Embedded Night Patrol, South of Taji, Iraq (First hand account from KOA reporter / show host)

"We lose more of them [Iraqi Army members] on leave than we do in combat... these guys are bleeding for a greater voice than we are." -- Army First Sergeant John "Top" MacFarlane on the risk of being a member of the Iraqi Army (many are assasinated while they take their seven days off a month)

"I think this is Bob's [ABC's Woodruff] blood right here." -- MacFarlane to me, pointing at a blood stain on his flak jacket

"... they're all nuts." -- Army Major Mike Jason on insurgent groups all within a 10-mile radius of here

"Go ahead and just set your bag on the ammo." -- Army Captain Ian Weikel to me as I got ready for night patrol with Ghost Troop

EMBEDDED NIGHT PATROL, SOUTH OF TAJI, IRAQ -- In a sense I fought for where I am right now, a cold, empty building, like a warehouse, with several smaller rooms off to the side. This large room will be our bedroom until 4:00am tomorrow morning. It's just before 11:00pm and the night watch I'm embedded with, Ghost Troop, is down for a few hours.

There are military cots, but we've brought along a "go" bag with stuff for the night, including sleeping bag, etc. I feel a bit like a wuss, because I decided to bring the pillow off the bed where I slept last night along for the ride tonight. Meantime, dirty, tired soldiers are using their dusty coats as pillows here. Dinner was brought down along with our small convoy from Camp Taji to the north of here, so I've yet to have an MRE... meal ready-to-eat. I passed on the MRE selection tonight, which included jambalaya, cheese ravioli, and something else that sounded nasty considering they have a shelf life of several years. I did secure on for later -- I've been told the "Chili Mac" is the best, so I grabbed it.

I'm with a group of about 12 guys, led by Army Captain Ian Weikel (ian.weikel@us.army.mil) a Colorado Springs native, who we met two days ago. Instantly very friendly, a big 850 KOA listener before he moved to Texas, it was almost at his invitation that I'm here. Again, the rest of my group, save for my Pentagon escort, are embedded in other places.

As the sun set on what had been a beautiful day, our three Humvees set off for several areas south in "Pluto" -- an area Weikel told us had "lethal IED's." Earlier in the day, two locals were killed by a roadside bomb. We were to drive down Route Tampa, the main highway from Kuwait north to Mosul, then on Route Tigers, the Royals & Rangers (note a baseball theme?) "Sunset/twilight to early morning is when we see [increased] activity," Weikel said. Our mission tonight and into the ealry morning hours until dawn would be "trolling" for IEDs on the sides of the roads. Before we headed out, we had to list for a trip manifest our last name, battle unit, blood type, and weapon we were carrying. Um, no weapon here for me, and never before have I had the urge to carry one.

We headed out of Camp Taji, then on to Tampa and began rolling. Weikel talked about the area as we drove past trash fields, dilapidated buildings, and several dirt lots along raised train tracks where men played soccer. Their goals were giant rusty poles, without nets. I've now learned that the patrols and all other coalition movement drive down the middle of the road, tying to avoid roadside bombs that could be placed on the sides. We drove past the sight of two recent bombings, and there right in front of us were small to medium sized craters. Death sites right in front of us.

As we drove, I was getting more tired than perhaps at any time during the trip. The lack of sleep has now caught up to me. I drifted into a weird "sleep" though still felt every single bump in the rough riding "Ghost 6" Humvee. My right leg kept jamming into the door mechanism, reminding me this wasn't a Hummer H2. The crew handed me a night vision device, and for the next couple of hours I was able to use it, seeing things that otherwise would go unnoticed. The patrol eventually stopped at a couple of places, one of them an incomplete overpass that crossed a major IED area. Most of this time, we were totally dark -- no lights on the Humvees. Ghost Troop set-up to watch for the insurgent who may make tonight the night he puts down a bomb here. We waited, and talked and finally moved-on.

The night continued with more bouncing, bobbing and jolting from my backseat position. One of the most sickening stories came a bit earlier, when Weikel talked about one of the recent roadside bombs he'd seen. Sit down for this one. They had a report that wires were found "sticking out of the butt" of a dead dog on the side of the road. This is the kind of enemy our troops are fighting. They stuck explosives inside a dead dog, and planned to detonate it. After the bomb disposal team came, they blew-up everything.

We came back to this location where we are now, and were standing around talking in the parking lot when we heard all kinds o gunshots. At least a dozen from maybe a half-mile away. Guys in my team sprang into action, and several other Humvees raced out the area, along with a tank. Turns-out a security guard involved in this local area came upon a group of U.S. troops on foot and he opened fire. The "Thunder" group returned fire, then things stopped. They ID'd the guard and no one was hurt. Nothing like the sound of real gunfire... pop! pop! pop! pop pop pop pop! It was miscommunication that could have had tragic consequences. Now I sit in this big room that's starting to fill up with soldiers pulling out cots. And man, the dude in the room behind me is snoring loud!

Today started with another early call, and after breakfast we drove across to the "Iraqi side" of Camp Taji. It is enormous. By sheer guessing, I'd say at least five to ten miles wide and across. It was on this side I would have my first Iraqi chai tea, with a colonel dealing with the assasination of his brother less than three weeks ago. Colonel Khalid told me his brother was killed in front of his parents, in their home. He had to dress as a civilian just to attend the funeral.

It was, at least to me, unprecendented access to the Iraqi Army's dealings with the U.S. Suddenly I felt a little guilty for feeling like this trip would be nothing more than handshakes and interviews with top dogs. Instead, here I was at the daily meeting between the liasons for the the U.S. Army and leaders of the Iraqi Army. Now these weren't generals and high-ranking politicians here. They were better. At this level, this is where the rubber meets the road. At a briefing, an intelligence official told a table full of leaders that nearby insurgents continue their ruthless, cowardly attacks. "When they're doing their stuff, they're hiding in the farms," he said.

I was introduced to the meeting by Army Major Mike Jason, an intense, friendly guy dealing with a crazy ratio. He's got about 200-250 people on the U.S. side dealing with the 20,000 Iraqi Army personnel. They're not training as much anymore, its more of guidance thing, from what I was able to figure out. This "MITT" team (another military acronym, go figure!) It stands for Military Transition Team -- was directly involved in January's attack that left ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff and photojournalist Doug Vogt injured. The team I was with was there that day in Mushada, a place so full of insurgents ready to kill you or me our our troops, I was told it should be "wiped out" and leveled. The entire area. It's about five miles north of Taji. First Sergeant John "Top" MacFarlane told me Woodruff's facial injury was so bad "you could insert three fingers in his cheek and not touch the sides." An interpreter with the crew that day was the first to help with first aid. It was a combination of Iraqi and American thinking under fire that saved Woodruff's life.

I'll have more next week on the show when I return to Denver. I found out late in the morning that I was in fact the first journalist to take the ride with this MITT crew since the Woodruff accident. "How many journalists have come out with you guys since the Woodruff accident?" I asked Jason. "Well, uh, actually, you're the first."

After the formal meeting and briefing with both the Iraqis and our guys (the meeting by the way endured a power outage in the middle of it) we went down a hall to the colonel's small office. There, we talked a bit with several people in a less formal setting, and minutes later a young Iraqi soldier brought us an incredibly good shot glass-looking cup of chai tea, Iraqi-style. From there, we drove across to the American complex they call "The Alamo" and I was briefed along with our crew, which had arrived from the U.S. side of the base.

We visited a water treatment plant a couple miles away, a vital asset that if destroyed, could cut water to 60% of Baghdad for at least two weeks. This visit was to update everyone as to the progress they're making on establishing a perimeter. It was during this stop I saw American and Iraqi soldiers laughing with each other, talking, and it was a pleasant sight. Down the road on the left, one of Saddam's al-Samoud missle factories. Across Route Tampa, a date palm grove, a favorite of roadside bombers and snipers. Just last summer, a suicide bomber blew-up in front of the water plant, leaving a massive hole in the brick outer wall, a hole still there right now as you read this.

As for the former missle plant, it can't be considered clean. "There's some shady things going on in there and we'd like to get back [but] you'd need too many troops right now," the major yelled over the humm of the Humvee. About this time, we started looking at a taxi and our caravan flipped a u-turn over the dirt median separating north and southbound lanes. The front Humvee took a tactical position, guns up and aimed at a cab. The other Humvees, including the one I was in, did a similar move. The report was Saddam's "number two man" was seen in a four-door cab or other similar vehicle. Jason determined it was just a father picking his kids up from school. Maybe they'll get the bad guy tomorrow.

We wrapped the quick patrol, then went on to "chow." It was mostly light, fun conversation. Mostly.

"My best friend died two years ago today," Jason said. I could hardly swallow my food for a brief moment. How the hell do you respond to that? I didn't have to. "Up in Tikrit. IED went off right underneath them. Killed them instantly." The reality of what's going on here.

A quick side bar -- you would never believe the filth, squalor, and sickening conditions in which some people are living just about two miles south of Taji. I kid you not -- imagine the biggest landfill, dump, acres and acres of stinky, smelly, probably toxic trash. Then picture stray dogs running everywhere, their heads half-buried in trash looking for scraps. Imagine the worst stench you've smelled. So bad you could dry-heave... which I almost did. Imagine goats and chickens running around. Got a good picture? Then imagine people LIVING IN IT. The soldiers call it "Taji Trash Town." Without question, the worst place I have ever seen. This just north of a large former Fedayeen area. Words cannot accurately describe this place.

In wrapping up this entry (I realize a day late due to my night patrol) I just want to thank those of you who have already emailed to tell me you'll help with the soccer ball drive, and the school supplies. Without question, that will help. And we'll make it happen. If you want to get on board, email me: steffantubbs@clearchannel.com. Here and now I pledge $500 to kick-start it. Get it? "Kick" -- sorry, I'm tired. It's not a lot, but another group of soldiers from Ghost Troop agreed completely that soccer balls from the Americans can go a hell of a long way in paving relations. Let's start with the kids.

Your emails offering me support and encouragement have been awesome and I appreciate them beyond words. Now, email a soldier.

Previous Steffan Tubbs dispatches from the past 12 days:

http://www.850koa.com/pages/cmn_blog.html

*** NOTE *** ... throughout Steffan's dispatches he is posting the email addresses from soldiers he has talked to who will like receiving messages from back home.

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More photos:

http://www.850koa.com/cc-common/globalphotos.html?eventID=33454&eventsection=CMN&pagecontent=CMN

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About Steffan Tubbs -

http://www.850koa.com/pages/shows_cmn-steffan.html

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My own take on Steffan's reports from Iraq -

Based on listening to Steffan over the past months since he rejoined Colorado Morning News late last year I've always viewed him as a left of center reporter / news host who was against the Iraqi Freedom mission. Now that he is on the ground with the oustanding men and women of our US military you can tell that a transformation has begun as he learns first hand what is actually occurring in Iraq and hears about the outstanding job our military is doing each and every day.

All during Colorado Morning News between 5:00am and 9:00am mountain time on 850am KOA Steffan has been filing 12 to 16 reports, interviews, etc. from the field. It's been some of the best first hand reporting I've heard yet from Iraq.

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