Here are some pictures of what I did in 2004 when I was in Iraq (March - October.) I was augmenting a reserve infantry battalion, 3rd Bn, 24th Marines (abbreviated 3/24. Note that in Marine-land 3/24 sounds like "three - twenty-four" vice "third of the twenty fourth" as in Army lingo.) I ended up as an infantry platoon commander of 30 mortar and Javelin Marines who were serving as provisional infantry vice their official job. I guess that was fitting because I was a former reserve chemical warfare defense specialist (5711) who had been originally commissioned an artillery officer (0802) who had spent the 6 month prior to the deployment becoming a communications officer (0602). Odd, I know, but that's life as a Marine Officer (I guess that's why one of the unofficial mottoes of the MC is Semper Gumby [always flexible]!)
So anyway, here are some pictures from when I was there in 2004. I doubt there will be anything as interesting to take pictures of this time, but only time will tell.
On two different occasions, my platoon provided security while CB's dug up dead Kuwaitis. These were Kuwaitis that Saddam grabbed when they pulled out in 1991. When we stopped ourselves and there was no need for human shields, he killed them, a few at a time, in pits around Iraq. We dealt with two of mass graves that held about 50 people in each.
This is from one of our first big weapons caches we found.
Here are some photos of me throughout Iraq.
