Armor Battalion soldiers engaged in firefight in 2004 Iraq

Armor Battalion soldiers engaged in firefight (LTC McBrearty)

Retired Army LTC John J. McBrearty deployed to Iraq in 2004 with the California National Guard as part of the 185th Armor Battalion. Serving as Deputy Base Commander of Combat Support Center Scania, a major stop-over point for convoys traveling from Kuwait to the Sunni Triangle and beyond, his arrival coincided with the rise of militias. His journal entries from April and May 2004, excerpted from his book Combat Journal 2, provide one soldier’s experience of this consequential turning point in the war.

For more information on McBrearty’s books visit his website johnwriteshistory.com. His Combat Journals 1-4 (Amazon self-publishing) are available online.

4 Apr 04

Moving from Camp Navistar, Kuwait to Scania, Iraq. We headed north on MSR (main supply route) Tampa and had been on the road for several hours when I held up the convoy because we had a breakdown in one of our vehicles. The vehicle was filled with mortar ammunition.

Hundreds of logistical trucks screamed by us in excess of 60-70 MPH; dust was everywhere; it was horrible. The situation was so dangerous for all of us. Picture big rig tractor-trailer trucks, towing low-boy trailers with Abrams tanks on them. Manning the hatches of the tanks were soldiers with loaded machine guns. I am honestly more afraid of the crazy driving conditions in this country than I am of the enemy.

After an hour or so, we were back on the hardball road.

Later, we drove up on a big rig truck parked along the right side of the road. An MP was across the street from it. There was a large crowd off on both sides. As soon as we got close to the scene, the MPs started firing on the truck.

We heard return fire, probably AK-47s. Shit was hitting the fan, and bullets were flying everywhere. We immediately stopped and dismounted. I looked around and saw that all our soldiers were out of their vehicles and in defensive positions.

Then the large truck blew up. What followed was something out of a horror movie.

Hundreds of Iraqis bolted across the street toward the engulfed truck. All I could think was that this would turn into a bloodbath quickly.

Adrenaline in overdrive, I ordered the convoy to mount up and get the hell out of there. I made sure the MPs stopped firing on the truck before we started.

We continued another two hours until we reached our destination, Camp Scania.

Once in the camp, I found our CO and gave him a rundown of the attack on the convoy. The events of this day will forever change the lives of those soldiers who accompanied me on that convoy.

5 Apr 04

We survived our first night in Iraq, and yeah, I got a lot of sleep that evening. We got wind of three Iraqi cities falling into the hands of the enemy.

I finally got through to my wife Annette. I told her I had made it here safely and not to worry about me.

Jaysh Al-Mahdi had an underground Army of 15,000 members; many were former criminals and prisoners. They stole US Army uniforms and 4-5 M1114s or up-armored HUMVEEs and attacked several cities. They are known now as the Mahdi Army and are our enemy.

The moon is full tonight and so bright that you can see without the advent of a flashlight. You can hear dogs barking in the distance. The sky is clear, no smog, and you can see many stars. A cool breeze makes you think you might be in the Florida Keys, not Southern Iraq.

7 Apr 04

Things are heating up.

If you look at an Iraqi map and see where American soldiers and locations have been hit, we are in the eye of the storm. Virtually every place has been hit but us.

Tonight, the level 2 linguist said he had some information for us that might be of intel value. He mentioned the possibility of our camp being hit within the next two or three days.

Intelligence reports have shown that the Mahdi Army will launch attacks by way of some seventy suicide bombers in Southern Iraq. The tension is very high right now. This camp is not used to this type of threat level.

9 Apr 04

We awoke to the sounds of soldiers spreading the word of a heightened threat condition level and to wear complete battle rattle, Kevlar helmets, and flack vests.

10 Apr 04

Today, five bridges were blown up in our area by Iraqi insurgents. However, we had no casualties.

11 Apr 04

It was actually quiet today, Easter Sunday.

I hit Easter Sunday church at 1600. I actually wept a little during and after the mass. When I spoke with Annette, we talked a bit about little Junior; I even heard him sleeping in the background. During mass, I thought of how cute he must look in his Easter Sunday suit, attending church, the Easter Bunny, etc. I just miss the little guy, something awful.

As I type, we hear mortar fire in the background.

12 Apr 04

I awoke to stomach cramps that hindered me all day. I could not get out of the rack until after 0900. I hit the TMC (Troop Medical Clinic) at 1015, and Dr. T diagnosed me as needing to eat more roughage.

13 Apr 04

I had a nice chat with Annette on the telephone. That always raises my spirits.

Aerial View of Convoy Support Center, Scania, Iraq

Convoy Support Center, Scania, Iraq (LTC McBrearty)

15 Apr 04

The roads to Baghdad remain closed, and the convoys are still backed up. The Iraqi civilian and American KBR (Kellogg Brown & Root) truck drivers refused to take their loads north unless they had more Army protection.

Yesterday, I received my first care package. I was elated!

Annette filled a small box of Easter candy, toothpaste, lip balm, sunscreen, and a very nice card. She is very thoughtful. I asked her to include a big bag of Starbucks coffee in the next package.

Anyway, when the lights went out, it was the perfect opportunity to visit the local market.

I bought a lot of old Iraqi money with Saddam Hussein’s face on the front and silver rings for my wife and daughter. I also picked up several movies on DVD. As it turned out, they were dubbed movies onto CDs. I picked up an assortment from action-adventure to mid-eastern films. The market reminded me a bit of the little roadside stands in Tijuana, Mexico.

Seeing a glimpse of those movies today, I never missed my wife more, her smell, soft voice, and touch. I am terribly homesick right now. This is the very hard part of deployment in a war. You must withdraw from the real world in a way others could never understand.

20 Apr 04

Time is ticking by slowly today. I think today was a precursor of things to come for us this year. There is not much for a battalion staff to do when its companies are spread out to three different locations. I think most of the staff are doing busy work. I know I am. Our job as battalion staff is to resource the companies and help them succeed with their missions.

No attacks today.

I need to hit the gym more often because it makes me feel better. You must develop coping skills to get through this; if you do not, you will really get down. There has been talk about suicides here. This morning, the chaplain told us about such an incident. He said that an observant sergeant spotted something peculiar with one of his fellow soldiers. I guess the soldier had some bad news from home and was very depressed and thinking about suicide. The Chaplain intervened, and all was OK. But this is an excellent example of how we must watch each other for these signs.

24 Apr 04

This afternoon, we had an informant give a note written in Arabic to Dr. Trebilo and his Iraqi doctor/translator, who were conducting MEDCAP (medical assistance to the locals) at CP3 (checkpoint #3).

The note was extraordinarily well-written and quite formal. It included the following: “Dear respected Commander of the Coalition Forces……there exists a threat to your camp from some mad Iraqi citizens who were the victims of a car crash with military vehicles…. the names and vehicle types are……all of the local Iraqi Police are members of the Al Mahdi Army….you are in danger….”

The fact that they say that the entire Police Force of the town is a member of the Al Mahdi Army lends itself to suspicion. However, we will consider this a real threat in the next several days.

30 Apr 04

Today was one of the most rewarding days I have experienced since I deployed on this cluster. Another officer and I visited the local town’s elementary school. We started a reconstruction project there and wanted to see how the progress was going.

I got to meet the local Sheik, the Mayor, and many of the local residents and children. They fed us an Iraqi feast of chicken, beef, tomato-based soup, vegetables, pickles, and tea. I took many pictures of the event and ordered prints online. When the prints arrive, I will give them to the Iraqis as a gift for their hospitality.

2 May 04

Our convoy just rolled up; excitement fills the air. The truck was filled with parcels for our soldiers. I yelled, “This is just like the old stagecoach days; the stagecoach is here! The stagecoach is here!” We all laughed and took pictures of the soldiers unloading their trucks. It was like Christmas.

The temperature is heating up, over 100 degrees regularly. The weather in Iraq is based on extremes. When it is hot, it gets really hot, up to 115-120 degrees. When the wind blows, the high velocity literally knocks down tents, and when it rains, it is a monsoon. The Iraqi people have weathered this environment for some 6-7,000 years. In fact, we are located not too far from the City of Ur, which is said to be one of the oldest cities, if not the oldest city, on the planet.

3 May 04

Dinner. I ate across from a Corporal in the Army Reserve from Massachusetts. “How ya doing?” I asked. The Corporal responded, “Not too good!”

A conversation ensued over the next thirty minutes or so. The Corporal described how his convoy was hit three times south of Tikrit. The last hit was a gunfight about an hour and a half north of here. He said no Americans were hurt, other than the constant ringing in his ears from the explosion of an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) near his vehicle. He said that holes were all over his vehicle, and they could have easily been killed. The Corporal stated calmly, “I guess it wasn’t our time.”

4 May 04

Today marks the third day of dysentery; it is reported that 70% of the camp has it.

5 May 04

We got the news that an MP Soldier killed yesterday was a suicide. There we go again with the “S” word. Man does this suck!

It sucks hearing about a soldier’s suicide. The MPs were assigned here at Scania for the past year and then reassigned to work prison duty near Baghdad for an additional three months, which was added to their deployment. There is talk about how the unit got screwed and thought that some guys could not take this environment another day, let alone another three months?

6 May 04

I emailed Annette today to let her know that I was okay. She said that she heard from a reporter that we were attached to a unit seeing all the action. The postal/finance support soldiers were visiting from Babylon, so I mailed a shirt and hat home to Nina and an Iraqi flag to my sister and brother-in-law. Ree, who married my wife’s sister, Kristie, is the son of an Iraqi immigrant. When I told the local tribal leaders about my brother-in-law, they embraced me and said, “You are our brother.”

Soldiers in line for a memorial service for a fallen comrade

Memorial service for a fallen comrade (LTC McBrearty)

9 May 04

I sent out emails to the homefront for Mother’s Day. I did not send flowers because Annette thinks they are a waste of money. Maybe I will send her some for her birthday this June.

This is a hard day for me as it is my second year without my mom.

It is hard to admit, but my mother and I did not have the greatest relationship. Unfortunately, even up to my mother’s last days, she was involved in chemical dependency. I was missing unconditional love in my childhood years.

10 May 04

A hulk of a man is driven to tears as bloodshed again falls upon us. During our 0900 battle update briefing, we got the official word of another lost comrade. This time, it is close to home. Major C interrupted the meeting, his eyes full of tears, and motioned for the Chaplain. We all knew what the reason was.

11 May 04

Today, we took RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade) and small arms fire at about twenty clicks northwest of Scania, just west of our CP1A (checkpoint). A convoy traveling from Najif was hit with 6-RPG rockets and small arms fire. They returned fire, laying down a steel blanket; however, they could not confirm any kills.

The camp was in a state of alarm.

A memorial service for the deceased soldier will be at the post-chapel this Friday.

12 May 04

Today, we took RPG and small arms fire in the same vicinity as yesterday’s attack. Our CO, LTC S, visited the local Sheikh and discussed the attacks. The Sheikh was pissed that it was so close to his home and in his area and promised it would end. He also gave us some information about the Al Mahdi army and how one of their representatives could be in the area.

13 May 04

Regarding the Abu Ghraib prisoner scandal that has been in the news, honestly, we are pretty far removed from it here. There is little immediate impact where we are; we think the soldiers and their leadership were all stupid. As for the heat and the bugs, they say you never get totally acclimatized to that here. We get hit with dysentery about every ten days or so. It is a big problem theater-wide for Americans. As for combat life, it pretty much SUCKS.

Rehearsal for the ceremony is scheduled for tomorrow. I watched the rehearsal. When a female soldier got up to rehearse singing Amazing Grace, I barely held it together.

The last time I heard that song sung in person was at my father’s funeral, just eleven months ago.

14 May 04

This week, we had the MP Sergeant die in a horrible accident as an Abrams tank crushed his HUMVEE. I just received the official notice from DOD that we lost another soldier, this time from our Brigade Combat Team. An IED killed a member of the Infantry Battalion in Baghdad. This has been our worst day in theater to date.

The memorial ceremony went off like clockwork. I videotaped the ceremony, which helped me cope. Tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of my father’s death.

Combat Journal cover, book by Retired Army LTC John J. McBrearty

23 May 04

Death once again, but this time, it was the “other guys.” Two foreign nationals were rapidly approaching our north checkpoint in a white Toyota pickup truck. The truck had a red stripe, matching the description of previous vehicles trying to enter the northern checkpoint. The vehicle swerved in and out of a convoy headed south on MSR Tampa and toward our camp. The convoy was escorted by Stryker vehicles. Obviously, this small pickup truck does not belong to the convoy.

25 May 04

This was the second worst day of my entire life.

1 KIA and 10 WIA on the anniversary of my father’s death; it was almost too much to bear.

I will never forget the moment when I received the news about SPC U.’s death. I was seated in my office. I remember running out of my office between other office trailers where no one could see me. I could not breathe. I literally could not breathe. But I was breathing and breathing so very hard. It was the kind of breathing you do when trying to hold back tears but can’t.

26-27 May 04

Not only did we lose a comrade and sustain ten WIA’s, but we also got hit last night by mortar fire and sustained two casualties in our camp.

My CO went to Kalsu at 0800 to meet with the Brigade Commander, leaving me in charge.

Since we were in no mood to do anything except be depressed, I opted to continue our plan with the Bahkan School dedication ceremony with the Polish Army soldiers we’re working with. My heart was truly not into it, but I did it to keep up appearances and demonstrate to my soldiers that we still had to continue with our mission despite our present adversity. I also visited the big Sheikh and informed him about the attacks and that there would likely be more in the near future. He recommended more random checkpoints. He did not like to hear that the friendly Americans were once again coming under fire in his territory. (To get a sense of this Sheikh’s power and authority in his region, I equate him to a governor of a US state.)

Last night was about my worst night’s sleep since we started this adventure. I hate to say it, but I was really scared shitless.

The feeling of helplessness overcame my body just lying there in my cot. You cannot help but think that if God calls on you, then it is your time, and there is nothing that you can do about it. The incoming mortar business is quite a crapshoot; you do not know when or where it might come from, and you certainly don’t know where it will land!

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