Before deploying to Iraq Lieutenant Francis Racioppi never expected that his ability to actively engage insurgents would be hindered by PowerPoint. With information that insurgents might access or emplace a weapon cache, Racioppi wanted to insert a sniper team to watch over the area. The team wouldn't even have lethal intent, they would just observe. The request, however, was denied because Racioppi didn't present a two-slide PowerPoint presentation forty-eight hours in advance.
After more than three years in Iraq American soldiers are noticing an increasing number of signs that indicate Iraq may gradually be shifting towards something between a peacekeeping mission and a war. The shift challenges and frustrates many soldiers as they're forced to act outside their traditional roles.
Additional layers of bureaucracy like Racioppi experienced indicates to many soldiers that Iraq has become more of a peacekeeping mission, as the Army has more time to worry about rules than waging war.
Bases that have built up substantially over the last three years operate like small cities with countless ordinances. At Logistical Support Area Anaconda soldiers are required to wear reflective belts around base to ensure to increase their visibility around to passing vehicles, and military police regularly give out speeding tickets. In Delta Company, 1-8 Infantry Regiment, which now operates on a small base outside of Anaconda, some soldiers worry that when their unit moves to Anaconda their quick reaction force could be slowed down by military police trying to ticket them as they rush off base responding to a call.
Aside from a deep-rooted American military that has time for bureaucracy, soldiers are dealing with an insurgency that targets American soldiers increasingly less. Veterans of earlier deployments to Iraq say they used to combat an active not afraid to openly engage American troops.
"I consider it more of a police action now," says Sergeant Scotty Hammonds, currently serving his second tour of duty in Iraq.
As Iraq begins to occupy a nebulous space between a peacekeeping mission and a war, the changing conditions have forced a number of soldiers to act outside their traditional roles.
Since their arrival in late-December, not a single tank in Delta Company, a tanker unit, has fired its main gun. Delta Company has been forced to adopt infantry and police tactics. Instead of tanks, they usually operate in Humvees, as tanks require more fuel, more maintenance, and are too loud to conduct missions that require stealth. Conducting missions like dismounted observation posts, where vehicles drop off soldiers and leave them to monitor areas for enemy activity for hours at a time, the tankers sarcastically refer to their job as "tankantry."
"I signed on to be a tanker, but it seems like I haven't done much tanking," says Private First Class Christopher Marro.
While adapting infantry tactics might come somewhat intuitively to tankers who've at least been through basic training, soldiers no longer engaged in an all out war must often act as investigators.
"This time it's more just trying to find IEDs (improvised explosive devices) before they find us," says Sergeant Hammonds. Given the elusive nature of Iraq's insurgency, eliminating the IED threat requires a fair degree of sleuthing. "We're detectives out here," says Captain Johnny Evans, commander of Delta Company.
While the Army made an effort to prepare soldiers for these tasks, providing one-day seminars on topics like evidence collection, most soldiers learn on the job.
Hunting for possible IED makers and financers, Delta Company soldiers must search houses, question locals, and pick up clues. At one house soldiers found a spool of wire, a soldering iron, and a magnifying glass. Second Lieutenant Kirk Bailey believed the material could be used for creating IEDs, so he decided to confiscate it.
As Bailey left the house, the owner, who denied all allegations, asked to keep the magnifying glass, saying his father gave it to him as a gift twenty three years ago. Bailey rejected the plea. However, when no other evidence could be found linking the man to making IEDs, Captain Evans ordered Bailey to return the man's possessions.
"We rally stuff up and if there's nothing on (a suspect) then we give their stuff back," said Evans. Operating without a clear set of guidelines, those like Evans try to apply the same standards they've seen at home. "Back in the States you can't take someone in unless you catch them in the act."
Despite the challenges of adapting to Iraq's changing situation soldiers feel that they're learning to adjust. "Last time we ran around like chickens with our heads cut off and just grabbed whoever looked bad," said Sergeant Clint Caballero about similar missions during his first tour of duty after the initial invasion.
Even while soldiers may be adapting to jobs outside the scope of their training, many find it hardest to accept the protocol of a peacekeeping mission, that makes them more an observer than a participant.
"We're coaches. If (the Iraqi Army) gets into any kind of trouble we're here to help them out," explains Hammonds.
"Before if we were out on a patrol and we felt that a house was questionable we could do a raid," says Sergeant Ariel Rosa. Now soldiers are often required to try to incorporate the Iraqi Army in the mission, which, despite improvements, can still sometimes take days of planning.
Most of the Iraqi Army units that work with Delta Company are already well trained. Aside from short refresher courses on topics like emergency first aid or vehicle maintenance there are few skills left for American soldiers to teach their Iraqi counterparts. On joint missions Americans often conduct perimeter security, while the Iraqis search houses and carry out the main mission.
Though this is a necessary step for transitioning authority to the Iraqis, many American soldiers complain that they've been relegated to the sidelines. "In OIF I (Operation Iraqi Freedom I), I personally felt that we were doing more for (Iraq) than we are now. It seemed like we were doing more to combat the insurgency," said Staff Sergeant Allen Lyson.
"It should be like that though," says Marine Captain Terrell Giersch, who works with the Iraqi Army near Balad. "The intent of everyone here is to work ourselves out of a job."
After more than three years in Iraq American soldiers are noticing an increasing number of signs that indicate Iraq may gradually be shifting towards something between a peacekeeping mission and a war. The shift challenges and frustrates many soldiers as they're forced to act outside their traditional roles.
Additional layers of bureaucracy like Racioppi experienced indicates to many soldiers that Iraq has become more of a peacekeeping mission, as the Army has more time to worry about rules than waging war.
Bases that have built up substantially over the last three years operate like small cities with countless ordinances. At Logistical Support Area Anaconda soldiers are required to wear reflective belts around base to ensure to increase their visibility around to passing vehicles, and military police regularly give out speeding tickets. In Delta Company, 1-8 Infantry Regiment, which now operates on a small base outside of Anaconda, some soldiers worry that when their unit moves to Anaconda their quick reaction force could be slowed down by military police trying to ticket them as they rush off base responding to a call.
Aside from a deep-rooted American military that has time for bureaucracy, soldiers are dealing with an insurgency that targets American soldiers increasingly less. Veterans of earlier deployments to Iraq say they used to combat an active not afraid to openly engage American troops.
"I consider it more of a police action now," says Sergeant Scotty Hammonds, currently serving his second tour of duty in Iraq.
As Iraq begins to occupy a nebulous space between a peacekeeping mission and a war, the changing conditions have forced a number of soldiers to act outside their traditional roles.
Since their arrival in late-December, not a single tank in Delta Company, a tanker unit, has fired its main gun. Delta Company has been forced to adopt infantry and police tactics. Instead of tanks, they usually operate in Humvees, as tanks require more fuel, more maintenance, and are too loud to conduct missions that require stealth. Conducting missions like dismounted observation posts, where vehicles drop off soldiers and leave them to monitor areas for enemy activity for hours at a time, the tankers sarcastically refer to their job as "tankantry."
"I signed on to be a tanker, but it seems like I haven't done much tanking," says Private First Class Christopher Marro.
While adapting infantry tactics might come somewhat intuitively to tankers who've at least been through basic training, soldiers no longer engaged in an all out war must often act as investigators.
"This time it's more just trying to find IEDs (improvised explosive devices) before they find us," says Sergeant Hammonds. Given the elusive nature of Iraq's insurgency, eliminating the IED threat requires a fair degree of sleuthing. "We're detectives out here," says Captain Johnny Evans, commander of Delta Company.
While the Army made an effort to prepare soldiers for these tasks, providing one-day seminars on topics like evidence collection, most soldiers learn on the job.
Hunting for possible IED makers and financers, Delta Company soldiers must search houses, question locals, and pick up clues. At one house soldiers found a spool of wire, a soldering iron, and a magnifying glass. Second Lieutenant Kirk Bailey believed the material could be used for creating IEDs, so he decided to confiscate it.
As Bailey left the house, the owner, who denied all allegations, asked to keep the magnifying glass, saying his father gave it to him as a gift twenty three years ago. Bailey rejected the plea. However, when no other evidence could be found linking the man to making IEDs, Captain Evans ordered Bailey to return the man's possessions.
"We rally stuff up and if there's nothing on (a suspect) then we give their stuff back," said Evans. Operating without a clear set of guidelines, those like Evans try to apply the same standards they've seen at home. "Back in the States you can't take someone in unless you catch them in the act."
Despite the challenges of adapting to Iraq's changing situation soldiers feel that they're learning to adjust. "Last time we ran around like chickens with our heads cut off and just grabbed whoever looked bad," said Sergeant Clint Caballero about similar missions during his first tour of duty after the initial invasion.
Even while soldiers may be adapting to jobs outside the scope of their training, many find it hardest to accept the protocol of a peacekeeping mission, that makes them more an observer than a participant.
"We're coaches. If (the Iraqi Army) gets into any kind of trouble we're here to help them out," explains Hammonds.
"Before if we were out on a patrol and we felt that a house was questionable we could do a raid," says Sergeant Ariel Rosa. Now soldiers are often required to try to incorporate the Iraqi Army in the mission, which, despite improvements, can still sometimes take days of planning.
Most of the Iraqi Army units that work with Delta Company are already well trained. Aside from short refresher courses on topics like emergency first aid or vehicle maintenance there are few skills left for American soldiers to teach their Iraqi counterparts. On joint missions Americans often conduct perimeter security, while the Iraqis search houses and carry out the main mission.
Though this is a necessary step for transitioning authority to the Iraqis, many American soldiers complain that they've been relegated to the sidelines. "In OIF I (Operation Iraqi Freedom I), I personally felt that we were doing more for (Iraq) than we are now. It seemed like we were doing more to combat the insurgency," said Staff Sergeant Allen Lyson.
"It should be like that though," says Marine Captain Terrell Giersch, who works with the Iraqi Army near Balad. "The intent of everyone here is to work ourselves out of a job."
posted by Tom | 7:22 AM
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