Jim Spiri in Iraq

For the past couple of days, some missions were canceled and I was stuck on the FOB following up on other stories. I will admit that not being out everyday in the streets of Mosul with 2/7, is frustrating at times, only because that is what I like to do best. So when today's mission was a go, I was glad to get out once again. But I must always remember that just being here is quite an experience whether on or off the FOB.

Today's mission would begin early. My alarm clock has been on the blink lately as well as my watch has seemed to falter from time. So I mentally tell my body to wake up at a particular time which results in jumping out of my bed at all hours of the night thinking I may have overslept. I was on time today, and gathered with those heading out for the morning briefing. We would be going into a part of Mosul checking on some homes near a cell phone tower and looking for items that could be used as triggers for IED detonations.

Again I would ride with Apache Company, but this time I would be with 1st platoon. It has taken me some time to not only learn each company's personnel, but now I must learn each platoon's personnel in each particular company. Needless to say, I get confused from time to time, but I have tried at least to remember last names and once in a while get each soldiers rank correct. It is not easy for me to do that and I am constantly asking the same questions over and over, i.e., "what company are you in and which platoon are you with?". It is embarrassing but many of the soldiers realize that I'm just always around and sooner or later I'll get it right!

I would be in Sgt. Augilera's Humvee with him being the cmdr. of the vehicle. He is a big bloke, and is on his fourth tour of duty in Iraq. He is 30-years-old and a very nice guy. He'd be a great body guard if I ever needed one. Spc. Cobb would be on top manning the 50-cal and I like listening to his comments on the headsets as we drove in and out of Mosul today. The thing that impresses me about the gunners is that no matter what they are doing or saying, they are ALWAYS watching steadfastly from their positions and constantly turning this mechanism in a 360-degree arc every step of the way. It is a very serious matter. The driver was Pvt. Hoffman.
The humvee is not an easy vic to maneuver and there are always times we have to hop curbs and change direction. Thankfully these vehicles have automatic transmissions.

As we were driving along the way to coordinate with some Iraqi Army soldiers that would be working with us today, we all noticed that it was relatively quiet outside. It is once again Friday, kind of like a Sunday stateside. On every Friday that I can remember though, we seem to get some kind of event that reminds me that I'm in Iraq. Today was no exception. I was just thinking in the back seat how ominously quiet it was when the familiar, "BOOM" was heard. About four vehicles behind me, an IED went off. Chatter on the comms began, and one of the vehicles behind us sustained some minimal damage as well as a flat tire.

We arrived at our meeting point with the IA and the Humvee tire was changed. I realized on this day that driving around Iraq and hearing explosions go off is pretty much a daily routine. There are lots of IED's that go off in Iraq. So far, none of them have done damage to me. Lately, I've come in contact with several soldiers that have encountered so many IED's and have had enough concussions to keep them inside the wire for the remainder of their deployment. It is one statistic that I do not think I had factored into my train of thought concerning things in Iraq. It is one I shall not forget now.

While the tire was being repaired, there were sounds of small arms fire in the distance. What seems like far away now, would still be considered close in any neighborhood back home. It is interesting how the mind adjusts to particular environments. What would have startled me in the past, barely gets a rise out of me these days.

We ended up in a neighborhood that I had not been to previously. We began our house to house searches and I was immediately impressed with the insides of the houses we entered. For lack of a better term, I would call this area almost an upscale neighborhood. The places are not exquisite, but they are nicer than most I have seen lately. Many of the floors had ornate tile work as well as the furnishings inside were much nicer than I had recently seen. The people were the same, but more organized as far as how they kept things. There were courtyards with patches of green grass and some even had small flower gardens that were well kept. I commented many times today to the soldiers I was traveling with that I had not seen an entire neighborhood that had this many "normal"
looking places in it, relatively speaking.

As we passed from home to home, I was moving next to Sgt. Simmons who was the one in command today with the group I was with. He would lead the questioning and be the one who made decisions about what and if we found certain things. It became clear early on in this mission, that it would perhaps be uneventful, which is a good thing. Yet no one lets their guard down ever, although we did have "chi", or tea, at one home during the mission. It could be construed as a kind of break. It was very nice and the people were more than gracious. I've come to enjoy chi and it is better than a cup of coffee in the hot weather.

So as I was traveling from house to house today with the soldiers of 1st platoon, Apache Company, I was wondering if I would take any photos. Was I getting bored? Am I seeking acts of violence just to take a photo? Am I turning into an adrenaline junkie?
These thoughts crossed my mind until I realized that the scenes I was a part of today, were everyday scenes of what normal life can and should be in this place called Iraq. I began to also realize that just the everyday life of an Iraqi is filled with beautiful scenes of family, friends and home life, intermixed with events of war. I decided that I would take everyday photos for the audience to view. I was enjoying the neighborhood I was in and the people I met were quite pleasant today. I found it fun to take photographs today, and I have tried to convey that in today's postings.

The mission was completed by mid afternoon and we returned to the FOB, unscathed. I did recall that the day started early, and the first thing that happened was a near catastrophic event in the form of an IED being triggered in an attempt to kill us. I also recalled that within a short few minutes of leaving the neighborhood we had spent several hours in, we received some small arms fire as we rolled down the road. It is a strange atmosphere to go from and IED exploding behind you, to walking in a neighborhood going in and out of houses looking for things that trigger IED's, to drinking chi with the residents, to leaving and getting shot at again.

But then, this is Mosul, Iraq, outside the wire. I never seem to tire of riding with the Cav. Everyday is an adventure and there are so many interesting people that cross my path. It is enjoyable to photograph them all.

Jim Spiri
Mosul, Iraq
jimspiri@yahoo.com