More June pictures

A US Soldier takes cover behind a wall along the Tigris River while on patrol.

A Palladin artillery tracked vehicle fires an illumination round to support night operations.
Iraqi Soldiers conduct physical training in preparation for security operations.
Iraqi children are always curious about US Soldiers, and cautiously approach us to talk and get treats.

A Marine takes up an overwatch position to cover other Marines as they conduct operations.

More pictures by our combat cameramen

US Soldiers patrol markets in Sadr City as an Iraqi cart passes by.
A US Soldier patrols the streets of a village as a Bradley fighting vehicle provides security overwatch. This is part of the new counterinsurgency program that emphasizes meeting the Iraqi population face to face.
An Iraqi child eats a treat provided by an American soldier. Many Soldiers believe that by winning the hearts of the children, we can gain support from the entire country.
A US soldier carries two boxes of ammunition found in a burried cache.

Our combat cameramen take lots of pictures that are not used so they pass them off to us. I will provide a few of the most interesting about once a month so you can see what is happening over here.

Images of Iraq in June

If you were in Iraq this month this is what you might have seen. This is a nation that is both ancient and modern, is in a state of war but often welcomes us in peace, yet there remains a mistrust between us all.


This little boy is showing his stuff to the soldiers patrolling in their MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) armored vehicles. He is a welcome site to American soldiers who know this part of the patrol will be safe.

Even as children play in the streets, the war goes on as we train the Iraqi army to defend itself against bordering nations and threats on their own streets.

Every time we patrol the communites in Baghdad and throughout the country, the children rush out to greet us. We often give them treets, toys and piggy back rides. It also makes the soldiers feel good to know they are helping these kids to have a better life through the work they do.

But as I have said before, it is an uneasy peace. We are wanted yet they wish we would go. I suppose it is embarrasing for them to have us patrolling their streets every day. Yet they know the streets are safer and more free than they have been in a long time.

Every day we find cashes of weapons, explosives, rockets, and mines which we detonate safely. They do make one hell of a great show.

Little People, Big Iraq

Matt Roloff, the star of the TLC show “Little People, Big World” was our guest here in Baghdad this week. He was invited here to help out some children we know who are suffering from dwarfism.

The intent of this show is to highlight the challenges faced by “little people” in a world that is made for “big people”. Typically the show focuses around Matt and his family as they go through their day to day lives in an effort to rid the American population of the stereotypes produced by popular media and ignorance.

In my "free time” I have started to work with a few other officers who are trying to help out some of the families that have been devastated by the war. One of these families has three children who have degenerative dwarfism. This bone disease will make them completely immobile by the time they are adults. The oldest daughter who is 13 is beyond help; she lies in the floor of this family’s one-room house and can only lift her head and one arm. The other two children have some bone deformities but can be helped by surgery if treated soon enough.

This is where “Little People” come into the picture. The show was contacted to see if they would be interested in highlighting the difficulties of these "little people" in a country that is doing nothing to help them. Our medics can provide basic medical care, but nothing like what these kids need. So the vision was for the show to come and tape a show with the kids meeting Matt, people would become engaged and the children would be helped.

Matt Roloff was here yesterday and visited with the family to do the shoot. He said he was "crushed with sadness" at how bad these kids have it. Matt talked with the children and their parents, capturing footage for his show. This episode will be the fall season opener and the money made from the show will be used for the needs and medical care of the children. I have to tell you, Matt is a great guy.

The group coordinated through the security firm “Blackwater” to use their medical facilities to x-ray the children. The film will be evaluated by doctors back in the U.S. who have volunteered to perform surgeries to prevent the breakdown of the skeletal system of these kids.

They will fly them out through Jordan to receive treatment in the US later this year after we work through all of the bureaucratic challenges involved in moving children out of a war zone and into the United States.

It is nice to be able to do some good of a personal nature while we are over here. I know our military operations are bringing stability to the region because the violence is way down. I also know this stability is just the first step that has to be followed by developing trust. This is what we are working on. I hope we can help some people in this process, because I believe the only way we can make lasting change over here is to make personal connections through our actions.

First class trip home for "Devil Dogs"

Yesterday I got a call from the Star Ledger in New Jersey. We do not commonly get calls from small papers, it is usually the New York Times, Associated Press, Reuters or LA Times. This reporter opened the conversation by saying she was surprised is was 10 p.m. and we were still working. I assured her we conduct 24 hour operations so she can feel free to call at any time when she is working on a story. Her question was: "What sort of trouble would a service member could get into for a violation of General Order Number 1?"

She told me she was doing a story on dogs. A group of Marines who are finishing their tour of duty in the Anbar Province had adopted some puppies when they first arrived a year and half ago. When they redeployed to the states they wanted to take their dogs, who had become a part of their "families", with them. The problem was, General Order #1 clearly states service members are not authorized to even so much as feed animals, let alone adopt them and take them home.

Well, give a Soldier or Marine a challenge and he will find a way to defeat your rule and this is just what had happened. They had coordinated with the ASPCA who had contracted with a private shipping company to get the dogs home. The dogs were flown out of the commercial side of Baghdad International Airport down to Dubai, where they were then flown to Paris, on to London, and finally to New Jersey where they will be picked up this morning. The cost ended up at nearly $4000 per dog, paid by the Marines, with added contributions made by friends back home.

The story has become quite a sensation in New Jersey, attracting the attention of lawmakers who are supporting their service members quest to get their pets home. And of course what is a better photo opportunity than to get your picture taken with a group of Marines coming home from 1 1/2 years of fighting in the desert who saved their money and found a way to bring thier loyal Iraq companions home with them.

These are not the first dogs adopted and brought home by Marines returning from war. The famous Rin Tin Tin was the first known "adopted" pet brought home by loving Soldiers. The movie star German Shepherd returned from World War I with a group of "Doughboys" who had taken him in and cared for him while they fought in the trenches of France. Much like the Marines in Anbar, the men simply could not leave their battle companion behind.

So what did I tell the reporter. Yes, General Order 1 does say soldiers cannot have pets, but it is at the discetion of the individual commander to enforce these rules. I told her that while good order and discipline are important, so is morale. Many commanders err on the side of supporting that morale though it may mean breaking a rule or two. Look at the result, you have a happy group of soldiers who have concluded their tour of duty by yet another good deed.

Sons of Iraq: A debate with a major media outlet

Part of my job in Iraq is to engage the media on what is happening here. I have a good working relationship with many papers and media outlets. Most papers want to get the story right. But every now and then, there is a writer with an axe to grind. When they get the story "wrong" my job then is to do a "push-back", to let the journalist know they misquoted me or to tell them they totally misrepresented the facts. We always get a response, though not always positive. If they are not willing to write a correction, I then to write an article for that paper so we can get our side of the story to the same group of readers. Here is my latest effort.

If you are looking for a good exit plan from Iraq, looking for stability in the region, or want to see our soldiers come home sooner, groups like the Sons of Iraq are making these things happen.

I am John Hall, an American Soldier in Baghdad, Iraq and I would like to give you a different view of the "Sons of Iraq" than the one presented in the “U.S.-backed Sons of Iraq militia poses problem,” that was printed in the San Francisco Chronicle.

The Sons of Iraq are exactly what the American public has expected from the citizens of Iraq. For years we have looked for the Iraqis to stand up and take back their neighborhoods. With the Sons of Iraq, this has happened. This is over 100,000 men dedicated to protecting their communities from terrorists and criminals.

In Iraq, “toughness” is respected. This is not a land of weakness; this is a land where you earn respect, and out of that respect comes loyalty. The Iraqi Security Forces, along with Coalition forces, have demonstrated their toughness day after day here in Iraq. As a result, the tough citizens of this land desire to join in the progress Iraqi and Coalition forces have built. This is why the Sons of Iraq have and will continue to succeed.

Out of this harsh description comes a group of men who realize the new Government of Iraq is the path to stability and hope for their families. This is something any person would be willing to fight to have. So the streets of Iraq are being cleaned up just as has happened in many urban areas of America. Concerned citizens are willing to take ownership of their neighborhoods and are turning the outlaws in to the authorities.

Critics may point out that some of these men may have fought against the Coalition. That is significant because it shows we are able to attract those who were most opposed to us just a few years ago. We must be willing to sit down with those we have been fighting, bringing about a reconciliation that will lead to ultimate peace. Beyond popular belief, we don't win wars by killing all of our enemies, we win wars by convincing them peace is a desirable outcome.

Now, these same people are willing to risk their lives to uphold and advance the progress that is being made. Security is the first step, but security must be maintained through a stable economy.

The Sons of Iraq are also a part of a program to develop the economy across Iraq. As a part of the Government of Iraq National Reintegration Program, these men are gaining vocational and business education.

The initiative allows for roughly 20 percent of the individuals to become integrated into the Iraqi Army or the State Police. The remaining 80 percent are provided skill training and education to bring skills and jobs development to their communities. It is the objective to have them to be positive contributors to their community.

Some of these men are accepted into the Iraqi Army or police. Some simply are not interested in the military or the police and wish to develop their villages. They choose to use the training they have gained to open businesses or to get a job. They are pleased with the fact they have pushed the criminal elements from their neighborhoods and now are ready to build on the safety they have helped to create.

The plan is working. Iraq is the safest it has been since 2003. Stores are opening. People are safely visiting in their communities. There is a general sense of optimism.