The latest update from Iraq is about the duties of the medical team and the mission that they do. In the first picture, Ken is posed with the platoon sergeant in the battalion aid station where they care for the troops.

"A funny thing about the Iraqi’s they like having their pictures taken. They will then ask you for copies of the pictures, though. I guess cameras and photo developing are very expensive here so not a lot of people have cameras."

In the second picture you can see that their aid station is kept very clean and in good order. But you might also notice that there is no bed, just two stretchers there. The sergeant asked Ken to get them a bed and Ken suggested he go through the Iraqi supply system.

"The bed request died after I suggested he order through his chain of command."

"Most Iraqi's don't want to expend any effort in solving any issues. They want someone else to do it for them. A good example is the platoon sergeant for the medics told me awhile back that he wanted a bed to put in the aid station. I replied, okay, have you asked for a bed from his unit? No, of course not, that would have required effort and possibly rejection on his part. Much simpler just to have me do it."

"We also participated in a MEDCAP (don’t know what it stands for but it’s when you go treat civilians. It was a joint mission with both the Iraqi Army medics and the Americans."

In the first picture you can see the typical equipment worn by all American troops. This happens to be the mission commander, but all soldiers wear pretty much the same type of gear. The pouches are ammunition. Even the medical staff today go into the field armed. Also you can see the body armor that is worn by all American soldiers. These pictures also show that the Iraqi troops are not nearly as well equipped. In the third picture an American doctor is treating a civilian with a broken arm, assisted by the Iraqi medical officer. The Iraqi battalion has no doctor but two medical officers who are both nurses. The one in this picture is Lt. Walid. In the last picture a burn victim is treated by two Iraqi medics.

The shot here is another of the doctor and the Iraqi medical officer. Any visitors who are familiar with middle eastern geography will have heard of the Tigris River, which is the on it the two river shots. It seems a little surprising to see one that large in the desert. Ken doesn't know, but believes the bridge to have been built by the Americans. He did say that there was no sign of rubble to indicate that there was ever one there before this one.

The last picture is of an Iraqi cemetery. This one is typical of what you see in this part of Iraq. All seem to be some type of above ground crypt and he has seen no sign of any decoration of the graves, as you would see here. The people in the cemetery seem to just be passing by.

Sept. 10 through October 1, 2006

For any reader who may know someone stationed in Iraq, here is a need that could apply to any member of any branch who is stationed with a field unit of any type.

"One request I do have, specifically for you because you are COSTCO members, is for bulk powdered Gatorade, preferably in packets. They do make packets that are designed to be mixed into 1 quart of water. Our water comes in 1 liter bottles - close enough. I know this might be/get expensive so the team will pass the hat to offset any cost. The mess hall stocks the bottled variety and it just isn't conducive to carrying on missions. Other powders to mix into the water also would go over well. When it's 120 degrees, in full battle rattle (about 70 pounds including body armor) you drink a lot of water and get sick of it. Especially when the water is piss warm. You can only carry so much ice in the humvees. Plus Gatorade also helps replace the minerals lost through sweating."

"We work mostly with the officers, but do work with all soldiers for some things. While the IA has the ranks of NCO's, they don't have an NCO corps in any way near the American sense." (Actually, very few countries have an NCO corps like the US military does.) "How can you expect the NCO's to do their job when one of their fears is that if the upset the officers badly enough, they will get an immediate demotion back to basic Soldier? That fear was expressed by the Battalion Sergeant Major. Literally, they have Captains doing work that would be the job of a Buck Sergeant in our army."

"Most Iraqi's don't want to expend any effort in solving issues. They want someone else (of higher position) to do it for them. A good example is the platoon sergeant for the medics told me awhile back that he wanted a bed to put in the aid station. I replied, okay, have you asked for a bed from his unit? No, of course not, that would have required effort and possibly rejection on his part. Much simpler just to have me do it. You also get sick of the IA telling you that this or that system isn't working, (agreed it probably is horribly broke - like any kind of re-supply) but when you ask them what they have done to help the situation, or work on the problem, you get either the "deer-in-the-headlights" look, or the ever popular shoulder shrug while saying "Im sha Allah" which is "god willing". " Ken states that "god willing" is a common way to avoid work, or more importantly responsibility in Iraqi society.

"Most of the more senior ranks are from the old Iraqi Army and quite a few fought in the Iran-Iraq war, both gulf wars, misc. fights with Kurds, etc. Plus the unit saw some major action a few months prior to us getting here, and no matter what the mission is, IED's go off and small arms fire is a regular occurrence on missions (both IA and American)."

This is where Team Striker lives. Notice the wire that is circled in the picture, and note that it is inside of the compound. "I've also sent a picture of our team house. We have been adding the concertina wire around it to improve our security since our house sits about 100 meters from the edge of the base. The green vehicles are "Waz's". Basically Russian jeeps. "

In the second picture, note the ejected shell casing that is just above the gun barrel. In Iraq, even medics carry weapons and practice with them. "We were practicing some of the close quarters combat techniques we've been learning from the local Special Forces Team. As you see, it's short range - that's the 10 meter line. But that's were most of the combat here has been taking place. It's also more about speed than the normal for Army ranges. We have been doing most of our shooting without all of the Army stuff - helmet and such. The method is get the muscles used to doing it the same way every time and then it won't matter what you are wearing. Of course muscle memory is all about the number of rounds fired. I've said for a long time that the average Soldier doesn't fire enough rounds. Most of them only fire about 100 rounds a year - 40 rounds qualification and 16 rounds to confirm zero twice a year. I've probably fired around 1000 rounds since I've been here."

"In the time I've been here, I've fired more rounds than in the previous 19 years. Shooting is also a good stress relief. I doubt this is something the majority our Soldiers here are doing, but hey, there are some advantages to doing this mission."

"The Iraqi Battalion Commander came with us. He's the new one as the last one was killed in a car bomb."

"To truly experience the "anti-road rage" you also need the signs the American forces use. They basically say "American Convoy - Stay back 100 meters Deadly force is authorized" and yes it is authorized and used. The saying here as far as vehicle travel are "Drive like you stole it" and "We Own the road" Of course that's also why the insurgents use IEDs. "An M1114, Armored High Mobility, Multi-purpose Vehicle (Hummer or Humvee to you) should do the trick. 14,000 pounds of armor, 7.2 liter supercharged engine, with a gunners cupola for a .50 caliber machine gun should do the trick. Comes standard with heating and Air conditioning. Of course for the low price of $145,000 you would think it would come with a CD player (lol). That price doesn't include the three radios that are in it, nor any other hardware and there's a bunch) Think of that stuff as "dealer added accessories"

"First thing for me about the Iraqi Army is they have my admiration. People say the American military is an all volunteer force, but it isn't compared to the Iraqis. Not only do they all volunteer to serve, but they can quit at any time. They get frustrated, tired, sick of it, etc, they can walk away and no longer be in the army. Of course this also leads to issues of it's self because you never truly have accountability of the troops, nor strength. They work 21 days straight followed by 7 days of leave (Jaza) Until the soldiers coming back are back, you don't know if they are coming back. A significant number wear masks when they leave the bases (as do most interpreters) because they don't want to be identified by terrorists/insurgents to protect their family. Imagine me having to hide the fact that I'm in the Army and wearing a mask when in uniform to keep Mindy and the kids safe from attack. Granted most of them would be herding sheep if they weren't in the Army, and it's the only steady work they can get, but still......"

"I wanted a good picture of what the "average" Iraqi lived like. You can't quite see it, but in the back right of the house is where the donkey stays. Yes, that's all dirt, except the grass patch in the middle. Fine mud brick construction with tree branches and rebar holding the mud brick roof up. You also should notice the bedding on the grass and the reed beds. When it's 90 as a night time low, and no AC or air movement, you sleep out side, with the chickens. " The house to the right is a wealthy family.

"Most of these pictures were taken while out on patrols with the Iraqi Army. There might be a bit of fuzziness to them because they were taken out the window (no we don't open the bullet proof windows) of a humvee and there is dust everywhere here, including the window I took the pictures through."

"The Iraqi village in the picture is the one being searched. Notice the mud walls. Most of the houses are built from mud bricks dried in the sun and then have a layer of mud put over them. Also notice the white circles on the rooftops. Those are satellite dishes. In Soldiers the guy in dessert uniform without a helmet is an interpreter. The sign on the back of the humvee says, "Stay back 100 meters. Deadly force is authorized." in Arabic. Because of this (and we drive in the middle of the roads) driving here is like the parting of the sea. Iraqis move to the side of the road as American convoys approach and do not come near. Incase your curious, the shorter thick antennas you see on the backs of the humvees are part of the electronic warfare (jamming) units vehicles carry."

A few questions, and their answers.

How good is the Iraq Army? "That's a tough one to give a qualified answer. By American standards? They suck. By Arab standards? Pretty good. "

Will they ever win over their own population? "Probably. Most Iraqi's feel that the security forces (army and police) are mostly doing a good job, in this area anyway. It's like anything, the key is basic services water and electricity."

Do you ever get a chance to make any contact with anyone who is not a part of the Iraq Army? "Very limited."

Are there more citizens who support the current government, or are they a minority? "I do believe that most do. It's believed that the majority of the insurgents (other than former Baathists) are foreign."

What is the weather like over there? "Hotter than hell. About what you would expect. Most days the highs are between 110 and 120. At night it drops to the low 90s. No rain for the last four months and none forecasted till Nov/Dec. It has changed my perception of what "hot" is. Now, at 90, I'm saying, hey, this is nice. Another change that's occurred, back in May, when we got all of our wonder gear, everyone was commenting on how heavy the body armor was (it weighs about 45 pounds). Now it's not heavy, it's just HOT!"

"This country really should have a lot going for it. This part of it would be beautiful. This is the origins of civilization and talk about biblical history. It's believed that Abraham lived in the town of Ur, in Iraq. It's also rich in other minerals than oil, assuming the country can pull it's head out of it's ass.
Most of the countryside the towns are straight out of the 1800s. If you where to take a photo, photoshop out the power lines, satellite dishes, and internal combustion engines, you would not know when the picture was taken. Most of the villages are constructed out of mud bricks and mud.
The Arab mind truly is different and you have to understand that when dealing with them. A good example is how they identify themselves. Most Americans Identify themselves as Americans first. Not here. Here it's self, family, tribe, clan, then country, and to most religion has to fit in there too, before country. Of course some tribe/clan rivalries have been going on for 1000's of years. Another example is the concept of honor and "face". A lie isn't a lie in our sense, if it's to protect your honor. Of course not knowing something is also dishonorable, so generally if you ask a question (say directions) you will get an answer. Might not be true (he might not know), but you will get an answer. This job has been referred to as being a cat harder because of trying to work within the Iraqi system.
Something else I've learned since coming here is the Sunni/Shia rivalry hasn't always been what most Americans are lead to believe. Forty years ago it wasn't much of an issue, but it was encouraged after Iran became a religious state to help keep the Ba'ath party (mostly Sunni) in power because in all of the Arab/Muslim world only Iran and Iraq have a Shia majority. The government feared an Iranian influence. If groups are busy at each others throats, can they worry about the tyrants at the top? 80% of the Muslims of the world are Sunni."

For any reader who may know someone stationed in Iraq, here is a need that could apply to any member of any branch who is stationed with a field unit of any type.

Theses women are dressed in the most common way in this part of Iraq. Keep in mind that typical temperatures are 110+ degrees and modern plumbing does not exist in most villages. "For the men, imagine the Body Odor after wearing it all day in that temp. Not that it truly matters because women are for having babies and men (and boys) are for fun. It's joked as "Man-Love Thursdays"! It's also curious that I've yet to see a face covering." (August 22, 2006)

This story begins with SFC Wood reporting for pre-deployment training at Ft. Hood, Texas on May 1, 2006. From here on, what is in bold print is quoted from the notes that I have received from Ken in Iraq. (bold print items are quotes from Ken)

Having visited Ft. Hood, I'm not sure that I would name it "The Great Place," but that is what the command has declared it to be. Ken was assigned duty with a transition team. Transition teams are the people most involved with the "exit strategy" from Iraq, that our press and some politicos love to tell everyone does not exist. There is at present a major effort to improve the Iraq Army and to turn over more responsibility to them..

Six weeks were spent at Ft. Hood in organizing into teams and becoming combat ready, if you ever can be. The following is a direct quote from an email sent from Ft. Hood, before departure for the middle east.

"The biggest shock as far as training was while at Fort Hood - the amount of time off. I do believe at least 1 week could have been cut out. A lot of the training has focused on some of the newer communications systems and other systems designed to keep Soldiers alive. The amount of equipment fielded designed specifically to counter IED (the #1 threat to Soldiers) is staggering. It's actually where a lot of the complaints since this war started have come from. But people don't seem to understand the government can't snap it's fingers and make things appear, they still have to be manufactured by somebody. The support of the troops when it comes to quality of life is also staggering. Of course, Soldiers still bitch, but they always have and always will continue to do so."
Next, destination Kuwait! They arrived on May 20 at 2am and the temperature was 113 degrees. This is an important date because it is the day that the count begins for the 1 year of deployment "in theater."

"95% of the training is the same for everyone. ....... The overall command and structure of this group came from a reserve training division - with a mission of conducting army training (basic, MOS, etc). ....... "

The ranks, when viewed L to R are front row - Ken (SFC, SSG, MSG back - CPT, SSG, CPT, MAJ, 1LT (soon CPT),MAJ, and SSG.

"I should know more about the Iraqi living conditions once I actually start doing my job. But one thing I can tell you is satellite dishes and cell phones (both not allowed under Saddam) are everywhere."
July 1, one more stop in Iraq for final training before beginning the actual work that these soldiers were ordered here to do.

This is Taji, Iraq the former home of Saddam's Republican Guard. It is the most luxurious of any Iraq Army facility and far beyond what most local citizens ever have access to. Notice the "modern" toilet. The user just squats over the opening and does their thing. It is all ceramic tile and thus easy to keep clean. Notice also that there is no toilet paper holder! That is because the plumbing will not deal with paper. But if you look to your left on the wall you can see a nice chromed faucet. It is there so that once you have completed what you came for, the final task is done with your left hand, which you then use the faucet to wash. No paper is needed with such a toilet.

"We will be advising the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 5th Iraqi Infantry Division. "

"To answer about living conditions, it's hard to categorize. The US troops live in everything from very nice to bad. Of course it's also been my experience that those that bitch the loudest are also those that have it the nicest. Go figure. When you are at the bottom, any improvement is a good thing, and you don't complain."

On July 11, 2006 the team arrives at there assignment and begin their mission, supporting and training an Iraqi Infantry Battalion.

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Our Soldier in Iraq

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For any reader who may know someone stationed in Iraq, here is a need that could apply to any member of any branch who is stationed with a field unit of any type.

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A few questions, and their answers.

For any reader who may know someone stationed in Iraq, here is a need that could apply to any member of any branch who is stationed with a field unit of any type.

Next Page

This story begins with SFC Wood reporting for pre-deployment training at Ft. Hood, Texas on May 1, 2006. From here on, what is in bold print is quoted from the notes that I have received from Ken in Iraq. (bold print items are quotes from Ken)

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