View from the Front

Reader Owen sends me this:

Here’s a quick report from former SSG Dave Bellavia, winner of the Conspicuous Service Cross for his actions in Fallujah, who is in Ramadi embedded with the Iraqi Army. His perspective up at the front is far different than the Green Zone din.

Bellavia Sends:

After taking down the mosque and still in a rough area of Ramadi, the Iraqi soldiers began the unprecedented task of cleaning up the mosque. They painted walls, scrubbed floors, fixed doors and repaired broken windows. I told one Iraqi officer, “You guys know there is a war going on right?”

He responded by saying, “Some things are more important than war”…

…Girls in cheap plastic sandals smacked the back end of a donkey as it squealed down the road. I chased after the donkey yelling, “Papa.. Papa”. The Iraqis and the children all laughed. It was hard to remember this was home town of so much grizzly violence.

We made it back to the OP site when 2nd Battalion arrived from the 1st Brigade, 1st IA. All these soldiers hanging out. I didn’t understand them, they don’t understand me… but we are both soldiers. We chain smoke. LAugh. Talk about cars and women. These IA soldiers have the most expensive cell phones I have ever seen. THey must cost 500 dollars a piece. I ask one of the officers how they can afford them. He tells me, “young soldiers is stupid with money. They buy stupid”. We are all the same…

…The noise wasn’t consistent and when they came closer I could see what appeared to be dump trucks. They stopped and began throwing garbage in the back I was amazed. The municipal govt center in Ramadi have sent in garbage trucks to clean east ramadi. The Iraqi Army shows a pressence for only 24 hours deep in the city, and already the garbage services are being delivered. Ladies and Gentelmen, this is how you win the will of the people. This is where victory will be won in Iraq.

Hotel Tango http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/blog/