There’s a man with a gun over there, tellin’ me I got to beware…
BAGHDAD, Jan. 4 –Nearly 50,000 Iraqi refugees returned home from Syria in the final 3 1/2 months of 2007, the latest sign of diminishing violence in this war-pocked country, according to new data from relief workers.
“Security has definitely improved, and improved by far,” said Said I. Hakki, president of the Iraqi Red Crescent Organization, the aid group that compiled the statistics. “And yet the return is really not that dramatic, when you consider that there are almost 2 million Iraqi refugees out of the country.”
There’s battle lines being drawn, nobody’s right if everbody’s wrong…
CAMP TAJI, Iraq, Dec. 27, 2007 – When the senior leadership and soldiers of the 1st Cavalry Division’s 1st “Ironhorse” Brigade Combat Team arrived in Iraq nearly 15 months ago, the security situation here was quite different from the one they now experience as they patrol the streets throughout their area of operations.
According to Maj. Patrick Michaelis, the Ironhorse brigade’s operations officer, the brigade has seen a “phenomenal change” from having 150 enemy attacks per week for the first seven to 10 weeks in theater to having only about 10 significant events per week, now mostly involving the finding of weapons caches and improvised explosive devices, with only isolated incidents of coordinated enemy attacks.
“The shift in atmosphere of our operational environment has moved away from individual security and safety to normalcy, which has manifested itself in a concern for governance,” Michaelis said. “Spectacular attacks are now the exception and not the rule.
Young people speaking their minds, gettin’ so much resistance from behind…
BAGHDAD (AFP) A controversial surge in US troop numbers has cut the death toll in Iraq but prospects for reconciliation between its divided communities remain a distant dream as the conflict enters a New Year.
If 2006 saw a bloody insurgency escalate into a vicious sectarian war, 2007 saw the bloodletting peak in January and then recede each month on policy shifts by Washington and changes on the ground.
The vicious circle of tit-for-tat sectarian killings began to ease once the extra troops became fully operational in June, although the first signs of improved security had already become evident in Anbar province, west of the capital earlier.
Sunni Arabs who once fought the Americans alongside Al-Qaeda began to turn against the militant group.
By September, Al-Qaeda was pushed out of Anbar, the success spawning many other anti-Qaeda fronts, known as Al-Sahwa, or “the Awakening”, across Iraq.
It’s time we stop, hey what’s that sound, everbody look what’s going down…
Meanwhile, the 70,000 members of Iraqi concerned citizens’ groups that have sworn to fight al Qaeda have proven to be powerful allies, Maj. Gen. Bergner said, as the capabilities and numbers of Iraqi soldiers and police continue to grow.
“The emergence of concerned local citizens has been driven by and focused on providing security at the local level in places where other forces were not capable of doing it,” Maj. Gen. Bergner explained. “At the same time that that’s happening, the capability of other forces to provide security, particularly Iraqi security forces, is growing.”
Iraqi security capabilities will be further augmented when some members of the concerned citizens groups join Iraqi army or police units, Maj. Gen. Bergner said.
A thousand people in the street, singing songs and carrying signs, mostly say hooray for our side…
“When we meet and talk, we speak about how we must hold together in the future, and if we don’t the future wont be so good,” said Thayia Aziz Kudam, a muhalla (neighborhood) leader in the East Rashid area of southeastern Baghdad. “All together. We must all help together to make the security for this area. Gangs, militias, al-Qaida: All of us, we want them to go away. We don’t want them.”
Kudam’s neighborhood was known from 2006 until this autumn for sectarian violence and al-Qaida’s campaign of terror. It’s a long-standing mixed community, with Sunni Muslims in the majority but with Shiites and Christians as well.
“Welcome back,” a banner in the neighborhood reads. “We are all one,” says another.
We better stop, hey, what’s that sound, everybody look what’s going down…
One Iraqi man described being forced from his home and land by al Qaeda, which now uses his property as a safehouse.
He pleaded with both leaders to help him get his property back. Col. Ferrell replied, “That’s what I’m here to do.”
He went on to tell the sheiks that he hoped they were serious about their commitment to the area.
The sheiks told Col. Ferrell information they had on the whereabouts and strength of al Qaeda forces.
There is indeed something happening here. I recently had the opportunity to talk with the leadership of a ground unit that operates in battlespace just north of Baghdad. I was impressed with hearing of the numerous successes their squads and platoons have been experiencing throughout their AO. They have discovered hundreds of weapons caches, detained several insurgents and al-Qaeda IED makers, and even uncovered what appeared to be an al-Qaeda training camp and more often than not, they were able to do so because of help from Iraqi citizens.
While visiting a nearby town that was once a haven for al-Qaeda, it was explained to me that for the first time in several months the streets are again safe for children to walk to school on largely because of one man. He was not a sheik, an elder, nor community leader previously; in fact he often cowered and hid his family from everyone and everything.
Today he stands tall in the middle of the street and encourages his neighbors to stay involved with keeping al-Qaeda out of their town. When asked why he had a change of heart he spoke about a day 3-months earlier when he witnessed a parked car explode outside of his home. The blast blew out the windows of his house and shrapnel tore into the walls of his daughter’s bedroom.
His eyes welled with tears as he recalled the day two American soldiers were killed protecting his streets, and though the car bomb killed their comrades, the soldiers returned and continued to partol his neighborhood day after day. It was then he concluded that the time had come for him and his fellow Iraqis to do more for their homes, their families and their future.
ZAHMM, Iraq, Jan. 8 — The U.S. military launched a major offensive early Tuesday against one of the largest known redoubts of al-Qaeda in Iraq, part of a new nationwide campaign to destroy remaining pockets of the Sunni insurgency.
The unusually large attack by 5,000 U.S. and Iraqi troops in volatile Diyala province reflects growing concern that success in rooting the group out of Baghdad and Anbar province to the west has driven its members to northern areas such as the Diyala River Valley and the city of Mosul.
U.S. officials said an estimated 200 fighters from al-Qaeda in Iraq created a mini-state here in what Americans call the Bread Basket, a 50-square-mile, shoe-shaped region northeast of Baghdad that stretches from the northern Diyala River to a parallel canal to the east. Residents said the fighters, whom some described as foreigners, imposed curfews and strict interpretations of sharia, or Islamic law.
The U.S. troop buildup that began last year and success in fighting al-Qaeda in Iraq elsewhere in the country have, for the first time in two years, freed up enough troops to wage a full-scale assault and establish a continued presence in this area, U.S. commanders said. They said the Iraqi military is sending up to a full battalion from Anbar in the coming days to help hold the territory.
And the Iraqi citizens are helping…
More casualties were likely avoided because of tips from villagers, who identified explosives left by the insurgents. One man helped U.S. soldiers find and detonate a car bomb in Zahmm, which filled the night sky with dark smoke for hours. The man was promised a $100 reward.
Villagers encountered on Tuesday told the Americans of mistreatment by the Sunni insurgents. In one town, locals said al-Qaeda in Iraq imposed curfews from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. every day.
“Al-Qaeda said, ‘You must all work for us now,’ ” Sgt. Patrick Martin of Saratoga, N.Y., recalled villagers telling him.
American, Coalition, and Iraqi forces continue to set conditions for stabilization and the citizens are showing signs of hope for a brighter future and faith in their leaders while al-Qaeda remains on the run. Sgt Hook out.
They are popping up all over the place here in Iraq. The MRAP Vehicles have been long anticipated by those driving on Iraqi roadways and the procurement guys back in Washington have done a good job of getting them into theater.
“These armored trucks… have been the military’s top acquisition priority for months now, and with good reason,” Morrell said. “They have proven to be true lifesavers for our warfighters in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
As of Dec. 17, 1,300 MRAPs were in the theater, Morrell reported. Another 180 are en route by sea aboard USNS Pililaau, a large, medium-speed, roll-on/roll-off ship operated by Military Sealift Command that left Charleston, S.C., Dec. 13. In addition, another 15 MRAPs are in the air headed to Iraq.
The other day I was talking with a pilot who told me that he was flying the night previously and did a double take when he saw the odd looking vehicle driving up the MSR in a CLP of about six. As the pilot brought his Kiowa Warrior around for a better look at the colossal truck his night vision devices momentarily suffered a white out from the blinding flash of an explosion. An IED had detonated just as the lead MRAP drove across it.
The pilot immediately began the process of calling in a 9-line MEDEVAC request for the injured occupants while his wingman began searching for signs of insurgents in case it was a command detonated device. The MRAP was propelled into the air from the blast, turned 360 degrees while momentum kept it moving forward, and landed on its side, sliding to a stop on the shoulder of the road. The pilot on the radio could not believe his eyes when he watched all of the occupants climb out of the vehicle seemingly unharmed. It’s good to see more of these mammoths on the roads over here. Sgt Hook out.
UBAYDI, Iraq (Army News Service, Jan. 2, 2008) — Going after al-Qaeda cell leaders in the Ubaydi farmland 20 miles south of Baghdad, U.S. and Iraqi troops launched a three-pronged assault on the area which netted dozens of detainees, Dec. 29.
Soldiers from Company B, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, and Soldiers from Company A, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor, along with about 200 Iraqi troops, raided houses and searched fields near the Tigris River.
The operation was planned by Task Force 1-76 Field Artillery, part of 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division.
As the sun rose through Ubaydi’s date palm groves, four Black Hawks landed in a fury of dust and whipping wind. Soldiers from Co. B poured out, their breath steaming in the cold air as they charged straight for a small compound purported to be an al-Qaeda safehouse.
In case it isn’t making your evening news. Sgt Hook out.
Just before midnight on the eve of the new year, I stopped out at the FARP (Forward Arming and Refuel Point) to visit the night crews who work a thankless 12-hour shift refueling and rearming all types of helicpters that come in at all hours. I arrived just as two OH58 Kiowa Warriors and two AH64 Apaches pulled in for gas and rockets. I watched a dozen or so of my soldiers run to their assigned stations in the cold dark night servicing the aircraft as efficiently as a NASCAR pit crew. Within minutes, the warfighters were back in the air and on mission.
No champagne, no fireworks, and the only noise makers were that of turbine engines and turning rotors. I will spend the bulk of this year here in Iraq, but my gut is telling me that 2008 will be one for the history books.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
And here’s a hand, my trusty friend
And gie’s a hand o’ thine
We’ll tak’ a cup o’ kindness yet
For auld lang syne
Happy New Year my friends. I hope your 2008 turns out to be an incredible year. Sgt Hook out.
Up at zero four. It was the coldest morning yet, 17 degrees on the FAT gauge. Two cups of jo in the hooch then out to the flightline, a RON bag on my shoulder, just in case. The UH60 Blackhawk had “maintenance issues” so we moved to the back-up aircraft. Then to the back-up to the back-up. We took off just as the sun was rising. The turning rotors created a wind chill factor stinging my face. I sat next to the door gunner. I like the view.
Our first stop was a small FOB where a handful of my soldiers man a 24-hour FARP. The FOB wasn’t much bigger than a football field and sat smack dab in the middle of what used to be a bad neighborhood, not so much anymore. I visited with the troops, handed out stockings, cards and gifts that had been mailed from wonderful supporters back home. The soldiers were appreciative. I appreciate the soldiers and told them so. We would repeat this for the remainder of the day. Our last stop was a larger FOB not far from Mosul where an armful of my soldiers work ‘round the clock repairing OH58 Kiowa Warriors. I spent a couple of hours with them talking about what they do, how their families were fairing back home, and making sure they were well taken care of by the unit they supported. They too appreciated the stockings, cards and gifts from home. They too make me proud and I told them as much.
On the way back a member of the crew spotted suspicious activity in a small village along our route. We circled back around to take a closer look. Nothing to report. We landed back at our FOB, our home away from home, just as the sun was setting. I grabbed a bite to eat at the DFAC before heading out to visit with the night crews working in the AHA, JNN, SSA, FARP, BAS, and hangars. Morale was high despite having to work on a cold Christmas Eve so far away from their families. The moon was full, the air crisp, and there was something special about the night, you could feel it.
Next stop was the chapel where one of my soldiers had invited me to witness his baptism. How cool to be baptized on Christmas Eve in Iraq? I had time to visit with the various company CPs and the BN TOC wishing those working the night shift a Merry Christmas and thanking them for what they do. Next I stopped into the BN MWR tent checking to make sure the 8 telephones and 20 computer terminals were all occupied by soldiers connecting with home. They were. The day ended with Midnight Mass at the main chapel. I was tired and headed to my hooch to get some shuteye. While walking home I couldn’t be sure, but I thought I saw what looked like a sleigh being pulled by flying reindeer pass overhead in the moonlight. I guess I was tired. A good kind of tired.
The day of…
I again traveled around the AO, this time in a truck, visiting those working on Christmas day, shaking hands, patting backs, talking about home and thanking each and every one of them. I’m sure that I wasn’t able to see every one of my 700+ soldiers, but I think that I came pretty damn close before reporting to the DFAC for the holiday feast. Donning plastic gloves and a Santa hat, I began to serve turkey, ham, potatoes, gravy, etc. to your hard working soldiers. It was an honor to do so.
After supper I attended a reenlistment ceremony for six of my soldiers. The commanding general of MND-N came down to administer the oath of enlistment. How cool to reenlist on Christmas Day with the CG in Iraq? Following the ceremony I enjoyed a big fat cigar with my fellow senior leaders, watching the sun set over the desert.
I was able to get a call through to home and listened with a warm heart to Castaway Conner excitedly regale me with tales of what Santa had brought him. A tear came to eye when before passing the phone to his mom, as if he suddenly remembered to ask said, “Dad, what did you get?” Aside from missing my merry band of pirates and the lovely and talented and downright sexy Mrs. Hook, it was a good holiday for this old soldier. How cool to spend Christmas with a bunch of real heroes serving in Iraq? Sgt Hook out.
The past few days have been increasingly frigid with temperatures in the mid-30s (Fahrenheit) and high winds blowing dust almost continuously. Walking across the flightline to my hooch last night I could barely see just a few feet in front of me. What’s next, desert snow? Sgt Hook out.
America meet Sergeant Gregory Williams of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1/5th Infantry, 1st SBCT, 25th Infantry Division out of Fort Wainwright, Alaska. SGT Williams was recently awarded the Distinguish Service Cross, the Army’s second highest award for valor, for his actions under fire in Baghdad last year.
Although injured himself, Sgt. Williams pulled his lieutenant from a smoldering Stryker, provided suppressive fire with a 50-caliber weapon and enabled first aid to be given to Soldiers burned by the IED blast. He was a squad leader in Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1/5th Infantry, 1st SBCT, 25th Infantry Division.
“When I want to talk about the quality of the force, I talk about Sgt. Williams,” said Gen. George Casey, U.S. Army Chief of Staff, who presented him the award. “(Soldiers like Sgt. Williams) are the heart and soul of the Army.”
During a mounted night patrol Oct. 30, 2006, in Baghdad’s Huriyah neighborhood, Sgt. Williams’ Stryker was struck by shaped charges that sent a stream of molten fire through the hull of the vehicle.
“It was like someone took a can opener and peeled it (the Stryker) open,” Sgt. Williams said.
As the Stryker and its occupants caught fire, enemy forces unleashed an ambush of rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47 rounds. While the vehicle was still in motion, the Soldiers dismounted from the back ramp, found cover and returned fire.
Sgt. Williams, a Valley Spring, Calif. native, was unconscious for a few seconds after the blast, recovered and put the flames out on himself and other Soldiers around him before grabbing a first aid bag to treat his comrades.
But Sgt. Williams realized that the Soldiers were in greater need of suppressive fire, so he expended 120 rounds - four magazines - of ammunition from his M4 carbine upon the enemy.
After helping provide suppressive fire, he saw his platoon leader, 1st. Lt. Aaron Willard, from York Springs, Penn., inside the smoldering Stryker. Lt. Willard’s legs were burned and lacerated from shrapnel, and he had just finished his third magazine engaging the enemy when he began to pass out from blood loss.
“My ears started ringing and I started to see a white light in front of my eyes,” Lt. Willard said. “Sgt. Williams grabbed me and threw me towards the back of the vehicle.”
And when asked about it…
“I think it was a great honor to receive this award, I’m very proud to receive it,” Sgt. Williams said. “But I was just doing my job and what I was trained to do.”
Sgt. Williams believes that everyone in his squad would have done the same thing that day, and credits them as heroes in their own right.
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m damn proud of SGT Williams and his Soldiers. Sgt Hook out.
A group of Soldiers deployed to Iraq from Fort Campbell, KY recently listened to their sons win the Kentucky State Championship. The football game was played in Louisville and broadcast over the world wide web.
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (Army News Service, Dec. 10, 2007) - Twelve Soldiers in Iraq were not able to see their sons win the Kentucky Class 2A state football championship Saturday as the Fort Campbell High School Falcons defeated highly-favored Newport Central Catholic 21-7.
Even though they have not been able to see their sons play football this season, the Soldiers have been able to listen to the games via the Internet at www.oldies1480.com, a local radio station out of nearby Cadiz, Ky. These Soldiers and many others were gathered Saturday to listen to the state championship game online.
“This victory means so much to so many, and we are very excited over here about Fort Campbell being state champions,” said Lt. Col. Chris Croft, father of Falcons quarterback C.J. Croft, by telephone from Iraq immediately following the game. “We had a packed house listening to the game, and it was absolutely fantastic.
“Obviously, I’m very proud of C. J., and all that he has accomplished, but there is also a lot of pride among all Fort Campbell Soldiers for this football program. This team represents our community extremely well every time they take the field, and this is just a great way to wrap up a wonderful season, and we just want to say ‘way to go Falcons!’”
Such is the life of your Soldiers and their families. Congratulations Falcons! Sgt Hook out.
This site is a collection of my writings, thoughts, and ramblings and in no way reflects the official positions of the United States Army or the Department of Defense. OPSEC trumps everything.
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In view of a recent tendency to identify characters in fiction with real people, it seems proper to state that there are no real people in this volume: both the characters and their names are ficticious. The names or designations of any military units are ficticious. There are no living people nor existing military units presented in this book.
-Ernest Hemingway
Halfway down the road to hell,
In a shady meadow green,
Are the souls of all dead troopers camped
Near a good old-time canteen.
And this eternal resting place
Is known as Fiddler's Green.
-Author Unknown
The Blog of War
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