Wesley Gray - Embedded

Muslih, Hussein, 215

Najaf, 52, 54

Naji, Warrant Officer, 83–84

Najib, Captain, 44, 45, 47–48

Natham, Captain, 59, 107–8, 192, 193

Nayim, Sergeant Major, 109

Nihad, Captain, 74–75, 86

Nimer (Tiger), Operation:

briefing following raid, 129;

combat patrol, 125–34, 140–43;

convoy through Haditha, 121–24;

defensive perimeter around control base,143–45;

detainees, treatment of, 134–40;

generator building COC, 125, 129–30;

motorcycle crash, 123–24;

nap schedule, 125;

number of jundis involved in, 121;

operation plan, 121;

pace of patrolling, 147;

planning for, 119–20;

portable toilet kit, 147–48;

sniper attacks, 131–33;

Water Treatment Facility combat control base, 122, 124–25;

Water Treatment Facility, departure from, 148;

wounding of jundi during combat patrol, 131–34

oil, 66–67, 190

Okinawa, Japan, 3, 213

Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) team, 29

palm groves, 128–29, 140, 147, 223

patrol operations: Nimer (Tiger), Operation, 125–34, 140–43;

number of patrols, 171;

schedule for, 170–71

pay system: corruption in, 94–96;

pay punishment, 84;

pay rates, 42, 64, 76, 94–95, 188–89;

payday, 82–85;

problems with, 81–82, 85–86;

trust and, 82

personal health, maintenance of, 20–21

personal locator beacon (PLB), 16–17

Philippines, 3–4, 213

phone sex, 184–86

photo album, 63–64, 146

Pitts, Captain, 91

POGs, 56

portable toilet kit, 147–48

PRC-148 radios, 16

pressure washers, 68–69

pressure-plate IEDs (PPIEDs), 17, 49–50, 51, 54

propaganda packet, 146

punishment system, 84–85, 108

Pyle, Major, 6, 9, 101, 109, 162, 186–87, 209–10, 217, 232

Qadisiyah, Lake, 28, 173–76, 213–15

Qasem, 86

Qatan, 69–70, 189

Qutaiba, 204–6, 219

radio-controlled IEDs (RCIEDs), 49, 50–51

Ramadi, 52, 78

rank structure, 243

Rawah, 51, 209

religious beliefs of Marines, 193–94

Resgar, 136–37, 181

REST, 40

revenge, 97–99, 191–93, 197–98

Rial, Ahmed, 77

Riath, 192

River Gate, Operation, 217–18

Robeson, Mastin, 3

Route Boardwalk: ambush

near market, intelligence about, 146–47;

combat patrol, 125–34, 141–43, 145–47;

motorcycle crash, 123–24;

palm grove off of, 128–29, 140, 147

Route Bronze, 54–56, 59–61, 149–53

Route Phoenix, 233

Route Raptors, 192

Route Uranium, 54

Sadr, Muqtada Al, 189

Sa’ed, 195–96

SAFE, 39–40

Salah, 174

Salazar, Corporal, 195

salty dogs, 5

Samir, 60, 74, 75, 130

sand spider competitions, 20–21

scorpion fight competitions, 20–21

Secher, Rob, 202

security posture, 142–43

Seif, Lieutenant, 186–87 201

Sermen: Baghdad, violence in, 202–4;

bridge IED, 149–51;

command wire mother lode, 155;

driving style of, 107–8;

hatred for Americans, 204;

insurgents, information about, 64;

militias, participation in, 189;

water truck, breakdown of, 233

sexual issues:

enjoyable marriage,182–83;

Horny Hameed, 183–84;

man love, 92–94;

phone sex, 184–86;

sex education, 181–82

Shaban, Colonel, 55, 60

sheepherders, 55, 151–52

sheiks, tribal:

control of population by, 114;

deal-making with Marines, 238;

relationship with insurgents, 114, 238

Shia Muslims, 19, 52, 220

Shlessinger, Corporal, 201

shotgun, antique, 165

snipers, 41, 64, 131–33, 202

South Dam Village, 28, 170, 231

springbutts, 24

Sudanese engineers, 236

Sunni Muslims, 19, 238

Super Stallion helicopters, 27, 239

supply issues, 73, 74–75, 77–78

Surefire light, lost, 211

swahuts, 29–30

Sweden, escape to, 228–31

tattooed inside lip, 220

terrorists’ celebration of September 11, 119

toilet kit, portable, 147–48

top-secret weapon, 63–64, 146

torture, 134–40

Trejos, Nancy, 215

tribalism, 96–99, 109, 196–99

Tseen, Captain, 82–84, 85–86, 94–95

United States: crisis in Iraq, responsibility for, 223–25;

hatred for Americans, 204;

Iraqis’ feelings about American

invasion, 111–13;

life in, 105;

media reports, accuracy of, 215, 217;

situation in Iraq, understanding of, 227;

wealth in, Iraqi perception, 60, 87, 236

U.S. Air Force, 240

U.S. Army: Camp Taji, 15;

Camp Victory, 10;

embedded adviser mission, 19–20;

failure to help Marines, 240;

militia checkpoint in Baghdad, 203;

security of bases run by, 17

U.S. Army Special Forces, 17–18, 34, 47–48, 141–43

U.S. Marine Corps:

battle decision-making process, 32;

casualties and leadership decisions, 33;

infantrymen, 148;

insurgent attack on Marine combat outpost, 6;

lists, 6;

living forever and, 213;

rank structure, 243;

religious beliefs of Marines, 193–94;

salty dogs, 5;

springbutts, 24

U.S. Marine Corps, 1st Marines, 3rd Battalion, 33, 217

U.S. Marine Corps, 3rd Marines, 2nd Battalion (2/3), 113, 121, 193, 217–18

U.S. Marine Corps, 3rd Marines, 3rd Battalion (3/3), 28, 32–34, 113, 121

U.S. Marine Corps, 3rd Regment, 5–6, 7

Valle, Daniel “V,” 101–5

violence for solving politics and policy, 113–14

wadi , crossing water-filled, 33

war, ethics standard in, 138

wasta , 70

waste and abuse in Iraq, 16–17, 235–36

Wazes, 30

weapons, 43–44, 112

Wear, Staff Sergeant, 29, 35

Weeks, Elliot, 213–14

wife beating, 89–91, 92

Wilkenson, Staff Sergeant, 23–25

women, conversations about, 42–43, 67–68

Yama Sukura war games, 3

Yasser, escape from Iraq by, 228–31

Zilmer, Rick, 161

After a four-year “sabbatical” as an active-duty U.S. Marine officer, Wesley R. Gray returned to the University of Chicago Booth School of Business to finish his Ph.D. dissertation. He also serves as a portfolio manager and managing member of Empirical Finance, LLC. In his spare time, Wes enjoys sports and manual labor.

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