Letter from a soldier in Iraq

1 May 08

To All,

I feel like a horse waiting for the gates to open. I have been in Iraq since the 11th with my advance party. For those unfamiliar with the concept, most Marine Corps units will send a small contingent in advance of the main body to create conditions for a smooth transition with the preceding unit. Now we wait for the flights to arrive with the rest of the Marines, so we can get started in earnest. A few days ago, we came back to the main base out here, Al Asad, in preparation for their scheduled arrival. Unfortunately, sand storms have played havoc with the flight schedule. Yesterday, there were 7 false alarms about flight arrivals. Much like Tantalus, so close and yet so far (for those not up to speed on your Greek mythology, a good chance to try out that Google thing you have heard so much about).


As this is the introductory letter of our 7-month series, let me paint the picture of what I/We will be doing for the next 7 months. The last deployment I was a platoon commander, in charge of 52 Marines and 14 AAVs and supporting the efforts of an infantry battalion in Al Qaim. This time around, I command a company of 200+ Marines, with close to 30 vehicles, and responsibilities for my own battle space that is about 300 square kilometers in size (for those who struggle with conversions to the metric system, a kilometer is .62 miles, so our battle space is just under 200 square miles in size).


We are located in Anbar Province on the Euphrates River, just south of the Triad, which consist of the towns of Haditha, Haqlaniyah, and Barwanah. Our mission this time around is that of an infantry company, conducting security patrols in our zone, as well as managing economic and local government development, emphasizing and pushing the rule of law (to include developing the local police department), mentoring local Iraqi Army forces, and promoting civil connection with the district, provincial, and national government. I'm sure you are all saying to yourselves, "Well, that doesn't sound so hard. What's the big deal?" Fair enough, so let me describe some of the events of the last few weeks, preceded by some general impressions.


We are pretty close to some of the areas in which we fought in 2005, so I feel some comparisons are warranted. The short version is this: This area is remarkably different than in 2005, and at least in Anbar Province, we are winning this war. In 2005, Anbar Province was riddled with IEDs and foreign fighters, Al Qaeda was declaring a caliphate centered in Haditha, there was little to no effective government or Iraqi Security Force, and Marine units could not enter the big cities out here without serious combat power. The Iraqis were caught in the middle of this fight, some fighting with Al Qaeda, some with us, most just trying to live their lives without hope of improvement. The single biggest employer was the government, which was not functioning, and other major employers in the area were not working due to the security situation or damage to infrastructure or threats of death from Al Qaeda. At the time, I would not have recommended vacationing here.


Another quick aside, for those who argue that Iraq has nothing to do with Al Qaeda, and that if we leave so will they. Sometime we choose the battlefield, sometimes the enemy chooses it. Those that win usually select their preferred battlefield. Both the US and Al Qaeda have chosen Iraq as their principle battlefield. They were determined to create their new caliphate here. That's just a fact. Arguing anything else is a red herring, ignores the facts on the ground, and lives in the past. I won't argue that no mistakes have been made because there certainly have been, lots of them. However, the thing that people forget, unfortunately far too frequently, is that mistakes are normal in war, tactically and strategically. These mistakes carry an extraordinarily high cost, one that the military bears, and with which we are intimately familiar but accept unflinchingly. The victors in war are usually the ones who identify their mistakes and adapt the fastest, analyzing past failure only as a means to find future success, not as a method of placing blame (although that will naturally happen too). I am now off my soapbox.

As a way of comparison, let me tell you a few stories about my first couple of weeks here. Just before our arrival, the Marine Corps and Iraqi contractors had finished building two soccer fields in the area. These were pretty poor fields on the whole, all dirt and a little undersized, but infinitely better than playing in the desert. Two teams representing local towns were playing. There were about 100 spectators at the game, including a large contingent of children, who chanted local soccer songs throughout the game. Soccer is a pretty big deal here, and they are justifiably proud of their national team. Capt Ruble, my predecessor, and I had seats of honor on couches that were placed on the sideline. We intermingled with the crowds, exchanging jokes and hearing occasional grievances. At the end of the game, Capt Ruble gave out medals to the victors, and then he and I were presented trophies. I was proclaimed, "the bestest major ever, ever" (their words, not mine, although I have to agree). One of the players looked like he had been imported from Ireland for the game, complete with red hair, fair skin, and a feisty personality. I imagine he had some English blood left over from the British occupation in the 1st half of the 20th century. In all, it was a pretty interesting scene.


Several days ago, I had the opportunity to attend a meeting of the Haqlaniyah City Council, which consisted of about 15 local leaders. The big news of the day was an election for a new council member, and we hoped to get our guy elected. Our area, Albu Hyatt, lacked a city council member, which created several problems. For starters, as governance transitions to more and more Iraqi control, it would limit the amount of projects, money, and support that Albu Hyatt would be able to get. Secondly, it had the potential to alienate the major tribe in Albu Hyatt and undermine the security progress we have made in the last year. So we had been prepping the ground for the meeting for several months. While the meeting didn't exactly follow Robert's Rules of Order, it was pretty good. They took nominations, had discussion, and then took a vote, after asking the candidates to leave the room. One difference: 3/4 of the room was smoking. I'm sure the health fanatics would have been forced to excuse themselves, but it was fine by me. Our guy was elected by an overwhelming majority, making him the first elected member of the city council. It may be a small step, but still pretty cool to watch.

A few days after that, I had the opportunity to sit down and eat dinner with an Iraqi Colonel, who is possibly the most influential man in the area. He has a fascinating history, as sub-sheik in a major tribe in the area, as a guy who was shot 4 times in the stomach by Saddam's henchmen (losing ½ his stomach and a kidney in the process), as a guy who went to a sports university and played soccer on the national level, as a guy who was one of the first locals to stand up to Al Qaeda in the area (before we could give him much support, I should add), and as a guy who commands an Iraqi Battalion. He is a very bright and charismatic guy, but with a fairly substantial ruthless streak, and he has the potential to be either a big supporter for democratic progress or one who undermines it for power and prestige. I have been tasked with partnering with this Colonel and his battalion, so I expect to spend a lot of time over there.

Before I get to the dinner itself, I should set the stage a little. Most Iraqi buildings seem to follow a basic construction design. Most buildings are of concrete construction, with pretty thick walls and large tile floors. This construction tends to keep them a little cooler inside in the summer, and if there is no AC, there is always a ceiling fan.


Most of the houses have a reception/social room. Typically these rooms are long and relatively narrow, with couches lining the walls and small coffee tables in between each couch. Upon arriving in the room, you will make greetings starting on the right, and moving around the room. For those you don't know well, a handshake usually suffices. However, for those you know well, it is a handshake and kiss on the cheek, followed by a shoulder bump.


Shortly after arrival, the host will normally serve chi, a very hot and well-sugared tea (not bad, but I still haven't gotten used to the near boiling temperature). Since most of you know me pretty well, you all recognize that I don't much care for small talk, and am usually reserved around strangers. Take those traits and put them in a new culture, with a language I barely understand (I can count to 10 in Arabic, including zero, and have about a 50-75 work vocabulary. Of course they are all nouns, so I can't actually speak sentences yet, but it's coming), and it can be downright uncomfortable. But I am learning quickly and find it rather interesting.


The meal the Colonel served was an entire sheep on a large platter, with two chickens off to the side, set on a bed of mixed rice and flat bread. Some vegetables were placed out in bowls. A little different but no big deal. Of course, there were no chairs or utensils, so we were only using our hands while standing. The big eaters would tuck their left hand behind them (it is considered the dirty hand) and begin tearing into the meat, breaking off large portions in practiced motions, and grabbing handfuls of rice. Not being a big eater, and still waiting for my system to adjust to Iraqi meals, I contented myself with chicken and flatbread. The whole thing is a site to behold, and the Iraqis really seem to relish their meals (and by relish, I mean inhale. I think my interpreter, Eagle, can eat a whole sheep by himself). I haven't seen any tradition of desert, although when we were here on Al Asad with the Colonel and some of his men, they all went for ice cream.

Anyway, it has been an interesting first few weeks. I have no doubt that this deployment will be exhausting, with the heat, the gear we wear, the occasional odd hours, and no days off, but I think it will be extraordinarily interesting and valuable. Now if I can just get the rest of my company here, we will be ready to roll.

With that, I think I will sign off for the evening. I hope everyone is well.

Chris