A Brigade Commander's perspective of the situation in Baghdad as of July 14th (Vanity)

[mark502inf]

Straight from the horse's mouth.

[Rodney King]

Do you know this guy?

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[mark502inf]

yes

[Rodney King]

Thanks for the post then. I just don't always trust the chain letter ones.

[MEG33]

Thank you so much for sharing this .Tell him we are praying and pulling for them and some of us manage to ferret out the Good News!May God keep them safe.

[katana]

Formatting is our friend.

Greetings from Central Baghdad.

I took command of the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division on 1 July; since then I have had two soldiers killed in firefights.

The Special Opns folks call my sector east of the Tigris River "The Hot Box," due to the number of engagements in it on a daily basis. This place reminds me of Max Max and the Road Warrior movies.

As predicted, I am living in interesting times, and am using every bit of the strategy education earned in ASAP and at the War College.

We are fighting former regime-backed paramilitary groups, Iranian-based opposition, organized criminals, and street thugs. We have stood up governing councils from neighborhood to district to city level.

We have conducted humanitarian action in numerous areas to include repair of electricity, water, sewer, hospitals, and schools; created refuse collection systems; and built numerous recreational facilities (particularly soccer fields). We have cleared hundreds of tons of UXOs and weapons caches.

I have already hosted Fox News, ABC, ITN, UP, Reuters, the New Yorker, and an Indian news service. On any given day I deal with the political realm of the Coalition Provisional Authority, the humanitarian realm of the NGOs, and the military realm of firefights/improved explosive devices/snipers/mortar attacks.

My BCT contains active duty, reservists, and National Guardsmen. The BCT has lost 4 soldiers since taking over the sector. The soldiers are staying focused and disciplined, and are getting more effective with each passing day. Our snipers have had some success of late - enough said.

Even though we are still being shot at daily, the vast majority of the population supports our objectives and just want to get on with their lives. We are doing some excellent humanitarian work, but it doesn't make the news because all the press wants to talk about is the attacks.

The infrastructure is up and running and the shortfalls in electricity, water, sewage, etc., are being addressed. We have local advisory councils of Iraqi citizens set up in Baghdad and a functioning city council.

The people we kicked out of power can't stand our success, however, and will do everything they can to try to make us fail. Thus the ongoing gun battles in the streets. There is also a lot of organized crime here. I have flashbacks to "The Godfather" all the time. As the military commander of eastern Baghdad, I feel like Don Corleone...or maybe a ward boss on the south side of Chicago.

The brigade was trained in high intensity conflict back in Germany, but quickly transitioned into urban combat operations once in Baghdad.

We had a visit from a team from the British Army experienced in operations in Northern Ireland, and we were already doing everything they talked to us about. In some cases, such as use of helicopters in conjunction with ground forces, we are ahead of them.

Special skills such as military police, civil affairs, psychological operations, EOD, and engineers are needed more in this type of operation. I have a reserve MP company out of New York working for me, and they are doing a fantastic job. The company commander is a New York City prosecutor in his other life.

It's 116 degrees here today, and I don't even get a cold beer - GO #1 strikes again. So yet another go-round with the extended Betty Ford clinic. At least I'm drawing combat pay.

I have a spare cot for you if you make it to Baghdad. My HQ is east of the Tigris River. Alcohol not allowed, but bring cigars. Otherwise, enjoy the summer and drink a cold one for me. Ready First! Pete

[MEG33]

Thanks.I think mail like this is too important to miss !

[Prodigal Son]

Our snipers have had some success of late - enough said.

Good.

[YaYa123]

Are you, or were you, with the 101st?

[mark502inf]

Was. First Strike!

[ArrogantBustard]

Our snipers have had some success of late - enough said.

When you care enough to send the very best...

[YaYa123]

My husband commanded the 2-502 years ago, and I still perk up when I see "502"

Air Assault!

[ChiefKujo]

I'm currently in the Iron Eagle Brigade myself.

[leadpenny]

bumped for my son who started IOBC last week.

[Gary Boldwater]

It's good to hear someone in the field giving credit to what they learned from the war college. Last week we had some here condemning the war college, calling the professors "pointy headed" intellectuals.

[mark502inf]

Thought you guys might be interested in the base post on this thread.

[LS]

"Our snipers have had some success of late - enough said."

Great line. Good news.

[YaYa123]

Congratulations leadpenny, know you are mighty proud of your son, and where have you been? Hope all goes well. Your IOBC son at Fort Benning will have many tales to tell. (Benning was our first and last assignment...loved it down there.) Does he know where he'll be assigned?

I told Mark502 my husband commanded the 2-502...what a numbers goober I am. Husband commanded the 250 Infantry Battalion in Garstedt Germany. It was the Strike Brigade (502nd) he commanded at Fort Campbell. That's what happens when wives try to talk army. (Slapping wrist as I type!)

[Uncle Jaque]

Many thanks for the timely update (all the news Dan Rather does NOT want America to hear) and Godspeed, Sir!

Sometimes when I hear these reports of ambushes, street whackings, drivebys, and other such casualty-inflicting tactics of the enemy, I have to wonder if many of the hard-learned lessons of VietNam are having to be re-learned all over again - the hard way.

Are there any VN Vets left in your Command - particularly those who served as MPs in or around Cities like Saigon?
I would hope that if so, they are consulted regularly; much of what is reported sounds chillingly familiar.

Have you had any 5-year old kids come up to a Soldier and pop a grenade in his pocket, expecting a candy "reward" for it as they have been trained by the enemy?

Children were considered expendible ordnance delivery systems to the VC, you may recall.

Or how about the bicycles with the hollow tubular frames stuffed full of C-4, and the timer rigged to the headlight battery? Not a car-bomb, but plenty portable and potent.

I think that if some of the Commanders over there get to talk to a seasoned VN Vet, that they will learn that "They ain't seen nuthin' yet"!

I'm particularly saddended by the death of a Maine Reservist, who apparently was set upon and burned to death along with his LT by "An angry mob".

Had they no fragmentation grenades?
It's amazing how quickly a few of those will disperse an "Angry mob"!
"Oh; so you're angry - here; let us give you something to be REALLY angry about (pulling pin)".

I don't know the details, and probably have no business knowing them - but I can speculate.

Kid about 9 years old bolts from between parked vehicles in front of passing US Military vehicle; gets hit/run over.
Accident? I don't think so. More likely a young "Martyr" for Islam.
"Angry Crowd" convieniently waiting in the area swarms Military vehicle which of course stops to render aid and appologize profusely to the Natives, who raise a ruckus and start whackking the vehicle with their flip-flops.
In the midst of all this chaos, the "offending" GIs suddenly find themselves disarmed, beaten, stabbed, shot, and stuffed back in their vehicle which is promptly doused in gasoline and torched.

The guilty vanish in the "defenseless", "innocent" mob, just hoping that some surviving unit is going to fire into them and create an international uproar over the US "attrocity".

I suspect that such "spontanious" events are well choreographed and rehearsed - probably down at the local Mosque.

I also get the impression that these people, much like "Charlie" back in the '60s, considers our humanitarian compassion to be a weakness to be turned against us, and chaos as a tactical resource.

From what I gather, however, you guys are learning as you go and hopefully will be dealing Muchmed and his Jihad pals some nasty surprises in the near future, if you are not doing so already.

Our Military is the greatest in part, at least, to our creativity, resourcefullness, and adaptability.

Please keep up the good work despite the harsh conditions - Our prayers are with you and your Command.