Wesley Gray - Embedded

relationship with Special Forces, 47–48;

reward system for jundi , 114–15;

sheepherder, IED warning to, 151–52;

weapons, confiscation of, 43–44

Abass, Lieutenant, 154, 201

Abdulhaddi, 174

Abdulrachman, 59, 75–76, 195–96, 209

Abdulredha, Lieutenant, 162–65, 167

Abit, 92–93, 170

Abu Hyatt, 28, 164

Adams, Rob: Baghdadi compound, 166;

Bani Dahir operations, 43–44;

calculating risk of death, 58;

explosion near Camp Ali, 239;

family of, 6, 8;

food for Iraqis, 76, 79–80;

gear, stashing extra, 6;

IED training, thoughts on, 25;

jogging with WG, 181;

Nimer operation planning, 120;

reassurance of family of, 6, 8;

red air and dead body escort, 102;

supply issues, 73, 74–75;

Surefire light, lost, 211;

walk to Kuwaiti market, 240

Adams, Sam, 6, 8

Adams, Virginia, 8

Ahmed, 182–83, 197–98

Ahmed (S-1 clerk), 94–95, 97

Ahmed, Captain, 134

Ahmed, Lieutenant, 161, 201, 218–19

Ali ( jundi ): Arabic name for WG, 64;

Barwana market security, 79;

picture with Iraqi children, 146;

religious beliefs of Marines, 193;

supplies, hauling, 74;

wounding of during combat patrol, 131–34

Ali, Ahmed, 171

Ali, Hussein, 101–2, 104–5

Ali, Lieutenant Colonel, 32, 84, 109, 182

ambush near market, intelligence about, 146–47

Amir, 68, 76–77

Anbar Province, Al: government

spending in, 220;

supply convoys, pirating of, 77–78;

violence in, 227. See also Haditha

Triad

angel escort, 101–5, 191–92

Arab culture. See Iraqi and Arab

culture

Arab media, 214–15

Arabic language skills, 16, 31, 41, 73, 83, 145–47

Arabic name, 64–65

Arabs, trust between, 190

Arafat, Yasser, 12

Asad Airbase, Al: accommodations at, 56–58;

chow halls, 56, 57–58;

food distribution from, 76–77;

leave run process, 51–54, 58–59, 61;

road leading to, 56

Ayad: combat patrol, 145–47;

IED on bridge, 165–66;

jailing of male relatives, 196–98;

man love, 93–94;

militias, participation in, 189;

picture with Iraqi children, 146

babystitting Iraqis, 67–68

Badr, 189

Baghdad: disparity between rich and poor, 13;

flight over, 12–13;

flight to, 9–10;

militia checkpoint in, 203;

political bickering, 219–20;

violence in, 202–4, 207

Baghdadi: candy and toys for kids, 55–56;

conditions in, 55, 56;

control of, 55;

engineering company, violence against, 204–6;

IED attack near, 155–57;

leave run process, 52, 60;

payday in, 85

Bailey, Jamar, 174, 175

Ballard, Dan, 212

Bani Dahir, 28, 35, 36, 39–44

banking system, 112

Barak, 60

Barney-style explanations, 49

Barwana, 28;

convoy to, 233;

Hungry Tiger, Operation, 79–80;

IED attack threat, 54;

leave run process, 54, 61;

meeting with area leaders, 218–19;

mortar attack on, 191–93;

payday in, 85;

security in market, 79–80

Bassam, General, 82

Bayati, Ibraheem al-, 215

beatings, 89–91, 92, 99–100

begging problem, 60–61, 194–96, 236

Bill (interpreter), 231–32

Black Hawk helicopters, 12–13

Blanchard, 127–29

blimps, 10

blood money, 97–99, 197–98

bloodlust, 191–93

Brewer, Jeff, 212

bridge IED, 149–54, 165–66

Bullock, Major, 22–23

Bush, George W., 34, 78, 209

Camp Ali: accommodations at, 29–30;

chow hall, 30–31;

construction at, 219–20, 235–36;

explosion near, 239;

explosives, 215;

IED threat near, 232;

layout of, 29–31;

leave run process, 52–54, 61;

location of, 29;

Marine guard for, 29;

motor transportation lot, 30;

return to from Haditha, 148;

runaway jundi , 209–10;

shower area, 30; size of, 29;

terrorists’ celebration of September 11, 119;

wasted efforts and resources at, 235–36;

wire fencing around, 69

Camp Fallujah, 23–24

Camp Taji: amenities at, 15;

Behemoth in charge of, 15–16;

flight to, 12–13;

hoarding supplies, 78;

IA camp, 15;

janitor at, 16;

PT gear to shower, 15–16;

training at, 16–23

Camp Victory: amenities at, 10;

blimps over, 10;

civilians in, 11;

mortar attacks on, 11–12;

motivation and length of time in, 11;

people watching in, 11;

security of, 10;

transient tent life, 11;

weapons carried in, 10

Casey, George, 19

Castro, Corporal, 211

cell phones, 25

Chameleons, 18, 34, 51, 59–60, 232–33

Chessani, Jeffrey, 113–14

Chestnutt, Jonathan “Nuts”:

Baghdadi compound, 166;

bridge IED, 150;

Camp Taji, 13;

combat patrol, 126–29, 135;

command wire mother lode, 154;

dead body, handling of, 102;

Egyptian insurgents operation, 174, 175, 176;

on Mark’s competence, 152;

Water Treatment Facility combat control base, 122

children: begging of, 60–61;

candy and toys for kids, 46, 55–56;

insurgent ambush, intelligence about, 146–47;

Pepsi in Barwana market, 80;

picture with Iraqi children, 146;

visit with in Haditha, 145–47

Chin, Rodd: advice for working with jundis , 59;

Arab culture lesson, 47;

Bani Dahir operations, 41, 43;

communication problems, 59–60;

copier, 70, 71;

embedding with, 36;

Kaffijiya operations, 44, 46–47;

leave run convoy, 55, 56, 59

civil war, 19, 224–25

close-talkers, 21

command post, ambulance ride to, 46–47

command wire mother lode, 154–55;

command-wire IEDs (CWIEDs), 49, 50, 51, 128–29

communication: Chameleons and

problems with, 59–60;

Iraqi radio net, 156;

procedures for, 18

Conte, Matthew, 227

contractors, oversight of, 236

convoy operations: attacks on leave convoys, 201–2, 211–12;

briefing about, 186–87;

control of, 159–61, 162–67, 169;

with new MiTT members, 231–33;

routes for convoys, 212

Cooling, Norman, 32–34, 89–92

Cope, Jesse, 36

copier, 70–71

corruption, 23, 94–96

counterinsurgency-control methods, 217–18

crisis in Iraq, responsibility for, 223–25

daisy-chained IED, 231

dead body (angel) escort, 101–5, 191–92

death: calculating risk of, 11–12, 58;

cultural acceptance of, 187;

Iraqi attitude about, 151;

living forever and, 213;

mortar attacks, payoff from, 12

defensive perimeter, 143–45

Delta Force, 17–18

detainees: Baghdadi IED attack, 156–57;

Barwana mortar attack, brothers suspected to, 192–93;

intelligence from, 137–40;

treatment of, 134–40, 156–57, 192, 236–37

Donaldson, Staff Sergeant, 24, 120, 156

ductus exemplo, 74–75

Duke Nukem justice, 156

Dulab, 6

Dushka, 231

earlobes, touching, 22

Egyptian insurgents, 173–76

electronic countermeasure (ECM) devices, 18

Elliot, Terry, 227

engineering company, violence against, 204–6

enjoyable marriage, 182–83

Espinosa, Corporal “Espi,” 126–29, 130–33

Euphrates River, 28;

draining of, 214;

fishing on, 69–70, 77, 78;

importance of, 13;

lushness of area around, 13;

swimming in, 30, 70

Everson, Major General, 19

Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD):

bridge IED, 150, 151, 153, 166;

explosion near Camp Ali, 239;