Post Politics
I returned to FOB Kalsu only to find my company embroiled in the latest political dispute on the FOB. Here are the details: every FOB is run by the "Mayor's Cell". Usually, most FOBs only have 1 unit on them and this is not an issue. However, our FOB has a few units and the Mayor suddenly becomes way too powerful. The Mayor is basicall in charge of daily operations on the FOB (billeting, local regulations, operations and maintenance, local labor, construction, etc.). On our FOB, this has been delegated to the Infantry Battalion Command Sergeant Major. Needless to say, the potential for misconduct and inappropriate relationships is very high in this position. Since arriving, my contracting guys have taken over many of his old duties and diverted old lucrative contracts away from his "favorite" vendors to those who were properly vetted through the bidding process. Ever since, he has had a vendetta against us.
Anyway, we have been in the process of improving our living conditions since we arrived here. Living in transient tents next to the Iraqi interpreters (some of whom are insurgent sympathisers) with sub-standard shower and toilet facilities was not my ideal situation. Therefore, we contracted to have several trailers custom made and delivered. Those were due this week, but the CSM didn't like the fact that our soldiers would have trailers, our own plot of land (which they originally agreed to), and latrines in the trailers. So he started messing with the support elements needed for our project. He is changing the plan and forcing us to move locations after we already prepared the ground.
It is a pain to deal with this man, but I will let him think he won the battle so I can win the war. As long as my trailers get delivered, set, and we get our own area, I don't care what else happens. Round 2 is set for tomorrow to negotiate for my company and our needs.

Baghdad Trip
I just returned from a trip to Baghdad where I was called to attend a Commander's Conference with the rest of the Civil Affairs Commanders. I was told to report on the 6th to attend a 2 day conference for the Corps and then a 322nd CA BDE 1 day meeting on Friday. Thankfully my flight was cancelled on Tuesday and I didn't get there until Wednesday afternoon. Because I missed most of the first day, I was told that I really didn't need to go to the last day and to just attend the 322 meeting.
Except for getting to spend a lot of time with SFC Kela, it was pretty much a waste of time and was very depressing. I really wanted to be back with my company and not lounging around the BDE guys. While my guys were worrying about IEDs and potential enemy threats, these guys up in Baghdad were worrying about going to the pool, who was going to show up at salsa night at the club, and who had a newer SUV to drive around. It was disgusting actually and I needed to get out of there as soon as possible. I hope I don't have to go back there anytime soon (never would suit me just fine).

Another IED

Recent enemy activity is dramatically increasing in my AO. Yesterday, we had another 4 IED attacks, 2 of which were targeting one of my teams as they were supervising water distribution projects. My team was traveling down a canal road with 4 vehicles (2 of mine and 2 from a security detachment). The IED destroyed one of the security vehicles (pictured above). Incredibly, nobody was injured from the blast. After securing the site and searching the vicinity, they recovered the vehicle and were in the process of towing it out when the group was hit by another IED causing minimal damage to another vehicle.
I am hesitant to tell this story because I do not want to sound like the doom and gloom news media that only reports the enemy's "victories". However, it serves notice that the area that my company is operating is increasingly dangerous and that the insurgents are definitely stepping up their activities ahead of the looming elections. I think that they know we are making progress with the local Iraqi security forces and every day brings us closer to a free and democratic Iraq. The terrorists are trying everything they can to stop this process and throw Iraq into chaos, which they hope to emerge as the power broker. The good news is that the common Iraqi (Sunni and Shi'a alike) are getting tired of all of this. Even when the terrorists do not target innocent civilians (which they often do), their attacks bring reprisals to the local community through direct combat action/raids and decrease civil affairs projects. Our projects not only improve the local communities, but also provide much needed jobs in an area with huge unemployment problems. When we stop building (due to security concerns), everyone suffers.
I am still optimistic that we will be successful, but it is still a long and hard road. Unfortunately, our focus is starting to shift from doing our job to keeping each other safe. It is a tough balancing act and it is something that I struggle with every day. Obviously, I will keep everyone safe if we stay within the FOB, but we will not complete our mission. We must take risks and it is my job and the job of my team leaders to minimize those risks as much as possible. One thing is certain - there is never a dull moment around here.

MAJ Greg Fester

During the past week, I have had to do something that every wartime commander hates to even contemplate. I had to deal with the loss of a soldier under my command. On the morning of 30 August 2005 on a remote road northwest of FOB Iskandariyah, MAJ Greg Fester lost his life when he and his Iraqi interpreter were killed by an IED. He was conducting a dismounted assessment for a road repair project that would greatly enhance the Coalition Forces' ability to maneuver in the area and also bring economic benefit to the local population. The IED was completely buried under the pavement and there was no way that anyone could have detected it's presence. MAJ Fester was killed instantly. His team sergeant (SSG Conway) was about 10 feet away in the gun turret of his Humvee and his driver (SGT Santos) was leaning into the vehicle when the IED detonated. Both were unhurt. In the ensuing firefight, the patrol killed one terrorist and captured three others, sustaining no further casulties.
I have spent the last week at FOB Iskandariyah trying to keep the teams together and motivated to continue their mission. The memorial service was yesterday (Saturday). I have attached his picture that was printed in the program above his biography. While it was very emotional for all involved, it was such a huge relief to pay our final respects to this outstanding husband, father, and officer. In the short time that I knew him, I got to know him very well. We had so much in common that it was almost like we were brothers. He was an exceptional leader and he made a huge impact with the 1/155th IN BN for whom he worked. The attendance at his memorial service was incredible. We held it in the building that houses the BN TOC and it was filled to capacity (over 200 people). There were few dry eyes at the conclusion of the ceremony, but we all left with a firm resolve to honor his sacrifice with a renewed determination to do our best and complete our mission.
Greg left behind a wife, two daughters (16 and 13) and a son (6). If you were ever lucky enough to speak to Greg, you would immediately be impressed with his deep faith, immense love and pride for his family, and his dedication to his soldiers. We will all miss him and pray for his family. God speed.

Faith
There are not much opportunities for me to go to church over here. There are lay Catholic services every Sunday morning and once in awhile, we will have a priest scheduled to come. However, due to travel difficulties, he is often delayed or cancelled. Actually, the days of the week have little meaning for us here. When I do remember that it is Sunday, it is usually too late to go or I have missions to go on that prevent me from attending. I have been to one mass since coming to Iraq. It was in FOB Iskandariyah and I was so excited that the priest was there during my stay. The turnout was small (about 6 guys), but it was very rewarding.
As I look around, I think most people here get closer to God despite the lack of church attendance. I guess the old adage is true "there are no atheists in a foxhole"! In the mess hall, I always see people praying before eating. Prior to going out on convoys, soldiers will often gather in a circle to say a prayer for guidance and protection. And every night, before we start our BUB (Battle Update Brief), the Chaplain starts off with a Bible passage and a prayer. I have to say that it has been a long time since I have felt this close to God!
I remember one night that I spent out at FOB Dogwood (really out in the middle of nowhere) where the sky was crystal clear just after the sun set. I was walking up to the Command Post and I had to stop and admire the beautiful array of evening colors. Out in the middle of the harsh desert, surrounded by thousands of angry Sunni Iraqis who would like nothing more than to kill us, it was so peaceful at that moment. It was a wonderful mixture of feeling so alive, consumed by the thrill of being in combat, yet totally at peace with the world. I had to stop and admire the beautiful evening sky and bask in the glow of God's grace, knowing that everything was alright and that I am here for a purpose. It is difficult to describe, but in that moment (and numerous other ones just like it), I have become closer to God by being here in Iraq.

Recent Trip

Sorry that I have not posted anything lately - I have been busy traveling with my other two teams at FOB Iskandariyah. Although I like to pretend that it is hard to email from there, I could have written a short entry despite the slow internet connection speed. That was my intent before I went there. Upon arriving, I determined that the guys at Iskandariyah do not like my visits so they set out to make me as miserable as possible! I was completely exhausted from the trip. I went on an all day mission with Team 2 to accompany an infantry platoon as they went on patrol through some small villages (lasting 6 hours during the heat of the day). The next day I again went with Team 2 to check on the satatus of some of their water pumping projects (this time for only about 3 hours). There was one pump that they never visited before so they wanted to use my Ranger skills to find it. We ended up driving close and walking across some canals for the rest of the 500m. After we returned around 11:00, I went out with Team 1 to deliver some new computers to the local police, check the status of a road repair project, and assess a gas station for security improvements. During this trip, I was the gunner in one of their vehicles, exposed to the sun all afternoon again. It was grueling - both days were over 140 degrees in the sun.
Anyway, I am back at FOB Kalsu now and it is good to be home. I can't wait to sleep in my own bed (they made me sleep on a plain cot at Iskandariyah!). I know that the teams actually like for me to visit them and I joke with them about their treatment of me. All in all, it was a great trip and we accomplished a lot in the few days that I was with them. The picture above is from the first day. Here I am discussing CA tactics and team security with the infantry platoon sergeant.

Comments
I am overwhelmed and touched by the number of people who read my postings on this site and I am very humbled when I read your comments back to me. Thank you so much for taking the time to write - it means so much to me when I hear from you. I know how busy our lives can become and it is touching to me to know that I have such dear family and friends who take a few minutes out of their hectic day to read about my experiences and offer some words of encouragement. Therefore, I would like to say thanks to some people.
Family: I am impressed that Paige's grandfather, Abe, is surfing the net at age 80 something (don't worry Papa - I won't reveal your true age!). Maile and Tutu, thanks for your great comments - I really appreciate it! I have also heard from Ted (whom I barely know, but he asks some great questions). Cindy, Angie, Carol, and Pono - I miss you all. Mom - thanks for all of your letters, packages, and support!
West Point Buddies: Some of these guys I haven't seen in 14+ years - I am truly amazed that they remember me. COL Gould (my old TAC), Sandy Sparks ('89), and Joel Roberts ('90), from C-2 - thanks for everything guys! Also from C-2 ('91) are my extended family like Tony Benitez and Scott Feight (old roommates if mine) and Gabe Sylvia - I hope to see you guys at next year's reunion! All of my Team Handball buddies (Coach Thome, Duke, Reeser, Steve Smith, JT, and Rhett) - hopefully I can make one last Nationals before I am older than the Garden City dudes that I despise!
Friends: Joan you keep me smiling - thanks! Cheryl and Sarah are friends of my mother's that are becoming very dear to me. Thanks for your packages and constant words of encouragement. Vandy - for a Navy guy you are still alright! Meghan at USSC - thanks for your interest in my work and constant support for my family. That means more to me than you will ever know.
Finally, thanks to everyone for the tremendous support and love that you have shown for Paige and the girls. I am so proud of them and the strength they have shown through this whole deployment thus far. I know that your support to her has been a huge help. Pua - I love you and thanks for keeping our family together while I am gone. I will owe you big time when I get home!

IED Attack
I wanted to quickly post an entry onto this blog site to provide some information to everyone in order to counter any misinformation and allay any fears.
During a mission yesterday (Aug 17) in the early morning, I was leading a convoy in the vicinity of Baghdad when we struck an IED on a major highway. I was the third vehicle in the convoy, traveling in an uparmored LMTV (the big truck in the picture) with CPT Melissa Turner and SPC Michael Hobbs. I was manning the machine gun in the turret on top. The only vehicle that was struck was the LMTV (we were adequately dispersed on the road). We had just passed under an overpass when the IED detonated. The blast shredded all tires on the left side of the vehicle and trailer, damaged the front axle, damaged the front windshield, and caused other minor vehicle damage. All three of us are fine and aside from some minor hearing damage and headaches, we are unscathed.

Here is what happened from my perspective. We were nearing Baghdad in the early morning hours. I was providing security in the convoy from the left side of my vehicle (thus, my turret armor was facing the left side). I had a low profile in the turret (as per SOP) to minimize my exposure outside of the vehicle. I was also wearing eye protection. As we traveled under the overpass, a huge explosion rocked the vehicle. I felt the percussion before I really saw anything. What I did see was a huge fireball before I was momentarily blinded. My ears felt like they exploded and later had to check to ensure that they were not bleeding (they were not). I

immediately ducked back into the cab and within seconds, re-emerged to scan the area for insurgents. I was still somewhat blinded and the only personnel that I could identify were on the overpass. As I was looking into the sun, I couldn't determine immediately if they posed a threat so I did not engage the targets (it later turned out that they were Iraqi Army soldiers manning a checkpoint). At that time, I felt blood dripping down my face and knew that I had been hit by something. I told SPC Hobbs to drive out as fast as possible to get out of the kill zone. We were able to drive a few hundred meters and set up security and assess the damage.

As I mentioned, the truck was incapacitated and we had to tow it to a nearby FOB. Aside from the injuries reported above, I received minor cuts to my face, probably from flying debris, not shrapnel (I did have some small rocks embedded into my nose). It sounds worse than it really was. My entire company was present and everyone reacted just as we have trained. I was very proud of the whole group. Also, I am now convinced that our equipment is really top-notch. The armor is thick and the vehicles can sustain a lot of damage and still move to get us out of trouble. We probably owe our lives to our equipment and training. As I told SPC Hobbs - it will take a lot more than that for the insurgents to get us!

Project Updates

This picture was taken in a small town called Diyarah, just NE of our FOB. It is a very small farming community that has seen a lot of violence in the past few years. Most of the people in the town want to live peaceful lives, get our assistance, and try to root out the bad elements. I am talking through an interpreter to a local farmer about their problems. It seems, they are one of the last stops of an irrigation system that feeds many areas from the Tigris River. Unfortunately, by the time the water gets down to them (if the pumps are working and the electricity is on), there is only a trickle. We have several proposals in the works to try to pipe in water from the Euphrates and tie it in to a new network that we are building to the west. If successful, the town of about 4,000 should have good drinking water.
We are also furbishing a local hospital with two new generators to provide consistent, reliable power. They will be 250kv each and should be more than enough to meet their needs. It is interesting right now managing our projects. It is getting near the end of the fiscal year, so we are constantly hearing of new money that our higher HQ couldn't use that they "may" give us (there is nothing yet). The problem is that it will all have to be committed by Sep 30 and we will then have to jump through hoops to get the projects identified, scopes of work done, contractor bidding complete, award the contract, etc. Also, our predecessors did not keep any records. When we assumed their partially completed projects, we had contractors approach us looking to get paid and we didn't even have a contract! We are still sorting through all of that mess until we close out all of the old projects.
The unfortunate thing is that as commander, it is not my job to go out and manage these projects. I have CAT-A teams and contracting experts to do that. I just have to coordinate their activities and manage the personnel. I do get to go out several times a week and ride along with them to give them help, expertise, and advice. Those are the days that I really enjoy - getting out into the field with my soldiers. I will usually get out 3-4 days per week and I have gotten to FOB Iskandariyah about twice per month now with my 2 teams there. It is nice over there - when I am done in the field, I do not have to go back to the office to do any paperwork. It is a mini-vacation for me to spend with my teams at Iskandariyah!

Books

I am happy to report that I recently finished my first book since coming to Iraq. I just read "The Da Vinci Code", given to me by the 155th BCT Battle Captain. It has been slow going because it is hard to find consistent blocks of time to read. It wasn't until I took it on my trip to FOB Dogwood in the middle of the desert that I got hooked. When I returned, I started taking my book to meetings and reading a little bit each day. Last night, I couldn't put it down and finished sometime after midnight. With our busy schedule here, I will be surprised if I read too many more books (unfortunately).
The weather has gotten much better lately. Despite the extremely hot days (120 degrees), we have had clear skies and a modest breeze. We ran a firing range the other day and were blessed with a picture perfect sunset that I attached above. Just a few more months and it will start to turn cooler (I heard it gets pretty cold in the winter). I am not feeling too inspired to write today, so I will say goodbye for now.