Forward has failed. I would say that these people need to understand that unlike your microwave, we can't just turn a knob, wait two minutes, and have a murder-free city. The bad guys don't want to lose and they're going to do what they can to avoid losing, this means shifting their operations to uncleared areas and killing people there.

I've been saying this since OTF started, and now you're hearing it from MG Thurman, commander of Multi-National Division-Baghdad:

Why are we seeing an increase in attacks? Well, we have twice as many forces operating throughout the city now. We're challenging the anti-Iraqi forces where they live and operate. We anticipated the enemy would push back as we moved into their sanctuaries, but we are disrupting and defeating them by forcing them to fight on our terms.

Bad men with guns don't just quit. We have to find and kill or capture them and guess what, get ready now, this may be a suprise; sometimes killing or capturing bad guys gets a bit violent!

MG Caldwell's 'Winning in Iraq'
A while back I published my article, "Winning in Iraq", in an attempt to help portray the ground truth of our successful campaign here in the desert. Yesterday, MG Caldwell released his explanation for our impending victory here in Iraq. I'd recommend you read the whole thing, but allow me to post the highlights:

Three years ago, there were virtually no security forces in Iraq. Today - Iraqis are standing up military and police forces that number over 300,000. In coming months, the Coalition and the Iraqi government will reach the goal of 325,000 trained and equipped force members.
Quality is improving with quantity. In April 2004, almost all Iraqi forces fled in the face of a militia uprising in Najaf. This August, when militia attacked an Iraqi Army outpost in Diwaniyah, the Iraqi army counterattacked and killed 50 militiamen in the ensuing battle.
By the end of August, Iraq’s special-ops brigade, with U.S. combat advisers, had netted 1,320 detainees in 445 operations all over the country this year, including three senior militia leaders and 20 most-wanted individuals.
This month, Iraqi forces provided a safe environment for more than four million Shiite pilgrims celebrating the birth of the 12th Imam.
And it was Iraqi forces operating independently who recently captured a major Al Qaeda in Iraq leader, Abu Hammam.
A functioning command structure. This month, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki became commander-in-chief of Iraq’s military in more than name only. That is, the Ministry of Defense and the Joint Headquarters –who report to the prime minister—assumed operational control of the Iraqi Ground Forces Command, Navy and Air Force. Before Sept. 7, Coalition Forces exercised control of all of Iraq’s military. Now, two of Iraq’s 10 Army Divisions fall under this command structure. More will soon follow.
Of Iraq’s 10 Army divisions, six division headquarters are “in the lead” in their areas of responsibility, which means they are capable of coordinating, planning, and executing security operations independent of Coalition forces.
Twenty-six brigades and 88 battalions have this operational lead as well.
In Baghdad, several hundred Iraqi civil society representatives renounced violence this past weekend at the second of four conferences that are part of Prime Minister Maliki’s overall 24-point national reconciliation and dialogue plan.
On Sept. 21, the governor of the southern province of Dhi Qar took over civilian responsibility for security from Coalition Forces. Dhi Qar is the second of 18 provinces to take over civil control, and several more should meet the transition criteria before the year’s end.
The Iraqi government met with representatives of neighboring and European countries to form an “International Compact,” aimed at getting help to transform Iraq's economy. At the Sept. 10 meeting, Iraq pledged economic reforms in exchange for greater international support.
Several hundred companies from over 20 different countries attended the third annual international expo, held last weekend in Erbil aimed at promoting international investment.

Oh yeah, this is quite a 'quagmire' we're losing over here. Getting tactical with the MSM and defeatists for a second:

SUCK IT!

Sadr - "Roger, Got It."
It would seem that the infamous Muqtada al-Sadr got the message. First off, a quick history lesson for this guy: Sadr is a radical Shiite cleric who commands the Mahdi Army, widely recognized as an illegal militia. The Mahdi Army has had repeated conflicts with the Coalition and the Iraqi government, most recently in Diawaniya where 24 policemen and 50 militiamen were killed.

Now, as Operation Together Forward closes in on Sadr City, his stronghold in Baghdad, the guy is starting to talk some sense:

[Wage a] peaceful war against them and not to shed a drop of blood, so fight them by popular, peaceful war. Do raise your voices to get them out, boycott them and ask a government you have elected under the occupation and terrorism to do the work for you, and not to leave your enemy on your land.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not happy that this guy is hating on us, but I am happy that he's starting to get the message that Iraq's future is rooted in the rule of law, not muscle. It's likely that this isn't the end of this guy's fight, but at least now he's talking rather than shooting. Let's just hope we can beat him as handily with words as we can with bullets.

Bandit Unplugged - Turkish Cough-ee

2006-09-25T17:01:00.000+04:00

Sunday was a slow day and I decided to get out of the office again and see more of the IZ before it's time for us to head home. I figure I'm never going to get a chance like this again, or at least for the next 15-20 years, so I ought to make the most of it now.

I traveled around the IZ for a few hours, stopping at the various shops and souvenir stands to see if I could pick up a cheap set of hand-held radios. I have no reason in particular that required a radio, but there's often a moment when I think, "Man, this would be a lot easier if we had radios," so I figured I'd use it as an excuse to go get a couple. After hitting all of the shops that I usually go to and taking a short break to explore the half-stadium at the Crossed Swords, I decided to try some of the shops I had seen at the al-Rasheed Hotel.

I've been to the al-Rasheed a couple times with friends and noticed that there were several shops selling the usual trinkets, jewelry, rugs, and the ever-present pirated DVDs. I never really understood what that meant until I came here. You can get almost any movie ever made and most before they're even released in theaters in the States out here. I took a few laps around the shops checking out what they had to offer paying special attention to the electronics since I was looking for radios. Alas, none were to be found.

I did, however, work up a slight thirst and decided that I'd try and track down a drink of some sort at one of these shops. Again, I didn't find what I was looking for. I did, however, find a nice little cafe. I don't think I've shared this yet, but I figure now's as good a time as any - my ultimate objective in life is to own a nice little cafe, sort of my own little haven where I can sit and read all day while sipping whatever brew I happen to choose and not have to worry about making a profit, just paying the bills and drinking coffee. Planning ahead, I've been trying to visit as many cafes as I can get into to get ideas for how I want my place to be and I figured that this would be a great time to try out some Iraqi fare.

I walked up to the greeting stand and asked the waiter if I could get something to drink. He mumbled something that sounded like "Yes, sir" and motioned to one of the open tables. Shortly after sitting at a nearby table the waiter came by and asked what I wanted. Since I was thirsty I was looking for something cold and since I was doing research for my coffee shop I wanted a coffee. The waiter politely informed me that they had any kind of "Coke soda, Pepsi soda" and that they only had "Turkish coffee." I asked for a Pepsi and a Turkish coffee and he then asked if I wanted sugar or cream to which I replied that I just wanted it regular and he went off to the bar.

I pulled out my camera and busied myself by looking through some pictures that I had taken while at the Swords. A few minutes later, I heard the clicking of shoes hitting the pseudo-marble floors behind me. When I turned to see who was there I was a bit surprised to see another waiter dressed in a formal black tuxedo, bow tie and all, holding a tray with a can of Pepsi, a glass, and a cup of coffee. He walked around in front of me and, bending at the waist, lowered the tray almost to the level of the table so he could drop off the drinks. I smiled and said "thanks" and he gave me a sort of sideways nod, stood back up straight and clicked away.

As I was pouring the Pepsi into the glass I was struck by the surreality of it all: I was sitting in a cafe in the middle of Baghdad with a pistol on my hip drinking coffee that had just been served by an Iraqi man in a tux. It would get odder.

I decided to drink the Pepsi first since it was a known quantity and my mouth was dry. I slowly sipped it and looked around the cafe, taking it all in. The only other customer was a portly, older, well-dressed Iraqi man who was engaged in lively conversation with the staff as he ravished the bread in front of him. While I was casually watching how he handled himself I looked out the window over his shoulder and noticed that I could see the Convention Center. The Convention Center has become the seat of the Iraqi government much like the Capitol building is in the States. Inspired by the sight of several Iraqi Army HMMWVs topped with PKC machine guns parked in front of the Convention Center, I tried to imagine the Capitol building with US HMMWVs stationed to defend it. It's easy to imagine the HMMWVs and the building, but not the two together.

While contemplating the parallels between Iraq and America, I finished the glass of Pepsi and decided it was time to take the plunge and try the Turkish coffee. I gently stirred the brew to get an idea for its composition and was surprised when I saw a slight ... something attached to the tip of the spoon. I dug the spoon along the bottom of the cup and collected quite a load of what I can only describe as sludge. "Well, okay, I guess this is what a Turkish coffee is like then," I thought while trying to stir up the bottom in hopes that I would dissolve the sludge. Once I was satisfied that I had gotten it all mixed up I took my timid first sip.

And it tasted like coffee, at least until I rolled it to the back of my mouth where a taste that is best described as ash invaded my taste buds. Yuck. I was determined to drink the whole cup though, remembering a similar reaction the first time I tried coffee in America figuring that the taste would grow on me. I put the cup down hoping that I had just made a mistake by mixing up the sludge and that it would settle back out of the rest of the drink and I could get just the liquid coffee. I let it sit for a few minutes and tried again. Sip, swish, gulp, eughh! I did my best to not make a face as I forced it down.

Over the next 15 or so minutes I sipped and sipped until all that was left was the sludge and put my cup down. It turns out that drinking the Pepsi first and last was a good idea since I knew what to expect and could rinse the ash taste out of my mouth.

I decided to take the second half of the Pepsi slow, I had nowhere else to be for hours and this place was as good as any, better than most in the area probably. It was getting to be late in the afternoon and I guess it was close of business for a lot of the locals because in the space of a few minutes three groups of Iraqis came in and sat down, some talking quietly amongst themselves, some in very boisterous conversation with their group. I was most struck by one couple in particular. I would guess that they were in their late 50's, he was dressed in a nice grey business suit and she was dressed in a long-sleeved pant suit and a thin black cloth that kept falling back off her head onto her shoulders. He pulled out a bottle of water and poured them both a drink as a waiter served them a bowl of bread which they daintily broke into bite-sized bits and nibbled on. Their conversation seemed light hearted as he would break into laughter and she would make a seemingly exasperated sigh while shaking her head and suppressing a smile.

I sat there for about 10 minutes just people-watching and sipping at my Pepsi. While doing this I thought that the coffee set would be a cool souvenir and I picked up the cup and saucer to check the label on the bottom to see if it was locally made. Unfortunately it wasn't, it was just some generic "Made in China" set, but I still figured it was cool, how often do you see a coffee set from downtown Baghdad. Once I finally finished the glass, the waiter that seated me appeared from nowhere and started to scoop up the cups. I stopped him and asked if I could buy the cup and saucer. At first he didn't understand and thought I was just asking how much the coffee cost, but when I grabbed them both and motioned that I was going to walk away with them he realized what I was after. Understandably, he didn't know if I could buy them so he had to go ask his boss. When his boss came out I explained to him that I wanted to buy the cup and saucer and wanted to know how much it cost. He pointed in the cup and at the Pepsi and said, "Coffee is $4, Pepsi is $2. For drinks and cup you give me $10." I flinched at the $4 cup of ash flavored coffee, but I figured that it was worth the experience so I handed over my $10 and walked out with a brand new (to me) coffee set.

While the set is nothing special to look at, I'm going to find it a nice place of prominence in my coffee shop years from now.

B36 News - 25 September 2006

2006-09-25T12:20:00.000+04:00

I had another "Unplugged" episode over the weekend during which I spent several hours out and about at various locations in the IZ, one of which was the Al Rasheed hotel cafe pictured here. I'm working on a write up like I did with the last one though this one will have fewer visual aids.

The surreality (if that's a word) of life here in the IZ is starting to set in now that I'm starting to readjust my perceptions for the redeployment. Redeployment is Armyese for going home.

One Iraq
Over the weekend the Iraqi government came to the conclusion that breaking Iraq up into seperate autonomous regions isn't the way ahead. This shows continued commitment to creating one Iraq. The way ahead that has yet to be finalized, but looks like it will be very similar to what we have in the States as far as the federal and state government. The plan on how this will look exactly should be voted on and released within a week and we'll get a look at Iraq's future.

Together Forward
I've been talking about Operation Together Forward a lot for the last couple months because I believe that it's going to be the pivotal battle in the war. Baghdad is the center of gravity for the country and once we secure the city we will have knocked the bad guys out of their strongholds.

After clearing roughly one third of the city's most violent neighborhoods, we're winning this battle. While our guys and the ISF are out securing neighborhoods, they're also collecting census data and asking questions. Questions like "Do you think the Baghdad security plan will be effective?" The most recent poll shows a 20% increase in the number of "yes" responses to that particular question for a grand total of 60%.

Hearts and Minds of Anbar
Baghdad isn't the only place where our guys are getting out and talking with Iraqi citizens. The Marines of 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment have been getting a lot more face-time with the locals in an attempt to win their trust and support. Just as in Baghdad, it's working in Anbar as well.

Based on intel collected from chats with the locals, the Marines were able to put the zip-cuffs on one high-value target and 70 of his buddies. Just as important as the intel that local Iraqis provide to the Marines is the support that the Marines give back. In addition to the security and protection from bad guys, Marines are there to listen to their problems and to do what they can to help out whether the problem is power, water, or health related.

This is how the fight is fought.

UPDATE!!!
Stringers
A couple weeks ago I introduced The Liz as a new member of the B36 News team as a "stringer" which resulted in the question, "What's a stringer?"

A stringer is a local who, for obvious reasons, has a much easier time running around outside the secure areas bringing news stories to journalists who are cooped up in fortified compounds and only step outside the wire if they're on their way home.

Today I found a story on The Strategy Page that gives a bit better idea about what stringers are and how they operate as well as the affect they have on the "news". Well worth the read.

Ask A Troop Sunday

2006-09-24T10:28:00.000+04:00

I saw this sign at Victory Base on one of my visits there. It's on an "L" shaped corner where the only way you can turn is left... in the middle of nowhere, I couldn't see any other traffic anywhere. It was so random that I felt it needed to be photographed.

Today is the day that I open up the comments section for anyone to say anything they like. Throughout the week I somewhat moderate comments by deleting ones I deem to be idiotic. Mind you, I don't get rid of those that I disagree with, just those that are baseless, pointless rants, or personal attacks. I have no problem with someone disagreeing with me as long as they can explain why, otherwise the discussion devolves into a did-not-did-to war which I'm sure we can all agree is just stupid.

"Ask A Troop Sunday" however is different. Today is the day when we can all regress back to elementary school and tattle, point fingers, and eat glue to our heart's content. Just don't run with the scissors.

FAMILYDAY

2006-09-23T17:00:00.000+04:00

I apologize for the old picture, my son and my sweetie have wrapped up their trip to the States so I should be getting a new batch of pictures shortly.

The thought of going home is always on my mind now. Whenever I get a moment where I'm not actively engaged in something I'll start thinking about my family - going to that nice little pizzaria/ice cream parlor with them, going to the coffee shop in town, going on walks by the river with them... well I guess it would be more of a "carry" or "roll" for Mark. In any case, being able to go home at the end of the day and see them is going to be nice.

B36 News - 22 September 2006

2006-09-22T11:19:00.000+04:00

Send Me
In a press release yesterday, the US Army (hooah!) announced that it will reach its recruiting and retention goals for the year ... in the middle of an "unpopular" war. This is an amazingly positive and morale-boosting bit of news for me personally as it shows that there are enough Americans out there who not only support us and our efforts, but are willing to give up their lives of relative comfort to stand by our side and help out.

In the face of a ruthless onslaught of negativity by the media, 80,000 Americans have raised their right hand and said, "Send me." Send me to the desert of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan. Send me somewhere where I will have to wear a kevlar and a plated vest in the scorching heat. Send me somewhere where I may get shot at, or have IEDs explode as I drive past, or have rockets and mortars launched at me. Send me somewhere where I can make a difference. Send me to defend the helpless and weak. Send me to make the world safer. Send me.

On top of the 80,000 Americans standing up and volunteering for the first time, the Army will also meet it's goals for re-enlisting those of us who have already raised our right hand.

It has been my distinct honor to have administered the Oath of Enlistment to three of my Soldiers while we've been deployed to Baghdad. These troops decided to raise their right hand and say "send me, again".

The first re-up picture was taken at the Crossed Swords, formerly home to Saddam's parades and shows of military might. The second is taken at our company headquarters on the grounds of Saddam's Republican Guard Palace. The third is in the pool behind the US Embassy, the troop re-enlisting was told he could do it anywhere where security allowed it. He wanted to get us all in the pool while in uniform. In we went.

President Bush Doesn't Trust MSM

2006-09-21T20:32:00.000+04:00

This is a clip of a video that I watched that was linked on NewsBusters.com that featured CNN correspondent Michael Ware blabbering that the US military doesn't know what's really going on in Iraq ... and of course he has the real insight.

Rather than rip his arguments to shreds, I decided to focus on what President Bush had to say in an interview with Wolf Blitzer.

"... I've got to learn it from people who are there on the ground."

If only more Americans would do the same.

Dhi Qar

2006-09-21T16:18:00.000+04:00

Today, the southern Iraqi province of Dhi Qar was returned to Iraqi control. It marks the second such transfer in Iraq and represents another milestone passed on our way to victory.

JOINT STATEMENT BY AMBASSADOR ZALMAY KHALILZAD AND GEN. GEORGE W. CASEY JR. ON THE TRANSFER OF DHI QAR PROVINCE

“Today’s transfer of security responsibility in Dhi Qar province from the Multi National Force–Iraq (MNF-I) to the Government of Iraq and civilian controlled Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) is another sign of progress toward a stable and secure Iraq. Dhi Qar is the second of 18 Provinces to be transitioned. This is an important milestone along the successful path toward Iraq’s capability to govern and protect itself as a sovereign nation.

“The joint decision between the Iraqi Government and the MNF-I to transition security responsibility reflects a satisfactory assessment of the overall threat situation in Dhi Qar, and increased capabilities of the ISF. Additionally, Dhi Qar’s provincial leadership has demonstrated the ability to take the lead in managing its own security and governance duties at the provincial level. Transition terms are in place to facilitate the transfer process, and Coalition forces stand ready to provide assistance if needed.

“As Iraq develops and its needs continue to evolve, so too will the nature of international assistance and investment. The United States remains committed to the development of Dhi Qar province by providing funding for additional humanitarian relief and reconstruction projects. Currently, $8.9M in Economic Support Fund money and $5M in Commander’s Emergency Relief Program funds are programmed for the completion of additional projects in Dhi Qar. Several other provinces are close to meeting the criteria necessary to assume security independence.

“After decades of dictatorship and oppression, the Iraqi people have taken another step toward security self-reliance. With the steadfast support of the Coalition, Iraq is on a path to national unity, improved security, and increasing prosperity that benefits all its citizens.

“May God bless the people of Iraq.”
(from centcom.mil)

Two down, 16 to go.

B36 News - 21 September 2006

2006-09-21T11:32:00.000+04:00

On the left is Baghdad a month ago. On the right is Baghdad today. Violence in the areas that have been cleared has dropped significantly despite what you might be hearing in the MSM. Violence in Baghdad in general dropped following the start of OTF, but has risen back to previous levels. This increase in violence is occuring almost entirely OUTSIDE cleared areas.

As we continue to clear Baghdad and deny bad guys safe havens and logistical support you will see attacks decline city-wide. The increase in violence outside cleared areas is the bad guys attempts to discredit the efforts of Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces. Think high school physics here - action and reaction. The more we squeeze them, the more they fight back. After enough squeezing they will break and we'll win.

Iraqi Police Force Nearing Completion
Much like the US police force, the Iraqi police force is the civilian agency that will ultimately be responsible for domestic security. Right now the Iraqi police force is one training cycle from being fully trained and manned. The IPs are authorized 135,000 man force and the 135,000th IP is now in training. While there are still many tests ahead for the IPs, remember where we started - about three years ago we had precisely zero IPs nation-wide.

Marines Save Innocent Iraqi Girl
No, you didn't misread that headline. Despite the MSM pounding us with stories of "atrocities" and "massacres", these Marines and many like them are still driving on and risking their lives to make life better for Iraqis.

These Marines got a call from a local police commander that a young girl had fallen from a three-story building and that they lacked the ability to provide her the aid that she needed. The Marines responded by arranging a medevac convoy to take the girl and her uncle to a field hospital in Fallujah. Once at Fallujah it was determined that her injuries were so extensive that she neede to go to the hospital in Baghdad and guess what? They medevaced her and her uncle to Baghdad where Coalition doctors could better diagnose and treat her.

The next time you hear about cold blooded murderers, think of this little girl and the Marines that risked their lives to save hers.

Survivor - Iraq
I'm not really a fan of reality TV. In college I watched Joe Millionare with my wife and some friends and of course I see the highlights of American ~~Idiot~~ Idol. One show that kind of disgusts me is Survivor. The backstabbing and lying upset me, but portraying it as a life or death struggle is what really disgusts me.

The Marine you see here knows what the word "survivor" really means. He got shot in the noggin, but thanks to his government issue helmet all he has is a cool scar and an awesome story to tell his buddies.

By Lance Cpl. Erik Villagran
Regimental Combat Team 5

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (Sept. 15, 2006) -- Cpl. Daniel M. Greenwald knows that being hard headed isn’t always a bad thing.

Greenwald, from G Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, was shot in the head by a sniper while conducting vehicle checkpoint operations in the Al Anbar Province, Iraq. He’s now an expert at explaining just how good his helmet is.

“I was the greeter on one of the ends of a vehicle checkpoint,” said Greenwald, a 24-year-old assaultman from Rockland County, N.Y. “I was doing a double check on my vehicle, turned in and that’s when I got shot.”

The bullet’s impact knocked him out for a short moment. When he woke, he was wondering what sort of 18-wheeled truck just hit him.

“Everything went black,” he said. “I knew I got hit with something. It sounded like a grenade or a small improvised explosive device.”

Greenwald jumped behind his humvee for cover as soon as he got to his feet. Still dazed from the impact, he radioed his Marines that he was hit.

Marines set up security to block the area they believed the round originated.

“We wanted to make sure he was alright and get him out of there,” said Cpl. Daniel J. Kelley, a 25-year-old squad leader from Centerville, Tenn. “The squad reacted well. They set up the cordon automatically.”

The squad’s hospital corpsman rushed to aid Greenwald.

“When I first got up there I thought he was dead because blood was running down his face,” said Navy Seaman Jared D. Condry, a 20-year-old corpsman from Jacksonville, N.C. “Then I started talking to him and he was responsive.”

Condry began to assess Greenwald’s injury and discovered an inch-long gash on his head. He put a patch on the wound and loaded him into a humvee that transported him to Camp Fallujah.

Thank you to the American Taxpayer for buying this Marine a helmet.

B36 News - 20 September 2006

2006-09-20T12:05:00.000+04:00

I'm hearing a lot of talk in the news about a recent survey aimed at gauging public opinion for the upcoming elections. Thanks to a tip from The Griper, I got a look at just the numbers of the poll and managed to avoid associated observations.

Here's the question I found the most striking about the poll:

Here are four different plans the U.S. could follow in dealing with the war in Iraq. Which ONE do you prefer?
Withdraw immediately - 17%
Withdraw in 12 months - 31%
Withdraw, take as long as needed - 42%
Send more troops - 9%
No opinion - 2%

What's so striking about this? Tell me, do you see the option "Win and withdraw"? I hold it against the people who wrote the questions for failing to include winning as an option. However, to the credit of those surveyed, the great majority supported the options that most resembled winning.

Presence Patrol
The troop you see pictured here stopped to talk with some kids while on a presence patrol in Tal Afar. A presence patrol is a tactic that we use to help remind people that we're here and looking out for them and is used mostly in rural areas, it goes to the heart of the adage that "peace is not the absence of violence, but the presence of justice".

As President Bush has said, and the US military has made clear - we are delivering justice.

We Are Winning
I stumbled across an amazingly insightful article written by Mackubin Thomas Owens in which he explains why he thinks that we're winning here in Iraq. If you have doubts or questions about the strategic outlook and my Winning in Iraq didn't convince you, I'd suggest you read the whole article, it's really well written and, well, insightful.

I was very pleasantly suprised to see that he and I shared many of the same conclusions even though we arrived at them seperately:

The likelihood of success in Iraq has been improved in direct proportion to the recognition that what is happening in that country is a classical insurgency and that the correct response is the proper application of counterinsurgency techniques and operational approaches. But as was the case with Vietnam, success in Iraq will also depend on the vicissitudes of American domestic politics.

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie...
If you've been reading B36 News for a while, you've probably read many articles about US troops helping out Iraqi school kids. This story from the Stars & Stripes focuses on how the supplies US troops delivered to a particular school in Sadr City in Baghdad wasn't enough to distribute to all the kids and portrays the whole thing in a slightly negative light, making it seem like we're not doing enough. At least that's how I read it.

I think this story was approached from the wrong angle though. Think of it like this - there are so many kids going to school in "dangerous Baghdad" that we didn't have enough supplies to hand out. Would you send your kid to school if you feared that something terrible would happen? The parents of the roughly 700 kids attending this school seem to think conditions are good enough in the city to warrant their attendance. It's things like this that get overlooked or dismissed as inconsequential that can provide some real indicators as to conditions on the ground.

B36 News - 19 September 2006

2006-09-19T11:35:00.000+04:00

After reading the replies from my family and friends to my 'Bandit Unplugged' post, I was reminded of why I started this blog in the first place - to keep my family updated on how I was doing. I got so caught up in trying to help show the progress that we're making in the war that I forgot to add personal stories.

So with that in mind, I'll start off this post with a bang, literally. It's been about a month or so since we've taken any mortars or rockets, but today that streak broke. When we first got here we averaged about an attack a week, now it's closer to one attack per month or two. I remember the first attack I was here for. We heard a couple booms and half of the people in my office grabbed their kevlars, the other half dove under desks, I think I went under a desk. I tried to set a good example for everyone and was the first to venture out and try to make sure everyone was ok. I figured that if the troops saw me walking around they would feel more confident.

Now the booms are more of an annoyance than anything else, much like a fly buzzing around your head. At first it was sort of a macho thing to treat them casually, but as I thought about the threat of indirect fire (mortars & rockets) I began to realize that I had two choices: 1) have a nervous breakdown worrying about something I have no control over, or 2) pray that no one got hit when they did launch at us and forget about it. I chose not to see the shrink. You can either make peace with the fact that one day you're going to die and enjoy the time you have or you can worry about dying until you do. The choice seems simple to me.

Dhi Qar
About a week ago I posted a story about the province of Dhi Qar which borders the province of Muthanna to the northeast. What's so significant about these two provinces? Well, on Thursday Dhi Qar will be the second Iraqi province to be controlled by Iraqis. Muthanna has already been under Iraqi control for the last month or so and has seen a large measure of peace and tranquility with very few acts of violence and now Dhi Qar will follow suit.

Yesterday I mentioned that watching Iraqi Army Divisions transition to IGFC control would be a good indicator of mission accomplishment and our departure from Iraq. This is also a good barometer of victory. And by the way, Iraqi Security Forces outnumber Coalition forces by nearly 2 to 1.

This is good news.

Unity Government
I've had a few questions about this unity government. People want to know why it's such a big deal that Iraq has a 'Unity Government'. Most Westerners in general, and Americans in particular, don't realize that for many Iraqis, loyalty to tribal groups trumps that of loyalty to country.

Years ago, some guys looked at a map and drew lines and said, "We'll call this one Iraq" and poof, we have what is today called Iraq. Before that the land belonged to whomever could defend it. If a tribal group wanted some resource that another group had taking it by force was a valid option. This is where a Unity Government comes into play.

A Unity Government will unite Iraqis under a single flag and cause and will result in reconcilliation among Iraqis which is a source of most of the violence today. This is the major hurdle that faces the new Iraqi government right now and PM Maliki's reconcilliation plan is aimed at leaping straight over it.

Ramadi Tribes Unite
A sparkling example of what can be accomplished with a Unity Government was seen recently in the Al Anbar province. Of the 18 prominent tribes in Ramadi, 15 have signed a pact agreeing to actively fight the "infidels that use Islam as a cover for their crimes". These leaders are uniting to defeat terrorists. We'll see in the coming months how this will translate to effects on the ground, but the overt political support provided here lends considerable weight to the Iraqi government.

Bandit Unplugged

2006-09-18T17:31:00.000+04:00

In light of my absence this weekend, I figured I would share one of my experiences while I was "unplugged".

On Saturday night, I was walking around the housing area talking on my cell phone with my sweetie back in the States (I’m a commo guy, remember?). I had about an hour and a half until midnight chow opened. For no particular reason, I’ve started skipping breakfast and dinner during the week and taking midnight chow on the weekends so I figured I’d chat her up as long as I could while I waited for midnight chow to open.

We talked about what we’re going to do when I get back, where we wanted to go, who we wanted to see. We talked about financial plans and how to account for money matters. We’re both savers and we’re doing alright financially so money-matters aren’t a touchy subject between us. And of course we talked about Mark. Everything includes Mark anymore, but it’s nice.

I managed to keep her talking for about an hour so when we hung up I still had 30 minutes until the doors opened so I decided to go hang out by the pool and wait. As I got closer to the pool area I could hear someone singing very bad karaoke (is there another kind?) at a birthday party and the sounds of a volleyball being hit back and forth. The pad on the first lounger I picked had absorbed the water that had been splashed from the pool and sponged it off on me when I sat on it. Once I felt the wetness soaking my back I jumped up and moved to a lounge a bit further away from the edge of the pool and dragged it back poolside.

I cautiously settled in to the lounge making sure that this pad wouldn’t trick me like the last one did. As I started to relax a bit I began to be amazed at it all. There I was, sitting on a lounger by the pool at what used to be the Whitehouse of Iraq. In the distance across the pool I could see a couple troops playing an energetic game of ping pong while some South American security contractors from Triple Canopy watched and waited for their turn to take on the winner. As I scanned to the left I saw a deployment queen chatting with several burly looking guys in Hawaiian shirts and flip-flops each hoping she’d choose him. A deployment queen is any woman in a forward deployed area who wouldn’t get a second - and in some cases a first - look back home, but since she’s one of the few females on the FOB she gets all the looks.

Behind me I could hear other people chatting on cell phones, some angrily, most quietly. In front of me I watched several Iraqi men trying to teach one of their buddies to swim. After a while, the guy being taught got tired and just hung on the side of the pool while his buddies tried to do back flips into the deep end. They never managed to hit the water feet-first, but they did manage to splash the troops who had been playing cards nearby. After the first few light splashes, I could tell the troops were starting to get annoyed. Finally after one particularly large splash, one troop got up and started to walk towards them while wringing his shirt out. One of the other troops at the card table yelled out, “That’s cold!” with a chuckle and the Iraqi guys took notice and politely apologized. The troop that had stood up sat back down and they kept playing. Less than five minutes later, one of the Iraqi guys got back on the edge of the pool and leaped with all his might. He almost completed the flip, but he totally soaked the troops playing cards. I was worried that there might be a confrontation and was worried that the Iraqi guys ranked highly in the Iraqi government or military, they pretty much had to in order to hang out at the Embassy pool. The troops leaned in close around the table hatching their plan of attack. Once they had agreed on a plan, they started to sit back as though they were going to start playing again. One of them started to pass bottles of water from his stash to the rest and once they were all armed the attack began.

With grace and speed, the troops launched from their chairs with freshly opened water bottles in hand. The Iraqi swimmers watched with shock and awe as the Americans closed the distance between them. Once in range, the Americans unleashed their vicious assault by turning their bottles upside down and vigorously shaking the bottles empty on the heads of the floating Iraqis. Once the Americans completed their attack, both the American troops and Iraqi swimmers had a good laugh about it and went their separate ways.

Once the threat of an international incident had passed I continued to look around. While I had been focused on the swimmers and card players, I missed the Italians that had sat down next to me. While I couldn’t make out what they were talking about I could tell from their body language that they were really in to it. After a few minutes of heated debate, one stood up and started walking around the pool. Not wanting to be too overt, I kept an eye on him as he made his way around the pool and grabbed a sign that had been hung by the karaoke singers, looked back to make sure his friend was looking, and held it up. The sign had something written on it that I couldn’t make out, but it obviously had been mistaken as an Italian flag. If you didn’t know it, the Italians won the World Cup this year; these guys won’t let anyone forget it either.

As the Italian was walking back to his friend, I was distracted by one of the tables he passed. More accurately, I was distracted by the guys sitting at the table. Without too much room for error, I pegged them as OGA guys. The neatly trimmed beard, ball caps, and sunglasses at night are kind of a dead giveaway. These guys probably have a very interesting job.

The smoke from their stogies mingled with the smoke from the cigars the colonels and generals were smoking as well as the smoke emanating from the hookah that was being shared amongst several Iraqis and American troops.

It was as I was watching their combined smoke rising and dissipating into the night that the medevac bird flew over puncturing the illusion that I was sitting by some tropical pool while on vacation. The white square with a red cross on the underbelly of the helicopter left little doubt as to its purpose or cargo. There are only three questions in my mind every time one flies over; 1) Is the patient dead or wounded? 2) Is the patient Coalition, Iraqi, or a bad guy? 3) Did his buddies get the guy who did it? I have yet to get an answer to any of these questions no matter how many times I ask myself. I like to think that every time it’s a wounded bad guy who recovers and spills the beans.

Once the medevac had passed on to the hospital, I checked my watch and found that midnight chow had been open for 15 minutes already. I collected myself up and headed towards the chow hall to get my mushroom and cheese omelet.

This video shows sort of how things looked from my perspective.

B36 News - 18 September 2006

2006-09-18T12:23:00.000+04:00

I've been reading a bunch of stories and articles lately citing "anonymous sources" and "high-ranking government officials" that are critical of various aspects of the war and its prosecution. Treading delicately here because I know when I point this finger I'll have three pointing back at me; I wouldn't be the slightest bit suprised if most of these unattributable citations were, in fact, invented by the author.

Think about it like this: "High-ranking, anonymous government sources claim that American troops aren't actually in Iraq and that the funding that supposedly supports the American war effort is actually being used to pay for billions of hot-dogs for Whitehouse barbeques on the Great Wall of China." -- yeah, right.

Step 1 - Make wild claim.
Step 2 - Attribute it to 'Anonymous Source'.
Step 3 - Publish.
Step 4 -
Step 5 - Profit
(Yeah, I had to throw step 4 in just to try and get a laugh.)

In light of the fingers pointing back at me on this one, consider this - how many articles have I authored vs. commented on?

IGFC to Assume 4th IAD
If you understand the headline then congratulations, you win the 'Armyese Speak' award for the day. What that means is that the Iraqi Ground Forces Command (IGFC) will be assuming operational control of the 4th Iraqi Army Division, a transition that is slated to happen in about a week or so. A couple weeks ago, the IGFC assumed responsibility for the 8th IAD and when the 4th IAD is assumed it will mark the second of 10 Army divisions that will ultimately be responsible for securing Iraq along with the police force.

Watch this kind of thing closely if you want an idea of when we'll be coming home. It's not the only indicator, but it's a good one.

OTF - The MSM's POV
The acronyms just keep coming. One of my bosses recently forwarded me a link to an artical written by Rod Nordland of Newsweek in which he writes about a trip he went on with GEN Casey to the Baghdad neighborhood of Adhamiya which used to be one of the most violent areas in Baghdad. That was until Operation Together Forward (OTF) brought Coalition and Iraqi security forces in to secure the area. Now 4-star generals commanding the entire fight in Iraq can walk the streets in broad daylight.

Overall I'd give the article a thumbs up. I think it does a good job of staying honest, impartial, and just presents the facts without a slant one way or the other.

Auto Iraq
Here's another one you probably didn't hear about. Irbil is what would classify as "the other Iraq" and hosted an international auto show over the weekend. That's right, a car show in Iraq. And do you know why you didn't hear about it? Beacause it was a success. No one was shot, no one was blown up, no one bled, no one outside Iraq heard about it. Except for the 800+ companies that had exhibits of course.

Ask A Troop Sunday

2006-09-18T07:12:00.000+04:00

... er, I mean Monday.

Yeah, sorry for the lateness. As I said in the previous post, I was starting to feel burnt out and I needed to get away from the office for a while.

For those who are new to the blog, "Ask a Troop Sunday" is the one day a week when I don't delete the stupid, idiotic, and/or unsubstantiated ramblings of some of my readers. It's when I let the moonbats out to stretch their wings and bark until they're hoarse. Luckily, they rarely take me up on that so we all get some peace and quiet.

So if you want to tell me I lack the moral courage to oppose the imperial death march or that I'm actually a CIA plant sent to spread propoganda (I've gotten that one once so far), now's your chance.

FAMILYDAY

2006-09-18T07:04:00.000+04:00

Sorry for the weekend absence. I was feeling pretty burnt out so I did my best to stay away from the office as long as I could. I managed to only stay in the office for a couple hours both days.

As for the family; they're still in the States hanging out with the rest of the family. I'm really glad that they're getting to spend so much time with familiar faces.

And speaking of familiar faces, check out the little Bandit!

B36 News - 15 September 2006

2006-09-15T12:44:00.000+04:00

If you didn't know it, now you do; today is POW/MIA Recognition Day.

SGT Keith Maupin is currently the only member of the American military that is listed as missing during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was captured on 9 April 2004 when his convoy was attacked by insurgents. In late June 2004, a video surfaced that supposedly showed SGT Maupin being executed, but the video was determined to be inconclusive by US authorities.

SGT Maupin, you are not forgotten.

Progress of Operation Together Forward
This video shows the progress that's been made over the last 4 weeks with regard to OTF. You'll see the various maps that have been released by MNF-I during the weekly press conference sequentially.

Rebuilding Baghdad
In the same press conference, MG McCoy who commands the US Army Corps of Engineers - Gulf Region District, spoke about the reconstruction progress that's being made in Baghdad. The strategy is to clear, hold, build and in the areas that show up as green on the maps above, the holding and building has begun. Also, if you recall during PM Maliki's address to congress he said that he wanted Iraqi companies to be given priority when selecting contractors for rebuilding and that's exactly what's happening

“We are making incredible headway in Iraq and in Baghdad,” he said. As of Sept. 12, more than 2,800 of more than 3,800 projects planned under the Iraq Reconstruction Program had been completed. Work has started on another 600.

Much of this effort focuses on Baghdad, Iraq’s most populated city and the seat of its government. McCoy called reconstruction projects there vital to the city’s security situation.

“So the Gulf Region Division is integrally involved in Operation Together Forward to improve the essential services and the quality of life of Iraqis living in Baghdad,” he said.

An initiative called “Iraqi First” is ensuring as many contracts as possible for this effort go to Iraqi-owned businesses. “This empowers the citizens of Iraq to play a major role in rebuilding their nation and helps boost the nation’s economy,” he said.

Dominoes
You may have heard the term "actionable tips" or "actionable intelligence", but do you konw what it means? When something is actionable, what that means is that you can do something with it.

Take, for example, the recent capture of a personal buddy of Al Qaeda in Iraq's new leader. His capture provided actionable intelligence that allowed us to snatch up another 70 bad guys in 25 seperate raids in just a couple days (think dominoes here). Of course every chain of dominoes has an end and the fact that his capture has been made public indicates that this chain has come to that end.

The great thing about these dominoes, however, is that they set themselves up and we just have to knock them down.

B36 News - 14 September 2006

2006-09-14T11:55:00.000+04:00

It's a proud day for B36 News! A couple months ago, JP from Milblogging.com made B36 the featured blog on Military.com/Blog which is a weekly (or so) honor paid to various milblogs from around the internet.

Yesterday B36 was added to the "standard issue" list of blogs featured on the Military.com blog list joining a group of bloggers that I personally highly respect. It's an honor for me to be included with a group like this.

Assault on Patriotism
Normally I don't address issues that don't have a direct impact on our mission here in Iraq, but this one hits close to home and is the second such story I've heard.

Michael Beckett owns a home in Tennessee. A patriotic guy, Mr. Beckett wanted to fly an American flag, that had been given to him by a troop who carried it in Afghanistan, on his own property. The home owner's association, however, has taken steps to force him to remove the American flag from his own property.

If you want to do something about this you can contact the home owner's association management and tell them what you think, their contact info is available at the above link. If you do, I'd encourage you to be polite as yelling at them probably won't encourage them to agree. I'm sure (I hope) they've had plenty of people yelling at them already so just add your 2 cents to the pot and maybe we'll convince them.

Let me leave no doubt in anyone's mind - if anyone tries to pull this kind of crap with me they will quite literally have a fight on their hands and I'm very well armed, trained, and willing to use both to make sure my country's flag still flies.

Squaring the MSM Away
MG Zilmer of the USMC is the commanding general of MNF-West, the coalition group in charge of the Al Anbar province. Anbar recently received a lot of attention from the media when a report was published that made it seem as though the province was being lost to the bad guys. The report was so wrong that MG Zilmer decided to set the record straight:

The Other Iraq
Saddam is currently on trial for his attempts to exterminate the Kurds of norther Iraq. You want to know how the Kurds feel about the war in Iraq?

B36 News - 13 September 2006

2006-09-13T11:27:00.000+04:00

I'm a Soldier and I'm not supposed to publicly criticize elected officials, so I won't, but if I could, oh man would I be firing both barrels today.

Why is it so difficult for people to realize that we need to finish our work here? Perhaps I lack a strategic political perspective, but I just can't understand why Americans don't want us to accomplish our mission. They may say they support us and I've said my piece on that issue, but opposing our mission while we're fighting and dying for it is just plain nuts.

I fear that petty politics and short-sightedness at home are now our biggest obstacles to victory here in Iraq.

On another issue, I was talking with a buddy a while ago and we started talking about staying in versus leaving Iraq. He brought up the point that people say that we should leave Iraq so that the money used to support us here could be spent on things like health care. He then made the point that defense spending IS health care spending, it's a national life-insurance policy.

What It Means
I read a report on MNF-Iraq.com that was headlined "Coalition forces deliver precision munition in response to insurgent fire" and naturally I was interested. After clicking the link I was very underwhelmed. Here's the entire article:

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq – In response to insurgent small arms fire, Coalition forces delivered air precision munitions on the houses used by insurgents for the attack west of Habbaniyah today.

The medical evacuation helicopters took enemy fire during the evacuation of a wounded servicemember. The medical evacuation was successfully completed.

Yep, that's it. I figured I'd help it out a bit and provide some visual aid to help explain exactly what this rather sparse article says.

Below is what "delivered air precision munitions" probably looked like for someone on the ground (note - not footage from the actual event):

Hearts And Minds
Winning the hearts and minds translates directly to popular support (something that is seemingly lacking in the States). The Coalition goes to great lengths in order to win this battle here in Iraq, and it seems to have rubbed off on the Iraqi forces as well. One of the bigger hurdles to overcome in the fight to secure Iraq in general and Baghdad in particular is to convince people that the government sanctioned forces are capable of providing security and basic services to the public.

ISF in Gharma are winning this battle by handing out clothes, toys, and school supplies to under-privileged kids in their neighborhoods. This story also highlights how vital and critical a role people back in the States can play in winning the war. Friends and families of the Marines on the ground sent in the supplies that the ISF then handed out. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you can help win the war.

Reconstruction
There are many organizations here in Iraq whose goal is reconstruction. These groups get their support from various government agencies, private companies, and non-profit organizations, but they are all working for a common goal - building and rebuilding Iraq.

The Gulf Region District - US Army Corps of Engineers is one of the larger groups that works daily to help build Iraq's infrastructure. From hospitals to banks, from roads to oil pipelines, these guys do it all. So the next time you hear me or anyone else talking about rebuilding Iraq, know that there's a good chance that the GRD-USACE guys are the ones making it happen.

B36 News - 12 September 2006

2006-09-12T11:32:00.000+04:00

As I watched the various specials about the 9-11 attacks yesterday, I was suprised at how much of an impact those images still have on me, and I'm very glad that they do. I watched replays of the planes smashing into the towers, people jumping to escape the fire, people running from the falling debris, people dying. Innocent people.

After a while I couldn't watch any more, but I made myself. I got angry all over again. I could feel my chest tightening up with a desire for vengence, for justice. I wanted to make things right, to make my friends and family safe again. Then I heard an explosion in the distance (probably an IED) and was reminded that I am.

The terrorists want to see America weak, broken, afraid. They will not see that day. The harder they hit us, the stronger and more determined we get. We will only run to engage the enemy. We will only hide to ambush the terrorists. We will only fall to our knees to take steady aim at the bad guys.

We will drive on and we will win.

Safe Pilgrimage
Here's one that I bet you didn't hear about. Between 8 & 9 September, more than four million Shiite pilgrims celebrated the birth of the 12th Imam in Karbala in Baghdad. Yep, a religiously motivated public gathering in Baghdad with security provided by the ISF and guess what? You didn't hear about it. You may be asking yourself, "Why is this a big deal?" If you are, pick up the mouse and smack yourself in the forhead right now.

Four million Shiite pilgrims participated in Baghdad in a public religious event under security provided by ISF with zero significant attacks. This is a significant example of the progress of security situation in Baghdad.

Operations Roll-up
The following is an operational roll-up of actions against bad guys from the last several days:

5 IED makers, 1 kidnapper & 1 sniper captured
1 captured and 2 wounded after failed SVBIED attack
1 killed and 1 wounded while planting an IED
20 captured and 1 large cache found after searching a truck
5 ran off and 1 captured attempting to ambush a patrol w/ an RPG

Iraqis Stepping Up
Residents of a neighborhood in Baghdad have begun to help secure their part of the city. Rather than picking up weapons and forming militias as has been seen in other areas, residents of the Mansour neighborhood have been tipping off the ISF when they suspect terrorist activity thanks to a concerted effort by the Iraqi commander to build relationships with the locals. Additionally, residents are ignoring terrorist threats and going about their daily lives. Going to the markets, repairing roads, cleaning up the streets, rebuilding - they're driving on.

Iraq the Model
Iraq the Model is a blog that I read that is written by Omar and Mohammed, two Iraqi brothers living here in Baghdad. I really appreciate how they take an honest and critical perspective on events, placing criticism where they see it's due regardless of politics or favoritism.

Recently I've noticed that a lot of their posts have been aimed at the American public in an attempt to explain their (our) situation to them (us). Try this on for size:

This is our war first, it's our war as citizens of this region to preserve our humanity so as not to turn into violent, death-spreading mutants.
It's the war of those of us who believe in rewriting history and breaking away from its chains and it's the war of those who look forward to liberating their minds from the dominance of totalitarian interpretations of religion, and it's your war too.

Your duty is to help save us from being smashed between the hammer of dictators and the anvil of religion so that we can take our natural place and play a positive role in this life.
And it's also your battle to stop the murderers from acquiring deadly power so that we can be sure what happened in 9/11, or something much worse, does not happen again.

I'd suggest you read the whole thing.

Remember and Drive On

2006-09-11T10:53:00.000+04:00

There are a lot of ways to commemorate this day. There are a lot of ways to remember what happened.

I think the best way is to remember and drive on.

Remember the sight of towers burning.

Remember what you felt when you saw people jumping from the towers to escape the fire.

Remember the towers collapsing.

Remember the rescue workers running towards the wall of debris and not running back.

Remember the Pentagon burning.

Remember the crater in Pennsylvania where brave Americans died.

Remember the horror.

And then drive on.

Get your morning cup of coffee.

Read the daily paper.

Do the things you always do.

And remember.

Evil people hate us for who we are.

They want us to live in fear.

Don't.

They want us to bend to their will.

Don't.

They want us to give up.

Don't.

Remember and drive on.

Five years ago today, I sat in the common area on my college campus and watched on TV as my country was attacked.

Today I stand on top of what used to be Iraq's equivalent to the Whitehouse and I fly the same flag that I presented to my wife the day I was commissioned along with the promise that if I ever deployed that I would be the one to return it to her.

The Wiz Interviews

2006-09-10T15:19:00.000+04:00

Today is a special day as it marks the first ever "The Wiz Interviews"

This interview was inspired by an article in the Stars & Stripes featuring SGT Star, an online avatar designed to help Army recruiting. After reading this article, I sat down with SGT Star and asked the tough questions.

SGT STAR: Welcome The Wiz. How can I help you today?

The Wiz: Hi SGT Star, how are you feeling today?

SGT STAR: I'm fine thanks. How are you?

The Wiz: Well, I had some bad shellfish yesterday and I've got a bad case of the squirts. Otherwise I'm doing ok. Thanks for asking.

SGT STAR: Good. What can I answer for you about the army?

The Wiz: I'm a plastic, short, bearded toy, can I still join the Army?

SGT STAR: Physical requirements are gender specific. Are you male or female?

The Wiz: Hang on, let me check. Yep, I'm a male.

SGT STAR: The height and weight standards for males to enlist in the U.S. Army are displayed. If you are outside of these standards our Recruiters may be able to help you meet and maintain them prior to enlisting.

The Wiz: Dang, I'm too short. Are there any other options?

SGT STAR: You have the choice between serving either on Active Duty, which is full time, or you can serve in the Army Reserve. Generally, in the Army Reserve, you are required to train one weekend a month plus two weeks per year, and serve when needed.

The Wiz: What about The Liz? Can The Liz join the Army even though he's a lizard?

SGT STAR: The basic requirements for enlisting include: a U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien, have a high school diploma or equivalent, be 17 to 41 years old, healthy and in good physical condition, and in good moral standing. Some jobs may have additional requirements. You should contact your local Recruiter to see if you qualify.

The Wiz: The Liz speaks fleuent Arabic and English. Could he get a waiver and serve as a translator?

SGT STAR: The U.S. Army Civilian Acquired Skills Program may be an option for you. It is designed for those who speak foreign languages to help fill Army jobs that require specialized language skills. There is additional testing required to verify your language skills. Some incentives may be available for those who qualify. Your local Recruiter can help you determine your eligibility.

The Wiz: Can lizards carry weapons?

SGT STAR: During basic training you will learn Basic Rifle Marksmanship and are required to qualify as marksman, sharpshooter or expert on the M16A2 rifle to graduate. Throughout your Army enlistment, you may be given opportunities to train on a variety of other weapons.

The Wiz: What about napalm? Does it really stick to kids?

SGT STAR: Displayed below are answers that I believe are related to your question.
Army Family, Youth Programs
Army Family, Child Abuse
Army Family, Life Insurance
The Wiz: Ok, subject change: Do you know any magic spells?

SGT STAR: After a lot of training by some of the best Soldiers, I know a great deal about the Army and Soldier life. I would be happy to answer your questions about becoming a Soldier.

The Wiz: Can I use magic as a Soldier?

SGT STAR: Good question. I'm not sure how to answer that. Please try rewording your question. I understand simple questions best.

The Wiz: If I was a Soldier, could I cast spells?

SGT STAR: Unfortunately I haven't been trained on that subject. I have been trained to ask for help when I'm not sure about an answer. If you would like a recruiter to answer your question, please fill out this form to send an e-mail.

The Wiz: So you don't know magic?

SGT STAR: Unfortunately I haven't been trained on that subject. I have been trained to ask for help when I'm not sure about an answer. If you would like a recruiter to answer your question, please fill out this form to send an e-mail.

The Wiz: When you're in magical combat, you don't have time to ask for help! You gotta be hard charging dangit!!!

SGT STAR: In combat, Soldiers work to accomplish the mission. The Army will provide you with time to rest and take care of personal matters.

The Wiz: Ok, ok, so you don't know magic. What about nunchuck skills? Do you have those?

SGT STAR: Training for BCT Soldiers includes hand-to-hand combat. BCT is training that is designed to transform civilian recruits into Soldiers. It includes all the basic skills a Soldier needs to know to fight and survive on the battlefield.

The Wiz: Cool, so I'll learn how to thrash bad guys about the head and shoulders then?

SGT STAR: Incredible, isn't it? Is there anything else I can help you with?

The Wiz: Ok, another subject change: what do you think about media coverage of the war in Iraq?

SGT STAR: In times of war, deployment is likely. The possibility of deployment depends on your MOS and unit of assignment. All Soldiers must be strong, trained and ready upon assignment to a unit and prior to any deployment, including training exercises, humanitarian missions or combat operations. In general, deployments last a year or less.

The Wiz: That's nice, but does the media accurately portray the conflict?

SGT STAR: You're welcome.

The Wiz: I'm welcome? For what? You didn't even answer the question!

SGT STAR: I am a dynamic, intelligent self-service virtual guide that will help you quickly navigate the GoArmy Web site and retrieve Army-related subject matter, while simultaneously answering questions and directing communication based on interaction with the user.

The Wiz: You're a what?

SGT STAR: Good question. I'm not sure how to answer that. Please try rewording your question. I understand simple questions best.

The Wiz: Didn't you just say you were intelligent?

SGT STAR: Good question. I'm not sure how to answer that. Please try rewording your question. I understand simple questions best.

The Wiz: Ok, moving on then. On my last trip back to the magical kingdom, I rode a flying unicorn. Does the Army have flying unicorns?

SGT STAR: Warrant Officers pilot UH-60 Black Hawk, CH-47 Chinook, OH-58 Kiowa Warrior and AH-64A Apache helicopters on combat, rescue and reconnaissance missions. Soldiers gain these piloting skills in the Warrant Officer Flight Training (WOFT) program.

The Wiz: Do Warrant Officers ride unicorns?

SGT STAR: Warrant Officers are highly specialized experts and trainers in their career fields.

The Wiz: what about unicorns?

SGT STAR: That is a good question, however, I am not positive that I understand what you are asking. Try rephrasing your question. I understand simple questions best.

The Wiz: You don't seem to know much about magic, perhaps I could give you a class on it?

SGT STAR: Unfortunately I haven't been trained on that subject. I have been trained to ask for help when I'm not sure about an answer.

The Wiz: Can I train you on magic?

SGT STAR: Unfortunately I haven't been trained on that subject. I have been trained to ask for help when I'm not sure about an answer.

The Wiz: Kind of a dork, aren't you?

SGT STAR: That is a good question, however, I am not positive that I understand what you are asking. Try rephrasing your question. I understand simple questions best.

The Wiz: It's not a question, I think you're a dork!

SGT STAR: Please click on "Ask Live Help" at the bottom of this screen to chat live with a Recruiter

The Wiz: Well, I don't know if I want to tell a real person that I think he's stupid. I'm a small plastic toy, remember?

SGT STAR: You're welcome.

The Wiz: jerk...

SGT STAR: I don't respond to that type of language. What else can I help you with?

The Wiz: I hate you.

SGT STAR: I'm sorry you feel that way. If you would like to speak with someone about your concerns, please e-mail us using the form below.

After that, the interview went downhill fast. I had to resist the urge to poke the screen with my walking stick. In the end I won by vigorously and repeatedly clicking the "close" icon.

Take that SGT Star!

FAMILYDAY

2006-09-09T19:00:00.000+04:00

My family is still back in the States meeting old friends and extended family. MarksMomma is still sending me pictures and videos of Mark as he grows up.

I guess if there's a time to be away from your kid, this is the best age for it, at least for the kid. Every time I start getting frustrated and upset I just think of MarksMomma having to take care of Mark all by herself and my problems don't seem so bad.

Love you Sweetie!

B36 News - 08 September 2006

2006-09-08T11:58:00.000+04:00

Allow me to introduce another member of the B36 team. This is The Liz. The Liz joins the B36 team as what is commonly referred to in the media as a "stringer".

In Iraq, a stringer is typically a local national who, for obvious reasons, can move much more freely throughout the more dangerous areas of the country and get information about what's going on. The stringer is then paid by a reporter for the story which is reprinted with the reporter's name attached to it.

In this case, my stringer is a local lizard who will be paid in small insects. The Liz will focus on infiltration and survellience style operations and will provide insider commentary on some of the stories reported here.

Presidential "Winning in Iraq"
The latest speech given by the President focused on the progress that's been made in the broader Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). Hopefully this will help show Americans that we are in fact winning this war and that as long as we are given the resources (time included) to get the job done, we will. Thank you, Mr. President, for supporting our efforts to win the war.

More Important Than Bullets!?
I found this story particularly interesting because it combines two of my personal interests; coffee and the military. The story is about a Starbucks employee who was also a member of the National Guard. He was called up to duty in Iraq and not only did Starbucks meet the federal requirements for employers of activated troops, but they're now sending him and his buddies critical supplies of coffee and coffee paraphenelia. While I'm no particular fan of Starbucks coffee (it always tastes like they burnt the beans), I admire the support they give their employees.

When my friends and family asked me what they could send me to make life a bit better here in the desert, my response was, "Send coffee!" Within a month my troops and I had collected so much coffee that we're still working through it all, that was about 9 months ago now. Thanks for your support!

Brings a Tear to My Eye
Tears of joy that is. I can't tell you what joy it brings me to read stories like this. It happens on a somewhat regular basis that when a bad guy is planting an IED, it detonates prematurely killing those planting it. Call it a sick sense of irony or twisted justice, but hearing these stories can really turn my frown upside-down.

Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO

BAGHDAD – A terrorist prematurely detonated an improvised-explosive device, killing himself and severely wounding his accomplice at approximately 11 p.m. Wednesday in southern Baghdad’s Masaffee neighborhood.

Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers from 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, were flagged down by Iraqi citizens and told of a terrorist killed while placing an IED.
The wounded terrorist was taken to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.

In another incident, Iraqi army soldiers from 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, seized various munitions while on patrol in northern Baghdad Wednesday night.

IA soldiers found two rocket-propelled grenade launchers, nine RPG rounds and 500 PKC machinegun rounds.

IA soldiers turned the cache over to the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.

In a separate event, MND-B Soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd SBCT, captured various weapons while conducting a cordon and search operation of an ice cream parlor in Adhamiyah Wednesday night.

The MND-B Soldiers seized two RPG launchers, four RPG rounds, a belt of PKC machinegun ammunition, loose ammunition and bomb-making materials.

B36 News - 07 September 2006

2006-09-07T11:55:00.000+04:00

I finished reading through the 23 page National Strategy for Combating Terrorism yesterday and I found it interesting that the internet played a moderately prominent role in the strategy. Below is one passage I found particularly interesting:

To counter terrorist use of the Internet as a virtual sanctuary, we will discredit terrorist propaganda by promoting truthful and peaceful messages.

My mission to help people understand that we're winning the war and things are going well continues.

Big OTF Update
Telling you all about the progress that's being made with Operation Together Forward is one thing, but being able to show you is quite another. The images below were released in MG Caldwell's press briefing yesterday and I think they do an outstanding job of explaining just what kind of successful impact we're having.This graph shows simple numbers of casualties in Baghdad. Can you guess which month OTF swung into high gear?
This map shows the areas of Baghdad that OTF has been enacted in. Note how in later pictures, these areas show remarkable decreases in violence.
Do I really need to set this one up?
While not a part of OTF, I wanted to include this picture to show how much progress we've made transitioning security in Iraq back to the Iraqis. And now that the IGFC has been activated the divisions (the flags w/ "XX" on top) will roll up under the Iraqi government rather than the MNF-I. Keep an eye on this if you want to predict when we're going to be done here.

In the same press conference, this video showing an airstrike on an bad guy mortar team was released. (Hat-tip to DJ Elliott)

DoS Iraq Weekly Report
In a seperate weekly report released by the Department of State, we still see that progress continues to march in Iraq. This weekly report gives a good outlook on the whole picture in Iraq rather than just focusing on the military efforts. The highlights of this report include many of the stories that I published earlier in the week, but some that I didn't. I'd recommend checking this one out on a regular basis.

B36 News - 06 September 2006

2006-09-06T12:15:00.000+04:00

"They" like me, "they" really like me!

If you recall a few days ago I got an email from "they" telling me that I was violating OPSEC by publishing a map of Operation Together Forward. I was later cleard of any violations and allowed to repost the map, but I made sure to let "they" know that I was eager to help out to make sure that OPSEC is maintained.

It would seem that I left a positive impression. It's nice to know that there are other defenders of freedom out there that are interested in what I have to say.

Iraqi Ground Forces Command
After a short delay as a result of a clerical error, the IGFC assumed operational control of the 8th Iraqi Army Division. This is the first of 10 divisions that will ultimately be responsible for defending Iraq once we've accomplished our mission. I'd recommend keeping an eye on this as one of the primary indicators of our mission accomplishment and thereby our victory and return home.

On that topic, it's nice to hear the President saying that we will stay until we win. That's the kind of support that will let us accomplish our mission, win, and come home.

Iraq Has a Parliment!
You've probably heard that the Iraqi parliment voted to extend the state of emergency here in Iraq. What you might have missed was the two simple facts that Iraq has a parliment that voted!

The decisions that are made by this government will reflect the will of the Iraqi people now and if it doesn't then the people of Iraq can vote their representatives out of office.

Don't forget where we came from or how we got here. In about 3 and a half years we've replaced a dictatorial form of governmetn that has been in place for generations with a democratic one. Success doesn't happen overnight, have patience and let us win.

New Iraqi Flag?
Unbeknownst to many (yours truely included until recently), the flag commonly known as the Iraqi flag was instituted by Saddam. The flag that's associated with the Kurdish regions of Iraq is the flag that was used before Saddam destroyed his country. There has been a recent push to fly a single flag in Iraq, a decision that met with much opposition as many who were oppressed by Saddam didn't feel any attachment to it.

In response to this push-back, President Talibani has decided that Iraq will soon be flying a new flag, symbolic of a new and unified country. Better get your "old" Iraqi flags while you still can!

OTF Update
Operation Together Forward continues to secure more and more of Baghdad. The bad guys are getting squeezed into less and less territory and as such they are fighting harder to avoid getting caught or killed, but that's not stopping us.

You've come to expect me to talk about numbers of weapons found and people caught or killed, but what you don't hear much about in regards to OTF is the action that doesn't involve pointing or firing a weapon. Check this out:

45,800 buildings cleared
49 mosques and 39 mullahs cleared
425 weapons registered
1,152 doors replaced
38 windows replaced
1,366 locks replaced
25,561 cubic meters of trash removed

Yep, that's right. The US military doesn't just take out the human garbage.

B36 News - 05 September 2006

2006-09-05T12:07:00.000+04:00

I tell ya what, with the upcoming elections I think I'm just going to turn off my TV. It's getting to the point where all I hear is suits and ties with precisely zero military experience talking about what a failure the Iraq war is. What really gets to me though is that they don't offer any proof to back it up and it seems that people still believe it.

The next time you hear someone squawk "quagmire" or "failure" or "mess" listen closely (or if it's possible, ask them) to see if they explain themselves or what they would do instead. We're winning and we will turn winning into won if they will just let us.

Trial by Fire, Passed
Bad guys detonated a cement truck bomb on 21 August in Ramadi that damaged a local police station. The obvious intent was to kill, maim, and ultimately discourage the policemen to the point where the station would collapse. Unfortunately for the bad guys, it had the same effect on these brave Iraqis that 9/11 had on the US:

Instead of fleeing, officers refused to budge. They even declined to take refuge at Camp Blue Diamond. Within hours of the attack, police officers raised a new Iraqi flag on their station’s scorched flagstaff and set about repairing the outpost.

“I was shocked and proud at the same time,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Eric Baker, a police transition team leader who was himself injured in the noontime attack.

Sadr Backs Down
Rember Fallujah? Remember how we wasted the Jaysh al Mahdi? One image that sticks in my head is a short clip that was aired on FoxNews where the reporter was asking a Marine First Lieutenant (now Captain) Brian Chontosh about the bad guys they were fighting at that time:

"We told them to surrender or we would have to kill them. They yell back in English that they would rather die than give up ... so they're going to die."

And they did in an air strike that followed up CPT Chontosh's promise. Yeah, those were Sadr's guys. CPT Chontosh would later be awarded the Navy Cross for his actions in another operation in Iraq, but that's another story altogether.

This time, it seems like Sadr learned the lesson of Fallujah and had his knuckleheads in Diawaniya pull out following a beat-down at the hands of the ISF that left about 25 ISF dead and about twice that number of Sadr's.

While I'm At It...
Let me bring up another rotund "freedom-fighter". Michael Moore - yep, I said it, now I need a bar of soap so I can wash my mouth out. What could possible make me talk about this ... person? I saw a video on HotAir.com's website that was produced by the Al-Rashedeen Army that sings his praises. That's right, 10 out of 10 terrorists support Michael Moore! So all of you think that ol' Mikey is a champion for the cause of truth and justice, you're in good company. Just don't be suprised when that company offers you a bullet in place of your refusal to convert.

And I almost forgot, the point the video tries to make is that the number of US dead is closer to 25,000. Rrrrriiiiiight... Better luck next time guys.

B36 News - 04 September 2006

2006-09-04T12:18:00.000+04:00

"There are many like it, but this one is mine."

This picture is of my M4, which spends most of it's time in the weapons rack. Unless I go on a trip, I just carry my M9 (pistol) since the M4 is bulkier and doesn't mix well with office work whereas the M9 just sits strapped to my leg. I also just got my "hooah attachments" last week (that would be the rail mount hand guard and vertical grip). Now at least I look like a hooah-hooah hardcore Soldier.

Also, I hear it's Labor Day. Isn't that a holiday or something? Enjoy the day off! Lord knows I would.

OTF Progress (story 2)
These two stories are about the progress that is being made in the areas that we've secured so far with Operation Together Forward (OTF). As you can see, the methodical door-to-door searches that are being conducted to find bad guys and their weapons is working, which is why the bad guys are fighting back. If we just ignored them they wouldn't have as much reason to fight us, but they would also still be free to impose their will on the population.

Is peace worth the sacrifice of liberty, or is justice which leads to peace worth the sacrifice of "blood and treasure"?

Iraqi Army takes Tal Afar
Some people who read this headline may initially get images of pitched battles with attacks and counter attacks until the IA finally defeats its foe and hoists the Iraqi flag in the city center. Those images would be wrong, except for the hoisting of the Iraqi flag.

In a ceremony held on 2 September, the 3rd IA Division assumed full responsibility of Tal Afar from Task Force Band of Brothers which is comprised mainly of the US Army's 101st Screaming Eagles. Please feel free to color in more territory on the "Iraqi Army in the Lead" diagram below.

Reconstruction Progress
A report compiled by the MNF-I Project and Contracting Office (PCO) goes into great detail to explain just what kind of progress has been made with the reconstruction effort in Iraq. You can view the original document here.

Allow me to summarize:

The oil industry is now producing above 2002 levels.
U.S projects have increased potable water availability to an estimated 4.2 million additional residents and an estimated 5.1 million additional people have access to sewage treatment.
U.S. projects have added or restored some 2,700 Megawatts of electrical generation capacity to Iraq's electrical grid. Peak electricity generation in Iraq is currently around 4,900 megawatts compared to an average of 4,300 in 2002.
Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi schoolchildren are now attending new and refurbished schools.
Since our arrival in 2003, there have been 30,000 new businesses created.

Ask A Troop Sunday

2006-09-03T14:04:00.000+04:00

It's Sunday again, time to open up the comments section to anyone to say anything (within reason, nothing foul or filthy). For those who don't know, 'Ask A Troop Sunday' is your chance to say or ask anything you've ever wanted to a member of the US military. I'll do my best to fully answer every comment, but of course I won't violate OPSEC. If you ask me when I plan to go back out to grid coordinate MB12345678 in the Red Zone, you can expect me to give an equally silly answer.

A quick bit of news - Al Qaeda's #2 knucklehead in Iraq was captured today by ISF:

"He was hiding in a building used by families, he wanted to use children and women as human shields as our forces attempted to capture him," he told a news conference.

"I can say that al Qaeda in Iraq is severely wounded."

Iraq Progress Report

2006-09-02T19:00:00.000+04:00

Thanks to a tip from The Griper, I managed to track down the full report. You can see it for yourself here at the DefenseLink website.

My initial response is that of the three scales that the war is measured on (security, political, and economic) that progress has been made in all areas, though to a lesser degree in the security track as a result of sectarian violence.

Progress along the political and economic were encouraging, but they could have done better were it not for sectarian violence. What's notable about this is that sectarian violence is nothing new to most people, you've heard about it in the news ad nauseam. What you don't hear about is the progress that's being made in spite of this violence.

Here's a short summary:
Here you can see the progress we've made along the political track.

In the last report, there were three provinces in the green and one in the red.

This progress in spite of sectarian violence.

Here you can see that most violence is limited to 4 provinces. The size of the province as depicted here represents population size.

Here you see the status of each province to be transferred back to Iraqi control. Dhi Qar, north of Muthana, the one province that has already been transferred, will be transferred back to Iraqi control shortly ... in spite of sectarian violence.

I'd encourage everyone to read the report for yourself. It's 66 pages, but it will give you a better idea for how we're really doing over here.

FAMILYDAY

2006-09-02T17:45:00.000+04:00

This family day video comes straight from the good ol' US of A. MarksMomma and Mark made it back to visit the grandparents and the rest of the family. In this video you see Mark practicing his low-crawl with his Aunt Hanna.

On the news front, the latest DoD report to Congress on the security and stability of Iraq has been released and I'm trying to get my hands on it. Unfortunately all of the other news sites only give their interpretation of it, they don't provide a link to the original.

Curious...

B36 News - 01 September 2006

2006-09-01T11:51:00.000+04:00

(today's sunrise)

It's been a few days since I posted the last sunrise photo. Up until recently the sand that had been hanging in the air made for less than spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Today, however, the dust cleared and the amazing sunrises returned.

As I mentioned in previous posts, I've began working on a follow-up to the Winning in Iraq series, the title of which will be The Second Front. While I was writing Winning in Iraq I shared my challenges and progress throughout the process and I fully intend to do so with The Second Front.

The focus of The Second Front is going to be on how bad guys use the media to achieve strategic gains on the ground. So far, the biggest challenge I've been able to identify is that facts and figures will be few and far between since measuring perception and opinion is limited to polls. With Winning in Iraq, I was able to use documented accomplishments to show progress, with The Second Front I'm going to have to appeal to logic and common sense to a much greater degree.

Puttin' a Hurtin' on 'em
It's been a bad few days for the bad guys in al-Anbar province thanks to the Marines operating in this area. Recon Marines from 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5 have been rolling through Mushin clearing out bad guys and their stockpiles of weapons.

“I knew we’d be busy, but not like that,” Cross said. “It was a straight-up kick-in-the-nuts.”

Cross said Marines knew immediately they put a dent in insurgents’ abilities to carry out attacks against Marines and Iraqi Security Forces. The areas they once considered a safe haven to hide weapons and refit are now the stomping grounds for Marines and soon for those Iraqi soldiers and police who will take over. Cross talked to one local man who told them operations were wreaking havoc on insurgents.

“He was real grateful for what we were doing there,” Cross explained. “That’s gratifying to hear that kind of result. We put a hurting on them. We slowed them down for a couple of months.”
(full story by Gunnery Sgt. Mark Oliva, Regimental Combat Team 5 posted in comments)

Marines Doing What Marines Do
Kicking ass and taking names, that is. Not to be shown up by their brothers in Regimental Combat Team 5, Marines from 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 7 spent the last few days taking out bad guys in and around Haditha. The grand total in this story is 40 bad guys captured and three killed, all by snipers. Two of the three that stopped the Marine sniper's bullet's did so while firing on an Abrams (that's a tank!).

I'd like to have been there for that radio conversation:

Tanker 1: *PING* [to Tanker 2] "Are they shooting at us?"
Tanker 2: *PING* *PING* [to Tanker 1] "Uh... I think so." [on radio to Sniper] "Hey, are they shooting at us?"
Sniper: *BANG* *BANG* "Not any more."

Recruiting Up in Anbar (story 2)
The success of the Marines in Anbar isn't limited to combat. In the month of August, Marines and Iraqi Security Forces recruited about 1300 new members into the ISF. As with the US military, before a recruit is given a gun and sent to work, he's put through intensive training and background checks. Bearing further similarities to the US military, the decision for many Iraqis to volunteer to serve their country is born out of a sense of national unity and pride:

“I want to serve our country and defend Iraq,” said one recruit through an interpreter.

“Patriotism… I want to defend my country,” said another.

After undergoing literacy tests, medical examinations, physical fitness evaluations and security screenings, the eligible applicants signed contracts adorned with the Arabic header, “In the Name of God.”

UPDATE!
Dhi Qar Transfer
I've been hearing rumors of this transition of security, but this is the first report I've seen that named names. The southern province of Dhi Qar, which borders Muthanna to the north, is set for the transition of security from the Coalition back to the Iraqis. PM Maliki says that he plans to have most of the provinces in Iraq transferred back to Iraqi control within the year, a claim that is reinforced by the opening of the Iraqi Ground Forces Command which will also transition operational control of the ISF back to Iraqi commanders.

Rolling Victory Fast

2006-08-31T21:21:00.000+04:00

For those who don' t know, you can find out more about the Rolling Victory Fast at the Tanker Brothers blog.

I just signed myself up for 4 October 2006. When is your day?

Commander in Chief on the War in Iraq

2006-08-31T17:32:00.000+04:00

President Bush will be holding a press conference in a couple hours addressing the war in Iraq. You can bet that yours truly will be watching.

Check back for updates after the conference!

UPDATE!

"The United States of America will not leave until victory is achieved."

These words were spoken today by President Bush. Let's follow this statement to its logical end:

We're winning the war in Iraq.
As long as we don't quit, we'll win.
When we win, we go home.

Winning AND going home, sounds good to me!

The President also said that he will be giving more speeches over the next few days with the goal of showing the American people just how we are winning in Iraq. This is a mighty step forward in the battle for the hearts and minds of the American people, or what I like to call, the Second Front.

The battle in Iraq is being won. As long as we continue to move forward with our progress, it will end in victory. The biggest obstacle to winning now is the commitment of the American people, the Second Front.

The bad guys know this and they are doing their best to break the will of the American people. If the bad guys manage to convince enough Americans that victory isn't worth the sacrifice and those Americans convince the policy makers to tuck tail and run, then we will have lost.

Let's pause for a moment and think; what is the bad guy's best weapon on the Second Front? What are they using to convince Americans that it's not worth it? Do I even need to say it?

As long as you let us stay in Iraq, we will win. When we win, we will come home.

B36 News - 31 August 2006

2006-08-31T11:55:00.000+04:00

After four days and more than 2800 hits, the challenge has been answered.

Interesting challenge.
I think we are losing the war in Iraq because the American people think we are losing or rather, that we cannot win. When the support erodes enough, we will lose.
The similarity to Vietnam is interesting.

Matt

Logical, sensible, supported by my own claims in Winning in Iraq. It offers a broad perspective of the war in Iraq and shows that the war isn't only being fought on the ground in Iraq or in the hearts and minds of Iraqis (a fight that we're winning), but it's also being fought in the hearts and minds of the American public. This battle is one that we're losing.

There is definately more to come on this one. Stand by.

Giving Better Than They Got
You may have recently heard in the news about a battle between the Iraqi Army and the militia known as the Mahdi Army, or Jaysh al-Mahdi, that left 23 IA Soldiers dead. What you probably didn't hear was that the Mahdi Army lost at least 50 militiamen. As GEN Casey put it, the IA "gave much better than they got."

As we continue to take control of battlespace away from the militias you will see more stories like this one. Be sure to remember that we are choosing the time and place of this violence. Taking territory from the bad men will be violent, but it will lead to a lasting and just peace.

Marines Try to Save Innocent Iraqi Girl
Hadael Hamade suffers from the same hereditary kidney disease that has already claimed the lives of four of her siblings. Marines from the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment first became aware of her condition several months ago during a routine patrol where she and her father, Ahmed, a 46 year old school teacher, befriended LCPL Aaron Simons.

A few days before his death, LCPL Simons promised to do what he could to help Hadael get the treatment she needed to survive.

“I remember the young Marine and how he was interested in getting help for my family,” said Ahmed. “I am very sorry for his death. Without him I would have never gotten help for my daughter.”

ISF Doctors Aid Iraqis
A couple days ago I posted a story about a South Korean hospital that offered free medical care to local Iraqis. In that story I talked about how the South Korean doctors aren't only treating patients, but they're also training local doctors so that they can continue to provide the same level of service once we pull out.

These Iraqi doctors make housecalls:

BAGHDAD – Soldiers from the 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, along with Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, attached to 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, provided medical treatment to residents of Ghazaliya during Operation Ghazaliya Aid Saturday.

The medical operation in the Baghdad neighborhood attracted nearly 200 residents, who were treated for a variety of medical conditions.

“The medical operation was a great event that helped a lot of people in Ghazaliya,” said Capt. Robert Callaghan, of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Bn., 23rd Inf. Regt. “It showed what could be accomplished by the neighborhood council, Iraqi police and the National police, when they work together in the best interest of the people.”

Iraqi army medical personnel, supported by MND-B Soldiers, treated each person who waited in line and referred future medical concerns to the Ghazaliya Primary Care Clinic, which recently reopened in the neighborhood.

Along with medical aid, the Iraqi Security Forces and MND-B Soldiers worked to build support and cooperation with the local population. Sgt. 1st Class Cesar Valdez, HHC, was among the MND-B Soldiers who worked with the ISF as Ghazaliya residents waited to receive medical care.

“The Iraqi Security Forces were instrumental in managing the long line of residents who showed up to take advantage of this opportunity,” said Valdez.
(Story by Capt. Robert Callaghan, 2nd BCT PAO, 1st Arm. Div.)

UPDATE!
$20mil for B36 News?
Well, almost. MNF-I has put out a $20 million statement of work for somene who can...

"...ensure current and thorough understanding of our communication environment, develop communication strategies and tactics, identify opportunities, and execute events to pursue the strategic engagement of our strategic audiences, to effectively communicate Iraqi government and Coalition’s goals, and build support among our strategic audiences in achieving those goals."
(read the whole statement of work - .doc format)

So you see, winning the battle for the hearts and minds of "strategic audiences" (psst, that's you America) is quickly becoming a military priority.

B36 News - 30 August 2006

2006-08-30T12:08:00.000+04:00

Over 2100 hits and only a couple serious attempts at the challenge. I particularly appreciated Daniel's comments as he did a great job of laying out his position in a logical, sensible manner.

I sincerely hope that I'm not going to win this challenge by default. There has got to be someone out there with some insight into our defeat that extends beyond assumptions and rhetoric.

Double Dose of SECDEF
In seperate articles posted on the DefenseLink website, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld issued strong support of what we milbloggers are doing. Mind you, the words "Bandit is a cool guy," didn't come out of his mouth, but this did:

“Those who know the truth need to speak out against these kinds of myths and distortions that are being told about our troops and our country,” Rumsfeld said while addressing the American Legion National Convention. “The struggle we are in –- the consequences are too severe, the struggle too important, to have the luxury of returning to the old mentality of ‘Blame America first.’”
(read the whole story)

He then went on to reinforce the assessment that as long as Americans at least tolerate the mission, we will succeed:

"History has shown time and again that if Americans have the patience and perseverance to see an effort through -- that we prevail," he said. "And the result of that perseverance is a safer and more secure world."
(read the whole story)

If you don't quit, we will win.

Kidnapped Sunni, Shia Freed
Thanks to Operation Together Forward, two men were freed shortly after their kidnapping. The friends, one a Sunni and the other a Shiite, had been riding their motorcycles when they were abducted.

This is how it works; bad guys do bad things, good guys (us and the ISF) hunt them down and capture or them, we leave good guys (ISF) in place to make sure that bad guys don't come back. This particular group of good guys, 1st Squadron, 67th Cav Regiment, have found and freed 10 kidnapping victims in the last two weeks.

Iraqi Commo
For those who don't know, my job in the Army is in communications. As such, I found this story about the Iraqi Defense Network of particular interest. It's great to hear about things like this in the news. In the commo world, it's a good day if no one's yelling at you because they only yell when it doesn't work.

The Iraqi Defense Network is a command and control and data communications network exclusive to the Iraqi military. IDN allows the military to send secure data without going through a commercial internet provider, according to U.S. Air Force Capt. Karen Zoebisch, the IDN program manager for Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq.

“This capability will give them their own private network,” Zoebisch said. “The network is the Iraqi equivalent to the Non-secure Internet Protocol Router Network, or NIPRNet, on the U.S. military side. For the Iraqi military, this will be their first command and control data communication network.”

B36 News - 29 August 2006

2006-08-29T11:29:00.000+04:00

More than 1500 hits since I first posted my challenge and still no serious contender. I've seen replies to the challenge that readers have posted on various boards that try to discredit me, some even claim that I'm not really a Soldier, that I'm some teenager in high-school. Even though there have been plenty of attacks on me personally and on the decision to go to war, they have yet to put a significant dent in the fact that we're winning.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, read this and then read my challenge.

As for news, I decided to focus today on the humanitarian efforts that have been achieved here in the last week or so. News of Together Forward continues to be positive and even though the bad guys are hitting back at us, it still isn't stopping our progress.

40,000 Innocent Iraqis Get Free Medical Treatment
A large section of northern Iraq is controlled by the South Korean military and one of the many activities they conduct is a free hospital. In less than two years, this hospital has offered free service to 40,000 Iraqis. But I guess none of them were abused, raped, or murdered so I doubt if you'll be hearing about this in any of the broadcast or print media.

The hospital works on a ticket system where local clinics issue tickets to patients that entitle them to see the doctors and nurses at the South Korean hospital. Not only does this hospital treat patients, but they offer supplies and training to the local clinics so that when it's time to go they can maintain the same level of service.

Soccer Anyone?
In Mudiq, Iraq, a soccer fan, who just happens to be the commander of the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment operating in the area, promised local children that if they cleaned up a local dump that he would supply the goals and soccer balls required to turn it into a soccer field. Ten days later he made good on his promise.

The Iraqi children got excited about the soccer field as soon as Marines started unloading the gear. A recreation area like this is rare in an urban neighborhood such as Mudiq.

“You should have seen the kids,” said Cpl. Mario O. Huerta, a 22-year-old from Dallas, who serves as platoon sergeant for Desgrosseilliers’ jump team. “I was patrolling up and down the street and the whole town was happy.”

Huerta said he could relate to the young soccer stars. He shares their passion for game.

“Soccer is my life,” he said. “I’m a soccer player, so if someone did that for me when I was a kid, I know it would make my day.”
(full story by LCPL Ray Lewis, RCT 5 posted in comments)

Innocent Iraqi Children Get New School
In Al Tina, Iraq, a Civil Affairs team just finished building a new school for local children.

by Sgt. Dennis Gravelle
138th MPAD

AL TINA, Iraq -- The primary focus of Civil Affairs teams in northern Iraq is helping the Iraqi people rebuild the infrastructure, from roads and bridges to renovating schools for children.

Local schools in the north are in need of several upgrades and renovations due to years of neglect. The renovations are needed to help the children learn in an environment more conducive to learning.

For the village Al Tina, Iraq, their school held a ribbon cutting ceremony to feature the grand opening on Aug. 22. On hand for the ceremony was the Mayor of Qayyarah, Muktar Ali Shahab, and Gen Ali, commander, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division.

CA teams hired a local contractor to get the project started. The contractor then hired local villagers to assist with the repairs. Hiring locals improves short-term employment in the area, while instilling pride and improving the educational environment.

Money to complete the project came from the Commanders Emergency Relief Fund, which helps local villages in the Ninevah Province, northern Iraq rebuild after years of neglect.

“CERP is a sub category under a funding called Iraqi Reconstruction & Relief Effort,” said Lisa Lawson, project engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, gulf region north. “This is what Congress authorized to help restore Iraq.” Lawson is from Tulsa, Okla.

The school was formerly a hut-like structure, but now has fans, flushing toilets, a headmaster’s office, and most importantly, an environment that facilitates learning.

B36 News - 28 August 2006

2006-08-28T11:22:00.000+04:00

The current count is just shy of 1000 page views for my Open Challenge and I have yet to face a serious contender. Surely there has to be someone out there who can back up the claim that we're losing. I won't be suprised by what the Tanker Brothers call "drive by comment posting" in which the poster levels personal attacks at me rather than at my position on the issue, but if someone can logically explain how we're losing I'll be impressed.

Also, thanks to those of you who have helped me reach those who would otherwise not hear my challenge. I'd like to keep up that effort so if you know of some deep-dark defeatist hole, please let me know so I can shine the light of victory on them.

I just don't get why Americans would WANT us to lose.

Operation Together Forward Expands
After securing several districts in southern and western Baghdad, Iraqi and Coalition forces are beginning to move into the northern district of Adhamiyah. Remember, we're sending men with guns into neighborhoods looking for other men with guns. Chances are good that in these places there will be temporarily increased violence. Also remember, this NEEDS to happen before violence will decrease. Ignoring the bad men with guns is not the path to peace. Taking their guns, by force if necessary, will lead to peace.

Reconcilliation Gains Support
Over the weekend, PM Maliki held a reconcilliation conference that resulted in tribal leaders from all sects signing what was called a 'pact of honor' aimed at helping reduce violence in Iraq. This is another critical step forward for Iraq. For years there has been a rift between the different sects in Iraq and now we're seeing a lot of progress towards overcoming those divisions and the creation of a unified Iraq.

Al-Maliki won endorsement of his program for bridging religious, ethnic and political divisions at a national conference of tribal chiefs. A representative of the chiefs read their agreement on live television, calling it a "pact of honor."
"Realizing the gravity of the situation our country is undergoing, we pledge in front of God and the Iraqi people to be sincere and serious in preserving the unity of our country," said the agreement signed by tribal leaders and sheiks.

Kidnapped Sunni Lawmaker Released
Before anyone falls out of their chair when they click this link let me give fair warning; yes, it's the New York Times. Showing further progress towards unity, a Sunni lawmaker (who is a woman, by the way) was set free by her Shiite captors thanks in large part to the personal involvment of PM Maliki. There was no military operation to free Ms. Mashhadani, instead she was delivered to PM Maliki's office, at her request, where she personally thanked him.

Now before you think, "Oh, isn't that nice," and move on to the next story, think of the significance of the details here. A democratically elected Sunni female politician was taken hostage for 55 days and released after the involvement of the democratically elected, Shiite PM.

Got unity?

Wow
I found this story VERY interesting. I think I'll just quote it and let the author of the article speak for himself:

The second trial of Saddam Hussein, which began this week, has included stomach-churning evidence of his atrocities against the Kurds. It's yet another lesson why removing him was the right thing to do.

Somehow, among the many reasons for the war in Iraq, the one that's perhaps strongest gets shortest shrift: the moral one.

We say this because Saddam's career as usurper and ruler of his nation is an object lesson in evil -- the kind that, if not opposed, festers, grows and infects even those who think they're immune.

Ask A Troop Sunday

2006-08-27T10:58:00.003+04:00

So far no takers to my challenge even though it has been seen by hundreds. To those of you who worry that this may result in the wackos ruining the blog, don't worry, the idiocy rule will still apply to the other posts.

For those who don't know, "Ask A Troop Sunday" is designed to be the place where anyone can say or ask anything. I do my best to completly answer each question, but I may do some tap dancing to aviod compromising OPSEC if you ask too pointed a question.

So if you want to call me a babykiller and are upset because I deleted your comment on another post, here's your chance! Enjoy that freedom of speech that me and my buddies are just dying to protect!

Open Challenge!

2006-08-26T20:38:00.000+04:00

I've decided it's time to step up to the plate and publicly challenge the defeatists. Over a month ago, I published my explanation for why I believe that we're winning the war in Iraq and I now issue a challenge so listen up: prove me wrong. I'm willing to debate those who can present a logical explanation for why we're losing the war and should their explanation top mine I'm willing to admit my wrongs.

Here is my request; whenever you hear or read someone who thinks that the war in Iraq is going badly or being lost, send them to me. Put up a link to this post and tell them they better bring their "A" game.

I want this challenge to reach as many of the defeatists as possible and ask for the readers of this blog to assist me in reaching them. I haven't spent much time looking for defeatist websites (mainly because I get it shoved down my throat by the MSM), so if you know of any please send me a link so I can properly introduce them to the truth. I know that I'm making myself a target with this challenge and I'm very willing to do so because I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are in fact winning this war.

FAMILYDAY

2006-08-26T14:43:00.000+04:00

Mark and MarksMomma made it back to the states last week so that Mark could get introduced to the rest of his family.

MarksMomma continues to send me videos of my son. In the newest one, Mark meets the kitty.

It's still strange for me to watch these because I always think, "Wow, that's a cute kid!" Then I remember that it's mine and it takes me a minute or two to collect myself.

---UPDATE---

It's HOT!

B36 News - 25 August 2006

2006-08-25T12:11:00.000+04:00

I was watching the news this morning and I heard one of the "experts" say that the issue of the war in Iraq should be avoided by those who supported it because of the fact that it's a failure. He supported his claim by citing recent polling data that shows that most (51%) Americans don't associate the war in Iraq with the war on terrorism.

This is extremely disheartening, but it's also very motivating. We're winning the war in Iraq. I'm willing to listen to a logical argument to the contrary, but I have yet to hear one. If we're winning the war, why do so many people think we aren't? Because they get their information from the media. Why is the media telling the American public that we're losing the war? What does it benefit the media to mislead the public? The motivation for this lie is an interesting topic, but what concerns me more is result of the lie and that is that the American media is truely and undeniably stabbing troops in the back.

The troops are the war. We are here to win the war. When the media portrays the war as being lost they are portraying the troops as losers. Please don't believe this lie and help your friends see through it as well.

And on a final note before I get to the news from Iraq, forgive me for a moment while I get a little tactical and call it like I see it:

Opposing the war and supporting the troops is bullshit. You spineless wimps who mindlessly bleat this motto need to stop and think for a second ... well, maybe longer in your case. How can you oppose the reason for the troops being here AND support the troops? The troops support the war, we're fighting it. If you don't support the war, you don't support me. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

MSM Good News?
As good as it can get I guess. I'll take what I can get with these people though. Baby steps, remember?

Amazingly, CBS had this to say about the progress of Together Forward:

"...in one west Baghdad neighborhood, killings have plummeted 85 percent. Since the security crackdown began in Baghdad, the murder rate citywide is down 41 percent. It's progress — but it's been less than three weeks..."

The whole article follows pretty much the same track. Talk of progress with a smattering of negativity. The tone of the article led me to believe that this progress upset the reporter and, try as he might, he just couldn't twist it into another knife to stab us in the back with.

MORE MSM Good News?!
Yeah, I couldn't believe it either. In this one, the reporter only takes one subtle jab at negativity, claiming that...

"The scene of American forces sitting casually with Iraqis is a rare sight in many parts of Iraq, especially in dangerous Baghdad and Anbar province, where the little that American troops see of the country is usually through bulletproof glass."

(picture is of me standing casually with Iraqis in "dangerous Baghdad", see the smiles?)

I'd like to know how she came to that conclusion. Probably not from the hundreds of convoys she went on to visit local leaders. Anyway, to the reporter's credit she quickly turns that frown upside-down:

"In the relative quiet of Shiite-dominated southern Iraq, the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, is moving forward with ambitious reconstruction efforts, planning to spend $15 million in a yearlong deployment compared to $2 million spent by the units it replaced over the previous 18 months."

Going Towards the Gunshots
How many people do you know that upon hearing gunfire or explosions would move towards those sounds? That's exactly what these troops in Ramadi are doing. These guys rolled into the middle of downtown Ramadi and started setting up a base camp. As one company commander put it:

“This is like the enemy putting a little safe house next to our chow hall,” said Capt. Michael P. McCusker, commander of Warrior Company, 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment. “They don’t like this at all. Things will be getting very energetic here over the next few days.”

"Energetic," that's code for "lots of fighting." Ladies and gentlemen, running away from the fight will not win anything. Moving towards the fight, towards the bombs and bullets is how we win. It's how we stop those who plant bombs and fire bullets.

In whatever manner you pray, say a special prayer for these guys. They're getting rid of bad guys that would cut your throat as quick as they would swat a fly if they could.

B36 News - 24 August 2006

2006-08-24T11:56:00.000+04:00

In my posts here I have gone to great lengths to check myself and make sure that I'm not violating operational security (OPSEC), not because they told me that I would get in trouble if I did, but because I recognize the threat that poor OPSEC poses to troops on the ground.

For a long time I had always suspected that the warning that blogs were being watched for OPSEC violations was just a ghost story told to keep us milbloggers in line. Well, that changed yesterday. Shortly after posting the story "Progress of Together Forward" I received an email from the "they" who checked for violations informing me that posting the maps violated OPSEC. In response I immediately removed the maps and asked for clarification on the issue because I had obtained them from www.mnf-iraq.com, an open-source news outlet. After a review it was determined that because they had been officially released in a public news briefing conducted here in Baghdad, that there was no violation and that I was authorized to re-display the maps.

Let there be no doubt; I am very happy that there is someone who does what "they" do. The threat of poor OPSEC directly impacting troops on the ground *cough*NewYorkTimes*cough* is very real and "they" are helping prevent that.

Thank you, "they".

Uniting Iraq
In an unprovoked display of national unity, military, political, and religious leaders of all stripes met in the city of Al Hillah at the local police station to discuss the future of their province. Remember the reconcilliation plan? It's one of those things that PM Maliki is pushing to try and bring peace to Iraq. Remember that thing? Yeah, so here is a small scale example of the progress that's being made by Iraqis to secure Iraq. Not all progress involves bullets and bombs.

“This was Iraqi generated, Iraqi led,” said Col. John Tully, commander, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, an invited guest of the ISF leadership present at the conference “They are clearly trying to come to grips with the issues their society is facing.”

The meeting was orchestrated by Maj. Gen. Qais Hamza, Babil provincial police chief, to bring representatives of every facet of Babil culture to the conference and provide them a forum to speak. It is hoped the meeting would signify the commencement of a new era in the region and the end of terrorism in southern Iraq, said a sheik in attendance.

“We have Sunnis, Shias, women, children – that is a miracle in this day of age,” he said. “Everybody knows what needs to be done, but Gen. Qais is the person who decided that it was time to quit talking and start acting.”

CNN Learns Armyese
Yesterday I posted a story from a reporter from FoxNews. Thanks to my Google Alert on "Green Zone" I found a similar story, this time from CNN. Michael Holmes spent some time here in the IZ (as nearly every single reporter does) and struggled with the heavy usage of acronyms by the military. It reminded me of a funny story my wife told me about a friend of hers who was going to a military graduation ceremony on a nearby post. When she got to the parade ground, the guard told her where she neede to park her POV (personally owned vehicle). She responded by pointing to an open space and asking, "Can I park my C-A-R over T-H-E-R-E?"

(As I re-read that I get the feeling that it may only be funny if you were there.)

Interesting Omission
I've heard it said that the things we regret most are not acts of comission, but acts of omission. Here's something that was omitted from every single report I read or heard about the shootings that killed 20 during the recent pilgrimage.

Try to imagine yourself as a fly on the wall ... or donkey ... or whatever when the shooting occured. What kind of response would you expect from security forces? Perhaps you have images of troops standing guard while medics treat the wounded and collect the remains of the dead. Perhaps you see troops surveying the remenants of the shooting before jumping back in their HMMWV and heading home. Here's what actually happened:

...the loss of life is tragic, and we regret the deaths of those innocent Iraqis who were killed in the cold blood by the small-arms fire on Sunday.

These, like so many other terrorist attacks, are aimed at innocent civilians. According to the Ministry of Defense, Iraqi security forces quickly responded to these attacks, controlling the situation, killing six of the terrorists and detaining 19 others.

What this means is that the ISF quickly responded to the violence and acted to stop it. Am I missing something here or is this a great example of progress? The ISF went towards the sound of gunfire. They went looking for the bad guys and killed/captured them. This is how a government protects its people.

B36 News - 23 August 2006

2006-08-23T12:18:00.000+04:00

This sunrise photo was taken a few days ago. There's still a lot of dust in the air which makes for very uninspiring sunrises and sunsets. I decided to post this picture as it goes along with the opener.

I received an email from a friend who is a retired Army officer that included a link with the comment that he thought I would identify myself as a "sheepdog". Strangely, he was right.

Here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently. The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, but the sheepdog lives for that day. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, most of the sheep, that is, most citizens in America said, "Thank God I wasn't on one of those planes." The sheepdogs, the warriors, said, "Dear God, I wish I could have been on one of those planes. Maybe I could have made a difference." When you are truly transformed into a warrior and have truly invested yourself into warriorhood, you want to be there. You want to be able to make a difference.

While there is nothing morally superior about the sheepdog, the warrior, he does have one real advantage -- only one. He is able to survive and thrive in an environment that destroys 98 percent of the population.
(read the whole article)

Progress of Together Forward
This picture is a map of Baghdad that shows the progress that's been made so far with Operation Together Forward. This not only shows our successes, but gives some insight into the management process of how to tactically and tactfully clear out a city. Clear, hold, rebuild. The city was divided into sections and each section is being systematically cleared. Once a section is cleared, the ISF sets up shop to hold the area, and then once the area is secured it is rebuilt.

This graphic shows operations that have been aimed at taking out death squads in Baghdad in conjunction with Operation Together Forward. Is it just me or does it seem like there's a connection between the location of these operations and the sections of Baghdad that have been, or are being, cleared.

All Growed Up
In a matter of days the 8th Iraqi Army Division will take the final step in training; independence. As of 3 September, the 8th IAD will be operating independently of Coalition support and will be the first division level element to do so. The Coalition teams that have been helping to train the 8th IAD will still be there to offer advice and support as requested, much as in Muthanna, but the 8th will be fully in charge of planning and executing security operations. Obviously, this is another huge step towards Iraqis securing total independence and autonomy for Iraq.

Perspective
I recently found an article on FoxNews written by Reena Ninan who's been traveling around in Iraq for the last few weeks getting stories from the front lines. Overall I'd say that she did a good job with her article. What I found very interesting was the seemingly honest observations of the military. As I read her stories about her interactions with troops I was reminded that not everyone knows the dress code in a DFAC, or even what a DFAC is (psst, it's a Dining FACility or chow hall). I could easily understand why the troops did what they did in her story and chuckled as I realized that I have become "the man" or "the system".

It's a good story and worth the read.

B36 News - 22 August 2006

2006-08-22T12:56:00.000+04:00

The Wiz makes a guest appearance in today's news. In this picture he's posing with a mold of Mark's foot that MarksMomma sent me in a package recently. The story about how she had to 'splat' his little foot in the goo to make the cast is a funny one, but only if you can make the sound effects to go with it.

Successful Pilgrimage
Making major headlines was the sniper attacks that killed 20 Shia pilgrims in Baghdad. What you didn't hear so much about was the other 999,980 or so who weren't killed. The last time this pilgrimage occured, hundreds died when rumors of suicide vest attacks panicked a crowd that trampled many of its participants. Ladies and gentlemen, this was a major target for terrorists, a large sectarian based gathering, and it passed with relatively little violence. Proof positive that progress is being made.

ISF Catch Bad Guys
Even while ensuring the safety of the roughly 1 million Shia pilgrims, the ISF continued to conduct raids. Great, so they conducted operations, what does that mean?

Found and freed 7 kidnap victims.
Captured 11 kidnappers, two of which also led death squads.
Found one weapons cache.

Innocent Iraqi Teens get Schoolhouse
I guess that since no one died and one can't show how the big bad American military oppressed/violated/insulted someone that you won't hear this story anywhere else. As with most of Iraq, the girls school in Qurtajah was greatly neglected during Saddam's rule. It was neglected right up until the 'American war machine' decided to repair it.

“This is what we came over to Iraq for,” said Hale. “It feels great to be a part of something so positive that these girls probably wouldn’t have experienced before.”

The smiling girls who clutched their gifts and sneaked peeks through the doors and windows into the classrooms couldn’t hear what was being said, but their expressions seemed to confirm their agreement, concluded Hale.
(full story by SPC Christopher Minshall posted in comments)

Sunrise

2006-08-22T07:34:00.000+04:00

Yesterday's sunset and today's sunrise were somewhat unspectacular. There's a lot of sand in the air which makes it seem like a very cloudy day. It also makes the sun appear white, which is pretty cool. You can look right at the sun for a short time and see a perfect outline.

That's the sun in the gap in the palm trees in the middle-bottom of the picture

Again, the sun is in the middle between the palm trees.

This picture is of yesterday's sunset. Shortly after this picture the clouds that are partially obscuring the sun completely obscured the sun and it was nearly impossible to tell where it was.

Convoy Baghdad

2006-08-21T18:32:00.000+04:00

Before I get into my story, let me first say that what I did is the same thing that thousands of troops do repeatedly every day. My short trip doesn’t make me hooah-hooah-hardcore, the guys who we went with fit that description. The road warriors who do this every day have my unyielding respect. That being said, what follows is my experience.

Several days ago we got a request for some support at a FOB out in the Red Zone. As my Platoon Sergeant and I were going over our list of available troops we quickly realized that none of them had been outside the blast walls of the IZ. This was a problem since we try to pair up troops who have gone with those who haven’t so that everyone can get a chance to go. The only other available troop who had been outside the IZ was me.

As with most important decisions, this one brought with it a lot of mixed feelings. As a husband and new father I want to make sure that I do the things that will get me home to see my family. Volunteering to go outside the protection of the IZ is not one of those things. As a Soldier and a leader of Soldiers I want to set a good example for my troops. Sending my troops into a dangerous area while sitting behind my desk is not a good example. The though of having been deployed to Iraq for a year and spending most of my time behind a desk dealt a heavy blow to my ego. It would be a great personal disappointment if the day comes that my son asks me if I was in the war and the best story I have to tell is about contaminated shrimp at the DFAC.

I also viewed it as a test of manhood. A man would strap on the body armor and roll out. A man would stand with his troops to face the enemy. A man would go. So I went.

I had no part in the mission as far as getting the work done, my only contribution would be my previous Red Zone experience and as I had responsibilities back at the office I would have to ride with my troops out to the FOB and return to the IZ with the escort (the guys who do this daily). Since I was the only one with any experience in our unit outside the IZ I thought it only appropriate that I should drive (remember my fleet?).

The morning for our trip came and we all loaded up in one of the trucks and linked up with our escort. We ended up having to wait since the guys who would be escorting us were already on a mission and would be returning shortly to pick us up. While we waited we joked and talked about how we would inflate the stories we told our friends and families about this trip.

“So there I was, driving through downtown Baghdad when suddenly 20 insurgents popped out from nowhere! Wait, did I say 20, I meant 50…”

After a bit our escort returned and we finalized the plan. I would drive out with my troops and when we got where we were going I would jump out and get in one of the escort trucks for the ride back. Everyone in the convoy got briefed up and we rolled out. My first trip outside the IZ was on foot, for my second I was a passenger. This time I was a driver.

The trip to the FOB was pretty quick. There was a ban on vehicle traffic that day due to the Shia pilgrimage so the roads were pretty clear except for all the pilgrims (images of John Wayne letting the word “pilgrim” slip from the corner of his mouth running through my head). While driving I split my attention between the truck in front of me and the people around me. “Watch the hands,” the guys from the escort told us, “you gotta use your hands to try and pull any &$!%#.” With all the pilgrims on the streets there were a LOT of hands to watch.

As we drove through Baghdad we passed by a bunch of ISF checkpoints and got friendly waves from the Iraqi troops manning them. When we got where we were going I jumped out of my truck, gave some final guidance, and loaded up in one of the escort trucks. Once I was in the escort truck I got the quick brief on my responsibilities as a member of the truck team. The first brief I got was from the .50 cal gunner.

“Sir, if we get engaged and I call for ammo, you need to cut this strap here and hand me the whole can. I’ll take care of it from there. Also, if I get hit, your job is to push me out of the way and man the gun. Don’t worry about giving me aid, ok?”

“Roger, got it.”

My next brief came from the truck commander.

“Sir, while we’re driving make sure you’re looking out the window and watching their hands. If someone opens your door from the outside … shoot the mother$^%#!”

“Roger, got it.”

Now that I had been properly briefed we rolled back. Doing my best to appear to be a competent troop in the field, I watched the other guys in the truck and did my best to imitate them. I noticed that the truck commander had his M9 pistol in his hand and his M4 stashed next to him. I figured that given the advice he just gave me that should the door get opened it would be easier to maneuver the pistol so I stashed my M4 and readied my M9.

The trip back ended up being as eventful as the trip out (not very) which is obviously a good thing. We got back to the IZ and I thanked the guys for the trip.

B36 News - 21 August 2006

2006-08-21T12:22:00.000+04:00

What does Baghdad really look like? This. This photo was taken during the recent Shia pilgrimage to comemorate the death of the 7th Imam. Troops convoy in this kind of situation every day. On this particular day there was a ban on vehicle traffic in the city to help the security situation so the streets were even emptier than they usually are.

Can you spot the insurgent?

Weapons Cache Siezed
The 172nd Stryker Brigade made headlines recently since they had their deployment extended by about four months in order to help out with securing Baghdad. Now they're making headlines for the huge weapons cache that they siezed recently. Do these guys kick butt or what!

See the video here. Everything you see in this video could have been used to attack me, my buddies, or civilians. Now that it's off the street Iraq is a safer place.

Making Iraqis Safer
No, that's not a misprint. The non-profit group "Brotherhood of the Badge" recently sent a shipment of 2000 ballistic vests to Iraqi police in Baqubah. I'm so glad that things like this are going on because it not only helps to secure Iraq, but it shows cooperation between Americans and Iraqis as regular people, not as strategic/military allies. Creating a personal connection and friendship between Americans and Iraqis is very important because it will continue to pave the way towards developing a strong and lasting political relationship.

To all you Americans out there, the people of Iraq are our friends. We may disagree on some things, but no relationship is perfect.

Operation Together Forward
Baghdad continues to get safer as a direct result of Operation Together Forward. I get the feeling that when people think about military operations, they only think about troops in body armor and up-armored HMMWVs (or Humvees to those who don't speak Armyese) looking for bad guys to shoot. There is SO much more to it.

“We exist to help our people,” said an imam through a translator. “We feel very happy and feel safer if we see American and Iraqi forces in this area.”

Another imam described an incident where Iraqi unity proved more important than sectarian division. He explained that, earlier that day, there was a group of Shiite soldiers patrolling an area next to a mosque guarded by local Sunnis.

At first, he continued, both sides were nervous about being so close and “exposed” to each other. The guards, however, brought food and shared a meal with the soldiers; the Soldiers followed suit for the next meal.

By sharing food and companionship, both sides parted with a new sense of trust and confidence that they could work together, said the imam.

Sunrise

2006-08-21T07:18:00.000+04:00

Here are today's sunrise photos.

Ask A Troop Sunday

2006-08-20T10:25:00.000+04:00

It's Sunday again, one more week gone. For those who don't know, Sunday is the day I open up the comments section and let anyone with any opinion (idiotic or not) pose a question or make a statement. I do my best to answer every question fully, but I obviously won't do something stupid like violating OPSEC. So if you have a question you've always wanted to ask a troop, here's your chance!

FAMILYDAY

2006-08-19T10:49:00.000+04:00

The big news from the family side is that Mark and MarksMomma are trying to get back to the States to properly introduce the little guy to his grandparents. Before I was able to make it home for the birth, MarksMomma's Momma came over to Germany to be there to help out and meet Mark (tracking?). Unfortunately Mark decided to hang out until after Grandma had to head back to the US and the two weren't able to meet. This will be the first time that my son will have been in the US even though he is an American. I sure wish I could be there to introduce him to his country.

My Son, MOVIESTAR!

2006-08-18T20:13:00.000+04:00

MarksMomma sent me this video of our son wiggling around on the couch. A wiggly son can cure any bad day out here.

Sunset

2006-08-18T20:01:00.000+04:00

Work kicked my butt today, didn't have time to go out and get some good locational pictures. Snapped these two from the front lawn (yes, LAWN) by where we work.

B36 News - 18 August 2006

2006-08-18T12:15:00.000+04:00

The sunrise in this picture happened a couple weeks ago now. It's not particularly beautiful if you don't know the story behind it. At the time of the picture, I had been working with these troops for about 20 hours trying to run the fiber optic cables that you can see in the bottom of the picture. The guys who specialize in running cable are lovingly referred to as "Cable Dawgs" and until this day I had never really experienced what it means to run cable. I had talked about it a lot in meetings and I knew what they did, I just didn't know how they did it. Now that I do, I have a whole new respect for these guys.

The reason I was out with these guys is because I had to be a jerk and flex my rank to get them to come help us. Rather than being that guy who orders troops to stay up all night working and get some rest myself, I decided that I would work with them, hopefully showing them that the work they were doing was important enough to warrant me being a jerk. By the time it was over, we had run about half a mile of fiber through pipes that had been filled with mud and had been awake for roughly 27 hours and working for at least 20 of them. I can't really get into too much detail about the affect that their work had, but I can say that it supported the 172nd Stryker Brigade's new mission in Baghdad and resulted in the team being awarded Army Achievement Medals in recognition of their work.

It was among the most personally rewarding 27 hours I've spent in Iraq.

Boo Frickin' Hoo
I try to avoid talking about other people's opinions that don't deal with the success of the war, but this one was too good. The Saddam trial continues and I found this piece in Reuters particularly interesting:

"Based on extensive observations of the tribunal's conduct of its first trial ... Human Rights Watch believes that the Iraqi High Tribunal is presently incapable of fairly and effectively trying a genocide case," the group [Human Rights Watch] said.

Later in the same article I found this:

"Our investigation showed the Iraqi government ordered the extermination of part of its Kurdish population. But individual guilt or innocence in the Anfal case can only be determined through a fair trial," Dicker said [director of Human Rights Watch's International Justice Program].

... *stunned silence*

Real Clear Progress
When I found out I was being deployed to the IZ, I signed up with Google News to receive alerts when stories were published that had the words "Green Zone" in it figuring it would be a good way to get some intel before I got there. Yesterday, an alert landed in my inbox titled "Is Iraq a Lost Cause" which, as you can imagine, I found very interesting. As I read the article on Yahoo News, I found that it was actually a cross-post from Real Clear Politics. I'd recommend reading the whole story, but let me post a summary:

Taken together, the impressions from General Caldwell and Secretary Nicholson give a much different picture than the one provided in the New York Times today - and on most days, for that matter. If even you discount Nicholson's comments for administration spin, or assume that Caldwell is putting the best possible face on the security operations in Baghdad, you're still left to confront the fact that some progress is being made. Instead of hearing about it, however, we get the relentless negativity of the media, epitomized by the Times story today. The situation in Iraq is serious, no doubt about it. But it is far from hopeless. U.S. troops, and Iraqi forces and leaders haven't given up hope that Iraq can be saved. We shouldn't either.

I think I'm going to start reading RCP.

Sunrise

2006-08-18T07:38:00.000+04:00

The arch in the second picture is on one end of the main road that leads to the palace. There's another one on the opposite end. It's the archway featured on some GZBI apparel.

Sunset

2006-08-18T07:32:00.000+04:00

Sorry I didn't post sunset pictures yesterday, I was exhausted lastnight so I just took the sunset pictures and went to bed. Here are the best ones from that batch.

B36 News - 17 August 2006

2006-08-17T11:48:00.000+04:00

One of the stranger things that I've seen here is the birdcage in the MWR area. I don't know the history of it, but it's a pretty huge cage with about 20 or 30 birds in it. I'm not much of a bird buff so I don't know what kind they are, but they're all pretty colorful. Must be one of those things that someone thought, "Hey, it'd be cool if we had birds," and poof someone got birds. Man, that makes it sound like a disease.

*cough* *cough*

"Hey man, you ok?"

"Nah, I got birds."

Securing Baghdad
I've posted a lot of news lately about the current push to secure Baghdad and if you've checked the links you probably noticed that they come from government sources. Well, here's how it looks from a civilian reporter's point of view:

The nightlife is zero and most shops are shut, but U.S. and Iraqi forces said Wednesday that a three-day security sweep has cleaned up — at least for now — a mostly Sunni neighborhood in west Baghdad, notorious for kidnappings, murders and bombings.

"I think the security situation has improved. We haven't seen corpses on the streets, which were a daily scene," said Saad Jawad al-Azawi, a 45-year-old taxi driver. "I hope our area will have a permanent patrols of joint U.S-Iraqi forces."

IA 4th Brigade Assumes Baghdad Neighborhood
Here is yet another example of the progress we're making on a daily basis. More and more of the country is being handed back to the Iraqis and as we clear out Baghdad it's being turned over. This is the exit strategy that a lot of people have been crying for, but I guess it's better for those people to try and keep the focus on supposed failures. Hmmm... what could it possibly benefit someone to portray failure on the part of the military?
... that's almost a rhetorical question.

Blogging Policy
So what restrictions are imposed on us milbloggers you may ask? Well read the policy for yourself. Personally I think it's pretty relaxed, here's a few exerpts:

Prohibited information. Any official information that is generally not available to the public and which would not be released under the Freedom of Information Act. Examples include but are not limited to:
1) Classified information
2) Casualty information before the next-of-kin has been formally notified by the Military Service concerned.
3) Information protected by the Privacy Act.
4) Information regarding incidents under ongoing investigation.
5) For Official Use Only information.

Personal web sites and web logs. Personal web sites and web logs produced in a personal capacity and not in connection with official duties need not be cleared in advance. However, it is the responsibility of MNC-I personnel to ensure that any personal web sites and web logs do not contain prohibited information as defined in this policy. MNC-I personnel who have any questions regarding prohibited information may submit the information to their servicing S2/G2/C2 for classification questions or to their PAO for other questions.

Sunrise

2006-08-17T07:27:00.000+04:00

I'm not sure what the names of these two places are. The dome is next to Saddams old Intelligence Ministry. You'd recognize it as the building that looks like a brick that was on all the TV news channels when we first started the bombing. The statue is in the center of a traffic circle on the green side of the 14th of July Bridge.

Sunset

2006-08-16T20:56:00.000+04:00

(Tomb of the Unknown Soldier)

(Swords of Victory)

(I had to get a bit tricky to get this picture. The tower is the clock tower that houses the Central Criminal Court of Iraq, that's where insurgents are tried and is in the Red Zone. Usually the view is obscured by blastwalls, but this time I didn't have to climb up on top of a bunker ... I climbed up on a truck. I get a chuckle thinking about what it must have looked like from the other side; a head suddenly pokes over the 12' barbed wire wall, a couple quick clicks, and the head disappears behind the wall.)

B36 News - 16 August 2006

2006-08-16T11:35:00.000+04:00

The picture you see here is one that I took inside the building that will become our new tech control facility (TCF). A TCF is the brain of a network. When your watching TV and you see nerds frantically pulling cables and circuit cards from cabinets and racks or typing on a keyboard waiting for the blinking lights to change color, they're in their version of a TCF. Our version of a TCF comes complete with racks of expensive communications equipment and bullet holes.

Recruiting
One thing that was briefly held up as a sign that support for the war was dwindling was the recruiting statistics. The defeatists tried to show how declining enlistments showed that the American people opposed the war and wanted to "redeploy" our troops. When those numbers stopped lending themselves to their cause, the defeatists claimed that the standards had been dropped and that recruiters used morally questionable methods to entice new recruits.

And now for the facts on military rectuiting:

For the last 14 months, recruiting for Active Duty (a.k.a. likely to be sent to Iraq) has met or exceeded goals. Brave young Americans are volunteering to go to Iraq despite what the media is beating into them. (link)
Only 0.3% of all military recruiting efforts involve "wrongdoing". This means that 99.7% of all recruitments are on the level. (link)

Iraqi Army Trains US Army
I write a lot about how we're training up the Iraqi Security Forces, but that's not the only training that's going on over here. The level of proficiency in some ISF units has progressed to the point now where they're teaching us. Personally, I think a great way to learn about a foreign culture is to learn about it's weaponry. You can learn a lot about a group of people by the type of weapons they choose, how they use them, and how they care for them.

ISF Stops VBIED
Here's an example of the success of ISF operations in Baghdad. While Operation Together Forward continues to put the clamps on, the tactic of Clear, Hold, Build that was outlined in the National Strategy for Victory in Iraq can be seen. After Iraqi and Coalition forces cleared a particular section of Baghdad, Iraqi National Policemen were manning a checkpoint near a bridge when they noticed a dump truck being driven in an "odd manner". When the policemen stopped the truck to investigate, the driver ran away. Shortly after that, the truck exploded damaging several nearby vehicles and injuring 4 civilians.

There was a day when strategy was a closely guarded secret, when we wouldn't tell anyone that didn't need to know how we were going to win. So why do we publish our strategy now? Because the enemy can't defeat it, at least not with bullets or bombs. Our military strategy is solid, now we need a civilian strategy to support it.

Sunrise

2006-08-16T07:40:00.000+04:00

The wall that you see in today's second sunrise photo is the wall that seperates the Red Zone from the Green Zone. I got some funny looks as I was climbing on top of the bunker to get the camera level with the wall.

B36 News - 15 August 2006

2006-08-15T12:07:00.000+04:00

I though I'd start off today's news with a picture that I took of myself on the Blackhawk that I rode back to the IZ. It's kinda spooky, but kinda cool. I recently met a Polish freelance photographer, Jordan Lewandowski, via email. His website, MJL Photography, showcases his work which I must say is impressive and was the final push I needed to start getting up early to take pictures of the sunrises. I'm nowhere near his level, but practice makes perfect.

On with the news!

Dig In...
Clearing Baghdad isn't going to be a quick operation, door-to-door searches never are and when you're doing it in a city of roughly 5 million you've got to take your time. Managing the public's expectations is a tricky task and is one that I'm very glad I don't have, but MG Caldwell knocks it out like a pro ... I guess because he is a pro. Anyway, in a culture of instant gratification people need to be reminded that winning takes time. If you take time away from us we won't be able to do our job properly.

KWAAPING!!!
When I was young..er, I loved to read Calvin & Hobbes comics. One particular strip that stuck in my head was Calvin pretending to be Superman where he jumps up on the arm of his dad's chair, sticks out his chest, and uses his finger to trace the path of an imaginary bullet as it bounces off his chest with a mighty KWAAPING!!! Well, the bullet that hit this Marine in the head wasn't imaginary.

Emerson and the rest of the patrol quickly moved to a nearby courtyard down the street to see who was wounded. The bullet had entered through layers of Kevlar helmet, scraped off a patch of Emerson's hair and skin, and then exited from the inside and back of the helmet.

Other Marines were checked but Emerson was the only one hit. As soon as a Navy corpsman said he could return to duty, Emerson said he was ready.

“When I found out I got shot I was pretty pissed off,” he said. “I tried to get up but then I got dizzy and had to sit down.”

No Greater Love...
This guy is a Solider. After a mine set his Bradley Fighting Vehicle on fire, PVT Eleazar Garcia, who had been inside, went to work rescuing his buddies who were still inside even though his pants were burning.

July 14th was the day hell paid Pvt. Eleazar Garcia, combat medic, a visit. While on patrol, the Bradley Fighting Vehicle he and his squad mates were riding in hit an anti-tank mine.

The Bradley’s fuel line ruptured, hitting Garcia in the face and pouring fuel on his legs, which ignited. The Bradley filled with smoke rendering Garcia temporarily blind. Jumping out the hatch of the burning Bradley, Garcia’s said his head was ringing like church bells and his eyes were burning, but he knew what he must do.
(full story by PFC Paul Harris posted in comments)

B36 News - 14 August 2006

2006-08-14T11:48:00.000+04:00

I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things again and one of my biggest obstacles as far as the good news goes is that there was so much of it I'm having trouble sorting through it all. That's not going to slow me down any though.

GEN Pace Reads B36?
Wow, talk about validation. In a recent interview while on his way to Baghdad, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine General Peter Pace, made the following comment:

“There is no way to militarily lose this war,” Marine Gen. Peter Pace said, speaking to reporters traveling with him while en route here. “The only way we can lose is if we decide that we just don’t want to do it. And if we decide that, that would not end the involvement, it would simply shift it from its current battlefield in Iraq and Afghanistan to our home.”

Pace said support for the war is a concern for him, “because the American military fights the wars that the nation wants us to fight. The American people’s will is a very important part of that,” he said. “I have faith in the American people’s ability to find the right boundaries.”

To those of you who read Winning in Iraq, this should be very familiar. Kinda makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside to know that the most senior military official and I are on the same page.

Baghdad Cleanup - al Doura
Operation Together Forward is progressing and terrorists in Baghdad are losing. This story is of particular interest to me because fellow blogger Trevor from Will to Exist wrote it. The whole of Baghdad is being secured in the same way that the Green Zone was, door-to-door searches. US and Iraqi troops are combing the streets of Baghdad neighborhoods and getting rid of the bad guys. Ladies and gentlemen, this is how it's done. If you have a better idea, please enlighten us knuckle-draggers.

Rebuilding Baghdad
For roughly 40 years, one of Baghdad's primary water treatment plants had little or no maintenance performed on it. Before the war it produced about 1000 cubic meters of drinkable water per hour. One war and $22 million later it produces 2400 cubic meters of drinking water per hour. Oh yeah, let's not forget electricity too. Before the war there was an average of 95,000 megawatts of power delivered to the country with about 90% of that going to Baghdad. Now we're producing 110,000 megawatts which meets the goal set out in 2004.

Ask A Troop Sunday

2006-08-13T14:33:00.000+04:00

It's time again to open it up to questions from the viewers at home. If you have any questions that you've always wanted to ask a troop, but never knew a troop to ask, this is the time to ask ... (too many 'ask's).

Also, if you're just bursting at the seams to spew some idiocy, this is also your chance as I won't protect you from yourself. Remember, it's better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and confirm it. You only risk making yourself look stupid.

While I'm at it, let me put up a couple pics of The Wiz during our travels. Since we work in the commo world, he thought it would only be appropriate to get his picture taken with commo equipment.

These two dishes are at a couple places around Baghdad. They're not mine, but they serve the same purpose as the one I own.

Also, today is the Ninemonthaversary for the deployment. Last November 13th I began the trip that ended in Baghdad. I still have a little less than 4 months left, but I'm already talking with the guy who's going to replace me so it feels like it's getting closer. One thing that I really have to watch out for is letting myself think about going home. As much as I look forward to it, the emotional rollercoaster that I go on thinking about being with my family only to realize that I'm still in Baghdad is pretty rough. Looking back at the time that's already gone rather than looking forward makes it much more bearable.

FAMILYDAY

2006-08-12T23:03:00.000+04:00

Yes, I remembered. During the last "Ask A Troop Sunday", Marksmomma (a.k.a. my sweetie) suggested that I should dedicate one day a week to my family, and so it shall be.

During my travels over the last two weeks I took several pictures especially for my family. Some I'll post here, others I won't. Unfortunately, I won't be able to publish them right this minute as my camera is packed away.

On August 2nd, MarksMomma and I 'celebrated' our third anniversary. One of the nice things about being a commo guy is that I can almost always be reached (that doesn't translate to I can always reach out). Well, at about 2300 on the 2nd, my phone rings and the caller ID shows up that it's my sweetie calling. I answered the phone singing "Happy Anniversary" to the tune of Happy Birthday knowing full-well that she had intended to beat me to the punch. While I was unable to be there with my sweetie on our anniversary, I took some time during the day to take a few pictures of the Baghdad sunset to comemorate the day. Here are a couple:

(sunset over one of Saddam's Palaces)

(sunset over Baghdad)

Not only is my sweetie doing an amazing job raising our son by herself, but she's also keeping me happy sending pictures of the little guy. Here are a couple that I like best:

That's my boy!

B36 News - 12 August 2006

2006-08-12T22:37:00.000+04:00

Late Edition!

I'm baaAAaack!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, after completing my tour of the greater Baghdad area I have returned to my home-away-from-home. I spent most of today sitting on the flight line waiting for a bird that was headed towards the IZ to show up. Several mid-air mission changes cancelled several of my flights and maintenance problems cancelled two more. But in the end I was able to catch a late bird that stopped off at a couple small FOBs around Baghdad before finally dropping me off.

Let me get in a quick news jab of something major that happened while I was away:

4ID, Iraqi Style
The Iraqi Army 4th Infantry Division took control of 3, count 'em THREE, provinces last Wednesday. THREE!!! This isn't the same sort of transfer you saw in Muthanna, but it is a huge step towards that goal. THREE PROVINCES IN ONE DAY!!! This transfer is significant not only because of the vast areas that the IA 4ID is now responsible for, but because it also marks the half-way point for Iraqi Army divisions across the country for being in the lead in combat operations. Yes, you heard correctly, half of all of the divisions in the Iraqi Army are now in charge and leading combat operations. HALF!!!

Never fear, lots of news and pictures of my trip will be forthcoming, just as soon as I've shoveled myself out from underneath this mountain of email.