Letters From Iraq: December 2007 Archives

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December 27, 2007

Unit receives gift of MRAPs

(Photo Contributed) From left to right is MSG Mark Kelley - Florida, LTC Andrew Lark - Mississippi, SFC Kelly Reid - Fort Knox, Kentucky, MAJ John Sullivan - Michigan, MSG Robert Wiatt - Bloomington, Indiana, SFC Larry Baltierra - California, MAJ Donald Green - Brandenburg, Kentucky (a Whitley County native), SFC Billy Ortiz - Florida, LTC Robert King - Colorado, SFC Alan Meador - Florida, and CPT Jon Howard - Utah.

By MAJ Donald L. Green -- December 22, 2007

One week ago our support command, 2nd Battalion 327th Infantry of the 1st Brigade 101st Airborne, notified us that we would be receiving the newest vehicles in the Army's inventory - the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle or MRAP. This was a much unexpected surprise to us as we were not scheduled to receive the fielding for another three to six months.

This news came on the heels of three very interesting days in the city where we were exposed to a few more interesting aspects of an enemy that seems to be running out of steam or at least a good portion of their tactical effect. I have to say that the soldiers of Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion 327th Infantry are doing the yeoman's share of taking the fight to the insurgents and keeping them on the run while providing safe passage to those who live and operate in Samarra. Together with the Combined Air Support CAS from helicopter units with call signs like Carnage and engineer route clearance teams from locations as far away as Balad and Tikrit, they leave no space for people of a malicious ilk to cause destruction within the city we all operate in.

Planned missions aside, we departed for Logistic Support Area (LSA) Anaconda, located in Balad Iraq, roughly two hours south of our Forward Operating Base (FOB) where we would spend the week receiving and training on our new equipment. The move south with all but four of our team members brought us once again to new places and the team was beginning to wonder if there would ever be a possibility of spending more than a few nights in the same location without picking up our belongings to move again. I have quite often compared the military lifestyle with that of a modern Gypsy or Bedouin, as soldiers we are consistently on the move to a different place or exciting new mission. In the twenty two years since I have left home I have never lived in one place longer than two years with exception of pursuing a degree at the beckoning of the army. Regardless, there is a great difference between the comfort of knowing where you will lay your head each night and the aspect of wondering what the future holds. Not everyone is a candidate for this lifestyle and frankly it takes a special type of person to deal with the fluctuation that accompanies it. I am honored to know so many who have.

Our convoy to Balad took a little over two hours moving with over 20 other vehicles on Highway One, considered one of the most treacherous routes in country, stretching from Bagdad to Tikrit through the center of insurgent outlands. Insurgent activity has become even more prevalent in the outlying areas now that the people have started to take back the cities and Al-Qaeda Insurgents (AQI) have been forced out. Hit and run tactics are more common now and generally are more harassment to prevent the Coalition forces from spreading goodwill and security which has become our main mission. The convoy was uneventful and we were all ready to start the new fielding process but the preliminary paperwork and turn-in of our old vehicles would delay us for almost 24 hours, extending our time longer than we would have liked.

The MRAPs we received, was purchased in the initial bundle of 8,800 vehicles and we were lucky enough to be part of the initial fielding of 1,500 in the Iraqi Theater. The Department of Defense (DOD) has ordered another 3,126 with an intent of eventually having a 15,000 MRAPs fielded to all branches of service located in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Initial personnel receiving the MRAP were considered to be in areas where there was a higher probability of use and requirement for the protection; however, timing and missions also played a big portion of the decision at our level making our team available for the initial fielding and New Equipment Training (NET).

We spent a total of four days going through a 40 hour block of NET, with BAE Systems representatives, learning the capabilities and limitations of these massive 20 ton vehicles. The instructors were extremely knowledgeable and did a great job at explaining the vehicles and pointed out the most important features that will assist in protecting us from the number one killer in Iraq, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). The most interesting aspect of the vehicle is that from conception to manufacture and into the hands of the soldier took only eleven months, an extremely short time period among typical contracting efforts with military equipment.

Our instructor, Mr. Brandon Cox, is a former Marine and tank crew member and has been a part of all the Mine Resistant Vehicle fielding in one form or another for the last three years. He has worked extensively with Explosive and Ordinance Disposal (EOD) units and continues to provide input for the MRAP systems during their most recent endeavors. His keen insight into why things were built in a specific way was essential to our understanding of the new vehicle and created a true learning atmosphere that was quite refreshing for the team. All team members graduated the course successfully and were ready to use our new vehicle to increase our presence in Samarra. The trip back to FOB Brassfield-Mora was also uneventful with the exception of a quick stop to allow the mine clearing team to dispose of an IED placed near a bridge along our route. These types of enemy incursions are not rare but are becoming less meaningful with the quality soldiers that know the tactics of the enemy and dispose of their harassment with great efficiency. This brings up one final point for everyone to understand, these soldiers do this type of work day after day for up to 15 months with very little reward except the knowledge that on this particular day no one was killed on their watch. Most nights they will sleep wherever their head rests, vehicle or bed, and with some good coffee and warm food -- they get up and do it again. They do it not for themselves, but for the soldiers they protect and the Iraqi people who will go home at night to their families to face another day against the insurgency.

Green, the son of Delbert and “Birdie” Johnson of Columbia City, is a 1985 graduate of Columbia City Joint High School, a 1995 Graduate of Central State University, Ohio, and a career Army Officer.

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December 11, 2007

One Week in Iraq

(photo contributed) Major Donald L. Green, a Whitley County native, with fellow soldiers serving in Iraq. Green says he's surprised to at just how small the world is after recently meeting two Kosciusko County natives serving alongside him in Iraq.

By MAJ Donald L. Green -- December 7, 2007

My team has now spent our first week in our new surroundings in Iraq located in the city formerly known as Babylon and most recently called Samarra (pronounced Sam-a-rah). We were transported by air in two of the Army’s UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, to Forward Operating Base (FOB) Brassfield-Mora named after two soldiers who gave everything they had during Operation Iraqi Freedom’s (OIF).

Although we have spent some time learning the layout of the base we began to orient ourselves to the inner city area almost immediately. This was done by making day trips by ground into the city and visiting our Iraqi Counterparts where they work and live. We accomplish the travel by a three vehicle convoy of “up-armored” HMMWVs that provide protection from the small arms fire danger and provide a safe haven from most attacks. On top of each vehicle our gunners scan for any danger and provide coverage for anything else that may endanger the crews. In the time we have been here, there has been no use of this important equipment but we are all glad to have it – just in case.

I have to state this is the most interesting place I have visited in quite a long time and the variances to what a normal person would expect is amazing and can only be compared to something you would see in the movies. What is most interesting is the Iraqi people’s constant will that shows even when they face daily adversity from outside elements. As we traveled throughout the center of the city I was amazed by the smiling faces of the children and the friendliness of those we met. There is so much that I could never understand about why things here could be so bad, yet within the first week I have begun to internalize some of their immediate dilemmas along with the realities I will have to face in order to accomplish our mission.

The current army and coalition operations involves everyone in the area to include the Iraqi Army, the Iraqi National Police (Iraqi National Guard), the Iraqi Police (local law enforcement), and even the civilians in the area. Together they are creating “safe” zones where patrols are conducted regularly and where only authorized civilians are allowed to enter. These “neighborhood watch” type areas are beginning to spring up everywhere in the city, allowing markets and businesses to re-open which in-turn spurs the economic development in the area. This further ensures the local population has access to outside goods and services, something Americans take for granted. Checkpoints are monitored for suspicious activity and a greater portion of the city which was formerly under siege by insurgents and thugs is now beginning to give way to a future other than poverty and harassment by outsiders.

The proof has been the daily changes visible within the streets that we pass through. Adults and children alike give the local greetings of “Salam” (peace be upon you), “Mar-haba” (hello), “Sabah-il-khayr” (good morning), or “Ahlan-wa-sahlan” (Welcome). People are taking the time to clean up months of refuse from the city streets, sweeping the sidewalks where they sell their goods in front of the stores that are open once again. Lastly, the children continuously run up individually and in groups asking for basic items of necessity like shampoo, soap, and every Iraqi child’s favorite candy and soccer balls. Coming from such a prosperous land like America to a place like Iraq will make anyone want to assist every kid possible and quite often the American teams here will make care boxes to drop off randomly. The children will ultimately be the ones who will benefit from the work we do here.

I continue to believe that there are more similarities in the Iraqi people than differences from Americans and every meeting reinforces that thought. In my first week here I have seen ancient civilization peeking through the ruins surrounding the city; I have also seen the present in the people struggling to take back what is theirs next to historical monuments like the Spiral Minuet and the Al-Askyrian Golden Mosque. Things mostly seen only on television or on Google Earth. Mostly I see the future in the Iraqi children that will eventually rebuild this city to its former stature.

To emphasize how small a world it can be, I met two soldiers serving here in the 101^st Division. Specialist Bryan Thomas and Specialist Adam Young are both 2004 graduates of Warsaw High School, Warsaw, Indiana . I wondered to myself why we could meet in such a foreign place, so distant from where we began, dedicating ourselves to a task so rich with rewards. I also wondered, more importantly, why more people could not support such a noble cause. I know for sure that our up-bringing ensured we would at least make the attempt.

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December 02, 2007

Thanksgiving Away From Home

By MAJ Donald L. Green, November 22, 2007

Today - I feasted on one of the best Thanksgiving meals I have had in a very long time. The interesting aspect of the meal was it being my first meal on my first day in Iraq with a newly formed U.S. Army National Police Transition Team. This is no slight to my family and friends, given the choice I would much rather be in their company; however, my family of immediate concern is here, an eleven member team of soldiers I am now living and working with for the next 356 days. The family substitution is necessary for the time being and I hope that all will understand.

The Team’s specialties are broad for eleven men, each backing up the other as a second or third in tasks and knowledge. Their base strengths lay in their key primary functions consisting of an Engineer Officer, Military Police Officer, Intelligence Officer, Logistics Officer, Aviation Officer, Communication/Signal Specialist, Combat Medic, and four Senior Infantry Non-Commissioned Officers rounding out a very competent team. These soldiers are some of the most tactically and technically proficient soldiers I have ever had the privilege to work with and most volunteered for this very special and important mission.

Transition teams are a critical part to the Department of Defense plan to improve the capabilities on Iraqi Security Forces in preparation for the eventual departure of U.S. Soldiers and governmental support. Their mission is simply to advise and assist the Iraqi Army, National Police, and Local Police through training and mentoring in procedures and tactics that are similar to other democracies throughout the world - protecting the nation’s people without external help. This training is crucial to self governing and becoming a nation by the Iraqi people for the Iraqi people.

Our team will spend the next year side-by-side with Iraqi counterparts conducting training and daily activities together in their country for their nation’s benefit. During this time we will learn as much about them, as they do about us, both reciprocating the knowledge and sharing it with anyone we contact. This eventually will lead to a much greater understanding of each other’s ways improving small portions of the big world we live in.

The mission is somewhat different than typical army missions as it requires a thorough understanding of the Iraqi culture, society, and people of whom we will work with. Imagine going to a foreign country to teach graduate level theory without knowing the culture or language, then an understanding may develop of the gravity of our task. We have been extremely fortunate to spend the last three months learning about the Iraqi/Arab culture and the Islamic religion and it’s affect on our mission. The Army went to great length in exposing our team, and other teams like it, to the culture and language providing a better understanding of the people we will deal with as they have been struggling for true independence and national identity for quite some time. Countless hours of training with Middle Eastern language specialists followed by realistic role playing under the tutelage of Iraqi nationals at Fort Riley, Kansas and Camp Buehring, Kuwait has made our training much more meaningful. The people who we will work with may seem extremely different but in reality are more like us than we would like to believe.

Great things are happening in what is now being called the “Sunni awakening” but should more aptly be called the “Iraqi Awakening” as it is a national elemental movement versus a movement of individual favor. These people want a better life (much like every free American) and are now taking back the country from the insurgent outsiders (Al-Qaeda) to make it their own. With the help of the security forces that we are training, the Iraqis will control their own destiny and are expelling the outsiders who have hurt the innocent people they want to protect the most, their families.

The Iraqi people have a strong bond to family, community (tribe), and religion, the same social forces that drive our great nation. Iraqi’s carry a huge importance in personal relationships and have great reverence for the extended family which impacts their daily lives. It is more common for Iraqi’s to focus on the important factors of personal life before conducting any business. When conducting missions, it is typical to spend a great deal of time discussing personal issues first and it would be considered rude and inconsiderate if they do not. It becomes a great depicter of the kind of people that the Iraqis are and shows the inner workings of their society as perhaps an example to us. This calling teaches the importance of family and individual that so often gets forgotten with today’s pace and methods.

Our team looks forward to meeting each challenge in the next year with an understanding of the ultimate impact on a burgeoning nation. Personally, I am looking forward to sharing more with the people back home, possibly providing an “Insider’s” perspective on the situation and explanation of why it is so important for our entire nation to support this endeavor. It is my hope that I can convey my experiences to help develop an understanding of all the good things we are doing while creating a national will to continue the progress that so many have given so much to thus far.

Green is a 1985 graduate of Columbia City Joint High School, a 1995 Graduate of Central State University, Ohio, and a career Army Officer.

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