Happy New Year!

Card Wall
Originally uploaded by BlockHD57.

This is a picture of my wall where I have been putting up all of the cards you have sent me.

If you sent a card it's up there. I also received
numerous packages filled with presents, food,
decorations, books, and clothes. I shared what I
could.

Thank you - family, friends, and people I only know
through my web journal. The cards are a wonderful
symbol of support. They will go into my box of
memories I intend to bring home at the end of my
deployment.

I hope 2005 brings us all safely home as quickly as
possible.

Shot in Anger

We fired our first shot in anger today.

When we go out in sector I am the patrol leader and convoy commander. I sit in the passenger seat of the first vehicle. I have a driver and a turret gunner with me. Kahlid, my interpreter, sits behind me. Everyone but the interpreter has an internal communication headset and microphone to speak to one another instead of shouting. The gunner has a light to heavy machine gun mounted in a turret that they can turn 360*.

The turret gunner is responsible for stopping the traffic as we enter the highways or cross main roads. We need to keep a safe distance from other vehicles in case they might be loaded with explosives. No vehicle is allowed to approach or intermingle with a military convoy. By now, most Iraqis are smart when they are around military traffic and stay away.

We warn them to stay away with air horns, sirens, signs on the back of every vehicle, and the appropriate hand gestures from the gunners to stop, which is holding the tips of all of your fingers and thumb together. There is a continuum that escalates to deadly force. Before deadly force is used criteria must be met according to the Rules of Engagement. In that continuum is showing and pointing your weapon at people, firing warning shots, and firing disabling shots.

Based on the situation, not all increments need to be used. An obvious situation can quickly escalate to deadly force.

My gunner, Lilly, is a 20 year old hair dresser from back home. In the Army, by trade, she is a light wheeled mechanic. She has risen to the need for her to be much more. She is a driver, security, mail clerk, Civil Affairs specialist, and machine gunner as the need calls for it. Lilly takes no shit from anyone.

We were on patrol in our sector and we were entering a highway from one of the neighborhoods. As we entered the road she motioned the traffic to stop. After she got compliance we headed out into the road. A white passenger car swerved around the stopped traffic and headed towards us. Lilly was the only one who could see it. She did not hesitate and fired from her M-4. The shot rang out in the cab of the HUMVEE. The car passed us and kept going.

I called up to her on the intercom and asked if she could warn me next time she fired a shot. She rather calmly came back and said that she shot the car, shot it in the hood. By now it was gone. I asked her if she was alright. She said she was feeling the adrenaline rush but otherwise ok. I told her she did the right thing.

Two weeks ago the same thing happened to another convoy. This time a car passed a lot of stopped traffic at a high rate of speed. The gunner for this convoy had enough time to go through the incremental use of force and was even able to warn the convoy commander. He fired two rounds to disable the car. The rounds entered the engine block, passed into the passenger compartment, and struck a young child. By the time the convoy turned to provide aid the child had died and the male driver had run off leaving the mother, a boy, and the dead girl. No one knows why he failed to stop. His fleeing the scene of what we assumed to be his family made the situation very suspect.

There are other times, of course, when the cars are loaded with explosives and make it through to convoys. When that happens soldiers pay the price.

There are still bad people here who would put their families at risk to test our resolve and probe for weaknesses. It is possible that both of these instances were tests on our security.

In both cases the shootings were legal and followed the Rules of Engagement. One ended tragically – it is a terrible event for everyone involved. The other was a lesson to my soldiers not to let their guard down. Both are a testament to good solid training, a warrior ethos, and seeing the right thing to doing it.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Merry Merry
Originally uploaded by BlockHD57.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Dear Sam, Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas Sam! This is the wonderful time of the year for good boys and girls as Santa takes out his sleigh tonight.

You have been very good this year. Look at your year…you have had to give up having me there to pick you up from school a couple of times per week. You have had to give up having me tuck you in at night. You have been wonderful in sending me cards, letters, and your amazing art work. You have been a very good girl for your mommy and you have been doing great in school for Miss Muzzy. I will make sure to let Santa Claus know just how special you are this year.

I have done a good job in celebrating Christmas. I have decorated my room with presents from Uncle Pat and Aunt Amy and Lisa. I have taped up all of my Christmas cards on the wall. I listen to all of my favorite carols. I even have two trees up! Can you imagine?!

There are a lot of boys and girls who will be missing their mommies and daddies this Christmas. That is part of the sacrifice that you are making as the child of a soldier. No, I know you didn’t choose to make this sacrifice. That is why you are all the more special. You are MY hero.

All war is terrible. I would like nothing more than to come home. The cost of being away from you is a hard price to pay. However, people need us here to help them get their country fixed. This is an important job for me to do. And although I can’t fix the whole country all at once I can help small parts along the way. I see many boys and girls who are always happy to see American soldiers in their school, homes, and neighborhoods. I always keep a few pieces of candy to give to them.

Your daddy is doing good work, staying safe, and thinking about the time when he can hold you again. I know your greatest Christmas wish is for me to be there when you open your presents.

I miss seeing Christmas through your eyes. I miss you.
Merry Christmas, Daddy loves you!

Al Saidyia

We have been conducting many raids as well as cordon and searches in the area called Al Saidyia in the last month. My team continues to be a part of these operations. By documenting the damage that is inherently caused during entry operations we can reimburse people if we hit a house that is the wrong target during raids. We also conduct consequence management during the large scale cordon and searches.

These cordon and searches are different than what I have written about before. They is consists of several blocks being cordoned off and each and every home being searched. The reason we do this is to show the people of the area that we will not allow them to be terrorized by the enemy. The logic follows that since they do not feel secure in turning the enemy in to us we will go through each home looking for them. Think of the parent that punishes the child and says, “I’m doing this for your own good.” I know it sounds convoluted but the Iraqis understand this and even come out to greet us.

They open their doors, lest we kick them in, and open all of their cabinets. They offer tea. They all are willing to talk and converse with us. The consequence management portion is to explain why we are doing this and hopefully get more information from them in the security of being with the Americans.

These operations are highly successful. We have all but put an end to the Murder Company that was the cause of so much death and destruction over the last few months. We have confiscated numerous weapons, bombs, and bomb making material. We have captured many people associated with murder and kidnapping. Furthermore, we have the people of Al Saidyia coming up to us and giving us information necessary to continue to persecute the enemy.

We have completed these operations without loss of life, injury, or even firing a shot in anger.

Al Saidyia is a very affluent suburb of central Baghdad. During the old regime high ranking military officers, doctors, lawyers, and professionals lived in Al Saidyia. Those people still live there. It is primarily Baathist and Sunni. This is where the money is.

The homes are amazing. They are grand structures that look like they belong in Boca Raton or Beverly Hills. The fronts of the houses are very open in their architecture. Many use large columns or ornate walls. The houses are right next to one another but every house has a wall around it. Property is at a premium so there are only small flower gardens and tiny lawns.

The doors are thick, solid pieces of wood that during forced entry require a shotgun blast to the lock followed by a solid kick or battering ram. The houses are almost entirely made of brick and then smooth surfaced for walls. There is very little lumber ever used here so the insides of the homes are usually solid. The floors are stone tiled and covered with rugs.

The furniture and decorations in almost every house I have seen is what amuses me. To sum it up, ‘the 1970’s called – they want their furniture back’. I mean the furniture is the most awful looking stuff you have ever seen. Imagine faux velvet and lots of synthetic materials using terrible prints and color blends. Houses are littered with cheesy picture frames, and gaudy mirrors that light up and stuff that you see in flea markets and garage sales. It all thrives here. Plus – it seems all the Iraqis believe in is fluorescent lighting.

The houses are always in a shambles. I have yet to walk into an immaculately kept home. I would not categorize them as dirty, nor do I think the people are dirty, just unkempt.

Al Saidyia is in a suburb in flux. There are people who live there who see progress as a threat to their way of life. As long as there are still ruthless people in Al Saidyia we will continue to hold it by it’s ankles, turn it upside down, and shake it until all the bad stuff falls out.

Looking Back, Briefly

We have been here a little over two and a half months. At the same time it feels like the time went by quickly and took forever to get to the holidays.

It has been quiet on the FOB. That is to say there havn't been any rocket or mortar attacks in a long time. The quiet isn't really unsettling either. Looking back I think we came into Iraq at a terribly violent time of the year.

When we arrived we were at the beginning of Ramadan. Ramadan is a holy month for muslims. It is also an impetus for them to become more violent in there actions. For the month of Ramadan we paid dearly. Five soldiers were killed in action both on and off the FOB. Several troops were wounded. There was a tension on the FOB in almost every soldier.

The level of anxiety since then has subsided. Thanks to the passing of the holy month, actions in Falluja, the US election, and several operations in our sector to kill or capture the enemy the situation here has stabilized. The requirement to be ever vigilent, to be ready to react is still there. Every patrol outside of the wire is still a combat patrol. And, maybe, the quiet is even more of a reason to be careful.

Of course the expectation for violence leading up to the elections is very real. Sadly, I imagine that violence will be directed towards innocent Iraqis in order to deter the people from voting.

However, for now, the respite from the constant explosions, gun fire, and attacks on the FOB is welcome.

Making a Powerbroker

I am buying security in the southern area of my patrol area by making a powerbroker. Here’s how it works:

The southern area is primarily rural farm land. It is tribal and therefore it is an extended large family where everyone knows everyone. These are simple people with simple lifestyle. They are good people who have been mostly ignored by the old regime and probably every regime before it. In fact we are probably the first conquerors who have ever stopped to help these people.

The people in the villages live in the 19th century and have basic needs. These people need a better water source. The water they drink now is terribly low pressured because another neighborhood tapped into the line further up the line. They need a road because the road they have now is dirt, which is actually compacted river silt. When it rains these roads turn into a slick, sloppy mess that is hard to drive on, even for a HUMVEE. Families do not send their children to school during the rainy season because of this. The children have no place to play soccer and there are no play grounds. The list is long.

The area is generally secure and safe. No patrol has been fired on since I arrived here. There are very few instances of hostile activity there all year. Nonetheless, many fighters from Fallujah have passed through these villages in their attempt to escape. They can make trouble for the villagers and for us. Our intention is to keep the area “green”, or friendly.

We cannot dedicate the time or resources to be ever present in these places so we have built up a local man to be our liaison. For security reasons I cannot give his name other than Hussein . Hussein is a local NC Chairman for the rural areas.

Hussein wants things for his people. He has identified many of the things I have listed above as important. And, of course, he’s right. However, like so many others, Hussein has an angle. His angle is his friends - the contractors. The contractors, and there are three, are looking for the bids for the work. It is implied that the contractors will pay a patronage, which is cultural, or at least regional.

Patronage on its face is bribery in the Western culture. It is not so here. This is way a few officers and NCOs got into trouble in the beginning of contracted projects here. A contractor would approach the grantor of the project, who would be military personnel, and ask or give a percentage back to them. There were a few who took them up on the offer. Keep in mind the Iraqis see no issue with this practice. It is acknowledged that part of the bid for a contract is for the kickbacks involved.


Hussein receives a patronage and the contractor gets the job. The contractor gets his share and then pays his workers $4.00 - $6.00 per day depending on the type of work. Unskilled laborers get the least.

Here is where we come in. We go to the village and sell Hussein as the greatest thing since sliced bread. “Hussein got you the road.” “Hussein arranged for you to have a playground.” “You should go to Husseinwith your issues. He is your local government.” “Hussein can get things done.” I try to stop the idea that everyone should come to us with their problems and address the local government.

Hussein is now an important man in the community. He has money, power, and prestige. We have given him all that. And what we give we can take away. We have the power to stop payment, stop work, cancel work and fire contractors. Without the funding we provide nothing can happen.

Before there is ever a problem we bring Hussein in and congratulate him for his success. Usually he has his contractors in tow. Then I explain to him in no uncertain terms that if one soldier gets shot at, if one rocket is launched, if there suddenly appears anti government graffiti on the school walls – all the money stops.

I explain that I am holding him responsible for the safety of the projects, as a man of the people. If I feel that the area is unsafe for workers I will do my best to protect them and not let them come to work if the enemy is in the area. I also tell Hussein that I will go back to his villages and tell all of the villagers that Hussein was the one who failed to bring about the progress they all want.

Hussein is now in a precarious position. He must keep his people in line or lose the money, the power, and the prestige. Worst case is that the projects are cancelled, the locals blame him and kill him. He is lucky, as I said his people are good people and good to us. However, they know who belongs and who does not belong there. They are responsible for driving out the enemy if they seek refuge there.

All this is very strange for me. Creating a powerbroker and then holding him in a position that would allow me to manipulate him, or even get him killed; all for the benefit of our forces. The side benefit is the progress to the people’s lives. It is not the other way around. I am buying security and establishing a government with the primary goal of keeping soldiers safe and getting everyone home as soon as we can.

The Contractor

This is the story of a contractor named Hassan. I work with numerous contractors who are hired to work on the numerous projects to help rebuild the infrastructure of Iraq. They are paid a lot of money for these contracts. Over the past year and a half there have been good contractors and ones that took advantage of us.

In the south we are building two water towers for the two villages down there. This will be a wonderful project for these people to receive better water service to their homes. Hassan received the contract.

The project was planned, bid out, and signed for before our team arrived. The contractor is being paid almost $300,000 for both towers. Work on the towers began about the time I took over the team and the work is nearly complete. I have had to get on Hassan several times to hurry the work to meet the deadline.

We do not pay the money up front. Nor do we pay at the end. Instead we pay incrementally as we go along based on the percentage of work complete. This keeps the contractor focused to a time schedule. Hassan has almost been paid the full amount for the contract. Today he came to the FOB with a problem.

Hassan was paid $70,000, in US cash, on 24 NOV 04, as a partial payment for the work that I has assessed as complete to date. Hassan said that he was paid $70,000 but when he got home he looked and there was only $7,000 in his pocket. He said, just short of making an accusation, that the pay agent shorted him. Something just didn’t sound right.

The payment process requires three people; the contractor, the pay agent, and a witness. Three set of paperwork must be signed. The money must be counted and witnessed. The chance of $7,000 being mistaken for $70,000 is very hard to do.

Hassan came to my office and was very tentative about approaching the subject. I was incredulous as I tried to figure out how, or if, this actually happened. The first person who I asked was the witness to the transaction. She is a very trusted NCO, and when she speaks I listen. She told me that she witnessed Hassan take the money and produced the receipt for it. She became put off by this man sitting in our office. I asked if there was any way we could have made a mistake. Now she was looking at me the way she was looking at Hassan. There could be no mistake.

Next stop was to see the pay agent. While I was waiting for him I was handed a stack of hundred dollar bills - $100,000 – a stack about 5 inches thick. Then I was handed a stack of hundreds - $10,000 – considerably smaller. The not-too-subtle point being made to me was that the pay agents can tell the difference between $70,000 and $7,000. Again I was produced paperwork showing all of the signatures and proper accounting. Everything was correct.

I went back to speak to Hassan and showed him all of the paperwork and explained to him that every bit of evidence suggested that he was paid $70,000. I told him that I could not give him more money just because he claimed he didn’t get it or lost it. The man sunk deeper into his chair. He made an outrageous claim that he’d have to sell his home to pay off his debt. Having to use an interpreter made the situation more tense and uncomfortable. I am sure Kahlid watered down some of Hassan’s comments to keep me from getting angry.

The more time I spent with him the less I thought he was trying to rip us off. As near as I could figure out as we were sitting there was that he was being extorted by terrorists or criminals – maybe his children were kidnapped (not uncommon here). I knew what the witness believed and I believed her. I could not figure it out.

Finally, I went looking for and found the missing pay agent. I found him standing in front of the money counter with a large stack of money. I asked him who he was paying. He told me he was paying Hassan.

Yes, we had short changed Hassan $63,000 and everyone missed it.

It would have been so easy for the pay agent to steal the money – all the paperwork was correct and in his favor. Instead the pay agent realized he was over at the end of the day but could not track down where the error occurred because all of the paperwork was correct. He simply let the money sit in the safe until today.

I was about to make someone’s day.

I walked into the room with Hassan and my interpreter in it. Very quickly I explained that we found the money, we had made a mistake, and we were paying him now. Hassan jumped up and grabbed me and kissed me. He hugged Kahlid. He hugged and kissed the pay agent when he came in. He cried tears of relief. We apologized profusely.

How easy would it have been to just dismiss this man as just another corrupt Iraqi? How easy would it have been to escort him off the FOB – and even fire him for attempting to make such an accusation? How easy would it have been to make one more enemy?

Instead this story has a happy ending. Hassan thinks the world of us. He swore that he would raise his children to always respect American soldiers and the name of the pay agent and my name would always be remembered by his family.

I am proud of myself today for taking the time to go through the motions and listen to my gut. One victory for me.