Dr. Muoyad, Col. Gibbs with a homemade Iraqi-style pizza. It’s topped with chicken, and Dr. Muoyad hopes to open Dora’s first-ever pizzeria (to go along with a thriving hamburger joint) on Airplane Road in the next 30 days.
Getting to know the local leaders is critical to success here; finding out who the real men of influence, the neighborhood power brokers and getting them on board has been an essential element of Task Force Dragon’s ability to get past the dark days of early and mid-2007 when we averaged more than 30 attacks per day against our Soldiers and were in the fight of our lives (as of the 13th of Feb., we’ve not had 30 attacks total for the month yet).
While every neighborhood in the Rashid Security District is distinct and different, one common denominator is that the local tribal and religious leaders have a major say as to whether progress will take root there by how actively they work with our troops and the various elements of the local and national-level Government of Iraq (GoI) functionaries to improve quality of life.
Muoyad, a member of the sizeable Sunni Jubori clan, is a cardiologist by trade, a medical doctor who once successfully treated one of Saddam Hussein’s sons (Uday) for a gunshot wound during one of the several attempts made on the eldest Hussein’s life before he was killed by U.S. forces in July 2003.
Not one attack has been launched against U.S. or Iraqi Security Forces in the area since September, 2007 and under Muoyad’s guiding hand, the streets are clean, electricity and power runs nearly 24 hours a day, which is a drastic improvement over the 2-3 hours per day that we saw when the 1-4 CAV first showed up there in mid-summer.
Dr. Muoyad talks to visiting stategic studies professionals from the United States while entertaining them in his home.
The cynics out there might say something along the lines of, “Well, sure- Dr. Muoyad is probably lining his pockets with U.S. cash and getting rich in the process.” I find that these same cynics normally invoke their rights of free speech, or hide behind the blanket of the word “opinion” when launching into their anti-war, anti-Iraq, anti-troops screeds even though they themselves have no real understanding of how these people were living just six months ago, and how completely different things are today thanks to the efforts of Muoyad to get essential services restored and the people back on their feet by providing honest jobs that not only put money in his people’s pockets, but instill a sense of pride in self and community.
That anyone out there would read about this Iraqi patriot who has put his own life and that of his family and associates on the line by courageously coming forward to help drive the al Qaeda out of his home and then step up to rebuild, and then have the audacity to opine that he is profiting from the funds and assistance he’s getting from the coalition forces here boggles my mind.
But, I digress…
As it stands, we still have a lot of work to do, but in Muoyad, we’ve seen what can and should be. He’s a true Iraqi patriot- and someone you should know.
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Dragon Soup Bones and Observations
SECDEF Gates climbing down from the back of a 4th Brigade MRAP. He was instrumental in getting these vehicles to us in timely fashion. (Another good news story)
The Secretary of Defense, the Hon. Robert M. Gates visited our humble Forward Operating Base this week to personally check on the situation in Rashid. Although it was a quick visit, it meant a great deal to the Soldiers of Task Force Dragon that he stopped by.
Spc. Roy Burkhalter recites the oath of enlistment administered by the Hon. Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense during a visit to Forward Operating Base Falcon 11 Feb.
For Burkhalter, it was a memorable event in his young career, but taking a step back and looking at the fact that 1,000 troops have signed on for more service is a statement in itself. We only have about 3,600 total Soldiers in our organic formation, and when you remove officers and senior noncommissioned officers (who are not subject to the standard re-enlistment process) from the pool of folks, you’re talking about almost 2 of every 3 Soldiers in the Dragon Brigade has decided to stay in.
Stick THAT one in your “Army morale is decimated” pipe and smoke it!
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Speaking of Michael Yon, he gave my section a nice tribute in one of his recent dispatches…
That kind of honest feedback is welcome, and as public affairs nugs, we normally report the story and are rarely if ever part of the story. For him to give a shoutout to my Ghostwriters- Sgt. 1st Class Rob Timmons, Cpl. Ben Washburn and Spc. Nathaniel Smith- was a classy move. My boys have generated more product (that is- written and video releases, articles, stories) than any other brigade in Multinational Division-Baghdad by a long shot. At last count, we were approaching 800 total command information products in 12 months- not bad for just a four-man section. I’m very proud of them, and when I see others taking notice of their outstanding work, I know we’re making a difference.
The Ghostwriters of the Task Force Dragon PAO shop: Clockwise from Back: SFC Rob Timmons, SPC Nathaniel Smith, CPL Ben Washburn, MAJ Kirk Luedeke (the author).
I don’t know that I have seen a more moving tribute to seven Paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division who lost their lives in Samarra in March 2007 than the one posted at the Fayetteville Observer. Granite Stater Spc. Justin Rollins of Newport was among the lost. These are their stories and bring a box of Kleenex with you when begin reading- you’ll need it.
and AIRBORNE! Justin, Rob, Dutch, Josh, Ryan, Corey and Andrew- we will never forget you.
Special thanks to Rhonda, NH Goldstar Mom, Proud Mother of Spc. Justin Rollins for her Hero son and for sharing the link with Sue Peterson
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Shifting gears here- Congratulations to the New York Giants, even though it pains me greatly to say so.
The truth is, though- I got over the New England Patriots’ devastating crash to earth in Super Bowl XLII pretty quickly. I watched the game along with Capt. Mike Loftus, who’s a good Massachusetts guy and on the brigade staff with me, and we both saw the writing on the wall when Eli Manning and Co. kept making the plays on that final drive. Neither one of us was irate about the way the Pats’ defense failed to make a big play at the end to keep the tenuous lead their offense had given them…we just shrugged and got on with it.
You know, when I was younger, I used to live for sports and would get so wound up when it didn’t go my favorite team’s way. Now, I’ve got so much more of a stoic outlook. Sports should be a fun diversion. If you’re one of those people who puts the weight of the world on your shoulders in every game and feels so much stress after a loss, I don’t know what to tell you other than- perhaps you should take a deep breath, hug your kids, kiss your significant other and be grateful that you have them. Trust me- I would give up 10 Super Bowl wins by the Patriots just to be able to pick up my daughters right now. Sorry for pontificating, but good friends I know were literally on suicide watch after that game, and I just can’t understand why. Sports = enjoyment. If you can’t enjoy the kind of contest SB XLII was, then maybe you need a different hobby.
Oh, and can you believe that pitchers and catchers are about to report? Spring training and the defense of the World Championship for our beloved RED SOX just around the corner? Wow, time *does* fly when you’re having fun.
And on that note, this wraps up another edition of Dragon Soup. Thanks to all who support our efforts with the kind emails, packages and words of encouragement. You guys are the ones who put the “G” in Granite. Play Ball!