Jim Spiri in Iraq

I climbed up into what is called an RG31 vehicle.

It's basically a taller and longer Humvee looking rig, but is designed specifically for this mission. Taking one look at the height of the vehicle I immediately realized I'd better lunge myself upward without any hesitation. Again, getting in and out of vehicles the Army provides is tough. Once in, the door was shut, and there were about half a dozen folks in the vic.

Perez was driving and I would soon learn he is quite a character while driving the roads of Mosul, Iraq looking for IED's. Once again, I had a fellow New Mexican looking out for my well being, albeit this time, the driver's job was to not run over an IED before finding it. One of the reasons I moved my family in 1994 to New Mexico was the fact I wanted to teach my kids how to drive on the roads of New Mexico, where I learned. New Mexico drivers including Perez, know the road.

Bouncing up and down in the back, holding onto a rail, I positioned myself firmly so as not to smash my camera. It was a tight fit in the back but more room than I had expected. There was air conditioning that worked rather well, and I figured not a bad ride to go looking for roadside bombs in the middle of August in Iraq. Our vehicle and about half a dozen others proceeded down some known roads in east-central Mosul scoping the sides, left and right keeping a watchful eye on things all around us. In the middle of the back, facing me, was a Spc. Pou, from California. He was operating a device and monitoring a screen at the same time, intently looking for "out of the ordinary" objects in the road, and off to either side.

I took many photos of this young soldier and while I was watching him perform his duties, I was amazed at how fast he could operate the machine. He was carrying on a conversation with the driver, Perez, relaying messages between soldiers in the rig, and at the same time, operating this "video game" looking device making it all look rather easy. I thought back to years past, when I would see youngsters in video arcades playing these contraptions and wondering how they do it with such finesse. Now, the kids are all grown up and operating a machine in front of me and at the same time, perhaps saving my life. Inside I would repent for all the negative comments I made about kids on video arcade games in the malls across America.
They eventually grow up and do life saving jobs.

After a long while of "cruising" the streets of Mosul, we came to a bridge of sorts, spanning an area that looked like it would have water in it if and when the rains come. We had crossed over this place earlier in the mission, and now we were back, again. This time, on the other side of the road. At a certain point, we came to a halt. The rig behind us had found something and was "investigating" it. We staged in front of it about 100-meters or so. As the rig behind us was "doing its thing", we, along with another vehicle, monitored the surroundings and kept all traffic away.

The rig behind us is called a "buffalo" and is specifically designed to locate and eradicate IED's.

As we watched the "buffalo" work, an RPG round landed off to the right of it and forward of the position we maintained. It was loud. There had also been some small arms fire in the area. This location is known for this type of activity, often. The vehicle I was in along with a Bradley, proceeded up the street, parallel to each other, in search of anyone and anything that could be the culprit(s). AT one point, a suspicious vehicle was seen in front of us on a side street. We disembarked and quickly searched it. Perez led the crew and operated at lightening speed, while all along looking rather smooth. I snapped a few photos of the scene and listened for Perez's instructions. Once again, small arms fire was heard and we mounted back up and staged closer to where the other vehicles were located.

What had been found was determined to be a land mine.

The crew of the buffalo had located it and set the mine in position for detonation. "Fire in the hole" was announced, and the mine was exploded. I took a photo of the dust cloud that resulted. After that was done, we proceeded down more roads and up an overpass onto another major road. While we were going up the ramp from one road to the other highway, another loud boom echoed around us. Another RPG round. The soldiers inside readied themselves again, yet we proceeded on without further incident. We were now headed back to the FOB.

Riding in the back of this rig, I found myself thinking of the song by Bob Dylan, "sheltered from the storm". Not to give a false impression to anyone, but one does feel somewhat protected in these vehicles.

Small arms fire bouncing off the sides is not such a big deal, unless you're topside and exposed. I'm not sure what a direct hit from and RPG would do, and I have yet to experience an IED, be it a land mine or something else, explode directly underneath me. And I pray that day never comes.

These new vehicles that are built like a fortress on wheels, are good, but people still do get hurt when something blows them up. And people still die. It did not happen today, and once again, everyone came back uninjured. I was dropped off and said thanks.

As I was walking back to my quarters carrying my camera, I thought back on the mornings events. IED found, detonated. RPG rounds fired at us. Small arms fire received. Being driven around the streets of Mosul, Iraq by a soldier named Perez, from Silver City, New Mexico who graduated in the same class as my daughter, Moriah. My knees are sore from jumping out the back to take some photos. It's 110-degrees and climbing. I'm hungry. I'm wide awake.

Today in Iraq, I was "sheltered from the storm". In Silver City, New Mexico, a town of about 15,000 population, one of things young kids do at night is drive their cars and trucks down Bullard Street real slow, and then turn around and go the other direction.

I used to think that was really stupid. But, today in Iraq, a soldier from Silver City, NM drove me down roads, real slow, turned around, and went the other direction, but did it as a professional. While all along, he and his crew found and IED and once again headed the enemy off at the pass. Cruisn' is a good idea.

Jim Spiri
FOB Marez, Mosul, Iraq
jimspiri@yahoo.com