Original post date:
Sunday, July 15, 2007
I really don't know how to start this post. A lot has happened since the beginning of the month. I basically caught in the planning stages a mother trying to pimp out her twelve year old daughter to some guy in a back alley. It was pretty late in the day and I was patrolling behind the Iraqi Police station. There was not much I could do because it was an Iraqi matter and also I couldn't really prove it. However, the was pretty nervous and scared when we started to question him. When we allowed him to leave, he didn't waste anytime leaving. The mother's house has at least six children in it. I don't know if they are all hers or some are her daughters. The mother used to be a prostitute until she got up in age and now she teaches it to her daughter. It is like horrible cycle, the blind leading the blind. Well at least I stop it this time..
We had over 40 mortars hit the IZ, killing 3 and injuring over 12 in one day. This week we had more rocket attacks that have took 4 more lives. One was an Iraqi while he was praying. I didn't have to respond to that one, however the patrol that did respond said the body was still in the kneeling position. I was lucking I only had to deal with minor injuries.
There are a lot of numbers my chain of command relays to me and my comrades. How many rockets the insurgents got in their latest shipment; How many insurgents were killed in the last raid the army conducted; How many mortars and rockets hit the IZ to date (215), How many people have been killed in the IZ (30), How many injured (over 40).
I like this one..47...how many days I should have left here.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
June
Original post date:
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Well a lot has happened since the last time I wrote a blog. We had an IDF attack about a little over a week ago that basically shook two of the airman up better bad. I was one of the first responders to it. I was getting the cordon and securing the scene when we heard the whistle of more IDF's coming in to our location. They started to hit all around us. The two airman live pretty close to where this happened. I guess when it hits this close to home, you start to realize the severity of the situation. Being here and dealing with these situations affects me, but these two airman need to realize that they have a job to do and sometimes that job puts them in harms way. I am worried that if I am posted with them, they might be more of a burden than a help.
I offended one the of interpreters. I was only joking with her. She wanted to smoke and we needed to get get back to work. I said I was losing control of my "terp" (is what our nick name is for the interpreters). I only said it a couple of times and I really didn't mean anything by it. When I was dropping her off, she exploded and basically said I didn't control her and she never wanted to talk to me again. Personally, I feel that what I said wasn't half as bad as what other people say in front of the interpreters and I think she over reacted. Now, she basically ignores me and I do the same. When I am posted with her, I only talk about business and what tasks are at hand. I considered her as a friend and this situation bothers me. However, I have bigger things to worry about here and I need to keep my focus on my job.
June was one of the busiest months here and it taken a toll on my coworkers. Even the interpreters stopped calling this the "Green Zone," because with over 20 people dead and many more wounded, this is hardly safe place anymore.
Luckily we only have about two more months before we leave. Two more months of escort violations, weapons seizures, rockets, injuries, and deaths. Two more months of dealing with some of these people.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Well a lot has happened since the last time I wrote a blog. We had an IDF attack about a little over a week ago that basically shook two of the airman up better bad. I was one of the first responders to it. I was getting the cordon and securing the scene when we heard the whistle of more IDF's coming in to our location. They started to hit all around us. The two airman live pretty close to where this happened. I guess when it hits this close to home, you start to realize the severity of the situation. Being here and dealing with these situations affects me, but these two airman need to realize that they have a job to do and sometimes that job puts them in harms way. I am worried that if I am posted with them, they might be more of a burden than a help.
I offended one the of interpreters. I was only joking with her. She wanted to smoke and we needed to get get back to work. I said I was losing control of my "terp" (is what our nick name is for the interpreters). I only said it a couple of times and I really didn't mean anything by it. When I was dropping her off, she exploded and basically said I didn't control her and she never wanted to talk to me again. Personally, I feel that what I said wasn't half as bad as what other people say in front of the interpreters and I think she over reacted. Now, she basically ignores me and I do the same. When I am posted with her, I only talk about business and what tasks are at hand. I considered her as a friend and this situation bothers me. However, I have bigger things to worry about here and I need to keep my focus on my job.
June was one of the busiest months here and it taken a toll on my coworkers. Even the interpreters stopped calling this the "Green Zone," because with over 20 people dead and many more wounded, this is hardly safe place anymore.
Luckily we only have about two more months before we leave. Two more months of escort violations, weapons seizures, rockets, injuries, and deaths. Two more months of dealing with some of these people.
17
Original post date:
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Today, the IZ got hit with indirect fire three separate times with a total of 17 rockets. It started out pretty slow. Baghdad has been on a curfew every since Al Qaeda blew up a Shite Mosque. So traffic was non-existent and nobody was walking around. However, around 1500hrs we had about six rockets hit. We responded to one that cause a fire, we contained it the best we could with our fire extinguishers. My patrol was ordered to stay and wait for EOD. At 1530hrs, we got hit by 5 more rockets, which two of them hit adjacent to us and one hit within 300 meters. We jump in the vehicle to drive to better cover. I know that this was going to happen sooner or later. When the insurgents would try to target the responding forces to rocket attack with another volley to hit the same spots the first volley hit. We got our vehicle stuck in a mud hole and took cover in an abandoned building.
Then another 6 rockets the IZ. We jumped into our vehicle and I had to respond to a part of the International Zone that is recognized as the "Yellow" zone. Which means the security there is almost as bad as being in the rest of Baghdad. I only had my Alpha and my interpreter. I tighten the security around my patrol and briefed what we would do in event of an attack on us. There is a price on soldiers head of over 40,000 dollars if captured alive. I ask my interpreter if he can fire pistol. If it came down to it it wouldn't have been only the three of us.
Today my fellow security forces members witnessed probably the worse barrage of indirect fire into the IZ to date, with chaos, death, and destruction. We have past my last deployment in number of IDF attacks. I hope somehow all this we are going through will amount to something.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Today, the IZ got hit with indirect fire three separate times with a total of 17 rockets. It started out pretty slow. Baghdad has been on a curfew every since Al Qaeda blew up a Shite Mosque. So traffic was non-existent and nobody was walking around. However, around 1500hrs we had about six rockets hit. We responded to one that cause a fire, we contained it the best we could with our fire extinguishers. My patrol was ordered to stay and wait for EOD. At 1530hrs, we got hit by 5 more rockets, which two of them hit adjacent to us and one hit within 300 meters. We jump in the vehicle to drive to better cover. I know that this was going to happen sooner or later. When the insurgents would try to target the responding forces to rocket attack with another volley to hit the same spots the first volley hit. We got our vehicle stuck in a mud hole and took cover in an abandoned building.
Then another 6 rockets the IZ. We jumped into our vehicle and I had to respond to a part of the International Zone that is recognized as the "Yellow" zone. Which means the security there is almost as bad as being in the rest of Baghdad. I only had my Alpha and my interpreter. I tighten the security around my patrol and briefed what we would do in event of an attack on us. There is a price on soldiers head of over 40,000 dollars if captured alive. I ask my interpreter if he can fire pistol. If it came down to it it wouldn't have been only the three of us.
Today my fellow security forces members witnessed probably the worse barrage of indirect fire into the IZ to date, with chaos, death, and destruction. We have past my last deployment in number of IDF attacks. I hope somehow all this we are going through will amount to something.
Practis
Original post date:
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Today I responded to a escort violation with about 23 people. They were part of a Personal Security Detail for a company called Practis located Kirkuk, Iraq. They weren't authorized to be in the IZ and found an abandon house to set up camp. It shows how much the IZ is secure when a group of armed individuals could go through a military checkpoint full of weapons without proper ID. Nobody heard of their company and they couldn't provide the current authorization letter or even a current ID to show they were authorize to be in Iraq. The situation turned into a weapons seizure with over 30 weapons.
I was in charge going through to clear the house and then to provide security over the 23 individuals. I knew from the start they were going to probably be escorted out of the IZ. However, finding out they were Kurdish and if they were kicked out into Baghdad it might mean certain death. Once they were told they were going to be kicked out without their weapons, there was almost a riot. We took order and luckily one of their supervisor's calm them down. They were going to have to go out into Baghdad on foot without their vehicles. However their boss, which was a US citizen, waved the right for to stay at the embassy. He volunteered to escort the Kurds back to Kirkuk, without weapons.
So there I stood watching the Kurds cry and say goodbye to other boss, basically feeling that they would be killed on their way back home. Before all this, I was talking to some of them and they were telling me about their families in Kirkuk, and other personal things. I had to keep my distance from my personal feelings and remember my duty to uphold the law. I can still see one of them staring at me with such hatred that only minutes before offered me a cigarette and told me how he enjoyed working for the Marines years ago.
Luckily our commander allowed them to take some of their weapons for their convoy back to Kirkuk. I put the blame on their supervisor that got them into the IZ and didn't follow proper protocol and put his men lives on the line. The worst part of it all was he wasn't the one that left with them. He choose to go to the embassy to be expelled from Iraq. The victims were the Kurds that worked for this company that did not even exist. I will be praying tonight they made it back to their families. Sometimes I feel that I can't be in Law Enforcement, civilian or military, anymore. I just want to be home with my dogs and wife, away from this country. 3 1/2 more months.........
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Today I responded to a escort violation with about 23 people. They were part of a Personal Security Detail for a company called Practis located Kirkuk, Iraq. They weren't authorized to be in the IZ and found an abandon house to set up camp. It shows how much the IZ is secure when a group of armed individuals could go through a military checkpoint full of weapons without proper ID. Nobody heard of their company and they couldn't provide the current authorization letter or even a current ID to show they were authorize to be in Iraq. The situation turned into a weapons seizure with over 30 weapons.
I was in charge going through to clear the house and then to provide security over the 23 individuals. I knew from the start they were going to probably be escorted out of the IZ. However, finding out they were Kurdish and if they were kicked out into Baghdad it might mean certain death. Once they were told they were going to be kicked out without their weapons, there was almost a riot. We took order and luckily one of their supervisor's calm them down. They were going to have to go out into Baghdad on foot without their vehicles. However their boss, which was a US citizen, waved the right for to stay at the embassy. He volunteered to escort the Kurds back to Kirkuk, without weapons.
So there I stood watching the Kurds cry and say goodbye to other boss, basically feeling that they would be killed on their way back home. Before all this, I was talking to some of them and they were telling me about their families in Kirkuk, and other personal things. I had to keep my distance from my personal feelings and remember my duty to uphold the law. I can still see one of them staring at me with such hatred that only minutes before offered me a cigarette and told me how he enjoyed working for the Marines years ago.
Luckily our commander allowed them to take some of their weapons for their convoy back to Kirkuk. I put the blame on their supervisor that got them into the IZ and didn't follow proper protocol and put his men lives on the line. The worst part of it all was he wasn't the one that left with them. He choose to go to the embassy to be expelled from Iraq. The victims were the Kurds that worked for this company that did not even exist. I will be praying tonight they made it back to their families. Sometimes I feel that I can't be in Law Enforcement, civilian or military, anymore. I just want to be home with my dogs and wife, away from this country. 3 1/2 more months.........
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Day at the beach.
Original post date:
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Today was my day off and was the first quiet day in awhile. It was good to relax for a complete day and not hear the incoming alarm for rockets or explosions. Yesterday a few rockets hit adjacent to my trailer, when I was on the phone with my Mom. She called when she was sitting on the beach outside her apartment. Right during the middle of IDF attack, my mother (not knowing what was going on) asked if I wanted to hear the waves crashing. It gave me a little bit of home when I really needed it.
I really don't know if having a phone that my family can call is a good idea. I don't know if they ever hear the explosions or alarms, but I know they probably noticed my pause and something is not right. I normally tried to give a reason to get off the phone without worrying them.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Today was my day off and was the first quiet day in awhile. It was good to relax for a complete day and not hear the incoming alarm for rockets or explosions. Yesterday a few rockets hit adjacent to my trailer, when I was on the phone with my Mom. She called when she was sitting on the beach outside her apartment. Right during the middle of IDF attack, my mother (not knowing what was going on) asked if I wanted to hear the waves crashing. It gave me a little bit of home when I really needed it.
I really don't know if having a phone that my family can call is a good idea. I don't know if they ever hear the explosions or alarms, but I know they probably noticed my pause and something is not right. I normally tried to give a reason to get off the phone without worrying them.
Another day, another round of mortars
I really do not know how to write about today. The day started out pretty slow. I was Police 5 and my only major responsibility is to conduct Checkpoints at random locations throughout the IZ. We detained an Iraqi for not being properly escorted. While we were waiting for his supervisor to come, I noticed a young man about my age walking down the road wearing a T-shirt that said SADR CITY. I really didn't think about it until around 1600hrs when the insurgents launched over 10 mortars at densely populated area. The unfortunate part is my patrol was driving in area at the time. One mortar hit about 50 meters behind us. After the first 3 to 4 of them, my first reaction was to try to look for the impact sites and see if their was any injured. When the mortars kept hitting around us, we drove out of the area to wait for the IDF to stop. At that point it was a matter of officer safety. It felt like explosions would never stop. I have to give it to my alphas Collins and Young.
We did a great job after we took a few breaths and calmed ourselves down. After lighting up a cigarette the first thing I thought of was that man wearing that dam T-shirt and how anyone can support a name like that in this country when Sadr causing more death and destruction than the US ever did over here.
With all the mortars only 2 people died and few people were injured. I was surprised with that number. Our unit did great providing care and comfort to the people and getting the information up to the Tactical Operations Center.
We did a great job after we took a few breaths and calmed ourselves down. After lighting up a cigarette the first thing I thought of was that man wearing that dam T-shirt and how anyone can support a name like that in this country when Sadr causing more death and destruction than the US ever did over here.
With all the mortars only 2 people died and few people were injured. I was surprised with that number. Our unit did great providing care and comfort to the people and getting the information up to the Tactical Operations Center.
Proxy War
The US needs to call this war in Iraq what is really is over here. A war with Iran and the front-lines with Al Qaeda. The main setback for us here is the Iraqi government themselves and mainly their Prime Minister Malki. Malki is more of an ally to Iran than the US. He issued an order recently for the US to leave Sadr City alone. Sadr City is the main stronghold of Shia Militias funded by Iran. The US needs to tell Malki to pick a side and if he picks Iran, he is our enemy. Then the US needs to take out Malki. I haven't talk to one Iraqi that supports Malki and most of them say he was only elected because Iran influenced the vote.
If I don't come back from here, it is because of the violence Iran and Al Qaeda are causing.
If I don't come back from here, it is because of the violence Iran and Al Qaeda are causing.
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