Posted on 06/06/2006 4:12:22 PM PDT by SandRat
KIRKUK, Iraq, June 6, 2006 — Many U.S. soldiers stationed at Forward Operating Base Warrior are seeing Iraq for the second time.
"[We’ve gone] from being the front-runner and doing everything ourselves, taking charge of the situation … now we’re here to get their [the Iraqi Army] feet underneath them."
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Jason Sager
Some of these troops were deployed with the 101st Airborne Division “Screaming Eagles” during Operation Iraqi Freedom I, and they agree on one thing -- a lot has changed in three years.
Since the Division’s first trip to the desert, Iraq has held several national-level elections, drafted a new constitution, and developed its military into a capable fighting force.
Troops have seen numerous improvements in their living conditions as well. From full-sized exchange stores to coffee shops and containerized housing units, many say the quality of life has made the return trip much easier.
“During [Operation Iraqi Freedom] I, we lived out of tents, we lived out of hangars, bottled water wasn’t [as] readily available,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jeffrey Kelley, commander, 426th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team “Bastogne”, 101st Airborne Division. “It’s just a different world.”
Other soldiers agree.
“We were able to set things up the way we wanted to,” said U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Jason Sager, platoon leader, Mortar Platoon, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, referring to the way his team turned a gutted warehouse into living quarters by building walls and rooms for the troops.
Kelley requested to return to Iraq and still serves in the same position from Operation Iraqi Freedom I. The battalion commander wanted to lead his troops -- many returning for their second trip as well -- into a much-changed battle in a very different country.
“Being a second-time commander with the same unit is an honor,” Kelley said. “To bring the same unit through transformation and now through another deployment … it has been a great experience.”
Kelley also noted that through the Army’s continuing transformation and the need for better troop protection, the Army has made many safety improvements for soldiers in the theater.
“We used to ride around with [vehicles] that had no doors,” he said. “Now we have up-armored [trucks].”
Along with changes in structure and equipment, the way coalition forces do business in Iraq has changed as well.
Sager said, “[We’ve gone] from being the front-runner and doing everything ourselves, taking charge of the situation … now we’re here to get their [the Iraqi Army] feet underneath them.”
Sager’s platoon sergeant, U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class George Oliver, agrees.
“We’re a lot more hands-off now,” he said.
Sager and Oliver added that this hands-off approach can present problems for some of the soldiers who were involved in the initial push into Iraq. Oliver noted that often times troops want to jump in and do the job themselves, but they have to remember that coalition troops are now working to set the people of Iraq up to be independent – free of outside assistance.
As the Screaming Eagle’s second trip to Iraq has passed the midway point, many soldiers are thinking about what they will do when they return home. Leaders, such as Kelley, however, are working toward setting up the next division for success, so that their return trip to the desert can be just as fruitful as that of the Band of Brothers.
IRAQ; The Second time around
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