News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front.
In their own words:
army poet: "They Say It's Your Birthday..." - The posts titled with song titles/lyrics continue. It is my birthday today. Cold snap here. Damp and cool. Sky is grey like steel. Although a little while ago a gleam of pale sun - faint yellow like a boiled egg -popped through the clouds. I am stuck in the North of Iraq after a short mission - awaiting transportation. The wind / damp air are gently blowing. A few puddles reflect the sky, which is similar in color to the gravel strewn earth. It is a bit despondent and run down here, as are a lot of the camps. Old Iraqi military buildings, are adorned with faded murals and Arabic writing. But the run-down and shabby feel of this place suits my mood today. I will lift my spirits with a coffee which I will get from the DFAC. Although I am not really "down". (READ MORE)
Bill and Bob's Excellent Adventure: Gentile Vs. Nagl: The Army In Microcosm - When I first arrived home from Afghanistan, many of my observations about the conduct of operations in Afghanistan were not entirely rosy. I was encouraged to write about them, perhaps in an Op-Ed piece, by a journalist friend. She stated that these observations needed to be heard, to contribute to the larger discussion. I felt it imprudent, though. I am not a recognized expert, theorist, or even a man of significant rank. I am merely a moderately articulate NCO; a pawn in the larger game; of relatively light experience compared to those who have served multiple tours. I have no experience in Iraq, and am only an observer of those events. (READ MORE)
Back In the Army Now (at 54): And Now the Real Orders - The Stop-Loss orders were electronic. Today at noon I was the first one in our unit to get a copy of our actual orders for deployment. I now have the official three pages that makes me part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. I also called Jon Rutter, the Sunday News reporter, back this morning to let him know about the Stop-Loss orders and to tell him that the generic Army term for someone like me who issues tools from a central supply point is "The Tool Bitch." Since my recent promotion, I am actually sergeant tool bitch. Jon said he will check with the editor of the Sunday News to see if he can actually use that term in a story. I guess we'll see on Sunday. (READ MORE)
Dena Yllescas: One leg down! - This morning they took Rob to surgery at 8. They anticipated the surgery lasting around 4-6 hours. So, while Rob was in surgery, our friend Ryan took me out to lunch. It was a nice getaway and we had a good talk. Thanks, Ryan!! My mom and Barb also went out to lunch with our friend Diana. Thanks, Diana! Later, General Brown came and visited with us. He is a friend of the parents of some really good friends of Rob's and mine. It was so nice talking to him and helped pass the time while we waited. We got word around 4:30 that Rob was finally out of surgery and back in his room. The doctor said they were able to close his left leg amputation. They are going to take him back to surgery on Friday to do the right leg. I was surprised they did the left leg first since it was the hardest. (READ MORE)
Bill Roggio: Taliban strike tribal leaders in Bajaur, six killed - The Taliban continue to ruthlessly attack the Bajaur tribes that are organizing against the extremists as Pakistan’s practice of compelling the tribes to fight the Taliban may destabilize the region further. The latest strike, which appears to be a suicide attack, took place in a mosque during prayers in the Mamond region in Bajaur. Six people were killed, including the leader of a "national" lashkar, or tribal militia, and several more were wounded, Geo TV reported. Today's attack follows a gun battle in Bajaur on Nov. 17, after a Taliban force estimated at 150 strong attacked a tribal leader's home in the Damadola region in Bajaur. The assault was led by none other than Faqir Mohammed, the leader of the Taliban in Bajaur. (READ MORE)
DJ Elliott: Iraq develops its light combat divisions - The Iraqi Government has been ordering substantial numbers of weapons this year. These orders, combined with known training plans, and existing force structure, provide insight into the eventual planned force structure of elements of the Iraqi Security Forces. The Air Force has been previously addressed. The focus of this article is on the announced arms purchases and what they indicate for developments in the Iraqi Army's light divisions. The three stages of upgrading the Iraqi Security Forces are organized into five year plans. The first stage started with the establishment of the first elected Iraqi Government in 2006 and it lasts until 2011. Stage one is intended to build a basic force. The Iraqi Army is apparently planned to be 20 or 21 divisions organized into four corps by the end of this stage. (READ MORE)
Wesley Morgan: In Mosul, Iraqi units overshadow Americans - One after another, the vehicles streamed past into central Mosul – beige armored vehicles bristling with weapons and antennae, followed by trucks packed with troops. The midnight push was an unusually large one, totaling more than forty vehicles and over a battalion of infantry, all pushing into the centuries-old Zanjili neighborhood, toward a location suspected of being a base for suicide car bombs. The long column was not American, though. It was a force massed and led on the spur of the moment by Major General Muhammad Sabri Latif, the commander of the 3rd Iraqi National Police Division. Although the vehicles of American advisors were sprinkled throughout the column, and a pair of hulking US Abrams tanks pulled security at a major intersection, the arrival of the long stream of armored vehicles and pickup trucks filled with soldier-policemen in blue camouflage took the American troop commander in the area, Captain Justin Harper, who had planned on a small raid, by surprise. (READ MORE)
Omar: Sadr Takes Aim at New U.S.-Iraq Agreement - After the Iraqi cabinet voted in approval, Iraq’s Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker met in Baghdad to sign the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). Both diplomats hailed the event as a “historic” one — not an overstatement as their meeting was the fruit of many months of deliberations and negotiations. Reportedly, SOFA has a sister document whose details are yet to be made public. Radio Sawa reported that Zebari and Crocker signed “another long-term strategic agreement, which the U.S. ambassador said would shape relations between the two countries in all areas for years to come.” It’s actually surprising that there’s no mention of this second document anywhere in the media. After the cabinet approved the agreement, movement began immediately in the parliament to found coalitions among parliamentary groups that are in favor of the agreement and among those opposed to it as well. (READ MORE)
Notes from Iraq: Conversation with Iraqi Soldier about Family - Recently, an Iraqi Soldier asked about my wife and children. These are very common questions. Iraqis have a hard time understanding how Americans can settle for only one wife, and very much do not understand single Soldiers. "Is something wrong with your manhood?" is perhaps a proper way of wording their questions for the single Soldiers. My conversational Arabic is quite good. I have no trouble describing my children, their names and ages. But what made this day so unique is that it was the first time that an Iraqi looked at me and asked, "When did you last see your family?" To answer, I had to stop and think. "Three and half months ago," I replied. The Iraqi immediately looked confused. "How long have you been in Iraq?" he asked, confused because he remembered how my team replaced the old team three months ago. "Three and a half months ago," I said again. (READ MORE)
Pink's War: You're Not Allowed, You're Uninvited - Have you ever met someone and thought "Hey, I could easily spend a good part of my life with this person and be happy?" I thought that not too long ago. I met this fantastic kid. Yes, kid. He's all of 20 years old, and I know that doesn't seem like that much of an age difference, hell, I've dated guys that were 6 years older than me. But, somehow its different when I'm the older one. And its a hell of a lot different when he's 20 and I have 4 kids, with my oldest being almost half his age. We talked for a bit, tried to remain friendly, but that wasn't working out well for us. We started in on the relationship talk. We threw around the idea of it for a couple of days, he even went so far as to say that he wanted to marry me. It sounded like a good idea in theory, until we examined it a bit more closely. (READ MORE)
Bouhammer: 4 years later, it never gets easier - It was four years ago today, that I got the call. A call that changed my life significantly in the Army. I had lost friends outside the military and I had even lost friends in the military and in war. But this was the first time I had lost one of my soldiers. Not just any soldier, but one of those soldiers that stands out amongst all of them. Because of Iraq being several timezones ahead, he was killed in a terrible ambush on the 20th and it was on the morning of the 20th EST that I got the call. My Commander and good friend called me around 7:30 in the morning with the words “we lost one”. I remember walking in my living room and then quickly moving to the steps to sit down. I asked him who, and the reply was simply “Roustum”. I was in a hazy daze. I remember that too. The world had stopped, all of my senses seemed to be shut down….just paused. (READ MORE)
News from the Front:
Iraq:
New courthouse taking shape, bolstering Babil’s ‘rule of law’ - Babil Province, Iraq — A new regional courthouse is taking shape to help Babil Province enforce the rule of law. The new $7 million facility is scheduled to be complete next spring. “The Iraqi judiciary has a long and proud history going back before the founding of the country itself,” said Mark Robbins, Rule of Law advisor with the Babil Provincial Reconstruction Team. “For the most part, the judiciary in Babil enjoys the respect of the people. (READ MORE)
MoD conducts Second Women’s Intelligence Course (Baghdad) - BAGHDAD – For only the second time, a group of Iraqi women completed the Intelligence and Security Basic Training Course on Nov. 20. The first-ever women’s intelligence and security course graduated in September. The 26 graduates, all assigned to the Directorate General for Intelligence and Security in the Ministry of Defense, received training in intelligence and security processes, analysis, and collection techniques. The women are part of the 24,000 intelligence and security specialists in the Iraqi Security Forces. (READ MORE)
Diyala province holds second SoI transfer meeting - DIYALA, Iraq – The Government of Iraq committed to the Sons of Iraq in a second transfer to GoI control briefing in Diyala province at Forward Operating Base Normandy outside of Muqdadiya Nov. 19. The Iraqi Ministry of Defense’s Reconciliation councilman, Gen. Muthrir Mawla, Iraqi Army and Coalition force leaders from across Iraq attended to show their support for this important event. (READ MORE)
GoI payments to SOI go smoothly (Baghdad) - BAGHDAD – The first successful Iraqi government-led pay period of monthly wages to more than 26,000 Sons of Iraq in Multi-National Division Baghdad’s area of operations in Baghdad, which began Nov. 10, comes to an end Nov. 20. “The Government of Iraq has followed through on its commitment to pay everyone,” said Lt. Col. Arnold Csan, civil affairs planning team chief and division SoI officer with the 4th Infantry Division and Multi-National Division – Baghdad. (READ MORE)
SWAT units capture 4 terrorist suspects, weapons cache in northern Iraq (Balad) - BALAD, Iraq – Iraqi Security, and Coalition forces, captured four suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq and Islamic State of Iraq terrorists during separate operations in northern Iraq Nov. 14-15. Tal Afar Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) captured an ISI cell leader in the Biaj area Nov. 15. This alleged terrorist is suspected of conducting murder and intimidation operations, as well as providing financial and logistical support to elements in the area. (READ MORE)
Sustainers, Iraqi government join forces to build new school in Al-Fawaz - AL-FAWAZ, Iraq – Soldiers from the 3rd Sustainment Command, 7th Sustainment Brigade, gathered with local Iraqi leaders in the city of Al-Fawaz, to participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony of the village’s newly built Al-Ashyabb primary school Nov 19. Col. Mark Barbosa, 7th Sust. Bde. commander, met with Iraqi government, military and tribal leaders to celebrate the combined effort between Iraqi and Coalition forces to improve educational facilities within the region. (READ MORE)
Two ISI/AQI members self-detonate during operation in northern Iraq (Balad) - BALAD, Iraq – Two Al Qaeda in Iraq and Islamic State of Iraq members wearing suicide vests self-detonated during an Iraqi Special Operations and Coalition forces operation Nov. 16. The suspected terrorists died during an ISOF operation to disrupt AQI/ISI activities in the Diyala province. Both of the assailants detonated their suicide vests approximately 100 meters from the ground force. (READ MORE)
Al-Maleyia sewer system project underway - MOSUL, Iraq – A project to improve water drainage in the Al Maleyia neighborhood of Mosul is currently underway. The storm drainage system will reduce flooding in the area and enhance the storm and sewer system in the neighborhood. The Iraqi government-funded project includes the installation of new sewer pipes, manholes, retaining walls and drop inlets. The construction, which began in September and is scheduled to be completed in mid January 2009, will cost $605,000 U.S. (READ MORE)
Coalition forces identify terrorist killed November 11 (Baghdad) - BAGHDAD – Coalition forces have positively identified a terrorist killed in an operation November 11 in Baghdad as Hajji Hammadi, an Iraqi national also known as Hammadi Awdah Abd Farhan and Abd-al-Salam Ahmad Abdallah al-Janabi. Hammadi was affiliated with al-Qaeda in Iraq since its inception and assumed his role as the AQI “emir” of Karmah and Abu-Ghraib areas west of Baghdad in 2004. He is assessed to have connections with the country’s legacy al-Qaeda leadership, to include AQI founder Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and the terrorist group’s current leaders. (READ MORE)
Agreement Respects Iraqi Sovereignty, Allows U.S. Operations - WASHINGTON — The Status of Forces agreement that U.S. and Iraqi leaders initialed earlier this week respects Iraqi sovereignty while allowing U.S. servicemembers to continue operations, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said here yesterday. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are briefed Congress yesterday on the provisions of the agreement, Morrell told Pentagon reporters. (READ MORE)
University Medical College Opens in Ramadi - RAMADI — Officials at al Anbar University held a ceremony commemorating the addition of its Medical College here, Nov. 13. During heavy fighting, many of Iraq’s physicians fled to neighboring countries in hopes of finding better business opportunities. Ramadi officials and Coalition forces are hoping the opening of the medical college fills the void that was left. “Iraq’s healthcare system is suffering from a severe shortage of physicians, as many physicians fled to Syria, Saudi Arabia and Jordan during the war,” said 1st Lt. Emily Grant, the embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team Ramadi LNO. (READ MORE)
Iraqi Police Leaders’ Course Graduates First Class of Hundreds - COB G. OWEN — Approximately 200 Policemen graduated the first Iraqi Police Leaders’ Course here Nov. 13, amidst chants of praise and admiration. The two-week course, taught by the Iraqi National Police, prepared the new leaders for the challenges they will face, as the graduates return to their respective Police stations in the city of Amarah. (READ MORE)
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