Jim Spiri in Iraq

This night would pair me up with Bravo Company, headed by Captain Kendall. I would be with Lt. Dolney's platoon and in a vehicle with four soldiers I had yet to travel with. I've come to know Bravo Company as well as any of the others, and it's always a pleasure to hook up with Lt. Dolney. Bravo company always has a group prayer before EVERY mission. I am one with them in every word spoken.

Driving the humvee would be Duvall, gunning would be Kooscur, on my left would be Sgt. Tun (pronounced toon), from the island of Yap, and vehicle commander would be SSGT Takawo, known as Sgt "TK". He is from the island of Palau. I have over the years come to know the "island boys", having spent many years in Hawaii working with the helicopter tour industry. All the islanders never cease to amaze me. The Army is for sure an excellent place to learn so many different cultures, all working exactly the same, especially in war on critical missions. This night was no exception.

There was a briefing as always before the mission.
Word was we were going after some targets that are key players in the ISI. That stands for, "The Islamic State of Iraq". They are a coordinated network of cells ranging from all sorts of levels of activity.
Their one purpose of course is to kill American "infidels". They are not nice people. They have been instrumental in some horrendous acts of violence and currently, they are grouping for all sorts of things being that Ramadan is about to begin. Prior to the mission, we were told that the first target home may put up some resistance. I was offered to sit in the humvee. I responded by saying, "I usually go where my vehicle commander goes, but, whatever you say, I will do". It was determined that I would be able to stick close to SSGT "TK", who happened to be the lead element. I've never acted foolishly, and I've come to know first hand that my life is precious, yet I trust the skills of each soldier I travel with. I also know how not to be in the way, and follow directions. Lt.
Dolney, who always cares for my best interest, as well as my purpose for being here, told me to be sure and wait for SSGT "TK" to enter the home first, then once the house is clear, I could follow. It all happens fast, I fully understood his directions, and the plan was set. We would begin shortly.

We headed out the FOB after midnight and coordinated a link up point with members of the Iraqi Army. They would be with us on this mission. Once linked up, we headed to the first target house. It was now in the middle of the night, there was no traffic, as there is a curfew during these hours. We drove with lights out, and everyone (except me) was wearing NVG's. It is not an easy thing to maneuver at night, whether or not one is wearing NVG's or not. We were in an area of town that I've been to before, and have always had fire directed at us. Tonight, we would go straight into the homes of the leaders of known cells and pluck them straight out of their comfey little sleep time.

As we pulled up to the objective, we soon exited the vehicle. There was some brief discussion in regards to which home exactly was the target according to the information at hand, and then it was determined which one it was. I was kneeling next to Lt. Dolney along side a wall as SSGT "TK" and Sgt. Tun led the plan for entrance into the home. Once inside the courtyard, Lt. Dolney followed as Iraqi Army soldiers pressed forward as well. I followed. The front doors were opened, three men were found in the front room, lights were shined on them, and a prompt search of the rest of the house ensued. It was quickly determined that the identities of these ones matched exactly who we were looking for. The process of gathering them up followed, as Iraqi Army soldiers and US soldiers searched and located things of interest such as computers, notes, cell phones, stashes of large amounts of money, photos, etc.

As all this was going on, I kept my eyes on the now detained subjects. Many times since being here, I observed those that were detained. Tonight I watched even closer. This time, at the first house, I noticed something different. The look on the faces of the ones being detained. It was a bit different.
There was not much resistance. It is not that they were cooperative, it was that they had been caught. I could see it all over their faces. It was as if their expressions were saying, "Uh oh. They got me. How did they find me? It's over. I lose."

The lighting was low and getting a good photo is difficult. Staying out of the way yet maneuvering in such a fashion to capture that look would be my goal this night as we went to several other targets this night. There had been no resistance at this home nor would there be any from each of the other homes we would enter throughout the long night into the early morning hours just prior to sunrise, when the call to Muslim prayers blasts throughout neighborhoods telling everyone to wake up.

Although there was no resistance this night, each and every house we went to, in different parts of the city, extreme caution was taken and very serious movements by the soldiers were displayed. No one became slack at all. Watching each soldier maneuver in the dark of night into a terrorists' home, never knowing what to expect other than the unexpected, I realized again I was witnessing how this war on terror is being fought, inch by inch. It is so difficult to explain in words what I see and how it happens. Even taking a photo is not adequate. But, it is an attempt to convey what I see for all those that do not see, nor ever will be able to see. I have said many times over in this blog that the professional level of maturity that each one of the soldiers exhibits is fascinating. Today's infantry has been transformed into something yesterday's soldier would marvel at.

The night would continue working in several parts of the city exactly how we started on the first house.
By night's end, a dozen cell leaders of the ISI would be in detention with the Iraqi Army. I would constantly reflect on the nights mission and have seared in my mind the look on each terrorists face as he realized his days of waging terror were done, at least for now. I think once again how as a humvee bangs into the metal gate doors and soldiers rushing in to the unknown as residents inside still sleep. I am still fascinated at how soundly the Iraqi sleeps.
I think back to the second to last house we entered and captured a cell leader. He realized that it was over for him. At that realization he immediately offered up his brother in law, who lived a ways away.
We went to that home only to find that this person had somehow slipped away. The last one on the list was not found, yet. But he will be.

At that home, word came over the comms that a VBED was possibly headed our direction. I had thought that after such a night, something like that could be expected. We finished up in short order, exited the area in a newly coordinated plan, and returned to the FOB later on. I was tired now, but I was wide awake.
I would go to breakfast at the chow hall and return to my quarters and sleep until noon.

In conversation concerning how things work in Iraq, I have learned that the enemy is quite mobile. He comes from where the pressure is put on, and tries to regroup in another area. Like fire ants that being disrupted. They frantically scurry the land to set up a new hill. But the big feet of the cavalrymen seem to be able to stomp them out faster than they can rebuild these days. This is how the war goes in Mosul, Iraq in the middle of the night as the seasons are changing.

I will never forget that look on all the cell leaders that were captured tonight. They are bad boys. And they just don't know what to do when the Cav comes for them. There will be more raids in the days, months and perhaps years ahead. Maybe one day, they'll all get tired. Once caught, they give up their cohorts rapidly. It is not an easy task this middle of the night gathering up of terrorists. But it has to be done. Perhaps the word should get out.

"You can run, but you cannot hide, forever."

Jim Spiri
Mosul, Iraq
jimspiri@yahoo.com