majkline

Well our time here in Iraq is closing fast. The past couple weeks have been a fury of activity, preparing to leave and getting the new team up to speed with all we have going on. Today was my last mission. As I got out of bed and walked up the hill to the office, I could feel the cool crisp fall air and it made me think of home. The last week has been more like fall than any other time here. The sun was just coming up and the sky was a clear blue with a few streaks of white whisping clouds. I stopped and looked into the distance and saw the mountains to the east and north of the city. As the sun popped out from behind the clouds the distant mountains turned purple then slowly tan green as the sun started to hit the western side. The city looks peaceful and quiet with no sign of the war. It was a very peaceful view. I continued on to the office and prepared to roll out. As the convoy exited the base and started to head to our site on the north end of the city the streets were full of cars and people conducting business with the local merchants. I thought back to the first mission out and how these areas were empty and you could not see the large trucks full of food goods and snack items. Now the side streets had many merchants off-loading large trucks full of pop, boxes of food items and other goods into small trucks which then will head out to the small neighborhood markets to sell today. It was a flurry of activity. As we reached the site where we conduct weekly engagements with local people we prepared for the mission ahead. This would be my last visit with a man who has become a good friend and someone I have much respect for. Over the time here he has been our host and a person I have visited with for many hours. At the same time I was taking my replacement out to meet with him again so he can start to build that important relationship as well. We finished our time with a great lunch. Our host joked about not having any silverware to eat with because, of course, this is how it is done in Iraq. Afterwards we had Chi and talked more. I could tell our host did not want to see us leave and I have to admit it was odd to be leaving knowing I may never see this place again. Of course we always say “insha Allah, we will be back someday”. However, reality is I may never step foot in Iraq again. As we loaded up after our final good bye’s I grabbed Staff Sergeant Wolf, my Operations Chief who has been my right hand guy for about everything. He and I have had a number of missions together and he always guilts me into letting him get out of the office and away from paperwork. He is like Radar O’Reilly on steroids and can make the computer do things that might be illegal, but I never ask as long as I have the reports I need and know what is going on with projects. We stopped to get a quick “happy snap” for posterity sake and then headed off to the MRAPs to head back to base. The trip back went pretty fast. I think everyone wanted to be back on the base and be done. As we pulled into the parking area by the office, I told my replacement “well all fingers and toes, I guess I survived my tour here”. As the back ramp went down and I stepped down the steps, my left foot hit a rock and I rolled my ankle. The pain shot through my leg and I thought “darn! I spoke too soon!” So, as I write this my ankle is throbbing and it makes me think about the lesson this has been. I guess at the end of the day I hope as a country we don’t count our fingers and toes, and then have things go to crap because we are an inpatient people and say, “darn, spoke to soon.” This is a complex place and over the time I have been here I have seen great improvements, but let’s not start counting our success quiet yet. This has been called the long war and indeed it is. The price of freedom comes at a cost and now that cost is patience.

As we start to move closer to a close of our mission here in Iraq I have often run through my mind the things I have done and seen while here. It is a fairly long list when I really look at it. To have experienced so much in such a short time is amazing and overwhelming at the same time. How do you ever put it all in perspective of even being able to relate it to anyone who has never been here? This was the topic of discussion at dinner tonight among some of my men and it got me thinking as well. So what have I done with my time here? Well on the relaxation side the list is very long. Sleep does not come easy most nights so I tend to stay up late, a habit I am sure my wife will hope I can break quickly once I get home. But in that time I have watched the following: All seven seasons of Star Trek, four seasons of The Office, three seasons of the Monk, five seasons of Boston Legal, all the Planet Earth series, over 145 movies to include all the movies of the Matrix, Bourne series , Indiana Jones 1,2 and 3, Lethal Weapon 1,2 and 3, Pirates of the Caribbean 1,2 and 3, Rush Hour 1 and 2, Terminator 1,2 and 3, X-Men 1,2 and 3, Plus who know what else. I have read three books to include works from William Faulkner, Samuel Huntington and the ancient history of Iraq. I have completed the Qur’an and the Old Testament and well over 2/3 of the New. (Hope to be done before I leave.) I have attended a Trace Adkins concert, Air Force Band concert and three comedy shows. I have had gyros every Tuesday for lunch and crab legs and shrimp every Sunday for dinner. I have nearly run the bottoms out of my running shoes and walked more miles than I care to calculate. I have received over 5,672 e-mails both military and personal and last box count I was leading the company for the most boxes receive in the mail by about 25. On the work side of things I have worked every day since January 1st without a complete day off, I’ve been on over 65 missions throughout Ninewa Province, I have met some of the most interesting people and had to brief General Petraus, LTG Austin and met AMB Crocker. I have held meetings with the head of the Shemmar tribe and the Mayors of Mosul, Tel Afar, Ba’aj, Al Qosh, Bartella and Qaraqosh. I have visited the ruins of Dur Shankin, Nineveh, Nimrud, St Elijah and Tel Afar Castle. I have worked with people from the various alphabet agencies and groups like, ODA, CIA, DAI, DOS, IQATF, UNHCR, UNANMI, RID, RTI, INMA, IRC, USDA, USACE, USAID, MROC, PRT, CID and even ones with no real names. I have met with Iraqi Ministers and Provincial leaders to map out reconstruction in Mosul. My men have spent over $55 million in reconstruction money throughout the Province. So when I look back I think “wow what a year.” But then as I look I also have missed so much. I have missed tucking my four daughters into bed every night for over 300 nights. I have missed being home for six birthdays and one anniversary. I have missed softball, soccer and volleyball games. I missed a vacation to Florida and weekends with my family and friends. I have missed piano lessons and choir concerts, plays and church events. I have missed out on church every Sunday except two. (My Sunday Mornings consist of two hours of a Commander update brief). I have missed my youngest daughter learning to ride a bike and another learning to shoot a gun. (I raise tough girls), I have missed Friday night card games with friends and a bottle of wine. I have missed Rotary lunch on Tuesday (but not the singing). I have missed one of the worst years for the banks (of course that could be luck). I have missed walks with my wife and dates with my daughters. I missed duck hunting with my neighbor who wears the waders so I don’t have to get the ducks (that’s friendship there). I have missed many other things as well. But when I look at the time I have spent away there will always be pros and cons to whatever I do in life. The big pro for me is being able to do what is right for so many. I serve because I am called. I guess regardless of what I have done or what I have missed the one thing is for sure, you never can stop time. So I guess it’s best to do the most you can with what you have. In the end it is how you use that time that will define who you were as a person in the eyes of the ones who love you. I think my time has been well spent…..well except for the five seasons of Boston Legal…..too liberal for my tastes. Just Thoughts.

For the past week and a half I have intended to sit and write more blog posts but never seemed to find the time or inspiration to do so. This one will be the mother of all blog posts and will bring things current. I think!

Bitter Sweet

About a week ago we bid farewell and good luck to three of our interpreters. Bitter to see them go, but sweet because this is the start of their journey to the US. For the last five years Bob, Bob and Sam have served as interpreters for coalition forces. These young men did this for many reasons. One reason is to help see their country become a better place. Another was of their dedication to the promotion of freedom. They risked their lives every day as they assisted soldiers in doing their jobs on the streets of Mosul. The dangers they faced were very grave. However, their desire to see a better Iraq kept them doing the job for five years. As we drove them to the Kurdish checkpoint north of the city I thought about the things these three men did in an effort to help. The countless hours working to help resolve issues between local people and the military. The times they just sat and waited until the key moment when the words translated brought closure to a family who had lost everything. These men became friends and individuals we relied on to ensure we best understood the issues we dealt with everyday. It is now time for them to go to the US - a final reward for their dedicated service. It is too dangerous for them to remain in Iraq for now but someday they will return and see what the seeds they helped sow have grown into. Bob told me once that when things are all messed up the old people would just say “maybe next generation it will be better”. I think this is the next generation. The children on the streets in Iraq know nothing of what it was like before the coalition and it is Bob, Bob and Sam’s generation that will be the ones to make the changes so the next generation will be better. When Bob and Sam were young their parents lived in the mountains of northern Iraq and they remember the chemical attacks on villages that killed thousands of Kurds. They even had family members killed. It is this generation that will make this place better but it will take a few more years until they are in the position to ensure that the seed planted now will be harvested in a free country. Bob told us as they left that America is the greatest country on earth and he hoped to return someday to continue the work we have started here to see Iraq be a great country as well.

Fault lines of conflict

Samuel Huntington wrote a book in 1996 called, “Clash of Civilizations”. The amazing thing about this book is how amazingly correct it was in predicting where the fault lines of conflict would lie. In a small town in the northern part of the Province there are Christians who take turns guarding the roads in and out of the town to protect the others living within. During an engagement with some of the leaders it really hit me that this town is a fault line - the edge of conflict manifested from the clash of Radical Islam and Christianity. Dating back to the conversion of the Assyrians to Christianity by Disciples of Christ, this area and the people are rooted in their heritage. However, every day they see the spread of Islam and Arabs as a direct threat to that heritage and culture. Their fear is the loss of a culture that dates back to Mesopotamian times and can be read about throughout the Old Testament. Gentlemen I have become close to while working in the Christian areas told me that after the fall of Saddam Baath’ist party, Sunni Arabs came to the Christians in the area and, like wolves in sheep’s clothing, convinced them not to help the Coalition and they would be rewarded. He told me the one fault of Christians in his mind was the capability of blind trust and unquestioned support. The thought that the evils around them would not harm them just as long as they stayed silent and non-supportive was not good thinking. Slowly and deliberately Christians were targeted by Al Qaida and key figures killed to intimidate the Christian communities in the area. The result is what I saw in this small village in Northern Iraq. An island guarded from the entire outside world protecting the cultural and religious identity within from the dangers outside. In a time in our country where tolerance is “politically correct”, I think I have seen firsthand what happens when well-intentioned people sit idly by and allow evil to move around them unchallenged. Like wolves in sheep’s clothing, evil will erode the rock you stand on and isolate the community. And that makes it easy to control and even extinguish. I think that is why our President has not sat idly by and allowed the wolves to roam freely in this world.

News…who can you believe

Today I read a very timely article on the internet about how Coalition soldiers killed some women and children in Mosul overnight. The article said no known casualties for Coalition, but 11 Iraqis from one family to include women and children were killed. This was in the middle of a raid on a suspected Al Qaida safe house. As I read this I grew frustrated at the words because it made the U.S. look like the monster. I am sure this was part of the strategy of the writer and that is to be expected. But here is the news we got today. “As a team of coalition soldiers conducted a raid on a known Al Qaida house they were engaged with small arms fire. A man wearing a suicide vest detonated himself inside the home as the military entered, killing the family inside, wounding four U.S. soldiers and killing one soldier.” So why is it so hard for the facts to reach the world? I know this war is not popular, but facts are just that… facts! Al Qaida is struggling in the city and their desperate attempts continue to work against them. But when half truths are placed on the world stage, it will make one more zealot from some place want to come and fight the great Satan. The fact is this from history: Insurgencies cannot be won or lost but managed, and at some point all flames of an insurgency will flicker and burn out. That is why this is the “long war”. It takes time to kill an idea. There are a couple reasons why. First, the popular support is eroded to the point that the passive supporter becomes an active opponent. Second, no one wants to continue to die for the cause because it has gotten them nowhere anyway. What I see is this - people know that as long as the insurgents continue to kill Coalition Forces they will never leave, and their continued support of foreign terrorists coming into their land and blowing up a house full of women and children just in hopes of finding “the glory of the afterlife” isn’t worth it. There is good news in this war, and the people most affected by this war want to hear it because hope in the future is better than continued fear of the zealots and the future Al Qaida brings to the table.

Closing in on the end at the speed of light

As our time draws to a close we continue to speed rapidly to the end. I have been on more missions in the last two weeks than the previous month. Some folks have asked what do we do here and what I can say is….a lot! All before we leave we will distribute 500 metric tons of drought resistant wheat seed to over a thousand farmers. We will deliver over 20,000 tons of humanitarian food to the villages hit hardest by the drought. We will pass out over 15,000 school bags to children and move 40 tons of other humanitarian supplies. The delivery of 10,000 tons of animal feed to herdsmen. The planning and preparation has taken less than a month to do and it is all happening within the next three weeks. At the same time we will see the ribbon cutting on two projects that will employ 2000 military age males for up to a year to build roads and water canals costing nearly $22 million. At the same time we will stand up a reconstruction program that will push the revitalization of the city to the next level. All of this, and preparing to leave at the same time. I find it hard to walk away. I remember once hearing a Minister stand in front of his congregation and told them that anything is possible with three things; prayer, equipment and money, but without money you go nowhere. The changes that I have seen over the last 10 months have been because of lots of prayer and tons of equipment, but without money all things stop. As the economy in the U.S. has gotten tighter our law makers have pulled our money for reconstructions and now the Iraqi’s are giving up their money to rebuild the key things. It is amazing what money can do to turn the tide. I will be interested to see what the next twelve months bring. We are moving at lightning speed everyday to get projects up and running, and at some point I will hand it off to the next team and watch it all unfold from the bench. What an exciting time this is to see great things happening and knowing you will see your family soon - which is the greatest thing of all.

Like most things in this war there are gains and there are losses. The gains made in Iraq and in Mosul have been substantial in the months that I have been on the ground. The improvement of security in the Provinces has given way to improved business conditions and economic development. The outside world is taking notice of the gains made and once absent aid groups are now moving in and taking up the reins of humanitarian and reconstruction efforts. The Province has always and will continue to be a fault line in Iraq. It has, by geography, been the crossroads of civilizations for thousands of years. But, it is this rich history of diversity that I have started to see coming through more in the last few months.

Ninewa Province led the nation in voter registration for the upcoming elections and has seen great improvements in “Iraqis in the lead” when it comes to government and security. All of this is stuff that does not make the six o’clock news at home, I am sure. On September 11th I was walking the streets of one of the most contentious areas in the city in support of an Iraqi planned and lead clearing operation. Al Zanjili neighborhood of Mosul has hit the news in the states a few times this last year and it’s usually something bad that had happen. In early February the Iraqi Army had found a house with bomb making material in it. This find was one of the largest in the area and, due to the nature of the explosives, it was decided to blow the house up and not risk the lives of the soldiers by trying to clear it out. The Army moved people out of their homes around the area for safety reasons. Given the assessment of the amount of explosives, they thought everything was good to go and the house was exploded. What they did not know is the Al Qaida operatives had an underground tunnel that stretched under part of the neighborhood which was full of homemade explosives. The resulting explosion leveled a two city block area and killed countless people. Of course this hit the news.

In the months that followed more and more Iraqi Army and police check points were set up and enemy activities in the area declined. During an operation on September 11th, the soldiers were making another attempt to root out some of the last insurgents that had found their way back into the area in the center of Mosul. The day was very productive. A number of reliable tips from local citizens helped close down IED cells and common street thugs, who claimed to be Al Qaida but were more about extorting money from businesses than about ideological view points. Our mission was to follow behind and talk with the local populace. Overall, we had positive feedback and the local citizens expressed a general frustration for the insurgents and the disruption to daily life they bring. They would explain that since the Iraqi Army, with the help of the Americans, started to focus in their area they have seen real improvements. This operation, of course, never made the news outside Iraq. I wrote to a friend and told him that it felt good to see what was going on in Al Zanjili and how being a part of taking it to the Al Qaida insurgents was a unique experience (Tit). But in this world there are always harsh realities and even a weakened enemy only needs to get it right once and all the gains made over months will seem wasted in the eyes of the people. During the month of September Muslims observe Ramadan. This is a month of fasting and reconciliation. During the hours of sun light they will not let anything pass their lips as they fast and focus on Allah. Once the sun goes down they hold the Iftar meal, which breaks the fast for the day, and is a time to spend with family and also a time of reconciliation with those you have had issues with. During this month one of the most popular shows on TV has been a show called “Dinner is on Us” (translated), where a TV crew would buy gifts and all the food for an Iftar meal for a group that was coming together after a long disagreement and planned to reconcile their issues at the meal. So every night on TV people would watch to see the drama unfold and people could see the good outcome of settling long-held disputes. On Saturday as this TV crew was choosing a couple families in Al Zanjili and going out to film the show, they were kidnapped and later the bodies were found in the streets of the neighborhood (Tat). This, of course, is what hit the media around the world. The location they found them was in an area that just a couple days before I had walked through and found families happy and excited to see the Iraqi Army doing their work and helping improve their area. The western media often focuses on what will catch our eyes and make us say “oh man, how terrible”. They pass over the months of positive progress that has been made with the blood, sweat and tears of so many.

In this war Tit for Tat is how the game is played day in and day out. If there is something good done something good will be received in return. If something bad is done then something bad is done in return. The problem is mostly what people hear about is the latter, and that undermines all the good that has been done. Make no bones about it, Al Qaida in Iraq is broken. The people, even the ones in Al Zanjili - the epicenter of war this week - know it, but that word is not getting out. And that is unfortunate. People start to believe what they read. And if all they read is negative, then all they believe is negative……Tit for Tat.

P.S. As I was getting ready to send this out I received an update. The insurgents who committed this barbaric crime against the TV crew to strike fear in the local population of Al Zanjilli and Mosul have been captured by the Iraqi Army and police after receiving tips from the local citizens. But you probably won’t hear that in the news either. New game for the bad guys……Checkmate!

I was thinking about writing about the death of a “suicide donkey” that I read about in the enemy activity report, but decided that most folks (to include those PETA folks) probably would not find the account of this Jihadist donkey as humorous as I did. So instead I thought I would write about some of the interesting folks I have met here in Iraq…..on the FOB. In some folks’ minds I am sure they think the only people on these military outpost are….well, military. That is so far from the case. There is a whole army of civilians that make it all happen. For example, no matter the time of day, as I stroll to the showers in the morning or go and ponder thoughts in the evening, there is always some overly chipper dude from Bangladesh or India wiping something down and smiling as if this is the greatest job on earth- to greet people at the restroom. Now don’t get me wrong, these guys are the best, and I always feel at home in the john that has that pine oil smell that every highly polished Army latrine has. However, I was never that chipper when I had to clean those places as a private. So after repeatedly seeing the same happy dude, you slowly start to ask him how things are going. And before you know it you are now invited to drink chi with him and his buddies. As I was leaving the shower this morning the one guy (name I still cannot pronounce) ran up to me in a panic, as if someone had just stolen the most valuable thing in the world to him, and reported……the chi pot was gone! At that moment I knew the earth had stopped spinning on its axis and, if I ever hoped to go to the latrine and smell the fresh fragrance of pine trees, something had to be done…and fast! I asked as many investigative questions as I could think of. I even inspected the crime scene, and sure enough some heathen had made off with the chi pot. Then as I thought about how I, of all people, was going to solve the mystery of the missing chi pot, it came to me…….I had one in my room I had never used (from the last guy who lived there). So I rushed off and secured the pot (and a spare lock) and returned. (If this was a movie this would be the climatic ending when the crowd goes wild.) As I rounded the corner to the latrines there were a dozen guys standing around listening to my one dude explaining why no chi was ready. When they saw what I had brought, they went nuts (crowd goes wild). Later today, at a whole different latrine, some other smiling dude waved at me and said “hello and thanks for the chi pot.” So I think I can sneak a cup of chi anytime I want now. But, that is just one example of some of the folks I have experienced here.

Another- I was eating my dinner watching the TV in the mess hall when this guy across from me started to talk to me(I think it was a full moon when I met this dude). At first I thought he was commenting about what was on the TV. When he did not stop talking, I decided to stop and figure out what this guy was going on about. As I listened to him he was describing a book he was reading about some guy I have never heard of. He then explained how this guy has inspired him to write a book about his last four years in Iraq. I had to ask what he did. He proceeded to tell me he is a truck driver for KBR and runs supply convoys all over the country. Well, the story did not stop there. He went on for about 30 minutes about his adventures driving truck in Iraq and the cast of characters who roll in these extremely long convoys. He said the title of his book would be “Drive it Like You Stole it,” because that is the way you have to drive in Iraq to stay alive. He described in detail times when his convoy was hit by enemy attacks and how he would see IEDs explode on trucks, but they would just get on the CB and say a few “good buddies” and “back at ya’s” and just keep rolling. I could tell if we were sitting on a dock fishing he would be telling me about the one that got away as well.

But this guy and the dudes that clean the showers and latrines got me thinking about all the support people here that make things happen - everything from the people who work in the mess hall to bring us meals, to the folks who come around and fix the AC in the CHU. For everything you can think of there is a civilian from somewhere working here doing that job. Each one of them has a story, and every one of them is here for a different reason. Sometimes in life we walk by ordinary, everyday folks and we do not give them much thought. But when they are not around our world becomes pretty difficult. When I take my laundry to the guy who smiles and says “good morning, sir!” I get used to clean, folded laundry in 24 hours. When that is changed and a different guy, who does not smile and say hi, takes 36 hours for the same thing, you start to notice the silent, and mostly faceless, people here making it all happen. In America, people hear about the latest bombing or suicide vest and how many soldiers died, but not once can I recall hearing about the civilian contractors who have lost their lives, bringing the services to the soldiers day in and day out. A memorial service was held here a few months back for some of the contractors who died in an IED explosion as they were heading out on vacation. One was a young man who worked in the weight room at Regiment. I never knew his name, but he was always there in the gym cleaning equipment, never speaking but quietly going about his duties. He was on his way back home to get married after he had saved enough money up here. Strange fellows…..in life you cross paths with some strange folks but you also have the blessing of those encounters. You never know how you have touched their lives, and they may never know how they touched yours- but it happens. I have gained a real appreciation for those who bring the simple things to us. It has made the miserable just a little more bearable.

In the middle of a country that faces so many problems there are pockets of extraordinary people who are making a difference and who are willing to help move this country toward a better future. During the many missions and engagements of so many people, I have seen the hope that is in the thoughts and actions of many. As security improves and the government takes more and more control, these extraordinary people start to come to the surface. One opportunity presented itself a few months ago that, with a little injection of support, would grow great things. Women in Iraq have more freedoms than in some Arab countries but there are still traditionalist views of the role of women. And like most places in the world, rural areas tend to be more traditional. When we meet with local leaders or a Sheikh in his home you will never see the women. They are always tucked away in some corner preparing the meal or just out of sight. The only women you see are the educated ones in positions of government. Reaching the women and promoting women’s initiatives has been an ongoing focus of the U.S. During a visit to a community in Ninewa a few months ago we came across a small center for women. This center provided classes to help develop skills for windowed and single women in the area so they could generate an income in the home and be able to support their families. During a very brief visit the director explained her vision of the future and how she would expand programs to reach even more women. She has a waiting list of women in the area to take sewing classes. This is a skill that could be done from home and generate much needed revenue for women. The center had two machines to teach women on. They would hold classes of twelve women and rotate the ladies through the machines during the six week course. This, in our assessment, was not very effective and we decided to help expand this program. With the help of friends and family back home the sewing program started to get its much needed injection of help. The flow of boxes into the headquarters here on FOB Marez was unbelievable. My Supply Sergeant started to dread going to pick up mail knowing ten or more boxes of stuff was coming in almost daily and he had to carry them all in to the office. All told, we received items from people and organizations totaling sixteen large boxes of supplies weighing in at nearly 800 lbs. But this was just half of what was needed so we worked to get $5,000 to purchase more machines and equipment to expand the capability of the program. This money was provided by the State Department. The mission day came to deliver the supplies and see all the new equipment and pay the bill. The mission started very early in the morning loading up the supplies in a trailer and getting the truck ready to roll. We linked up with our escort team from 1/8 Infantry and conducted the patrol brief. To get out to the center we needed to navigate through areas of Mosul that we would have to really stay alert in. Even with the improvements over the summer there still are dangers that are faced everyday in some areas. As we left the city and headed into the rural areas we made it to the town where we would drop the supplies. We had to conduct a couple of other missions prior to the Women’s Center. Once at the center the Director and some of the volunteers were standing outside waiting with big smiles on their faces. We had a quick ribbon cutting ceremony to the room where all the equipment was set up. Months before this room had two machines to teach so many, but this day they have eight new machines. As we sat and had lunch we talked about the expansion of the programs and what would be next. The director has worked hard to reach out to women in the area and give them skills and provide them hope. She is the person who will sow the seeds of hope in this area. She has stood up against the odds and willingly tries to change the lives of some of the neediest people of her community. This mission was to give her the seeds and she will plant them. The second and third order effects we may never fully see, but I know from personal experience that one really determined lady who loves to sew will pass that skill on to the next generation, and along with it the stories of how they learned to sew and who taught them will be passed on. This was a mission that was possible because of so many, and the lives it will touch will be a thousand-fold that number, I am sure. But the story is not over. Because of this project and the programs that are taught, other aid organizations are looking to expand their efforts into that area and use the center as the location to reach out and change even more lives. So, “sewing the seed of hope” I am sure will grow and prosper for a long time to come. Thanks to the all the folks that made this happen.

It is sometimes hard to believe that we are at the end of August and the end of our seventh month here. At the same time, I have been busy writing reports, evaluations and awards in preparation of our future departure, which is also hard to believe. In typical Army fashion we have to prepare months in advance for what should be a very simple task. But the task of flying home is the simple part. Getting on a plane and flying back to the US will be a welcome event. But the preparation to leave will not be as simple. There are always logistical issues and transition plans for the next team that we have to plan out. A bigger deal is the preparation of the soldiers to go from this environment back to the one awaiting them at home. This is one of the most important missions we have to do to ensure we return our soldiers back to families and friends ready to integrate back into life at home. So over the next couple months we have classes and briefing s to help them prepare for the transition. In an e-mail recently with a friend we traded thoughts about seeing different areas of the world and life experiences and how that affects a person. As I look back over the past few months here, which I have had to do to write my transition report, I have thought a lot about how this experience has changed me. There is really no way to put in words the feelings that you feel when you think about everything. More questions than anything. As I ran today I thought about this and came away thinking this is why soldiers from every war really only talked about what happen in the company of others who shared in it. So as we draw close to our transition I have to look at helping the soldiers and myself walk away and be able to put all this in perspective. I know that this time I will look at the world and people through very different lenses than I did when I returned from war over 18 years ago. There is now a new generation of soldiers in our country that has seen the worst of man and will walk through the rest of their lives with that image tattooed on their very soul. How a person puts it all in perspective is based on a few things, I think. First, their faith. This is the bedrock of a person’s soul and is the foundation on which everything else is built. Second, a person’s connection to his fellow soldiers. This is the support group that can bring an ear of understanding to the conversation. Third, the family and friends that, hopefully, will unconditionally accept the soldier back into the fold of life at home. Last is the person’s ability to have an open mind to let past things go and grow stronger because of them. I think often of my Father and how he lived his life after World War II. I think he taught me the last point the most. In his life he had trials and turbulent times but he always seemed to weather through them in stride. I think it is because of the perspective he gained as a young man coming home from war. I know he had some of the same thoughts I have now as well as when I returned from the last war. He helped me then to put it all in perspective and I did not even see or do a fraction of what I have this time. But the lessons are in my soul and not forgotten. So I guess, leaving here is not just as simple as flying home. It is much more complicated and will take a little planning so we are ready.

One of the many things that I have had a chance to see while here has been a Monastery located right here on our FOB. Dair Mar Elia Monastery, or just Saint Elijah, was founded sometime prior to 595 A.D. by Mar Elia, a Chaldean/Assyrian Catholic. The site remained active until sometime in the 17th century when Armies under the Persian ruler Tahmaz Nadir Shah attempted to convert the monks to Islam, and when that failed he slaughtered dozens of monks and looted the site. Nestled in a valley with a small creek and rolling hills around it, you can quickly understand why this place was chosen as the site to build Iraq’s oldest known Monastery. During the Crusades the Monastery was a safe house for travelling Crusaders. The halls are extremely thick and it is believed that the bones of the monks where buried in the walls and in underground tunnels. As you walk over the site you can see evidences of the life that once was. Everywhere you look there are pieces of pottery, some having designs on them. You can also see the scars of war. The east wall of the Chapel is pushed in and a chunk of the ceiling lies on the floor. This was from a Tow Missile fired at a tank parked opposite of the wall in 2003. On the second level, shrapnel is everywhere and even a fuse from a mortar round imbedded in the wall. But the site is still an amazing place to visit. I went with an archeologist friend, a professor who works on the FOB who could tell me all the details about the site. As the sun started to set you could just imagine what a peaceful place this once was. A place to think and worship. This is a true treasure and it was a treat to be able to see it up close.

In life there are times when people will say that something smells good or bad. There are smells that will bring back memories from happier times. The smell of popcorn at the theater invokes thought of settling into a good movie, and every time people smell popcorn their mind drifts back to that time of enjoyment. There are smells that bring back bad memories as well. The smells of road kill on a hot summer day… of a skunk in the fall. Smells that quickly remind us of things we have experienced in our life are all around us. There is a smell about Iraq that is hard to explain. It is a smell that will not quickly fade into my memory. When you are walking the streets in the market there is a smell of cooking meat and fresh produce. But in the underlying odors is a smell of dirt and sewer. In the heat of the summer the smells emit a sense of roughness and struggle. There are not many smells that would be placed in the pleasant category. Across from where we live the city has found it necessary to dump the garbage of Mosul, and then in the evenings burn it. The smell is indescribable. The best I could come to explaining it is a mix of dirty socks, burnt food, and a grease trap at a fast food place. The smoke usually drifts over the area where we live and for a few hours we have to deal with the smell. This is a smell that, whenever I smell it again, I know will bring me back here, to Iraq. I am sure that the memories will be of the struggles of the people I have met day in and day out. I will think about how people, with so little, still got up every day and had to live in this environment. The only thing that keeps them going is the hope that tomorrow will be better. One night my Iraqi interpreter and I sat and talked about the changes in Iraq and what the future would be like. He told me that every generation says that things are bad but maybe it will be better the next generation. The hope is that the next generation will be able to get it right and this will be a better place. Will the seeds of hope planted now by so many take root and really change the future of this country? Will there be a time when the smells invoke a memory of peace and prosperity? Time will tell, but until then the smells that are locked in my mind will only take me back to this time, a time when hope for the next generation is on everyone’s mind.

One of the very small parts of our mission here is to do direct distribution of supplies to the people on the streets. Civil Affairs has a reputation of being the soccer ball people of the skittle patrol. This all stems back to the early days of the war when quick, low cost, high impact projects were needed to get the civilians to trust us. As things matured here we have shied away from the skittle patrols and soccer ball people. However, every once in a while we still do the direct hand out stuff. Thanks to the generosity of people back home we did one of those feel good kind of missions. War has caused many people to move from their homes and relocate to other areas. At a small camp of displaced people we brought a little joy to kids who really only have the clothes on their backs. Armed with bags loaded full of school supplies, children’s toys, shoes and hygiene items a group of American Military, with the help of local Iraqi Army, converged on the small camp. The patrol of gun trucks sweeping in and circling the camp, taking up positions to develop a secure perimeter, was enough to scare any unsuspecting person. However, at this camp the people waved as they saw the trucks pull in. Inside the perimeter two trucks pulled in and stopped. After the dust settled slowly, the doors of the trucks opened and out emerged heavily armed men. The children flocked to the two trucks in the middle and surrounded them, making it almost impossible to get out. Once the Iraqi Army soldiers reached the two center trucks they started to bark orders and quickly the young children lined up in traditional Iraqi fashion- boys first, girls last. Not knowing what was next, the kids asked questions and were very excited. The soldiers waited until the elders had come out to talk, then the back hatches of the trucks were opened and two soldiers, one in each truck, started to hand down bags of school supplies and toys. The Iraqi Army officer in charge would call one child up and hand them a bag, and then the next. In the most orderly fashion I have seen, they quickly passed out everything in the trucks. The children of all ages would run to their mother or father and show them what they had gotten. Before we knew it they began to trade and barter stuff with each other. As this went on the older folks stood and talked to the soldiers and explained the issues they were having and what they needed, knowing that no matter how many trucks of supplies we brought they would still need more. At the end of the day the little we gave out did make them feel good. It made our mission feel good. However, the bigger issues that we focus on are going to be the efforts that will bring about changes that will make the “feel good” missions a thing of the past. These are still good missions, and I think we will always do them to some level, but I am glad that we are doing bigger things that will bring real change. Thanks to everyone who has ever sent over supplies. It has made a difference in the live s of these kids who have so little.