What a Fighter Thinks

 

A good friend of mine is serving yet another tour of duty and recently sent me an email outlining his thoughts about the war(s) there and our attitudes here. Even though he sent it to me just before our elections back in November, it is still the kind of letter that we all need to read from time-to-time.

 

From Sgt B in Baghdad:

How much positive news is coming out of Iraq and making it to the mainstream media? This is my first hand observation from physically being back on the ground. I know when Mike (my teammate) and I left here in 2004, our outlook was some what grim and we felt as though we had not accomplished enough. Coming back, in some ways has been refreshing. This time around I work at the Brigade level where you really get to see what goes on in several AO’s (area’s of operation). It’s a different view than what you get at the team level. Make no mistake about the environment, there is still enemy activity and there is still some pockets of violence, but nothing compared to what we saw in the past. We still have a significant amount of work to be done. However, Violence across the country is down over 75%. This time last year we lost 40 plus soldiers each month. This October, we lost 13 and only 6 of those were combat related. No loss is acceptable, but the fact that we are reducing casualties and achieving such success, is noteworthy.

Under the guidance of General Patraeus, the Army embarked on a new direction of war, “COIN” (Counter-Insurgency). In combination with “the Surge” (additional troops on the ground), the efforts of ingenuity, hard work, and persistence, the results are beyond the measure of expectation. If you haven’t heard, the U.S. Forces have turned over 13 of 18 (THIRTEEN of the EIGHTEEN) provinces in Iraq back to the Iraqi Government, the Iraqi Army and the Iraqi people. Fallujah, one of the hottest AO’s in the country is being turned back over to the Iraqi people. The Marines have been pulling out of the area for the past couple of months. Over 80% of our fine young Marines have pulled out of Fallujah. A city where one of the bloodiest and costliest battles for our Marines since Vietnam is now being returned to the Iraqi’s control. One heck of a fine job and our Marines should be proud of such an accomplishment!

The local populace across the country has started to work with Multi National Forces, the Iraqi Army and the Iraqi government. The tribal leaders, the Sheiks, and the SoI (Sons of Iraq), who were once combatants and working with the insurgency against American forces, are now working with us. Information Operations have put up wanted posters and billboards across Iraq for many of the HVT’s (High Value Targets) or HVI’s (High Value Interests) associated with Al-Qaida and associated insurgency networks. The efforts of working together have produced unimaginable results. Many of these HVT / HVI’s have either been captured, spotted in, or are known to have fled to Iran or Syria. Proof, the new direction is working. Most of this progress is due to the cooperation of the Iraqi people. Driving out Al-Qaida and establishing peace and regional stability are a result of the hard work and efforts of our fighting forces working hand in hand with the Iraqi’s. COIN (counter-insurgency) has been the focal point in the stage of the war. There are many aspects to COIN, counter-terror, open/ urban warfare and counter propaganda. But COIN also involves gaining support, compliance and cooperation from the Iraqi’s. Addressing local concerns and grievances that feed insurgency movements is of significant importance. All of these efforts work in combination to achieving success and I am seeing it first hand from the battlefield. The surge was a strategy that provided the adequate combat power needed to gain ground against the sectarian violence and insurgency. It has and is working. Understand we don’t always get it right the first go around. It takes a few trial and errors before we figure out what works. But, the point is, it’s working.

We no longer face an issue of “why we are in Iraq”. This issue at hand is how do we stay the course, achieve victory, and honor the sacrifice of those who will never return home. A failed mission in Iraq is not about losing face; nor is it about saving the millions of dollars it cost to wage the war; nor is it about just honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice. A failed mission in Iraq means we have a bigger war to wage down the road. We face having to deal with a multi-front war with the entire Middle-East. A war our children will have to wage on behalf of our negligence. We will face the Iranian threat and influence to the region, escalating tensions that currently borderline war between Turkey & Kurdistan, and the fueled jihadist movements in Syria, Pakistan, Yemen and various other countries. Iraq is now a COIN operation. Counter Insurgency requires presence, patience and persistence. With that understanding, we can and will achieve victory in Iraq.

Before I turn this e-mail into a novel, I will close with this.

Note: these last comments are my opinion only. Before you head to the polls this Tuesday, I ask you to do one thing. Educate yourself “thoroughly” on the candidates. The next leader of the “free world” needs to have the courage and commitment to see this war through to the end. Everyone knows politicians on both sides have their agenda’s, and promises are made to achieve their goals. Both candidates are promising tax cuts, change, budget balancing, etc. Remember, they are both trying to win an election, so promises at political rally’s and what you hear on the news are all a front to garner support. The difference is knowing the details of their economic policy and foreign policy in order to make the best decision when it comes to voting. The question at hand is who is more qualified to run the country? This is not about a red state or blue state; it’s about red, white and blue nation. It’s not about being left wing or right wing; it’s about the West wing. And it’s not about being a Republican or a Democrat; it’s about being an “American”!