Heroes in Iraq

Five years ago today, on 4 April 2003, Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith earned the Medal of Honor, our nations highest award for valor in fighting in Iraq. Paul was not a dupe or pawn but a career soldier. Like the 51 Third  Infantry Division soldiers (to include Audie Murphy) who won the medal of honor before him, SFC Smith knew what he was doing when he went into battle and he knew the risks he took. After a long and difficult fight to reach Baghdad from Kuwait, he was directing combat operations against a much larger enemy force at a range so close that at times he personally engaged the enemy with hand grenades. When his unit was running low on ammo he ensured the wounded were evacuated to a safer area and he exposed himself to enemy fire on the top of an Armored Personnel Carrier so that he could use the heavy 50 caliber machinegun to keep the enemy off his men while they regrouped. SFC Smith took over one of the APCs that had been damaged by mortar and RPG fire and ordered the driver to position it so that he could fire at both the trenches and the tower  where the enemy was with the machine gun. Alone he stood at his post while his soldiers handed up ammunition to him. He went through three boxes of ammunition. As the battle ended his machine gun went silent. His battle armor had stopped thirteen bullets, but one of the last shots from the tower had entered his neck and killed him.  He shot and killed over 30 enemy soldiers before he was shot himself. Hollywood couldn’t write a better movie script then what this man actually accomplished. And the sacrifice he made was simply what he felt he had to do as the senior man in charge to protect his Soldiers. By his actions SFC Paul Smith ensured that 100 American soldiers did come home and showed that he truly belonged to the highest traditions of the Third Infantry Division.

Today I stood at a commemoration service on the hollowed ground where that battle took place. It is about 400 yards from where I sit in an air-conditioned office typing this. My biggest fear today is that the AC could go out, or the internet won’t work. My hardest decision was what to eat for lunch. Tonight is steak and shrimp night at the dinning facility for dinner so that decision will be easy. My life is so different as a staff officer then that of the heroes that surround me. 

At the commemoration service today, the Commanding General of the Marne Division, Major General Rick Lynch, gave a great definition of a hero.  Every time there is a Soldier killed in Iraq there is a memorial service. The General attends them personally, but at every memorial service the most touching part is when some young kid who was friends with the Soldier eulogizes him. Usually the young soldier starts to tear up over his comrade and then the rest of the people there do also. It is tough on all of us when one of our brothers die. But the hero is the young Soldier who gives the Eulogy and then the next day gets up in the morning and puts on body armor, and goes out on patrol again. 

Days over here can be very routine for staff officers. People often ask if I am scared or they tell me they would be scared if they were here.  However, there is now very little danger where I am in Iraq. I can’t remember being afraid the whole time I have been here. That is not bravery just I don’t feel like I have ever been in grave danger. That is very different from the young heroes out there.

 We sleep in trailers now. The trailers have AC and heat (it gets cold in winter). There is no running water in the trailers but we have bathroom trailers with showers near by. I do have wireless internet (I have to pay for) in my room. The accommodations are pretty good. The Dinning Facility, what the Army used to call a “Chow hall or mess hall”, is very good. It is Brown and Root (KBR /Haliburton) contracted cooks, KP cleaning details and servers operating under American supervision. After 14 months here the food is repetitive but still good. There is always a great variety also. Also on base there are Taco Bell, burger King, Pizza Inn, Greenbeans coffee (like a starbucks), Popeyes Chicken, Cinnabun and some other places. We are not exactly destitute and forsaken here anymore.

A typical day starts with a classified briefing. The briefing is typical of one that goes on at all levels from Battalions up to the Forces Commander. It is called by several names such as Commanders Update Brief (CUB), Battle Update Brief ( BUB) and Battle Update Analysis (BUA). There are slight technical distinctions between them but the purpose is to ensure that the latest information is dispersed to everyone that needs it, especially for the Commanders, and for the Commander to give guidance. The briefings cover much more then just combat actions. We spend a considerable amount of time discussing governance operations, meetings that were conducted with local leaders etc, Economic stimulus missions such as the progress on opening markets and trade schools and humanitarian missions such as medical aid for communities. During set days of the week we also cover the routine administrative needs of the unit such as re-enlistment statistics, and Equal Opportunity training statistics, Legal actions etc. The Briefings are mostly conducted using a Command and Control System called Command Post of The Future or “CPOF”. This allows people all over the Area of Operations to participate in the briefing over the classified network without being physically at it. 

For a month I was lucky enough to sit in on the Multi-National Forces Iraq briefing that General Petraeus receives every day. That man has an unbelievably impressive scope of knowledge. I clearly remember him questioning a briefer on a change from the last weeks brief in kilowatt hours on a power grid in Baghdad and then questioning the next briefer on a governance issue in Mosul without notes and with complete self assured control. Like all the General Officers I know, his intelligence and level of responsibility is Amazing.  The multitude of areas for which he is responsible must be a heavy burden and I am gld we have leaders like him over here. 

After the briefing we go back to our offices. Young guys are driving up and down the roads, opening water purification plants in local Iraqi towns, setting up check points and I am making a pot of coffee, checking email and reading news sites. Staff Officers like me will then get busy with the plans and coordination’s that keep the Army functioning. My current job here is not over taxing on my time or ability but of course many staff officers bustle about. It really just depends on the section you work in.

The general has an official work schedule for us of 15 hours work (this includes meals) 7 hours of rest, and two hours of exercise/personal time. Most of us work closer to a 12 hour shift and at age 44 and close to retirement I don’t exercise much. I know all the senior officers and him adhere to his schedule. It is always better to stay busy though or thoughts of home can become overwhelming.

After work I go back to my room. I don’t have a TV in my room (I did during football season) but we can get news and shows from the states. I mostly watch movies on my computer, read books, or surf the internet. People always find stuff to do here, everything from barbeques to setting up projectors and watching movies and ball games outside. We have recreation centers with TVs, free internet,  pool tables and games. There is a swimming pool that is open during the day and ball fields and sport leagues. You can take classes with online Universities and I know many that are pursuing evrey thing from associate to PHD degrees here.  Of course there are Worship services for every denomination and most religions, to include Christian, Jewish and Moslem services. There is no alcohol allowed but I do sometimes enjoy a good cigar.

We have been mortared a few times since I have been here. Last deployment it was much more frequently. After a while though even that doesn’t phase you. Usually it is just a few rounds that the scumbags lob in our direction. No real aim or danger and the disruption in our lives is so minimal because of it. I often here on the news or from folks back home how we are under bombardment but it never once has stopped me from getting a “Double Mocha Frappe” at the coffee shop, or made anyone I know not go to the PX. 

There is one thing we have here though that keeps us centered. As soon as we walk in the headquarters building there are two large flat screens. On one screen every Soldier from our division that was killed here has a tribute slide and the slides rotate. The other slide depicts the most recent fallen heroes. Beneath the screens is a tribute to them including a “dog tag” for each of them. When you walk past that the walls are lined with tributes to the Third Infantry Division “Dog Faced Soldiers” of the past. 90 years of service to our Nation. Seeing that history and those fallen comrades is a constant reminder to those of us who live and work in comfort that we owe the very best we can do for the young warriors out there and my job is to see that none of them die because of a failing on my staff section.

Rock Of the Marne!!

a great resource with full account of SFC Smith is: http://www.taskforcemarne.com/this-week/1330-March-30-April-5

And as always www.taskforcemarne.com and http://www.taskforcemarne.com/dog-face-daily/

Tinsldr2@yahoo.com