Awakened at 3 a.m. 15 Jan

The officer woke me up several minutes before 3 a.m. to tell me several options. One was to catch a space available Sherpa flight. Five hours later, we were in the terminal waiting area waiting for the roll call of passengers. At the time of showtime, there was no roll call announced. I started thinking that I bet the roll call announcements are for Air Force and Marine flights. Sherpas are Army. So I approach the front desk and ask them about Sherpa flights. The Marine tells me to board a bus that goes to the Sherpa terminal which we did. While we were on the flightline, we watched several Marines board CH-53 helicopters. In the distance was a C-17 Cargo plane and a C-5 (a very large cargo plane). I also noticed a platoon of Marines waiting for either a plane or helicopter. Their boots and weapons were muddy. I wondered if they just got back from a combat mission but I didn’t see the 1,000-yard stare. The Sherpa flight was pretty smooth, nothing what I expected. I expected some evasive maneuvers because we were flying over a war zone.

Arrival at Al Asad 15 Jan

Once we reached Al Asad, we were greeted by two Marine Public Affairs Officers, one was leaving the country shortly. The other had just arrived. We were told we would stay the night in a transient tent. It was among three large white tents. There were at least four heaters in each tent but they didn’t work that well. So the tent was very chilly and the mattress I chose was very spongy. The officer who just arrived in country told me that the next day’s flights would be posted at 3 a.m. He was going to stay up and wake me up with the flight times.

Third day at Rawah 14 Jan

There was a scheduled patrol but it was cancelled. Later in the day, Calvert and Martin were going to interview the commander of the Marine 2^nd Light Armored Vehicle Battalion, Bastian’s supervisor. Before that interview, the three of us decided to go to eat dinner at the Marine chow hall. This time we scored. They had BBQ steak. After the interview, we went back to the building that we were staying at. While we were there, an explosion rocked the building. A few minutes later another one. I had everyone put on their body armor and helmets and escorted them to a bunker. As I approached the bunker, I heard some of the MITT team members talking in their own private bunker (they build a fire in it every night just to pass the time and get away). I asked them if these booms were just illumination rounds and they said yes. So we returned to the building. On the way back to the building, we were able to still see one of the rounds light up Rawah. Seconds later, I caught a flash out of the corner of my eye (it was a round being shot from an artillery gun near the base). Seconds later, we watched the round illuminate Rawah. Later that night, we would board a CH-53 helicopter for Al Asad. Once the helos landed, we were told to follow this Marine to them. I led Calvert and Martin. At one time, the guy I was following disappeared in the night and on my right side, another line was formed. I joined this line and Martin and I arrived at the helicopter. Calvert showed up a few seconds later. It was nice as we neared the helicopter, the heat from the jet engines felt good on this chilly night. But the smell of fuel was a little too much. There were no empty seats left.

Second day at Rawah 13 Jan

 I woke up to a rainy and very dreary day. The sugar sand turned into a slippery gooey mess. It looked like light brown pudding. Needless to say it wasn’t fun to walk the 300 meters to the latrine trailer in shower shoes. Today also was going to be a patrol where the Iraqi Army battalion executive officer would visit his soldiers at three checkpoints in and around Rawah. I really didn’t want to go out and get my camera gear all wet. But I had no choice. At the first checkpoint we stopped at, the officer talked to his soldiers in a building with no lights. The only light coming in was daylight from the entrance. Calvert and Martin stayed out of the building because the officer didn’t want his soldiers filmed. The second checkpoint was in a house built from rock, a common way to build houses in Rawah. Martin couldn’t get over how the walls were so straight despite being built from rocks. After talking to several of his soldiers in the house, the officer decided to take a tour of other guards manning posts near a street or road. So off him and Bastian go. Calvert and Martin also decide to follow them. This put us in a very visible location for snipers. The third checkpoint we stopped at was several miles across the bridge over the Euphrates River. The building that the soldiers stay in was once a restaurant and coffee shop. There is still a large painting on a wall and a large Pepsi sign in Arabic painted on a wall looking out toward the road. Here is where we are fed an Iraqi lunch of chicken, homemade bread, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, apples, orange slices and Chai Tea. The vegetables were very sweet. I remember Calvert seemed a little puzzled when Bastian, I, and one of his team members just ripped the meat from the chicken’s bones. This is how the Iraqis eat. That night we ate frozen pizza pockets cooked in the microwave. One of the interpreters also gave us some pickles that tasted good.

January 12, Rawah, Iraq

I was awaked by one of Bastian’s officers coming into the building to check his secret e-mail account. He told us that he watched President Bush’s speech earlier that morning. He said Bush did a good job. Several minutes later after he left, a MITT Team Soldier told us that his wife just informed him via e-mail that our Brigade Combat Team had been extended. I immediately jumped out of my sleeping bag and sat up on the cot. I went to Bastian’s laptop computer and logged onto Army Knowledge Online, the Army’s intranet service. My thought was that we received a mass e-mail. While I was doing this, he told me his wife worked late hours at a St. Cloud, Minn., business. She heard it from the news. When I finally checked my e-mail there was nothing there. So I logged onto Star Tribune where I learned that yes we had been extended. What a blow that was. About an hour later, Bob Calvert of talkingwith heroes.com and Jim Martin, chief executive officer of Altitude Sports and Entertainment, showed up at Bastian’s door. Bastian had already called a team meeting to discuss the news. So while he was gone, I did not tell Calvert and Martin the news. Bastian told them the news after his meeting. I did check my e-mail from home and on it was a letter from the Brainerd Family Readiness Group. It was the Minnesota Adjutant General’s letter to our families informing them of the extension. It was sent at 11:27 p.m. The extension led the 10 p.m. newscasts. I immediately e-mailed my wife and parents, who live in Nebraska, the news.  The rest of the day was spent touring the camp. For dinner, I, Calvert and Martin decided to walk several hundred meters to the Marines’ chow hall. Bad choice. We were served shriveled up hamburgers, hot dogs and baked beans. After dinner, Bastian invited me to a meeting where a few of the SEALs would meet with the Iraqi Army battalion executive officer. We were served Chai Team of course. Usually when I have had Chai tea in this office there has been a table to place the saucer holding the small glass on. Not the case. So I was a little paranoid in drinking from the glass and holding the saucer at the same time. I could see myself knocking the glass off the saucer. While we drank the tea, the team leader told the officer what kind of training his team could offer. Afterwards, the officer told him his soldiers really didn’t need any training. After more discussion, it was decided that this team may come back and train about 20 of his soldiers. I sat in between two of these team members. I couldn’t help but notice that the digital watch of one had three numbers displayed that didn’t change. His time also didn’t. After the meeting, I was in the officer’s office when one of the team members, a noncommissioned officer, told him that his soldiers were way above the ones his team has been training. Bastian also told me outside that the team leader told him this battalion doesn’t need to be trained. About an hour or two later, Bastian and I returned to the office to introduce Calvert and Martin to the officer. He nearly broke my hand while shaking it this time. After a cup of very strong Chai tea, Calvert immediately wanted to do an interview with him. So after a short discussion, he decided to do it that night. I forgot my portable tape recorder in my camera bag. So I resorted to writing down quotes from the interpreter. Needless to say, he talked very fast. Calvert also asked this officer what kind of trust has been built up between the MITT team and his soldiers. He in turn asked for Bastian to give him his shoulder holster that held his 9mm pistol which he did. How’s that for trust?

Flight to Rawah

Two hours later, while sitting in the passenger terminal, we are told to grab our gear and follow this Marine outside. Once outside, I couldn’t help but notice several men armed to the teeth wearing military-like uniforms. I mean their M4 rifles with magazines inserted were painted desert camouflage, and had silencers. They also had night vision goggles on their helmets and were in communication with each other. Minutes later, we were bused to the tarmac and boarded the CH-53 helicopter quickly. About an hour later, we arrived at Camp Rawah. After getting off the helicopter we were met with a Marine. That is when I found out who these men were. They were Navy SEALS. It was funny too when their Marine escort told them that they had a meeting in the morning at 10 a.m. I could tell by their responses that that time was too early for them. I walked up the hill to the Marine command center and called my point of contact and was driven to the 2-136 CAB Military Transition Team area.

The second morning at Ali Al Salem

So I show up for the early morning roll call. I ask the Airman at the desk about what kind of chance I have of getting to Al Asad that day. I am under pressure because I have to meet two media reps at Camp Rawah the next day (they had been there for several days). I have a helicopter ride booked from Al Asad to Rawah that night also. He tells me to come back at noon which I do. I learn that there will be another roll call in two hours. So I decide to wait in this tent. Around 1400, an Airman asks who needs to go to Al Asad. I raise my hand and give her my ID card. Come to find out, there were seven seats open and I was on the seventh seat. So upon learning this, I had to walk several hundred meters to retrieve my body armor, helmet, backpack and camera bag from the tent I was staying in. So once we are confirmed for the flight, we are told to follow this civilian outside the tent. As we round the corner, there are more than 90 Marines in formation. A sergeant barked the order to line up in rows of four. And then they started counting off. The 24th or 25th Marine miscounted.  So he told them to make a right face. From here, each of their names was read off and they had to sound off. These Marines and myself later boarded a C-17 en route to Al Asad. They were flying into Iraq for the first time. I couldn’t help but notice how quickly most of them fell asleep on the flight also. Needless to say, I arrived at the base an half hour before the helicopter ride show time.

Waiting for flight to Al Asad

I arrived at Ali Al Salem in the afternoon. Immediately checked in. Was told to attend a mandatory roll call later in the day which I did in order to be considered for a space available flight to Camp Al Asad. After this roll call, was told to show up early in the morning for another roll call. So I went back to a tent, which wasn’t that well heated, and tried to sleep. I was among several Marines that were en route to Al Asad to visit it before their main party of Marines arrived. The lights are never turned off in these tents. About an hour after I hit the rack, I was woke up and told that I have to move to the next tent. This soldier thought the Marines were some top secret team or something. Probably because they had their weapons in hard plastic cases. Needless to say, I didn’t get much sleep.  

First trip of 2007

This will be my first trip outside my base in southern Iraq in 2007.  My destinations include Ali Al Salem in Kuwait, Al Asad Air Base in Iraq, Rawah, Iraq and Camp Fallujah, Iraq. My trip began Tuesday morning. I flew from my base to Ali Al Salem in a C-130 Cargo plane. Believe it or not it was a Japanese C-130 painted baby blue with the rising sun on it. A middle aged civilian woman told me to prepare for a rough landing as we boarded the bus to go out to the plane. I thought maybe it would have Japanese writing in it but it didn’t. In fact the Japanese soldier spoke pretty good English when he gave us some instructions. By the way, it was a very smooth landing. For those of you that have never flown in one of these planes, the noise inside the plane when its flying sounds like amplified crickets. From here, I will fly to Al Asad on another C-130.

Christmas Eve

My wife and I decided that my 4-year old daughter could open some of her presents via a webcam. So this meant I got up at 5 a.m. to webcam them (it was Christmas Eve in the states then). So I was able to watch my daughter rip open two of her presents from me. She was sometimes a blur because of the slow bandwidth but it was worth it. I opened my presents too. Then we would hold them up close to the camera. I had no voice so it was all instant messaging.  So hopefully she will remember this christmas eve.