About « Front lines Dispatch

About « Front lines Dispatch

See photos at www.redbullweb.com

Friendly Kuwait bus driver 9 March

About 30 of us soldiers, Marines and civilians prepare to board a bus from Ali Al Salem en route to the airfield where our C-130 is waiting (we’re flying to Al Asad this beautiful sunny morning). As we round the corner, I couldn’t help but hear a friendly southern voice telling us good morning. It was a middle-aged bus driver who stood about 5 foot 4 at the most. And she was something else. She recognized a Marine captain who rode her bus before and told him to sit behind her. Once we were all on the bus she told us no eating allowed. She had just cleaned up six Big Macs left on the bus and was “fixing” to sue McDonalds. Before we left, she asked if anyone was from Texas to which there were several who replied yes. So she went down the aisle and asked each one where they were from and she put her two cents worth in if she knew about that city or had been to that city.

During the more than 10 minute trip to the flightline she told us also that we were her precious cargo. She also said that last July the temperature was 160 degrees on the flightline. Unfortunately, we boarded the plane once we got to the flightline. I’m sure if we hadn’t I would have had more stories from this very nice woman.

                                
         

Pawlenty gets ride in ASV 7 March

I knew beforehand that Pawlenty was going to get a ride in the ASV to the airport. I just didn’t know where he was going to sit. Thankfully, he was put in the truck commander’s seat or the seat next to the driver. Once he got out to the vehicle, there was a question if he had to wear his helmet and body armor. The answer was yes. So he climbed on the side of the vehicle to get in the TC’s hatch. He stood up and fastened his helmet. I focused on this and watched out of the corner of my eye as the driver, Spc. Emmanuel Kintu, motioned the soldiers to move out of the way and I caught this with my camera. While Pawlenty was putting his helmet on, he remarked, he didn’t want to have a Dukakis moment.”

Town hall meeting

After looking at these two vehicles and brief by the BCT staff, the entourage entered the chapel for a town hall meeting with several soldiers from the 1-34 BTB. Pawlenty and Blum pretty much said the same thing they said during lunch. As Pawlenty went to shake hands with the soldiers in the front row, he noticed a private first class, John Stevens of Apple Valley, Minn. He thought this was rare for a soldier to be that low ranking in Iraq. So he called Blum over there. Blum immediately wanted to promote Stevens to a higher rank, specialist. Steven’s first sergeant was summoned who told Blum that Stevens had been only a PFC for a month.

As the town hall meeting was wrapping up, I noticed 1^st Lt. Matthew Majeski standing by himself and Pawlenty across from him. I knew something was up. And then I saw another soldier with a captain’s rank in his hand. I positioned myself for the shot and waited. Seconds later, Pawlenty and Blum were facing Majeski. Pawlenty ripped off Majeski’s lieutentant rank from the chest of his uniform and attached his captain’s rank and pounded it on using his fist (a tradition now with the new Army Combat uniforms). Blum did the same thing (pounded his chest). This photo was published in several Minnesota newspapers.

 

Military vehicle display

After lunch, the entourage walked a few feet to a area near the chapel where an up armored Humvee and Armored Security Vehicle were parked on display. Soldiers from the 1-34 Brigade Troops Battalion told Pawlenty about the Humvee’s features. But once he got to the ASV, he was in awe. Eventually, he climbed into the gunner’s cage. This is where I laid on my stomach in the open side hatch’s floor with one foot on the ground and one in the air to get the shot. Pawlenty must have said “wow” three times as he looked through the gun’s periscope. My favorite photo is when he turned the turret so his face was in the midday sun.

Minnesota Governor’s visit 7 March

About two weeks later, this day was going to be a busy one because the Minnesota Governor, Tim Pawlenty, and the National Guard Bureau Chief, Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, were coming to Tallil to visit for a few hours. Westberg and I arrive at the airfield and wait for their arrival. About an hour later than their expected arrival they arrive with Pawlenty being the first one out of the C-130. I take the standard photos of the our commander meeting and greeting both. They both get in Suburbans and head to the dining facility to have lunch with about 70 soldiers of the 134^th Brigade Support Battalion.Meanwhile, Westberg and I have to wait for their security team to get in the Ford Excursion we are driving. This meant that when we walked into the room where the soldiers were waiting, Pawlenty was already speaking to them. As we entered we heard him say that he was sorry for the BCT’s 125-day extension.

We both entered through the double doors and walked behind Pawlenty and Blum. Westberg even somehow opened the second door which made a little bit of noise. Neverless we went to work photographing Pawlenty and Blum. See photos, Page 39 www.redbullweb.com

Dinner at the embassy

I leave for BIAP that night. But not before eating at my 27^th dining facility in Iraq and Kuwait. It was on the American embassy grounds in the IZ. Entrées included roast beef sliced very thick, jumbo shrimp a separte bar where roast turkey and baked fish was available, a sub sandwhich bar, salad bar and dessert bar. And once you left this facility, you walked a few feet and wallah, there was an outdoor swimming pool and patio where bands played.I finally ended my mission by flying on a Black Hawk to BIAP where I waited several hours for a flight to Tallil on a C-130. I arrived at my room at zero dark thirty. In total for this 40-some day mission, I flew on four C-130s, one C-17, one Sherpa, five CH-53s, two CH-46s and two Black Hawks. 

Black hawks lifting off 21 Feb

While we are here, we notice two Black Hawks landing in the park. We both get the bright idea to photograph them as they lift off with the swords in the background. Dave goes in front of them. I stay behind them. After several minutes, they lift off. I get what I think is a great shot of both of them lifting off with the swords in the background. Dave wasn’t pleased with what he got.

Are the statues going to be tore down?

We arrive at the statues on time and notice even before we get close to the park, several semi trucks with flatbed trailers lining the street before and after the park. Inside the main park, there are also trucks and trailers five abreast two rows deep.I thought to myself, we are going to witness history today. But as the morning wore on, all we observed were units taking their group photos by the statues. The cranes never were started.The park’s pavilion like structure also is where Saddam was photographed holding a rifle in the air and firing it. So I convinced Dave to take me to this location. The pavilion was trashed with American graffiti and there was broken glass everywhere. There is a part that juts out from the rest of the seating area. This is where he fired his rifle from. Several of the seats also had air conditioner vents at arm rest level. There also were three seats with these vents where he supposedly sat behind the area that jutted out. There was still padding on the floor where these seats were.

Climbing up into the arm 20 Feb

Dave and I notice fellow soldiers walking around the back of one of the statues. A little while later, a soldier poked his head out of a hole in the fist. So we decide to see what this is all about. To reach the opening of the statue where there are several flights of stairs, we have to scale a metal ladder haphazardly placed against the statue. Needless to say, you had to make sure you had your weight on it for it to stay upright.Once we get to the opening, climbing up the first flight of vertical stairs wasn’t bad. But the second and third were another story. They became more compressed for each flight. I could barely squeeze through the last flight with my camera with a short wide angle zoom lens on it. Once we reached the platform after this flight, the journey was over. I presume the soldier that we saw peak out of the hole somehow walked around the platform and stretched his neck out. I wasn’t going to do it considering there wasn’t anybody down on the ground that could take a photo.After we got down, Dave interviewed some soldiers about what the statue meant to them. One officer told us that what looked like speed bumps at each entrance to the statues were in fact Iranian soldiers helmets. He said Saddam made it a point for his soldiers to walk over these speed bumps in ceremonies.
Before leaving, it was sunset and I took what thought would be the final sunset of the statues.