Part One
Counterflow: So Love May Find Us. This is a long song/short film cut into two parts. Youtube and every other site I've looked at have a 15 minute time limit. The song is almost 20, so here's 10 and 8 in two parts. The footage and photos are mine, the music - Australian band extraordinaire ,"The Church."
Part Two
Showing posts with label Iraqi Police. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Iraqi Police. Show all posts
Monday, April 11, 2011
Thursday, August 6, 2009
American Soldiers
A couple of friends asked me about my blog this morning. So I "tweeted" that I'm taking a break, on Twitter. Mostly because I'm in-between places right now, in transit, and on my way home. It's nearly a two week process, moving an entire army company from Iraq back to the states through Kuwait, and that's with all good weather. But this morning with a wireless connection and little else to do, I figured I'd post a counter balance to my previous theme. It may or may not need to be said, but I'm proud of being a soldier and of the people I work with. I was primed to get stuck on the Hero/Soldier theme as I encountered those Facebook groups right after a couple weeks of hearing a lot of silly talk from soldiers on the subject of returning home. Some guys (and girls), particularly the younger set, see the return home as a license to do whatever they want when they get back. As if going crazy is something they deserve, like a spring break from school amplified. Perhaps it's all just, could it be?, me dealing with concerns or even worry for these guys doing something dangerous or regrettable? Am I really growing up finally?
But I've gone on enough about all that. What follows is a selection of photos taken over the last 15 months of my fellow American soldiers from the 110th MP Company, one of the very last units in Iraq (if not the very last) to begin and complete a 15 month deployment.
Gunner Spc. Amato giving a wave.
Sgt. Anderson and PFC Smith, we did a lot of training with ASVs (the vehicle), but barely used them at all in theater.
Spc. Chambers, a meet and greet with locals. Even if the young guys talk big, we're still fortunate that our mission involved this kind of contact, and not the kind of "contact!" we train for in basic.
Spc. Hackler
It was often interesting to watch how receptive, or not, the Iraqi Police were to our assistance or advice, particularly coming from an American female. Sgt. Irlbeck with the local cops.
Pfc. Johnson with the tough guy look, I think he forgot there was a purple bear on his vest.
Spc. Ward while at an IP station. The "shoulder pads" are called DAPs by us, only used by gunners by the end of the deployment.
This is a picture I got from another soldier's Facebook. Judging by the DCUs this was most likely '04-'06.
Ever curious, the local kids who have lived their entire lives with American presence, gather around whenever we would show up.
A muddy field the day after a day of rain, I think it was April, the only time I saw any precipitation in Diwaniya. The black mask is worn by an Iraqi interpreter.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Night Moves
Restrictions as a sign of progress. Anymore, our missions take place at night. This is how it's been for almost a month now, and in the next couple weeks of being here it will stay the same. Various objectives, as simple as moving personnel, or other night moves of a more tactical nature, have to be done with IP escorts within the city. A mission that takes place along main routes still moves without Iraqi escort. This may be difficult to picture back in the states, but it makes sense. Main routes have long since been established and are typically busy like a major interstate back home with supply and fuel convoys.
The restrictions for me mean limited photo opportunities and a lessened opportunity for any kind of contact with locals. But the following set of pictures are fairly interesting. The blurred lights of travel after sunset could be almost any city, and in fact at times, as I'm dreary eyed, and on a mission long enough that I've even become bored with my ipod, it can appear, for a moment, in that lapse of full consciousness, that I'm back in the states, in Colorado Springs, Jacksonville, or passing through Daytona.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Iraq: US Out of Cities By June 30
Words: ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer
Photos: Versa Vice
BAGHDAD -- Iraq's government Monday ruled out allowing U.S. combat troops to remain in Iraqi cities after the June 30 deadline for their withdrawal, despite concern that Iraqi forces cannot cope with the security challenge following a resurgence of bombings in recent weeks. Asking U.S. forces to stay in the cities, including volatile Mosul in the north, would be embarrassing for Iraq's prime minister, who has staked his political future on claims that the country has turned the corner in the war against Sunni and Shiite extremists. The departure of heavily armed combat troops from bases inside the cities is important psychologically to many Iraqis, who are eager to regain control of their country after six years of war and U.S. military occupation.
U.S. officials played down the Iraqi decision, with Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman saying it's up to the Iraqi government to request an extension of the U.S. presence in the cities and "we intend to fully abide by" terms of the security agreement.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, told reporters Monday that violence had not risen to a level that would force a change in the withdrawal schedule.
Last month, however, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. Raymond Odierno, said he was worried that Iraqi forces won't be ready to assume full responsibility for Mosul by the end of June. Privately, some U.S. officers fear the Iraqis may lose control of Mosul within a few months after American forces pull out of Iraq's third largest city, where al-Qaida and other Sunni militants remain active.
The U.S.-Iraq security agreement that took effect this year calls for American combat troops to leave urban areas by the end of June, with all U.S. forces out of the country by the end of 2011. But a series of high-profile bombings has raised questions whether Iraqi forces can assume more security responsibilities, especially in Mosul. Nationwide, at least 451 people were killed in political violence last month, compared with 335 in March, 288 in February and 242 in January, according to an Associated Press tally. Even in Baghdad, where violence is down sharply from levels of two years ago, attacks are continuing.
On Monday, two car bombs exploded almost simultaneously near the Oil Ministry and a police academy, killing at least three people and wounding eight. Although those casualties were relatively low, the attack was significant because it occurred in a sensitive, well-guarded area in the heart of the Iraqi capital. The security agreement allows Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to request an extension of the deadlines if he feels Iraqi forces need help. But the prime minister's spokesman said the withdrawal deadlines, including the June 30 date, were "non-extendable."
"These dates cannot be extended and this is consistent with the transfer and handover of responsibility to Iraqi security forces," spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said in a statement.
Kurdish officials would prefer to keep U.S. troops in Mosul after the deadline. "I have doubts about security and stability in Mosul," Kurdish politician Saadi Ahmed Pera said. "Therefore, U.S forces should stay in Mosul until all the pending problems among political groups in the city are solved." However, many other key Iraqi politicians, including the newly elected leadership in Mosul, oppose keeping U.S. combat troops in urban areas after the June deadline. Al-Maliki, a Shiite, needs the support of the Sunni leadership in Mosul as he prepares for national elections by the end of the year.
The new governor of the Mosul area told the AP on Monday that the departure of U.S. troops from the city will actually reduce violence, since much of it is directed at the Americans. "A U.S. withdrawal will reduce the number of targets," Gov. Atheel al-Nujaifi said. "We believe it's important for U.S. troops to stay in camps outside the cities to provide help only if needed." The requirement to leave the cities applies only to combat troops and not to trainers, advisers and others in noncombat roles. The agreement does not preclude combat soldiers from patrolling in Baghdad, Mosul and other cities from bases outside the city limits.
But prominent Shiite lawmaker Abbas al-Bayati said extending the June 30 deadline would "send the wrong signal to the Iraqi people" that the Americans might remain in the country indefinitely. "Thus both sides must stand together to fulfill the withdrawal timetable," he said. U.S. combat troops largely pulled out of many cities in 2005 and 2006 but returned a year later as part of the U.S. troop surge that was designed to protect civilians from Shiite and Sunni extremists living in their neighborhoods.
This time, U.S. and Iraqi officials are gambling that Iraqi security forces are better trained and equipped to prevent the return of extremists than they were years ago. Extending the deadline would also call into question al-Maliki's claim that his government has set the country on the road to stability -- despite the occasional spike in violence.
On Monday, al-Maliki told an audience in Paris that he would not allow Iraq to be used as a "base for any terrorist organization" and that the country was ready for foreign investment. Nevertheless, U.S. officials believe security in Iraq remains fragile because the various religious and ethnic groups have still not agreed on power-sharing arrangements necessary for long-term stability.
___
Associated Press Writers Mazin Yahya in Baghdad and Qassim Abdul-Zahra and Jenny Barchfield in Paris contributed to this report.
Photos: Versa Vice
BAGHDAD -- Iraq's government Monday ruled out allowing U.S. combat troops to remain in Iraqi cities after the June 30 deadline for their withdrawal, despite concern that Iraqi forces cannot cope with the security challenge following a resurgence of bombings in recent weeks. Asking U.S. forces to stay in the cities, including volatile Mosul in the north, would be embarrassing for Iraq's prime minister, who has staked his political future on claims that the country has turned the corner in the war against Sunni and Shiite extremists. The departure of heavily armed combat troops from bases inside the cities is important psychologically to many Iraqis, who are eager to regain control of their country after six years of war and U.S. military occupation. U.S. officials played down the Iraqi decision, with Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman saying it's up to the Iraqi government to request an extension of the U.S. presence in the cities and "we intend to fully abide by" terms of the security agreement.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, told reporters Monday that violence had not risen to a level that would force a change in the withdrawal schedule.
Last month, however, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. Raymond Odierno, said he was worried that Iraqi forces won't be ready to assume full responsibility for Mosul by the end of June. Privately, some U.S. officers fear the Iraqis may lose control of Mosul within a few months after American forces pull out of Iraq's third largest city, where al-Qaida and other Sunni militants remain active. The U.S.-Iraq security agreement that took effect this year calls for American combat troops to leave urban areas by the end of June, with all U.S. forces out of the country by the end of 2011. But a series of high-profile bombings has raised questions whether Iraqi forces can assume more security responsibilities, especially in Mosul. Nationwide, at least 451 people were killed in political violence last month, compared with 335 in March, 288 in February and 242 in January, according to an Associated Press tally. Even in Baghdad, where violence is down sharply from levels of two years ago, attacks are continuing.
On Monday, two car bombs exploded almost simultaneously near the Oil Ministry and a police academy, killing at least three people and wounding eight. Although those casualties were relatively low, the attack was significant because it occurred in a sensitive, well-guarded area in the heart of the Iraqi capital. The security agreement allows Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to request an extension of the deadlines if he feels Iraqi forces need help. But the prime minister's spokesman said the withdrawal deadlines, including the June 30 date, were "non-extendable.""These dates cannot be extended and this is consistent with the transfer and handover of responsibility to Iraqi security forces," spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said in a statement.
Kurdish officials would prefer to keep U.S. troops in Mosul after the deadline. "I have doubts about security and stability in Mosul," Kurdish politician Saadi Ahmed Pera said. "Therefore, U.S forces should stay in Mosul until all the pending problems among political groups in the city are solved." However, many other key Iraqi politicians, including the newly elected leadership in Mosul, oppose keeping U.S. combat troops in urban areas after the June deadline. Al-Maliki, a Shiite, needs the support of the Sunni leadership in Mosul as he prepares for national elections by the end of the year.
The new governor of the Mosul area told the AP on Monday that the departure of U.S. troops from the city will actually reduce violence, since much of it is directed at the Americans. "A U.S. withdrawal will reduce the number of targets," Gov. Atheel al-Nujaifi said. "We believe it's important for U.S. troops to stay in camps outside the cities to provide help only if needed." The requirement to leave the cities applies only to combat troops and not to trainers, advisers and others in noncombat roles. The agreement does not preclude combat soldiers from patrolling in Baghdad, Mosul and other cities from bases outside the city limits. But prominent Shiite lawmaker Abbas al-Bayati said extending the June 30 deadline would "send the wrong signal to the Iraqi people" that the Americans might remain in the country indefinitely. "Thus both sides must stand together to fulfill the withdrawal timetable," he said. U.S. combat troops largely pulled out of many cities in 2005 and 2006 but returned a year later as part of the U.S. troop surge that was designed to protect civilians from Shiite and Sunni extremists living in their neighborhoods.
This time, U.S. and Iraqi officials are gambling that Iraqi security forces are better trained and equipped to prevent the return of extremists than they were years ago. Extending the deadline would also call into question al-Maliki's claim that his government has set the country on the road to stability -- despite the occasional spike in violence. On Monday, al-Maliki told an audience in Paris that he would not allow Iraq to be used as a "base for any terrorist organization" and that the country was ready for foreign investment. Nevertheless, U.S. officials believe security in Iraq remains fragile because the various religious and ethnic groups have still not agreed on power-sharing arrangements necessary for long-term stability.
___
Associated Press Writers Mazin Yahya in Baghdad and Qassim Abdul-Zahra and Jenny Barchfield in Paris contributed to this report.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Flagged: The New Iraq's First American Tourist
A collection of shots from a few days ago. When I get back to Camp Echo unintentional themes surface when I sit at my computer and review the contents of my camera. In this case flags, Iraqi and US. This first one, on a wall within the walls of another central south eastern IP station, is a sub-artistic depiction of this country's recent maladjustments to huge and hasty change. Recently I started a Facebook account and mentioned that I felt like a tourist at times amidst a discussion with other soldiers on how hard or easy it is to be deployed in Iraq at this point in time. It's true, I had more difficult times in my life for various reasons as a civilian in the states. As well, I know '04 thru '07 was a near constant Hell for coalition soldiers deployed here, but I understand the pain of separation from loved ones, and the anxiety of boredom that these young soldiers deal with daily. Being older and having developed ways to cope with such things as a civilian, I hope I can as a soldier and a medic, help other soldiers do the same here and now.
In this photo, IPs load up for a patrol, share water in the heat, and wait within walls for another policeman to open the gate. Taken while we waited in our trucks.
An Iraqi Army gunner's post near dusk at a check point in Diwaniya. The spring season heats into summer and the violence level in Iraq follows the same pattern, heating up in varying degrees of bloodshed each year. IPs and IA are currently the most common targets outside tribal clashes.
The American flag and soldiers, focused and imposed on the setting, as a woman visits the police station.
Another shot from the ride home. I never know how shots are gonna take. The weighty armored truck jack hammers the mixed terrain surface of rural roads at high speed and I delete two thirds of what I take right after I get it. Often I get frustrated with missing the fly-by sights just out of frame and ready for the next chance. I could for moments at a time forget that I'm an army medic "...just waiting for the worst day of a soldier's life..." as I recall a sergeant saying to me one morning before mission. But I never forget this. I just keep myself occupied in the meantime pretending to be the new Iraq's first American tourist, embedded with the troops.
Another shot of our flag with the blurred faceless IP, not unlike the policemen that become daily statistics and world headlines.
These workers in a garden grove, just off the road, taking a break in the shade.
He almost blends into the background against the t-walls with the truck, naturally. Almost invisible at first glance.
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