Jim Spiri in Iraq

The warm up to going on patrols has been filled with the stories of those here at FOB Marez and what their jobs are. I've enjoyed all of them starting with a young man named Carpenter. He is from Roswell, NM, where both my sons went to military college. He is a mechanic on vehicles and works in the grueling heat fixing broken Humvees and anything else that has wheels keeping the Army rolling here in Mosul. He played football in high school and is big enough to put anyone in their place. However watching him salute a young female Lt. that is no bigger than 5'5"
tall with full respect is an irony to witness. Here as in all the places I've been, soldiers respect one another no matter what the stature physically.

Then there is one Sgt. Moreno, from Deming, New Mexico, close to where I grew up. He's been in the Army now for over five years and is on his third deployment to Iraq. Shortly before this deployment, back in October 2006, Sgt. Moreno was awarded his American citizenship. He originally was from Casas Grandes, Chichiualla in northern Mexico. I've been there many times. He spoke with the flare of a Latino big screen movie star and was a natural for the camera. He too keeps the Army rolling.

Then I spoke with a native American female medic, named Cpl. Angelina Weaver, from Shiprock, New Mexico.
I've been there too. I asked her why she joined the military and she readily told me, "to keep up the native American tradition in her family of serving her country with pride." She too is on her second tour in Iraq, her first tour she worked in the Iraqi hospital in Baghdad. Again, I was facinated by who America's sons and daughters are in person and what it is they are doing here and why.

Later I went to the clinic and spoke at length to two female Majors that are both medical doctors. One, Major Parekh and the other Major Johnston. Parekh has been in the Army about 6-years and is a pediatrician working in the clinic on base currently. Johnston, who has been in the Army 19-years is a general practitioner and also is working in the clinic here.
Major Parekh's husband is also in the Army and is also a medical doctor but is stationed stateside at the moment and is minding their 21-month-old child. They chose to do separate deployments to keep continuity for their child.

Both doctors talked to me at length on audio and told me of their experiences in treating female Iraqis.
Major Johnston told me, "I love my job, it's the best job in the world. Dealing with the Iraqi women is such a unique experience." Both Majors told me time and time again how hard they are working to train up the Iraqi locals who in their opinion have a good medical system in place. "We need to keep weaning them off dependence on us. They are capable and able to care for their population, given the tools to succeed." Major Johnston told me that since her previous deployments, she has seen a marked improvement in the situation and it is expected to continue. Being females, they tend to gravitate towards the needs of the local female population.
They told me about times when gifts are distributed how the Iraqi boys shove away the little girls and take everything for themselves. Both docs expressed frustration at that and requested items such as hair shampoo and lotions for gifts for the women. "They love that sort of thing and the boys won't take it from them," they said. Major Johnston said many times over again, how much she loved her job yet how difficult 15-month deployments are. It takes a toll on everyone.

I later ran into two Captains, both with the same last name, and both departing for their mid tour R and R.
One was male, the other female. Their last names were Escobar. Yes, they are married. So for sure I interviewed them. Both are graduates from the US Military Academy at West Point and both are deployed at the same time. One of them, the female, here at Mosul, FOB Marez, the other one at FOB Sykes. They chatted with me for a while enjoying the questions I asked them and looking forward to their time at home which will be spent on a diving excursion in the Florida area. As they left, they both had big smiles on their faces. At 29 and 26-years old respectively, (he 29, she 26), these two warriors keep reminding me that the mission can also be a family affair. Just like my wife and I being here in theatre at the same time.

I then came across a Sgt, 34-years-old named Steve Stephens, from Gresham, Oregon. He has two bachelor degrees and just desired to serve his country. He conceded that part of it is for himself to grow inwardly. He too is a medic, and has a heart of gold.
He alone has spearheaded, in his spare time, a project that has Americans back home supplying needed blankets to Iraqi families here in Ninevah province, which is where Mosul is. Through a network of contacts that begin with the web site:
doonenicething.com he has managed to so far collect from Americans back home, over 2500 blankets for the local Iraqi population and has already been able to distribute 1000 of them prior to the weather turning hot. He has a stash of about 1500 in storage for distribution prior to his unit going home in the winter that will be distributed in the autumn. He told me of his desire to just help people and once you pick up the burden, it no longer belongs to you. It belongs to everyone. I fully understood what he was saying as I recorded every word. Another son of America doing big things in his spare time. I was humbled.

I was able to have a two hour meeting with Col.
Twitty, from Chesney, S.C. He is in charge of the Army here in Ninevah province and he educated me at length on the diverse mix of cultures here in this region. At the same time he pointed out all the concerns and explained to me that the Iraqi Army here has been doing such a superb job that a reduction in US forces in this area is on the horizon. He elaborated at length about how the Sunni insurgents have attacked the Kurdish population and how Al Queda expoits that cultural divide constantly. He also reminded me that he has taken the fight directly to Al Queda and there have been great strides made in eliminating their attacks. To listen to this 44-year-old Col. teach me the inner workings of this unique province called Ninevah, is like a four year education in political science wrapped up in two hours. I was astounded at his knowledge of the area which has Kurds, Sunnis, Christians, Yazzidies, Shias, Turkemen, and probably some others that I missed. He has a handle on the workings of this place that would surprise any University doctorate in the same field.
And yet, he is a warrior.

We talked about the border with Syria and how the US border patrol is deployed there currently assisting the Iraqi border guards in the workings of stemming the flow of foreign fighters into Iraq. We also talked about a huge damn that is in dire disrepair and has the potential to break and basically flood Mosul.
There are contingency plans for such an event should that occur. By the end of the discussion, I knew that there was much more to Mosul, and Ninevah province than meets the eye at first glance.

Later in the day, I conferred with the war fighters of
2/7 and was invited to go on operations inside Mosul in the upcoming days. This was my initial goal, yet I am glad I had the warm-up first. Feeling the heartbeat of the ones I'm among and will enter the lions den with, is always a rewarding experience. I will be with the Rough Riders now.

Maybe the ride will be smooth, maybe it will be rough.
In any event, I will be there with them.

I would have it no other way. Mount up..!

Jim Spiri
Mosul, Iraq
jimspiri@yahoo.com