Saturday, April 03, 2004
Contact!!!!! Or Not.
Journal Entry
12 April 2003
Al Asad Air Base, Iraq
Couldn't get the gun truck escort for the return trip to Baghdad Airport. So we didn't have radio communications at all, except for the two manpack radios we brought along, so the lead and trail vehicles could talk to one another. Don't like that at all.
Nevertheless, I left leading a convoy of 10 five ton trucks [from the 603rd Transportation Company, based in Fort Polk, Louisiana] for Baghdad International Airport at 0530 hrs today. Arrived at Baghdad International Airport at 1030 AM to pick up the remainder of headquarters company. One truck went down and had to be towed to the airport and left there, so we had to leave one platoon--the attachment of forward observers from the 2-116th Field Artillery--at the airport until other transportation could be arranged.
Somewhat more antiamericanism in Baghdad today, compared to yesterday. You could just feel it in the air. Rest of the journey was OK.
Saw a bombed out tank with big, scarlet letters handpainted on the turret: "AMRIKA NO."
Also saw "WE LOVE GEORGE BUSH" painted on the side of a couple of houses.
The kids were great. Drove past a school in one of the cities West of Baghdad with a couple of hundred 5-7 year olds and they all ran to the edge of the road as we passed screaming and yelling and flashing the 'thumps-up' sign. [Note: I did not have a map with me at the time; I now believe this city to have been Fallujah.]
They must get a lot of candy thrown to them from passing convoys. I briefed the guys not to throw candyto the kids from moving vehicles. Hate to see one get hurt. But I did tear up seeing the children this AM.
Perhaps in lieu of throwing out candy, we can donate it, with school supplies, to the local schools?
Some excitement this afternoon on the way back from Baghdad International Airport. I was in the back of a truck full of soldiers and we had made a brief stop on the side of the road near a village to let a truck catch up with us. [This would have been about 10 miles northwest of the Iraqi city of Hit.]
Heard two bursts of light machine gun fire from just outside the truck--about 10-12 shots in all. Several seconds went by and there was no contact report. "What the fuck, over?!!!" I hollered.
No response. The truck ahead of us thought we were taking fire, though. Well, they WERE taking fire, from one PFC H., one of the truck drivers attached to us from the 603rd Trans Company.
H. was dismounting the vehicle, and apparently the weapon malfunctioned. It cannot be put on "Safe," our armorer, SPC F., confirms. The weapon shot forward, launching rounds through the front fender of the truck I was riding in, and the rounds ricocheted off of the tailgate of the truck in front of us, which was also packed with troops.
Miraculously, noone was hurt. H. wasn't supposed to have a round locked in the chamber anyway. [Note: at that time, the official guidance from CFLCC Headquarters was that magazines should be in the weapon, but no rounds should be chambered. It wasn't long before everyone ignored that, though, and kept a round chambered all the time when we left the gate. The guys who had been in country longer than we had been were ALL ignoring the rule. ]
H. was pretty shaken up. As were the guys in the truck in front of us whom he almost killed.
I found H. with his weapon disassembled in his hands, I put my arm around him and embraced him and chewed his ass at the same time--mostly for not yelling "accidental discharge!" His supervisor and I would have a discussion about maintenance and inspection later.
Funny--I thought for sure we had made contact, but I felt no fear whatsoever at the time. A few moments later I could feel the adrenaline rush ebbing from my body, and felt drained, but at the time I just felt my brain whirr trying to process the information my senses were telling it--just like a training exercise.
Was appointed to acting Battalion S-4 [staff officer in charge of supply and logistics] today, until our regular S-4 arrives from Jordan. Big job.
Moved the whole battalion into a couple of disgustingly filthy buildings at Al Asad. I feel like we're living in the world's biggest petri dish. Who needs a bio weapons program? Just lose the war and have the Americans move into your facility! Brilliant!!!
12 April 2003
Al Asad Air Base, Iraq
Couldn't get the gun truck escort for the return trip to Baghdad Airport. So we didn't have radio communications at all, except for the two manpack radios we brought along, so the lead and trail vehicles could talk to one another. Don't like that at all.
Nevertheless, I left leading a convoy of 10 five ton trucks [from the 603rd Transportation Company, based in Fort Polk, Louisiana] for Baghdad International Airport at 0530 hrs today. Arrived at Baghdad International Airport at 1030 AM to pick up the remainder of headquarters company. One truck went down and had to be towed to the airport and left there, so we had to leave one platoon--the attachment of forward observers from the 2-116th Field Artillery--at the airport until other transportation could be arranged.
Somewhat more antiamericanism in Baghdad today, compared to yesterday. You could just feel it in the air. Rest of the journey was OK.
Saw a bombed out tank with big, scarlet letters handpainted on the turret: "AMRIKA NO."
Also saw "WE LOVE GEORGE BUSH" painted on the side of a couple of houses.
The kids were great. Drove past a school in one of the cities West of Baghdad with a couple of hundred 5-7 year olds and they all ran to the edge of the road as we passed screaming and yelling and flashing the 'thumps-up' sign. [Note: I did not have a map with me at the time; I now believe this city to have been Fallujah.]
They must get a lot of candy thrown to them from passing convoys. I briefed the guys not to throw candyto the kids from moving vehicles. Hate to see one get hurt. But I did tear up seeing the children this AM.
Perhaps in lieu of throwing out candy, we can donate it, with school supplies, to the local schools?
Some excitement this afternoon on the way back from Baghdad International Airport. I was in the back of a truck full of soldiers and we had made a brief stop on the side of the road near a village to let a truck catch up with us. [This would have been about 10 miles northwest of the Iraqi city of Hit.]
Heard two bursts of light machine gun fire from just outside the truck--about 10-12 shots in all. Several seconds went by and there was no contact report. "What the fuck, over?!!!" I hollered.
No response. The truck ahead of us thought we were taking fire, though. Well, they WERE taking fire, from one PFC H., one of the truck drivers attached to us from the 603rd Trans Company.
H. was dismounting the vehicle, and apparently the weapon malfunctioned. It cannot be put on "Safe," our armorer, SPC F., confirms. The weapon shot forward, launching rounds through the front fender of the truck I was riding in, and the rounds ricocheted off of the tailgate of the truck in front of us, which was also packed with troops.
Miraculously, noone was hurt. H. wasn't supposed to have a round locked in the chamber anyway. [Note: at that time, the official guidance from CFLCC Headquarters was that magazines should be in the weapon, but no rounds should be chambered. It wasn't long before everyone ignored that, though, and kept a round chambered all the time when we left the gate. The guys who had been in country longer than we had been were ALL ignoring the rule. ]
H. was pretty shaken up. As were the guys in the truck in front of us whom he almost killed.
I found H. with his weapon disassembled in his hands, I put my arm around him and embraced him and chewed his ass at the same time--mostly for not yelling "accidental discharge!" His supervisor and I would have a discussion about maintenance and inspection later.
Funny--I thought for sure we had made contact, but I felt no fear whatsoever at the time. A few moments later I could feel the adrenaline rush ebbing from my body, and felt drained, but at the time I just felt my brain whirr trying to process the information my senses were telling it--just like a training exercise.
Was appointed to acting Battalion S-4 [staff officer in charge of supply and logistics] today, until our regular S-4 arrives from Jordan. Big job.
Moved the whole battalion into a couple of disgustingly filthy buildings at Al Asad. I feel like we're living in the world's biggest petri dish. Who needs a bio weapons program? Just lose the war and have the Americans move into your facility! Brilliant!!!
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