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NEWSLETTER
NEWSLETTER
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Preface
2LT Backsight Forethought's Family Lineage
Yes,makin’mocko’uniformsthatguardyouwhileyousleep
Ischeaperthanthemuniforms,an’they’restarvationcheap;
An’hustlin’drunkensoldierswhenthey’regoin’largeabit
Isfivetimesbetterbusinessthanparadin’infullkit.
Thenit’sTommythis,an’Tommythat,an’“Tommy, ‘ow’syersoul?”
Butit’s“Thinredlineof ‘eroes”whenthedrumsbegintoroll,
Thedrumsbegintoroll,myboys,thedrumsbegintoroll,
Oit’s“Thinredlineof ‘eroes”whenthedrumsbegintoroll.
Tommy
RudyardKipling
Thisrecollectionofcombatnightmaresisdedicatedtothosewho“standreadyto
deploy,engage,anddestroytheenemiesoftheUnitedStatesofAmericainclose
combat.”
Alittlemorethanacenturyago,mygreat-great-grandfatherBacksight
ForethoughtreturnedtoIrelandfromserviceintheBoerWarasalieutenantinthe
RoyalIrishRifles.BFwas,accordingtofamilyoralhistory,somethingofaweird
duckgiventolongwalksandevenlongerconversationswithhimself.Most
disturbingtohisfellowIrishmenofthedaywashistendencytorefertodreamsas
aguidingsourceinhislifeafterhisreturnfromSouthAfrica.Ultimately,the
confiningnatureofIrishsociety,climate,andcountrypromptedBFtoemigrate
fromIrelandtotheUnitedStates,wherehiswaysblendedinandheenjoyed
greaterroomtoroamashemurmuredtohimselfaboutsomebodynamed“Oom.”
BFpassedawayin1945withhisfamilyandheirsaroundhim.Onewasmy
great-grandfather,BFII,andanotherwashisson,BFIII,mygrandfather.Trueto
ourIrishroots,wehadkeptalivethepatrilinealheritage,namingeachfirstborn
sonafterthemanwhobroughtthefamilytoAmerica.
Withthatsharednamecameasharedbutselectivegift.Yousee,everyBFsince
Great-Great-GrandpaBFhasbeenguidedbyhisdreams.BFtheFirstchoseto
writeashortbookabouthisdreamsintheBoerWar,hopingtosharehishardwon
insightswithfollowinggenerationsoflieutenantsfacingcombatforthefirsttime.
BFIIsaidthatshortworkhelpedhimsurvivethetragedyofthetrenchesinWWI.
BFIII,justbackfromEuropein1945,assuredhisgrandfather,BFtheFirst,that
hisdreamshadguidedhiminthelongmarchuptheItalianboot.Myfather,BF
IV,experiencedthesameinVietnam.
Andsoithasprovedforme.Likemygreat-great-grandfather,Ihavechosento
recountmyexperiencesonpaper.Thistaleencompassesanamalgamationof
eventsandlessonslearnedthattookplaceduringtheIraqphaseoftheGlobalWar
onTerrorism.Ihopethatbyreadingthisnarrative,someleaderonafuture
battlefieldwillapplythebasicprinciplesilluminatedthroughthepainofanother.
Nowadaysitisimportanttoremember,whenmakinganassessmentofour
enemies,thattheinsurgenthasbeenpracticinginsurgencyforafewyears.Heis
extremelysmartandadaptive.Rightnowoneofthemishardatworkdeveloping
adiabolicalplantotryandkillyou.Remember,allthedumbinsurgentsaredead.
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CENTERFORARMYLESSONSLEARNED
BacksightForethought,V
2LT,Infantry*
*WithrespectfulacknowledgementofTheDefenceofDuffer'sDrift by
thenCaptainE.D.Swinton,D.S.O.,R.E.(laterMajorGeneralSirErnest
Swinton,K.B.E.,C.B.,D.S.O.)
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Cover: ThecoverartinsetoftheJournaloftheUnitedStatesInfantry
Association'sApril1905editionof TheDefenceofDuffer'sDrift isusedwith
permission.
Nightmare on Wazir Street
TableofContents
Prologue:ArrivalinIraq 1
TheFirstNightmare:AvoidtheObvious 5
TheSecondNightmare:SettheConditions 11
TheThirdNightmare:Don'tMakeFatalAssumptions 15
TheFourthNightmare:WarIsNotFair:UseAlltheAdvantagesto
19
KilltheEnemy
TheSecretaryoftheArmyhasdeterminedthatthepublicationofthisperiodicalis
necessaryinthetransactionofthepublicbusinessasrequiredbylawofthe
Department.
Unlessotherwisestated,wheneverthemasculineorfemininegenderisused,both
areintended.
Note:Anypublications(otherthanCALLpublications)referencedinthis
product,suchasARs,FMs,andTMs,mustbeobtainedthroughyourpinpoint
distributionsystem.
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NIGHTMAREONWAZIRSTREET
Prologue
Arrival in Iraq
We’renotsooldintheArmyList,
Butwe’renotsoyoungatourtrade,
ForwehadthehonouratFontenoy
OfmeetingtheGuards’Brigade.
‘TwasLally,Dillon,Bulkeley,Clare,|
AndLeethatledusthen,
Andafterahundredandseventyyears
We’refightingforFranceagain!
OldDays!Thewildgeeseareflying,
Headtothestormastheyfaceditbefore!
ForwherethereareIrishthere’smemoryundying,
Andwhenweforget,itisIrelandnomore!
Irelandnomore!
TheIrishGuards
RudyardKipling
Baghdadwas,andstillis,brutallyhotandterriblycrowded.Theneighborhoods
wereadensemazeofhousessqueezedtogether.Asidefromrareexceptions,the
houseshadconcreteorcinderblockwallsaroundthemwithasmallcourtyard.
MassesofIraqipeoplecontinuedtogoabouttheirbusinessdespitethethreatof
multiplewaysofmeetingaviolentdeath.Trafficwasincrediblycongested,with
littleornoadherencetoanykindoftrafficlaws.
WazirStreetwasprettymuchindistinguishablefromanyotherstreetexceptfor
thehugegreendomedmosqueonthesouthernedgeofthemarketarea.The
mosquehadaminaretthathadtobethetallestformilesaroundandservedasa
landmarkforeveryoneinthebattalion. WazirStreetwasinmycompany’sareaof
operations,andmyplatoonwasnewtotheneighborhood.
Post Relief in Place/Transfer of Authority Jitters
Thereliefinplacewasnotallitwascrackeduptobe.Thebattalionwerelieved
damnnearlykilleduswithPowerPointpresentationsfilledwithstatistics,
pictures,trends,projects,contacts,improvisedexplosivedevices(whatwecall
IEDs),andhotspots.Theridesaroundtheareaofoperationsweregenerally
uneventful.ThescoutplatoonhadanIEDdamageaguntruck,butnoonewas
hurt.Itriedtogetthehangoftheareaandtookspecialnoteofadviceonhownot
togetkilled.Itwaslikedrinkingfromafirehose,andIwonderedifIwasthe
onlyonefeelingthisway.
Myplatoonsergeanttoldmethereisnosubstituteforexperienceinanyareaof
operations.HisadvicewastodefinitelypayattentiontowheretheIEDsusually
areandwherethecomplexattackshavetakenplace.Thatinformationwouldget
usthroughthefirstmonthwithoutanystupidmistakes,untilwegottoknowour
areaofoperations.Ithoughtitwasgoodadvice,andInotedthat WazirStreethad
neverhadanythingbadhappen;maybetheIraqistherelikedusorjustdidn’twant
anytrouble.Youwouldthinkwithanamelike WazirStreet,theareawouldbea
bittougheronus“infidels.”
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CENTERFORARMYLESSONSLEARNED
Theoutgoingcompanyeventuallygaveusthehighfiveanddeparted.My
companytookchargeofwhattheytoldmewasapproximately50square
blocksofdenseurbanareaandsomewherearound125,000Iraqisofvarious
religiousandethnicdenominations.Ifiguredthatifonlyonepercentofthe
populationactuallyhatedusenoughtotryandkillus,thenthatwouldbe
about1,250badguys.1,250badguysversusthecompanyofSoldiersthat
stoodinformationwhenweleftFortBellcampwasnotagoodratio.AsI
layawake,somewhatconcernedaboutthose1,250badguys,Irealizedthat
myonepercentguesstimatewasmorethanlikelyonthelowside.
EventhoughIwasconcernedbythoseodds,Iremainedconfident.The
brigadehadknownsinceIarrivedatFortBellcampthatweweregoingto
Baghdad.Thisadvanceknowledgeoftheterraindrovethetraining.Colonel
Herity,thebrigadecommander,emphasizedurbancombattraining,somy
battalionandcompanycommandersenthusiasticallypushedurban-type
training.Withthefullsupportofthechainofcommand,wepreparedforthe
urbanfightingthatwouldsoonbeuponus.
StokedtoStackandAttack
Everyoneseemedtofocusonbattledrillsix(BD6):enterbuilding/cleara
roomandclose-quarterscombat.WebuiltplywoodmazesforBD6training
inthemotorpool,wedidglasshousedrills,andweconducteddryandlive
firesattheshoothouseuntilitwassecondnature.Atthemilitaryoperations
onurbanizedterrainsite,wepracticedclearinghallwaysandstairwells.We
rehearsedandpracticedthe“stack”sothateveryoneknewthejobofevery
numberedpositioninthe“stack.” Quickfiredrills,rapidmagazinechanges,
andstressshootsgaveustheconfidencetotakeontheenemy.
Wegotsogoodthatintraining,whentheopposingforcemadecontact,
BD6wasautomatic,anda“stack”ofmenwas“takingthehousedown”
rapidly.Wordsthatranginmyheadwere“audacity,violenceofaction,
momentum,andclosewithanddestroy.”Lookingbackonthetrainingin
theStates,IfeltmoreateaseanddriftedofftosleepuntilIwasstartled
awakebyaheavyvolumeofsmallarmsfire.AsIbouncedoutofthehooch
inmyunderwearandbodyarmor,oneofmysquadleaderstoldmethatit
wasjusttheforwardoperatingbaseriflerange.Ifeltlikeanidiot,andI
couldjustimagineoneofmyveteranSoldierssaying“Welcometothewar,
CHERRY!”
Aftergettingovertheriflerangeattack,Isettleddownagainintoa
tormentedsleep.Gastrointestinalissues(duetonotwashingmyhands
beforeeating),themedicinetocontrolmycaseofthe“Montezuma’s
Revenge,”andtheanxiousnessofbeinginacombatzonecausedaseriesof
nightmaresaboutmyinevitable“RendezvouswithDestiny.”
TounderstandwhatIexplainhereinthesepagesyoumustunderstandhow
thesenightmaresplayedout.Eachnightmareof,combatoccurredinthe
sameplaceandtimewiththesameassembledcastofcharacters,both
enemyandfriendly.WhileIwasasleep,eachhorribledreamwasentirely
separatedfromtheformer.Icouldnotrememberwhathadpreviouslytaken
place.Theonlythingthatremainedwithmethroughoutmytormentedsleep
wastheoverridinglessonslearnedthehardwayinthepreviousnightmares.
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Thankfully,theselessons,onceapplied,finallyproducedameasureofsuccess.
Uponawakening,allthenightmaresandthelessonslearnedcametogetherina
continuousstreamofconsciousnessinmymemory.Iwrotethedreamworld
narrativedownimmediatelytoensurethatIwouldnothavetorepeatthe
nightmaresintherealworld.
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NIGHTMAREONWAZIRSTREET
The First Nightmare
Avoid the Obvious
Whenfirstunderfirean’you’rewishfultoduck,
Don’tlooknortake ‘eedatthemanthatisstruck,
Bethankfulyou’relivin’,andtrusttoyourluck
Andmarchtoyourfrontlikeasoldier.
Front,front,frontlikeasoldier...
TheYoungBritishSoldier
RudyardKipling
Theblastwasinsanelyloud.Unbelievably,thedriverofthetargetedtruck
maintainedastraightcourseandbroughtthewoundedtrucktoastop100meters
pasttheblastsite.Intheimmediatechaosofblastandsmoke,thedriverofthe
secondtruckdumpedhimselfintothelargeblastholethatwasjustsuddenly
created.Thevehiclethattooktheblasthadthreeblowntiresandwasleaking
fluidslikeasieve.Thegunnerwasnotupintheturret.Thetruckintheblasthole
wasdefinitelystuck.Suddenly,Iwasshakenbyfear,thinkingthattheunseen
gunnerwasdead,andthatweweresittingducksimmobilizedbybrokenandstuck
trucks.ItookstockofwhatIhadavailableforwhatIthoughtwouldbemy
versionof“Custer’sLastStand.”
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