Sulymaneyah & Spiecher
Precombat inspections conducted at the line up prior
to departing on our first mission -- a convoy to FOB Spiecher about
a 2 hour drive to Saddam's hometown of Tikrit. |
 Everyone is inspected for basics -- ammo, water, fuel, ensure we have radio communications, etc. |
 View of the desert through the vehicle commander's window will contrast with the view on the way to Suly. |
Before leaving FOB Speicher we top off with fuel --
here we are racing with daylight to make it back to FOB Warrior before
dark. Dealing with an enemy obstacle had cost precious time on the trip
down. |
On a separate mission to Sulymaneyah, unusually heavy
rains which have kept the temperature down have also bogged down the
roads. |
The path to check on the progress of a water project
is washed out and impassable. |
This Northern area of Iraq is controlled by the Kurds,
who I have found, as this neatly plowed field suggests, to be an extremely
industrious people. |
The Suly province is part of Iraq that has been protected by the No Fly Zone for more than a decade. As such the Kurds have enjoyed a high degree of autonomy and as a result threat level in this part of the country is practically nonexistent. |
 |
 |
|
A quick break before loading up for the return trip to indian country. |
The depth perception is somewhat lost -- but I am standing up high looking back down on the road we just traveled which runs down the middle of the picture. |
Same picture as above -- a little closer. |
|
The vehicles we've inherited have not been well maintained and we've had a plethora of problems. |
This one overheats. |
We are lucky to have two former mechanics working on the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) and they have single-handedly gotten our vehicles back on line. |
Two soldiers pull security while the truck is being fixed. |
 |
Rolling green hills -- hard to believe this is Iraq. |
More sheep. No counting allowed. |
 |
|
|
