Biggest Surprise — Iraqi Police. All local guys. I never figured that we'd get a police force established in the cities in al-Anbar. I estimated that insurgents would kill the first few, scaring off the rest. Well, insurgents did kill the first few, but the cops kept on coming. The insurgents continue to target the police, killing them in their homes and on the streets, but the cops won't give up. Absolutely incredible tenacity. The insurgents know that the police are far better at finding them than we are — and they are finding them. Now, if we could just get them out of the habit of beating prisoners to a pulp...
Highest Unit Re-enlistment Rate — Any outfit that has been in Iraq recently. All the danger, all the hardship, all the time away from home, all the horror, all the frustrations with the fight here — all are outweighed by the desire for young men to be part of a band of brothers who will die for one another. They found what they were looking for when they enlisted out of high school. Man for man, they now have more combat experience than any Marines in the history of our Corps.
Best Chuck Norris Moment — 13 May. Bad Guys arrived at the government center in a small town to kidnap the mayor, since they have a problem with any form of government that does not include regular beheadings and women wearing burqahs. There were seven of them. As they brought the mayor out to put him in a pick-up truck to take him off to be beheaded (on video, as usual), one of the Bad Guys put down his machine gun so that he could tie the mayor's hands. The mayor took the opportunity to pick up the machine gun and drill five of the Bad Guys. The other two ran away. One of the dead Bad Guys was on our top twenty wanted list. Like they say, you can't fight City Hall.
The author also talks of irritating VIPs and talking heads (mentions O'Reilly) who over simplify and cast the wrong perception on the real situation. However, he doesn't go into detail re: who the VIPs are and in which manner the wrong perception is cast (ie we're winning/losing/inbetween etc). Nevertheless, judging by his comments re: the Marines (reenlistments etc etc), Iraqis, and 'insurgents', I feel he has a postitive outlook and, obviously, would prefer to be home.
The VIPs are most likely congress critters looking to get their credentials for talking about Iraq validated.
And doesn't Rummy spend about 1 week-end a month over there?
Bravest Guy in al-Anbar Province — Any Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician (EOD Tech). How'd you like a job that required you to defuse bombs in a hole in the middle of the road that very likely are booby-trapped or connected by wire to a bad guy who's just waiting for you to get close to the bomb before he clicks the detonator?
Got one family member - EOD Tech. - on the way to fill in 'vacancies' and a grandson stationed overseas, Airborne Spec Forces, with deployment to hot zone coming up - frightening...I pray republicans maintain power...if we win in Nov., I believe the violence will calm down some as the barbarians will have lost their hoped for advantage and aid from the libSocialists...