We finally made it to Riley. Traveling with the Army usually involves a lot of waiting. For us, it entailed leaving Baghdad on a Thursday and arriving at Riley on a Sunday night. Along the way were two plane rides (one of which was around 20 hours, counting fuel stops), no less than four bus trips, a very invasive Customs search in Kuwait, and lots and lots of waiting. For the next couple of days we will do some outprocessing stuff: Turn in some equipment, get a bunch of briefings, go through some medical screenings, talk to some counselors, and be told lots of things not to do. We are back in the same barracks we were before we deployed. The redeployment people have assured us they do this a lot and will get us home as soon as possible. Last night's stuff actually went pretty smooth, I was surprised. We should be done and on our way home by Wednesday.
It is a bit of culture shock to be home. For one, the weather is cold for us. When we left, it was still into the 100s during the day, and here it is cloudy, overcast and in the low 60s. There are also trees here, and there is also rain. Another wierd part: We turned in our weapons last night, and today is the first day that we are unarmed in a year.
Some guys did the inevitable last night and drank for the sake of drinking. The Big Army thinks that if they can make it difficult for Soldiers to get alcohol, then we won't drink it. Foolish thinking, and it makes some guys want to get it more, just to spite the system. Our team was subdued compared to others.
It was good to catch up with some of the other teams and hear their experiences. Some teams did well, some teams made a lot of progress, and some didn't. We all have similar stories, and we are all coming to similar conclusions about the future of Iraq. I read in the news this morning about two big car bombs in Baghdad, and also of the failed attempts to reach agreement on Iraq's new election laws. I chalk this up to growing pains. Most of our conclusions were similar: The Iraqi Government will come to grips with itself over time, and things have to happen on their schedule. It won't be pretty, and it certainly won't be Western, but it will have to be by their way if it is to be lasting. That's not overly optimistic, and it won't be pretty, but it does have potential.
Off to mandatory briefings and Powerpoint death. You would have thought that since we all spent 20 hours on a plane together, we could have knocked out some of the mandatory post-deployment stuff, but no. Oh well.
It is still good to be home. Take care.
Ron
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Still waiting
Not home yet. It seems a guy fat fingered his keyboard when he was ordering our plane to go home and he screwed up the order, so we continue to wait.
I bet HIS plane leaves on time.
The whole team is back together in a tent, but amazingly, you can buy wireless internet access...
Should find out something tomorrow on when we fly.
Ron
I bet HIS plane leaves on time.
The whole team is back together in a tent, but amazingly, you can buy wireless internet access...
Should find out something tomorrow on when we fly.
Ron
Saturday, October 10, 2009
TOA (Transfer of Authority)
After a long road of training and deployment, the new guys are here and settled, the equipment has been accounted for and signed over, and the new team is settling into their roles and figuring stuff out. After four very busy days of inventories, file sharing, knowledge transfer, and Iraqi Army engagements, I find myself intensely bored today. I told my replacement I’d stay out of his way, and where I would be if he needed anything. I slept in, I went to the range, and I worked out. The new team worked through problems and issues, and I found I had to force myself to stay out of their decisions—I had my chance, and now it’s their time.
Tonight we had the big going away dinner/welcoming dinner with the Brigade Commander. Lamb kabobs, hummus, some unidentified vegetables, fruit and bread, and lots of chai, too. We talked about the upcoming elections, Che Guevarra, how to make the mystery vegetables, about how spicy food gives you heartburn. The Brigade Commander burned through a half a pack of cigarettes in two hours- his 4th pack of the day. I said my goodbyes as we moved about the headquarters. They gave us gifts, thanked us for all we did, and some were very sad to see us go. Some of them I will wonder about, and some of them I will miss.
Tomorrow we will move up to BIAP and wait on a plane. Life doesn’t stop for the IA; tomorrow the Brigade gets inspected by the Ministry of Defense (MOD). There has been a flurry of activity and a lot of hard work has gone into passing the inspection and putting the best foot forward. I am sure their hard work, along with some bribery, will bring passing, if not commendable results.
Not sure how I feel about leaving. Even at the end I am still thinking of things we can do and ways to try to influence the Brigade Commander to do them. But my time has passed. At the end of the day I can say I did my best. We did everything we could within reason prior to 30 June, and we tried to do all we could post-30 June, but on many days they would have nothing of it. Some days I wondered if we did any good at all. If I were to summarize our time here I would say it was very productive up until the 30 June deadline, then after that it was only marginally productive. In some ways we have regressed, but I struggle with calling it regression, maybe instead it is more along the lines of growing pains. 30 June may be seen as a tipping point for Iraq: The training wheels are off, and they are fumbling with their newfound independence, sort of like watching an infant try to walk—they are sure to make an occasional trip, and sometimes the falls will hurt. As stated in previous posts, some days I think Iraq has a bright future, other days I’m not so sure, at least not in the short term. What matters now is that it is up to them to figure it out. American units have certainly done all they could, but we can’t do it for them. They have to find an Iraqi way.
What happens next: In about two weeks we should be back at Fort Riley for some outprocessing, and then it’s back home. For me there are personal adjustments to tend to. I haven’t lived at home for over two years, and have grown accustomed to an austere lifestyle that is very work-oriented. I am off to a new job back in the Real Army that has a bunch of rules and it will probably be nothing like the past 15 months. I am sure my family will have to adjust to ‘having dad around.’ I have to learn the social and sporting events schedule of a 12-year old, and actually think of someone other than myself. This may in fact be the most difficult part of the deployment.
Not sure about what to do with the Blog, or how to end it. It has been very introspective, and it has also been a good way to constructively vent.
Thanks for reading, and best of luck to the new team. Take care,
Ron
Tonight we had the big going away dinner/welcoming dinner with the Brigade Commander. Lamb kabobs, hummus, some unidentified vegetables, fruit and bread, and lots of chai, too. We talked about the upcoming elections, Che Guevarra, how to make the mystery vegetables, about how spicy food gives you heartburn. The Brigade Commander burned through a half a pack of cigarettes in two hours- his 4th pack of the day. I said my goodbyes as we moved about the headquarters. They gave us gifts, thanked us for all we did, and some were very sad to see us go. Some of them I will wonder about, and some of them I will miss.
Tomorrow we will move up to BIAP and wait on a plane. Life doesn’t stop for the IA; tomorrow the Brigade gets inspected by the Ministry of Defense (MOD). There has been a flurry of activity and a lot of hard work has gone into passing the inspection and putting the best foot forward. I am sure their hard work, along with some bribery, will bring passing, if not commendable results.
Not sure how I feel about leaving. Even at the end I am still thinking of things we can do and ways to try to influence the Brigade Commander to do them. But my time has passed. At the end of the day I can say I did my best. We did everything we could within reason prior to 30 June, and we tried to do all we could post-30 June, but on many days they would have nothing of it. Some days I wondered if we did any good at all. If I were to summarize our time here I would say it was very productive up until the 30 June deadline, then after that it was only marginally productive. In some ways we have regressed, but I struggle with calling it regression, maybe instead it is more along the lines of growing pains. 30 June may be seen as a tipping point for Iraq: The training wheels are off, and they are fumbling with their newfound independence, sort of like watching an infant try to walk—they are sure to make an occasional trip, and sometimes the falls will hurt. As stated in previous posts, some days I think Iraq has a bright future, other days I’m not so sure, at least not in the short term. What matters now is that it is up to them to figure it out. American units have certainly done all they could, but we can’t do it for them. They have to find an Iraqi way.
What happens next: In about two weeks we should be back at Fort Riley for some outprocessing, and then it’s back home. For me there are personal adjustments to tend to. I haven’t lived at home for over two years, and have grown accustomed to an austere lifestyle that is very work-oriented. I am off to a new job back in the Real Army that has a bunch of rules and it will probably be nothing like the past 15 months. I am sure my family will have to adjust to ‘having dad around.’ I have to learn the social and sporting events schedule of a 12-year old, and actually think of someone other than myself. This may in fact be the most difficult part of the deployment.
Not sure about what to do with the Blog, or how to end it. It has been very introspective, and it has also been a good way to constructively vent.
Thanks for reading, and best of luck to the new team. Take care,
Ron
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Packing Up
We got word our replacements will be here 'soon.' I wasn't expecting them quite so early, I thought I had a couple of more days on our own. I'll get over it.
Today was busy. Lots of preparation to do, tomorrow (after college football, of course) will be spent cleaning and tidying up. We will spend around a week with the new guys, showing them the area, introducing them to our IA counterparts, and visiting the US bases we get support from. Kinda wierd to think this is actually the end. You think about the day you will leave constantly, but holy crap.... It's right around the corner. I better pack.
Yesterday we went to BIAP to drop some stuff off and take care of some administrative business. We spent the night, and I actually had to think about my daily routine and how this was different from the past year. Every day in the morning I have pretty much done the same thing (unless we had a mission or something). I was stooped. It required effort. In a way it is indicative of the culture shock guys experience when they come home. You get used to living a very austere life, where you don't have to worry about what to wear, and your schedule is fairly routine. At home it is different. And driving will likely be a whole new experience, as we drive a little different here. I don't sit in traffic here-- people get out of the way. Fast. We don't stop at stop signs, and we drive in the middle of the road, usually too fast. Driving is going to be interesting.
Tonight I said so long to the XO. He is a capable officer, and he is actually quite good. The best thing Iraq could do is put him in charge of a Brigade. He is taking off early for leave as his three year old daughter is quite sick and he needs to go home for a couple of days. We were able to get a lot of things done with him, and he believes in many of the western ways, particularly in terms of staff management. I watched him get frustrated over the year about the same things I was frustrated about. We would commiserate in his office at night as he hacked his way through the mountain of 'mail' that required his review and signature. The IA is not very automated, and every piece of guidance issued requires a signature. He would literally read a stack about two feet high of paperwork every night, all of it was stuffed into these plastic restaurant-type menu folders. The signature is very powerful in Iraq.
As a going away gift, I decided to give him a good pen, particularly since the signature means so much in Iraq. That and a laser pointer thingy. They are amazed at the simplest flashy things. He is a good guy and I wish him well.
Gotta go pack. Hope all's well. Take care.
Ron
Today was busy. Lots of preparation to do, tomorrow (after college football, of course) will be spent cleaning and tidying up. We will spend around a week with the new guys, showing them the area, introducing them to our IA counterparts, and visiting the US bases we get support from. Kinda wierd to think this is actually the end. You think about the day you will leave constantly, but holy crap.... It's right around the corner. I better pack.
Yesterday we went to BIAP to drop some stuff off and take care of some administrative business. We spent the night, and I actually had to think about my daily routine and how this was different from the past year. Every day in the morning I have pretty much done the same thing (unless we had a mission or something). I was stooped. It required effort. In a way it is indicative of the culture shock guys experience when they come home. You get used to living a very austere life, where you don't have to worry about what to wear, and your schedule is fairly routine. At home it is different. And driving will likely be a whole new experience, as we drive a little different here. I don't sit in traffic here-- people get out of the way. Fast. We don't stop at stop signs, and we drive in the middle of the road, usually too fast. Driving is going to be interesting.
Tonight I said so long to the XO. He is a capable officer, and he is actually quite good. The best thing Iraq could do is put him in charge of a Brigade. He is taking off early for leave as his three year old daughter is quite sick and he needs to go home for a couple of days. We were able to get a lot of things done with him, and he believes in many of the western ways, particularly in terms of staff management. I watched him get frustrated over the year about the same things I was frustrated about. We would commiserate in his office at night as he hacked his way through the mountain of 'mail' that required his review and signature. The IA is not very automated, and every piece of guidance issued requires a signature. He would literally read a stack about two feet high of paperwork every night, all of it was stuffed into these plastic restaurant-type menu folders. The signature is very powerful in Iraq.
As a going away gift, I decided to give him a good pen, particularly since the signature means so much in Iraq. That and a laser pointer thingy. They are amazed at the simplest flashy things. He is a good guy and I wish him well.
Gotta go pack. Hope all's well. Take care.
Ron
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Iraq's Future
As mentioned below, I don't know what will happen to Iraq. Right now there is a great deal of jockeying for power. Political alliances are being made, and some say Maliki is selling his soul to the devil to stay in power. There are LOTS of political parties in Iraq. The sheiks and tribal leaders are being catered to in an effort to suck up for political influence. Lost in this power grab are the Kurds. I think they just want to be left alone, which leads to theory #1.
#1: The possibility of a Federated Iraq with Kurdish, Shia and Sunni zones exists. The trouble with this is Turkey, who does not want an independent Kurdistan. I don't think Iran wants this either
#2: Maliki and a combined Shiite block gain power, and Iraq becomes an Iranian-influenced Shia country. While this is possible, not sure it is feasible. The Sunnis can prevent this, if they show up to vote this time. And the Kurds get a vote.
#3: The whole thing implodes with another sitting of a lame duck administration that spends more time attempting to hold on to power than fixing things and governing. Sadly, for the next couple of years, I think this is most likely. Iraq still requires a lot of outside aid and support. This is a country that has never really had an elected stable government, at least not in current generations. The installed monarchy of the 50s gave way to four different governments in 10 years, and it took Saddam two attempts to get to power. Once he got in he locked everything down, and strangely, things ran rather well for a dictatorship. The country at least functioned. Well, it functioned up until it invaded Iran in the 80s. From there it went to pot. Ironically, the most stable this country has been is when it had a ruthless dictator in charge.
Interesting to hear of Iran's pursuit of nukes. They are using the same arguments Saddam used in the 90s: If I tell the world I have WMD, no one will attack me and I will remain in power. Post invasion After Action reports and interviews of former regime officers tell stories of how Saddam was more afraid of being attacked by Iran than being invaded by the US. It is evident that Iran doesn't like an independent Iraq (hence the bad guys and bad stuff from Iran we keep finding). I asked my Iraqi Brigade Commander a question last night: How long until you are again at war with Iran? He said if the US and the west (UN, NATO, etc) all pull away from Iraq, he is certain Iran will attack Iraq, mostly because it is vulnerable: Iraq does not have many of the enablers (aviation, artillery, air defense, etc.) most modern armies have. However, he said if the west (ok, the US) pledges to support Iraq with defensive capabilities (air defense, artillery, aviation, etc) Iraq's confidence will be bolstered (but hopefully not to the point where it will feel its oats and attack Iran).
Any way you cut the cheese, the cheese still stinks. The cheese is also very expensive, it has a bad attitude, and it will take a lot to get the cheese to the best level of cheese possible.
Anyway, that's my opinion tonight. It changes. Some days I have high hopes for this place, other days I wonder if it will last past 2010 and the January elections.
Either way, I'll be watching it from my sofa at home, and I'll probably be drinking a beer while I do it. We have around 20 days left, and I am ready to go. A year is a long time.
Hope you are well. Take care.
Ron
#1: The possibility of a Federated Iraq with Kurdish, Shia and Sunni zones exists. The trouble with this is Turkey, who does not want an independent Kurdistan. I don't think Iran wants this either
#2: Maliki and a combined Shiite block gain power, and Iraq becomes an Iranian-influenced Shia country. While this is possible, not sure it is feasible. The Sunnis can prevent this, if they show up to vote this time. And the Kurds get a vote.
#3: The whole thing implodes with another sitting of a lame duck administration that spends more time attempting to hold on to power than fixing things and governing. Sadly, for the next couple of years, I think this is most likely. Iraq still requires a lot of outside aid and support. This is a country that has never really had an elected stable government, at least not in current generations. The installed monarchy of the 50s gave way to four different governments in 10 years, and it took Saddam two attempts to get to power. Once he got in he locked everything down, and strangely, things ran rather well for a dictatorship. The country at least functioned. Well, it functioned up until it invaded Iran in the 80s. From there it went to pot. Ironically, the most stable this country has been is when it had a ruthless dictator in charge.
Interesting to hear of Iran's pursuit of nukes. They are using the same arguments Saddam used in the 90s: If I tell the world I have WMD, no one will attack me and I will remain in power. Post invasion After Action reports and interviews of former regime officers tell stories of how Saddam was more afraid of being attacked by Iran than being invaded by the US. It is evident that Iran doesn't like an independent Iraq (hence the bad guys and bad stuff from Iran we keep finding). I asked my Iraqi Brigade Commander a question last night: How long until you are again at war with Iran? He said if the US and the west (UN, NATO, etc) all pull away from Iraq, he is certain Iran will attack Iraq, mostly because it is vulnerable: Iraq does not have many of the enablers (aviation, artillery, air defense, etc.) most modern armies have. However, he said if the west (ok, the US) pledges to support Iraq with defensive capabilities (air defense, artillery, aviation, etc) Iraq's confidence will be bolstered (but hopefully not to the point where it will feel its oats and attack Iran).
Any way you cut the cheese, the cheese still stinks. The cheese is also very expensive, it has a bad attitude, and it will take a lot to get the cheese to the best level of cheese possible.
Anyway, that's my opinion tonight. It changes. Some days I have high hopes for this place, other days I wonder if it will last past 2010 and the January elections.
Either way, I'll be watching it from my sofa at home, and I'll probably be drinking a beer while I do it. We have around 20 days left, and I am ready to go. A year is a long time.
Hope you are well. Take care.
Ron
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