The Spirit of an American Warrior

Wounded U.S. Navy Seal Uses Appropriate Commo...

From Blackfive -- a daily must read for anyone interested in current military affairs.

You don't need my words to help you understand what this brave warrior is all about. America is built on generations of men and women who displayed such unimaginable strength in defense of liberty.

Yet, there are those in modern America--men and women who call themselves leaders (I call them Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Jack Murtha)--who view men such as this not as brave warriors and heroes, but instead as victims or dupes. I dare any of those people to cross this threshold and emerge with their self-respect intact.

This Navy SEAL is representative of the courage of a new "Greatest Generation", and I am proud to serve in support of men like him, who fight quietly and larely in secret. They do so with determination that I can barely comprehend, but which is encompassed by the SEAL Trident found on the bottom of the warning order posted above.

From the SEAL Code:

In times of war or uncertainty there is a special breed of warrior ready to answer our Nation's call; a common man with uncommon desire to succeed. Forged by adversity, he stands alongside America's finest special operations forces to serve his country and the American people, and to protect their way of life. I am that man.

My Trident is a symbol of honor and heritage. Bestowed upon me by the heroes who have gone before, it embodies the trust of those whom I have sworn to protect. By wearing the Trident, I accept the responsibility of my chosen profession and way of life. It is a privilege that I must earn every day.

...

Brave men have fought and died building the proud tradition and feared reputation that I am bound to uphold. In the worst of conditions, the legacy of my teammates steadies my resolve and silently guides my every deed. I will not fail.

Gobble Gobble

Happy Thanksgiving from Bagh-town!

Here's a peek at my Thanksgiving Dinner. I was running late (thanks to a little Thanksgiving greeting in the form of nearly 20 mortars that destroyed the non-tactical vehicle we use on the FOB, the first indirect fire attack since before Ramadan in September. Fortunately, no serious injuries were reported.) and had to sneak into the galley just after the doors closed at 8PM in order to secure my piece of Americana....and pumpkin pie.

"Dear Occupiers and Infidels...

Enjoy your Thanksgiving Dinner.

Hugs, Mookie al-Sadr."

In the eternal battle of Shrapnel vs. Suburban...shrapnel wins.

Thankfully, we have something better than GEICO. We have KBR!

Nonetheless, I managed to grab a plate of some of the basics--turkey, ham, stuffing, and cornbread--as the food was being put away! Sadly, no baked corn in sight. We even were offered the choice of eating from a plate with silverware, instead of the usual plastic. What the heck, it's a holiday, right, so why not live it up. Sadly, I had to eat by myself, as I had told my guys to go ahead and eat since I was locked down in my compound for nearly three hours, couldn't get out--thanks, Mookie (al-Sadr)--and didn't want them to miss dinner (cue the pitiful music).

The folks who work in the galley, most of whom are from India and Sri Lanka, really go out of their way on holidays--so thanks, fellas. I appreciate your service here, too!

A former colleague wrote to me yesterday. We don't communicate very often, but when I hear from Angela, there is a depth of compassion and sincerity in her writing that moves me. I know she is not a supporter of the war, but she is one of the few who is capable of supporting the warrior nonetheless. Yesterday, Angela wrote to me that:

It brings to mind the comment you shared when you wrote earlier about the military being at war while the rest of America was at the Mall. On Thanksgiving and everyday, I am grateful for your commitment, sense of duty and willingness to serve. Thank you, and thank you to all the men and women who serve (and have served) this country in uniform. Continued blessings, Angela.

Many of my friends and family ask what I would like for Christmas, and seem frustrated when I say there isn't anything that I need. But I have a suggestion. It's pretty simple, really. All that I want, and need, is nothing more than what Angela expressed to me in her note. But not for me alone.

When you see a man or woman in uniform, say "Thank you for your service." That's all it takes. Nothing more, nothing less. I don't know a single man or woman who wears the uniform that doesn't appreciate those 5 words. As they say in the Army..."too easy!"

Happy Thanksgiving, friends. I hope that you are blessed this year as I have been by the gift of our friendship.

Cautious Optimism

Even the American media are beginning to report what those of us on the ground here in Iraq have been saying for months.

Change is definitely in the air.

The exact cause, whether the quiet will hold, and whether the Iraqi government and its citizens can maximize the opportunity the quiet presents are the questions.

These media reports mirror what I hear every day from the Iraqi staff that I work with. For many, they are cautiously optimistic that change is in fact happening, and that the current lull is actually something more. But, after nearly 5 years of indiscriminate violence, my Iraqi friends seem almost afraid to voice their hope, in fear that doing so will shatter what little hope they have for peace.

For the Americans, the question front and center at home appears to be how to parlay play any possibility of military success into political advantage in both the short term budget process (which is being used by the Democrats to try to force withdrawal) and in the upcoming 2008 elections. It's clear that for those who oppose the war, the possibility of military success is an almost untenable event. It undermines their narrative, and makes Americans ask if they, in fact, have been wrong, and have put politics above victory. Ask yourself, is it possible to imagine the leadership on the left saying "Less than a year ago, we declared the mission, the war, and the fight over. Lost. We stand before you to say that we were wrong. Our military men and women have brought to Iraq what we didn't think possible."

Won't happen.

Ever.

Instead, the rhetoric of troops as victims will continue, and they will make token acknowledgement of military progress, while saying that without political progress, it is meaningless. Of course, it is incumbent on the Iraqi government to make something out of the quiet that has been handed to them at the cost of Iraqi and American blood. But, isn't it possible to do that, and still admit to Americans what most of here can see with our own eyes?

I mean, if the American media is starting to get it...how far behind can Democrats be?

From the most recent Newsweek: Baghdad Comes Alive

"For the first time in years, the Iraqi capital is showing signs of life. But the calm is all too fragile, and it's an opportunity the government cannot afford to miss."

The author writes:

"For the first time, however, returning to Baghdad after an absence of four months, I can actually say that things do seem to have gotten better, and in ways that may even be durable. "It's hard to believe," says a friend named Fareed, who has also gone and come back over the years to find the situation always worse, "but this time it's really not." Such words are uttered only grudgingly by those such as me, who have been disappointed again and again by Iraq, where a pessimist is merely someone who has had to endure too many optimists. "

And from the New York Times: U.S. Says Attacks in Iraq Fell to Feb. 2006 Level

"The American military said Sunday that the weekly number of attacks in Iraq had fallen to the lowest level since just before the February 2006 bombing of the Shiite shrine in Samarra, an event commonly used as a benchmark for the country’s worst spasm of bloodletting after the American invasion nearly five years ago. Data released at a news conference in Baghdad showed that attacks had declined to the lowest level since January 2006. It is the third week in a row that attacks have been at this reduced level."

Baghdad Jedida

New Baghdad Courthouse--Civil and Family Court

Today, I headed out to New Baghdad section of Baghdad, otherwise known as 9 Nisan, or Baghdad Jedidah. New Baghdad is adjacent to Sadr City to the southeast--the courthouse itself is about a mile from Muqtada-town, as we call it. The area is mixed Sunni-Shia, but the criminal court and its investigative judges moved to Sadr City more than a year ago, making equal protection under the law a questionable right of justice for the Sunni who must have their cases prosecuted there. The Court is moving into another rented facility nearby in the next few months.

New Baghdad is a Court of First Instance and Personal Status Court, or what we would call civil and family court. Most civil and family courts are very busy, with lots of Iraqis coming to formalize weddings and births before the court, settle business disputes, and property transactions, for example. It is also in the family courts where most women lawyers practice.

A couple walking from the Courthouse holding hands. Public displays of affection between men and women are rare, but I understand this couple mostly likely just registered their marriage or the birth of a child.

Some of the senior lawyers at the court were very wary of us, and one tried to prevent us from speaking to them without the permission of the "Chief Lawyer of all of Iraq." When I responded with "You mean Aswad al-Minshidi, the president of the Iraqi Bar? He is a very good friend, and has invited us to speak to his lawyers wherever we find them." the guy shut-up and let us in (not that he could have stopped us, but we’re not there to go kicking in doors…there are other guys around for that).

The local area is heavily influenced by Jaysh al-Madhi (JAM—Sadr's militia), which I suspect is the reason some lawyers were hesitant to speak with us, and none wanted their photos taken. That’s not to say that the lawyers were JAM—although they may have been—but JAM has its eyes and ears everywhere, and they have simply feared being seen “cooperating” with American forces.

In front of every Courthouse are "notaries"--people who draft pleadings and other legal documents. This notary has nothing more than a typewriter, a folding table and a plactic chair, but he's out there doing business every day, trying to make a living.

We found that our discussion the lawyers at the Court was not as robust as it often is. Usually, the lawyers flood us, and are eager to talk with us about the challenges of lawyering in modern Iraq. I left the room, thinking that it was perhaps my presence in uniform with weapons that was complicating the matter. When I came back after wandering the courthouse grounds taking pictures of the court’s security measures and talking with some of the Iraqis coming to the court, I found my civilian counterpart swamped with a large circle of Iraqi barristers, all making their case.

I stayed awake for this?

Michigan State 35
Penn State 31

Are there anyone Penn Staters left who cannot honestly state that it is time for a top to bottom retooling of the football program? From a season of serious disappointment on the field and gross misconduct by too many of our athletes, it's time for change.

Maybe it's just because its 3AM, have to be on duty in 4 hours, and that I stayed awake to listen to PSU throw away another victory, and settle contentedly into the fog of mediocrity in the middle of the Big Televen pack, where we are happy to let the occasional wave of being kind of, sort OK carry us into the Capital One Bowl every couple of years.

It's time, Joe. Retirement is calling your name. And sadly, it's being called by so many of who have so much respect for you. You have done more for college football, and for doing things the "right way", than any other coach in the game. But it is not solely about you, and, frankly, it doesn't seem like Penn State does it the "right way" anymore.

Success with honor? Not lately, at least not in the football program.

I'm hanging my head, because for the first time in my many years of being a Penn State fan, I can't even point to "honor" as a point of pride when looking for a bright spot in a bad season. It used to be possible to defend your staying when we had a clean program...but sadly, we have more thugs on scholarship than Miami or Florida State could ever dream of.

And we still lose.

Final Mission: The Journey Home

Early this afternoon, the military men and women of the 86th Combat Support Hospital, which shares the compound where I work, line the road and rooftops and render a salute as a helicopter carrying the remains of our battle dead depart the International Zone, beginning the journey to their place of final rest, as two more helicopters bearing wounded are inbound in the distance.

The soldier was an Army lieutenant, killed when his Stryker vehicle put itself between a fast approaching car that would not respond to the Stryker's direction to stop, and the other military vehicles very close to an International Zone checkpoint. The car was in fact a VBIED (vehicle-borne improvised explosive device), which exploded on impact with the Stryker at 8AM yesterday, killing the LT, two Iraqi citizens, and wounding an American severely. The explosion was only about 1/2 mile from my worksite, and shook the building.

The situation in Baghdad is greatly improved--but we must remember that we are still at war.

Remember our warriors, and these brave doctors and nurses.

Honor our fallen. They are our mission.

(Click on the photos--you will be able to see more clearly the military rendering a salute of honor.)

Baghdad on Fire

Setting Sun over Western Baghdad, 13 November 2007.