RAMADI — A mostly Sunni city with about 500,000 residents, Ramadi was considered to be one of the most violent cities in the world during the early part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Today, locals are out shopping at the city’s bustling marketplace, known as the souk. Children are playing soccer in fields, and students are walking mostly worry-free to and from the province’s local college, al Anbar University.
The signs of war have steadily declined as the city has embraced peace and the region is returning to normalcy, which is an unexpected but welcome change for Marines with 1st Battalion,9th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, returning to the region for consecutive tours.
“A lot of the action happened in Ramadi,” said Cpl. Abdias Betancourth Jr., a 23-year-old motor transportation operator from Toppenish, Wash., with 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1. “We had it all here - improvised explosive devices, small arms fire, rockets, almost every type of attack.”
The city of Ramadi endured some of the toughest fighting between 2004 and 2006, and the Marines expected intense combat while preparing for their deployments to the region.
“We had an idea of what we were going into just from all of the storylines and news coverage,” said 1st Sgt. Patrick J. Dostal, the Headquarters and Service Company first sergeant with 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, who was previously deployed to Ramadi in 2006. “But still you just don’t know what to expect. We trained for (heavy combat), but its just one of those things you don’t (fully comprehend) until you’re there.”
The Insurgency:
The relative calm in Ramadi, during the first few months of the invasion, quickly turned toward a violent insurgency in 2004. The Marines often encountered heavy small arms fire within seconds of leaving their base of operations, and intense skirmishes were fought almost daily in the city.
Dostal, who was the Company K first sergeant with 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, during his first deployment to Ramadi, did whatever it took to avoid attacks on his Marines. They always remained alert and ready for an attack, which would often occur. Over time, Dostal said he became used to the feeling of uncertainty and always believed in his Marines’ abilities.
“I just grew accustomed to it,” Dostal said in reference to always being extremely watchful. “I always knew the Marines would do whatever they needed to do. But, there’s not a great deal you can control if you hit a big IED. So we tried to avoid any attack by always being aware of our surroundings.”
During the most severe fighting in the country, the average monthly number of attacks on infrastructures, civilians, and Iraqi and Coalition forces topped 5,000, according to the Department of Defense.
“The worst day for me was when I lost 3 Marines and a Sailor on April 2, 2006,” Dostal said. “That was the first time I’ve ever lost a Marine or Sailor. That was ultimately the worst day during my first deployment to Ramadi - the whole company was in shock. It happened only less than a month after we arrived.”
Though the Marines found ways to keep their mind off the chaos surrounding them, they could not always escape the thought of becoming the next casualty.
“There were many times when I feared my own life. I would be lying if I said I didn’t,” Meyer said. “But, at the same time, I feared for my Marines’ lives more than I did mine.”
Although the Marines were always surrounded by threats, they managed to complete their assigned missions and stood firm while in the midst of adversity.
Iraqis also seemed vary anxious, according to Jee.
“The vast majority of Iraqis were nervous, they knew we had guns and the willingness to use them to protect ourselves,” Jee said. “We weren’t out to punish or oppress the people but we were a walking, physical threat on their streets.”
The professional conduct of the Marines, along with their operational successes and several blunders by the insurgents, soon changed the locals’ feelings toward Coalition forces.
The Awakening:
The sacrifices Marines and other Coalition forces have made over the years to better security in Iraq have paid off. In May of 2008, the monthly total of deaths for coalition forces reached an all-time low of 19, the lowest in the five-year war. According to a recent military report, roadside bombs in the country are down by nearly 90 percent from this time last year.
“Ramadi is quiet now,” Betancourth said. “If somebody would’ve told me back then that the city would be this calm I would’ve said you’re crazy.”
One of the major reasons behind the reduction in violence has been the sahawa al Anbar, or the Anbar awakening. The awakening began in 2006 with the murder of a highly revered sheikh. The killers, al Qaida in Iraq, insulted and disrespected the sheik’s family by hiding his body for three days so he could not be buried according to Islamic tradition. Their actions proved to be the breaking point for the locals, who were furious over the terrorist organization’s lack of respect for their culture and were exasperated with the endless violence. The local tribal leaders, led by Sheik Sattar abu Risha, declared themselves an enemy of al Qaida and formed the Awakening Council.
“Before the Awakening, it was very kinetic,” said Maj. Jeff McCormack, the operations officer with 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, who was deployed to the province during the awakening. “We had IED attacks and firefights everyday. Within a week, we went from not being able to stand still for five minutes without being shot at to not having any attacks in the area.”
In addition to the Awakening, the surge of 30,000 U.S. troops to the region also proved to be pivotal in the turnaround. The surge allowed the troops to leave their safe areas, the forward operating bases and observation posts, and heavily engage locals who were now willing to cooperate with Coalition forces. As the Marines were able to make more contact with the citizens, the people began to change their opinions toward Coalition forces. They began to give the forces valuable information and tips.
“At the beginning of my deployment, we really didn’t have a whole lot of contact with the locals,” Dostal said. “Toward the end of the deployment, we began interacting with them more often and we noticed a big change. The people started to help us more vice ignoring us.”
The surge also allowed the Marines to turn their focus toward training Iraqi Security Forces. Still in progress, the training is meant to get Iraqi forces to an operational, self-sustaining level so they can take control of security in their city. Today, Iraqi Police patrol the city’s streets daily while Marines only serve as mentors to the maturing force.
The Rebuilding:
Today the region is being rebuilt, the people are enjoying peace, and the concern of yesterday has been transformed into the anticipation of tomorrow.
“The people have a feeling of hope,” Jee said. “They are not scared anymore. They have something to look forward to now.”
“The people want some form of normalcy,” Dostal added. “You can see it from the houses being rebuilt and the buildings being reconstructed - the city is coming back.”
The gains in Iraq did not come without a loss. Thousands of servicemen have made the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of democracy and many Iraqis have given their lives in their fight for freedom. Without the selfless devotion of both the Marines and Iraqis, the region would not be where it is today.
“All of the units that have come here and the Iraqis have made great sacrifices,” Meyer said. “It’s sad to say that we’ve had to sacrifice so much, but it’s helped to change this region.”