Punk Rock in Iraq

Aug 6, 2003

I am a Captain in a Civil Affairs Unit. Civil Affairs is part of U.S. Army Special Operations. The textbook definition of our job is to facilitate military operations and consolidate operational activities by assisting commanders through establishing, maintaining, influencing, or exploiting relations between military forces and civil authorities, both governmental and nongovernmental, and the civilian population in a friendly, neutral, or hostile area of operations. We also work in Unconventional Warfare (UW), which is to organize, train, equip, advise, and assist indigenous and surrogate forces in military and paramilitary operations, normally of long duration. There are different types of CA units. Ours is specifically organized and trained to work with Special Forces teams in their operational environment. What that really means is we come in and help get stuff back together and keep aid flowing in to people who need it. There's a lot of infrastructure repair work, as well as humanitarian aid delivery. 
     We have been deployed for this mission since January. It's been a very hectic process. This whole situation was so politically sensitive and fluid that we never knew for sure what was happening until it happened. 
     We flew into Iraq in a C17 totally blacked out. (Landing on a runway with no lights on it in a plane without any lights on either). We expected some trouble, as a few days before one of our aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and lost an engine. The gravity of the situation didn't really sink in until the lights went out about an hour before landing. The aircrew got on their body armor and loaded their pistols, and we were instructed to do the same. The landing was fast and rough. When the tailgate lowered, we unloaded out onto the airfield at around 2AM. It didn't take more than ten minutes for everything to be offloaded and for the aircraft to leave, and then there we were, in Iraq, in the dark. My team made its way off the airfield and found a place to sleep for the night. 
     We awoke at about 5 and reorganized. We found our vehicles that had previously arrived and loaded up. We didn't know where we were headed to at that point. We had been hearing rumors about Mosul going to hell, so we figured we'd be heading there. Sure enough at about 11AM we were told that we were going to pick up some other members of our company that had arrived the day before, and head to Mosul. We were instructed to find Mosul Airport, and that the unit that had secured it would be waiting for us. We weren't surprised to find that our city maps did not accurately reflect the terrain. We spent a few tense hours driving through the city. Some people waved, some stared, some didn't look at us. We really did not know what to expect at any given moment. Mosul had been freed from the regime only a few days before; odds were that a percentage of the people there would not be too happy to see us. Eventually, we made it to the airport on the outskirts of the city and settled in. My team shared the second floor of the airport with three other teams. I think we were in the Arrivals section.... 
     Over the next few days we became familiar with the situation in the city, conducted some reconnaissance, screened and hired local interpreters, and figured out our missions. We knew we would be working with the civilian authorities (whatever remained) to get the city back to a state that was as normal as could be expected during a war. My team got Public Education. I play bass for a punk rock band, and now my job was to ensure that the public education system of Mosul got back on its feet, including the university. 
     This is more complex than it sounds. No one knew who was in charge, or who had run the education system before. That was to be our primary task. Identify and locate the people that were running the education system before, and work with them. Even that straightforward task wasn't as clear as it sounded. Many of those in power were there because the Ba'ath party had placed them there. Odds were that some of them would not be our biggest fans. We just had to hope we had good intelligence, and that we would find the right people at the right time. 
     The most prominent educational facility in the city was the university, and that was clearly marked on the map, so we cautiously made our way there. As we drove through the streets we could see the marks of a lawless city. When the regime forces retreated, all the authorities abandoned their posts, including the police. The people of Mosul, who had been neglected for years by the regime, took advantage of this, and looting was rampant. Nothing, save for the mosques, was spared. When we arrived at the university, a few armed men let us in and immediately began asking for help. Within a twelve-hour period looters had ransacked the entire campus, which consisted of twelve separate colleges. Everything from computers to bathroom fixtures to stairway railings was forcibly removed. A few buildings were smoldering after looters had torched them. 
     We found the assistant dean of the university, and he seemed happy that we were there, but not convincingly. This didn't surprise me. Like I said, most of the city power brokers were Ba'ath party members. Their power came from Saddam. These were the ones who didn't want him gone. 
     The dean took us around the campus explaining everything that had happened: the looting, the arson, the wanton destruction, and at a university of all places. This would be a monumental undertaking for a 4-man team to deal with. I explained our course of action to him, making it clear that we had a long road ahead of us, but that my team would do its best to ensure that the aid the university needed would get to it. The dean thanked us, and we headed back to the airport. 
     Fortunately, as the days progressed, the bigger guns decided that they wanted to get involved in working with the university. A general officer recognized the importance of this, and stepped in. I was extremely appreciative of this. Now, we would be freed up to find the leaders of the primary and secondary education departments to make sure the kids got back in school. 
     Over the course of the next few days, we conducted daily patrols around the city, locating schools and inspecting them. Despite the fact that looting and destruction had even taken place at the primary schools, it looked good. Teachers were going through neighborhoods on foot making calls to get students to come in and help repair the damage that had been done to their schools. Some were holding impromptu classes already, though not 'officially'. Every teacher we met was very happy to see us. They expressed hope that we would help stabilize the city, and they were noticing it getting better as the days progressed. They were also surprised to see U.S. forces specifically concerned with education. The third day we were on patrol, we got lucky. A teacher we encountered told us that even though the administrative staff of the education department had been burned out of their offices, they were meeting that day at a nearby kindergarten to discuss the prospect of restarting classes and giving exams. We asked the teacher to lead us to the meeting place. 
     We arrived at the girl's kindergarten school where the administrators were located, and they too were extremely happy to see us. They invited us into their meeting and explained their situation. They were determined not to let the war stop education for their children. They wanted to immediately restart classes as best they could, and develop a new curriculum that was free of mandatory Ba'athist doctrine (for example, every children's textbook had a photo of Saddam on the front page). There were obstacles to this. Many schools were in dire need of repair and reconstruction. Many were looted to the point that even the toilets had been ripped from the floors (when the majority of a society has been so deprived by their government for so long, this is what happens). Another problem was that these administrators did not know how to take charge of things on their own. The government had been so centralized that everything came from Baghdad. Begin classes this day; give this exam on this day, etc. Since Baghdad was "out of commission" so to speak, no one knew where to start. The only leadership that they recognized was the U.S and Coalition forces. Realizing where they were coming from, I explained that we, the U.S. forces in Mosul, held education as a top priority. Essentially, I gave them permission to go ahead and start classes. The next question was "What day"? We tentatively scheduled a date for two weeks ahead. This would give us time to assess the school repair situation, and get the message out by radio and leaflet to students that school was going to restart. It was a poignant moment, meeting with this group of educators in an overcrowded room in a city that was still a combat zone, to ensure that their children would continue their education. Their determination, and their gratitude to the United States for removing Saddam, was humbling. 
     I should emphasize that at this time the city was very much still a combat zone, despite there being no organized Iraqi army presence. A small special operations task force (including us), plus a Marine unit, had only recently secured the city. There was constant small arms fire to be heard, as well as the occasional RPG round going off. We were shot at while pulling security for our medical team while they were assessing a hospital. There were still 'bad guys' around. Most had surrendered, but many army personnel had just taken off their uniforms and blended in once they knew what was going on. There were still plenty of Saddam loyalists and Fedayeen around as well. Fortunately, "big army" was starting to roll in. That would help settle things a little more, and get the city to its next phase after liberation, reconstruction. 
     We conducted a few more meetings with the education administration, assessed as many schools as we could, and began to arrange for supplies for the schools that needed them. Our commander was able to get on TV with the education director, and announced the beginning of classes for the date we had originally set. We went to some of the larger schools on that day and it was a wonderful thing to see kids back in classes. They were all very appreciative, although some were still concerned about their safety. This was understandable, and we explained that they'd notice it getting better as the days went by. 
     As larger ground forces came in, they brought their own civil affairs teams with them. This meant we would be relocated back to where we were initially supposed to go. We held some coordination meetings with the new teams that came in and handed over all our information. We had some final, sad meetings with the education administrators that we had developed a very good relationship with. They were upset to see us go, but we ensured them that the new education team (that actually had teachers and other educators from the civilian sector on it) would do a good job where we left off. 
     My team was finally going to do what it was supposed to be doing. We'd be isolated; essentially the only U.S. forces in an area about the size of New Jersey. We'd be responsible for the whole district, working at the ground level with local village leaders and government administrators from all areas of government to get things back in shape and improve people's lives. We were sent to the district we were initially supposed to be based at, north of Mosul in the Kurdish area. 
     Our first order of business here, even before establishing contacts, would be to find a place to live. Sometimes that means renting a house from a local, and turning it into a "safe-house". When we arrived, we found that there were still some SF teams in the area that were about to go home, and their place was already well built-up and had a guard force, so we took over their house. 
     We've been here about two months so far, and things are going well. We've established a very close relationship with the local government here. The mayor of the district, political leaders, heads of all the directorates (power, water, irrigation, etc.) and we have been out almost every day to far reaches of the district assessing villages, identifying critical needs, and implementing projects to help them. The approval process for projects can be Byzantine at best, but we still managed to get some good things done. Other projects are still waiting to get funding, but will eventually happen. So far we have rebuilt two schools, begun construction on a road and bridge that will connect a large 7-village community to health care services that they were previously isolated from, and brought Internet service to the technical university located in the district capital. Some of the projects we're waiting to hear back on are the construction of several health clinics in rural areas and wells for communities that are critically short on water. 
     The work we do is very rewarding. We get to develop close relationships with people from all different levels in society. For many of these villages, we are the first U.S or Coalition forces they have ever seen. In every village we assess kids swarms us, asking a million questions that we can't understand. Our translator tries, but is overwhelmed. Everyone here does know at least three phrases in English: "Hello Mister!", "What is your name?", and "How old are you?". Once they say all that, they usually stare at you for a while. Everyone we have met has been very friendly, and very appreciative for the removal of the past regime. People here just want to progress and make better lives for themselves, and they wanted freedom. 
     It hasn't all been good times though. We have had our doses of reality along the way. I almost shot a kid the other day. I was in my vehicle pulling security in a well-populated area while my team was out purchasing supplies. Most people smile or wave as they walk by, but you never know what to expect. A lot of kids will usually approach the vehicle, and try to talk to you. We're always friendly to them, because for the most part they're non-threatening, but again you never know. 
     I see this kid walking quickly up to the car on my side with a black bag in his hand. He comes up to the window and taps on it for me to roll it down. I smile at him, but I won't roll down the window. He proceeds to run around the back of the vehicle, and I lose sight of him. Next thing I know, he pulls the passenger side door open (my interpreter had left the door unlocked). It might seem fucked up, but my first reaction is that this kid has an explosive device in that bag, and wants to throw it in the vehicle. In a second I had my pistol trained on him and was screaming at him to close the door. Simultaneously I was reaching over to pull it closed. The kid just ran away. He probably didn't mean any harm, and he probably crapped his pants too, but that's how you have to react here. One scared kid with soiled pants is better than me blown up. Some older kids and adults came over and asked if I was OK and were apologetic for the other kids actions. They know that we have to be careful. 
     In another incident, I was in a meeting with a village leader in his home. One of my team members was watching our vehicles outside. I heard a commotion and some yelling, so I told my team sergeant to go see what was up. He saw a few adults out there with our guy, who looked a little shaken. There were also two men berating a kid of about eleven nearby. Our team member had been watching the vehicles when this kid approached him. He saw the kid holding something but could not immediately see what it was because the object was behind him. As the kid gets closer, our guy was able to see what he was holding -- an old rifle. This is not a good thing. He began to approach the kid when the kid raises the rifle and begins to point it at him. That's when the shouting began. Fortunately, some adults saw this and grabbed the kid before the rifle was aimed and before my team member took any defensive action. The rifle was an old Enfield, and on inspection was found to be non-functioning, but it was a real rifle with a real magazine loaded in it. The adults reprimanded the kid for his reckless behavior. It turns out that the kid was "playing" and wanted to play with our team member. A less well-trained person may have shot this kid believing that they were about to get killed. 
     Those were random incidents, though. No one was injured, and I know that my team and I know how to react to difficult situations. Usually things are very good. We are helping people that need it, and they are very happy that we are here. We still do not have a date to return home. I miss my girlfriend, my band, and my friends. But I know that what we are doing here is positive, and that when we leave, we can do so knowing that we came with an important mission, and helped improve the lives and the future for many thousands of people.