2133rd-heroes-in-Iraq

Captain Thomas Beasley, commander of the Iowa National Guard 2133rd Transportation Company in Centerville, writes home to the families and friends of soldiers in the Centerville area.

Nov. 14

Dear Family Support Groups,

Another week has passed by while residing on Al Asad. The weather is still cooling down. The rainy season has finally come upon us. We have actually been getting rain showers during the afternoon hours. They never seem to last long, but it is nice to see some puddles on the roadway.

This week has been a mournful one for the units that lost soldiers in the Chinook incident. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday were filled with memorial ceremonies and remembrances of soldiers that had passed on November 2nd 2003. These unfortunate individuals were on route to Baghdad International Airport to catch a flight home on environmental leave to see their family and friends. The regiment held a regiment wide ceremony on the 6th of November in the stadium. They displayed all 15 weapons, Kevlar's, and boots on a stage for the 15 fallen soldiers. There were many moving speeches embracing what the soldiers had done for their country.

The engineering unit came to our building and was busily building an office in the maintenance bay. This project took almost the whole day to complete, but once it was done it looked rather nice. The office was built to house documents and information needed for the maintenance section to complete the work orders on all the vehicles.

On Tuesday the 11th Veterans Day the regiment had a 3-mile unit formation run. This run started at 0600 and was completed at 0645. We only had 45 troops participate due to the number of missions off post. Mike was the lucky individual picked by Captain Thomas Beasley to carry our guide on. For his wiliness, dedication, and determination both for participating in the run and his every day job as a supply sergeant Mike was nominated by Caption Thomas Beasley to receive a coin from the 3rd ACR support commanding officer.

We still have missions going on daily. Right now our missions consists of Tiger, Hadithah dam, Byers, and transporting Iraqi prisoners. All the line platoons are working together to get the missions completed. Some of these missions last for weeks while other last for a day. Most of the line platoons are off post at this time with headquarters staying behind to make sure they have running vehicles, the necessary supplies, and critical information to complete their mission and return back to Rifles Base.

November 27

Dear Family Support Groups,

The month of November has been a busy one for the 2133rd Transportation Company. The 3rd ACR and 82nd Airborne, and other units began an operation at several of the forward operating bases in the northwestern region. The operation involves raids, and searches of houses, businesses, and vehicles along check points in order to confiscate weapons and bomb making materials. This operation is meant to counteract the increase of arms traffic into the country and increase in IED attacks. The 2133rd is assisting by providing the transportation elements for the missions and additional security. The mission was originally planned for 7-10 days, but after the first few days of success, more time was needed to complete the task at hand. The operation is now extended to 20 days, possibly longer, keeping the company busy into December.

Our unit has also been tasked with helping to train the new Iraqi Border Police. Five hundred Iraqis from the northern sectors of the country, bordering Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, volunteered and were screened for the new police force. Of the forty trainers, five are from the company- Chad , William, Mark, and Scott and Barry. They will instruct the Iraqis on drill and ceremony, unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive device identification, rank structure (for Iraq and the United States), and first aid. They will also learn weapon safety and qualify on the AK-47. The training will last two weeks and the first class should graduate by the end of the year. By 2004, the IBP will enforce customs regulations at Iraq's northern border by conducting searches of vehicles and people and by regulating the flow of traffic and goods in and out of the country.

The maintenance department received a new addition to their bay. A maintenance office was built to house booklets and computer programs and create an office space for maintenance sergeant James and Michael. The office makes it easier to find a part that the mechanics need to fix the vehicles. Engineers on post did the construction and Mike did the wiring for the electricity. The building of the office took a little over a day, and once completed, added more organization to the maintenance bay.

The Thanksgiving meal on post is scheduled for of December in hopes that more soldiers will be present to enjoy this holiday meal. The Thanksgiving meal is a nice touch and may bring some holiday spirit to us while we are at Al Asad. But, our hearts and mind will no doubt be at home where are family and friends will be having their holiday meal.

We would like to extend our gratitude and good wishes to Mrs. Thomas and her 4th grade classes from Lakeview Elementary along with those from the East Pleasant Church of Christ in Cincinnati, Iowa. You have been wonderful in sending us personal hygiene items, snacks, games, drawings, and letters. The soldiers are grateful and have enjoyed all of these.

On Tuesday, we finally saw our first REAL rain shower in Iraq. It started around 4 am and didn't stop until almost noon. It is a sloppy, muddy mess outside. Walking anywhere on post is a chore.

We have been working on making the dayroom a cozier atmosphere. All the pictures received from the 4th grade classes have been hung up to add some color. A shelf was built with the help of Mike to hold books, magazines, personal hygiene items, and snacks.

Michael and Sam have taken on the additional duty of building and painting school desks for a kindergarten class at a school in Baghdad, near Al Asad. Since the school has reopened, the children have had no place to sit while they learn. Michael and Sam wanted to make a difference by constructing the desks. They have been working on this project during their off duty hours and plan to have them completed by the first week of December.

December 8

Dear Family Support Groups,

The holiday season is fast approaching and as much as everyone would like to be home with his or her loved ones, this year they will be only in our thoughts. We would like to send out our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Aaron Sissel. We also pray daily that Joe Gottschalk is doing well and will welcome us home with open arms.

This week we were able to celebrate our belated Thanksgiving meal. It was nothing like Mom and Grandma's cooking that is for sure. The dining facility had turkey, ham, and Cornish hen though. For dessert there was something similar to pumpkin pie and some Iraqi dessert rolls. The dining facility was decorated with balloons and some of them looked like grapes hanging from the ceiling. After this little festivity the soldiers that were not tasked out on missions or other duties were allowed a half day off. Many of us gorged ourselves and took a healthy nap, just like we would've at home.

The Rifles Blitz operation is completed and the unit is back together once more. The missions after this operation have decreased somewhat, but we're just waiting to be tasked to the max once more.

Some of the soldiers are lending their time and talent to training Iraqis for guarding the borders along Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. These selected candidates will be trained or instructed in a variety of areas including first aid training, rank identification both in the (United States and Iraq), weapon maintenance, knowledge, and qualification, and how to search vehicles and individuals. The Iraqis will also be trained in different areas of safety and justice from representatives of the military police, civil affairs, and JAG office. This training begins in January and a new platoon of trainees will complete the course every two weeks. The new training program involves 40 trainers and 500 trainees. This will keep half a dozen soldiers busy through February.

We hope everyone is doing well at home and enjoying the snowy weather we hear you're having. We are "suffering" here in Iraq with 60 to 70 degree daytime weather and 40-degree weather at night. You are all in our thoughts and prayers daily. We are anxious to see all our friends and family when we return to the States next year.

Captain Thomas Beasley

Commander

Iowa National Guard 2133rd Transportation Company

By Captain Thomas Beasley

Commander 2133rd Transporation Company

We sometimes feel small and insignificant in this war. After all, the 2133rd Transportation Company makes up only about 100 of over 100,000 troops deployed in the region. Those we supply, the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, are spread out only within a small region of a much larger country.

Soldiers from across the United States and around the globe stand in long lines at the dining facility, post office, Post Exchange, and finance at Al Asad, a large base in northwestern Iraq. Daily we are made painfully aware that more often than not we are simply "next in line." Along with that empty feeling of anonymity comes the thought that our pains, struggles and sacrifices are not making a difference.

Of course, we know that Saddam Hussein and his party are no longer in power and, indeed, that is possibly the most important outcome of the US's efforts here. But, as we drive the roads that pass through large towns like Ar Ramadi, Baghdad and Al Falluja, and the smaller towns like Baghdadi, Balad and Hit, we search the local peoples' faces for evidence that their lives have significantly improved. After all, much of our personal desire to fight this war went beyond or enlistment obligation or feelings of patriotism.

Our desires resided instead in the opportunity to free the Iraqi people from their present humanitarian crisis. Basic necessities we often take for granted such as plentiful food supplies, clean water, available medicine and health care, adequate shelter and basic social order, have not been accessible to the Iraq people for decades.

We know that this type of long term oppression cannot be reversed overnight. Yet, we are saddened to still see daily signs of the old regime. Children without shoes run in alleys cluttered with trash, broken cement blocks from destroyed homes and rusted car parts. Pools of oil and other hazardous wastes dot ditches along the highways. Unfiltered water from the polluted Euphrates River is still being used as the sole water source for the river's neighboring towns.

But, looking more deeply, behind the masses, there has been success for many Iraqi citizens. Through several personal conversations with one Iraqi working at Al Asad, one man's success story was discovered.

His name is Safa, but most of us simply call him "friend." He, in turn, calls us "friend" or even "teacher" for those who help him improve his English over lunchtime conversation. Safa runs the local Iraqi food shop located at the outdoor stadium. Everyday he comes early with fresh bread, homegrown vegetables, ground lamb and small whole chickens, in order to prepare it for eager and hungry soldiers. He, along with the few workers he manages, prepares lunch and dinner seven days a week. Soldiers wait patiently in long lines for ground lamb kabobs, lamb sandwiches and whole rotisserie chickens, each served with pita bread, fresh vegetables and a soda.

Safa cheerfully greets us-waving his hands about-anxious to welcome us, and glad that we have arrived again to buy from his shop. He dresses smartly in button up shirts and slacks, always cleaned, pressed and neat. His short, thinning, dark hair is combed back. His face is always smiling.

"I am a rich man," he cheerfully exclaimed one day as he pulled a roll of American bills from his shirt pocket. Interested, a few soldiers sat with Safa at a small together to hear his story of newfound wealth.

Before coming to Al Asad to run the food shop he'd had no job and little money. Members of the Baath Party had blown up the air conditioner store Safa used to own. Safa and his family are not members of the Baath Party, the organization most loyal to Saddam Hussein.

Continuing in his broken, yet beautifully accented English, he spoke of life under Saddam's rule. Satellite dishes were prohibited. Being caught with one resulted in a one million dinar (Iraqi currency) fine and six months in prison. Safa said that if you were caught again you would be killed.

Possessing a cell phone was an even more serious crime. Being caught with one meant death, even on the first offense. In addition, citizens that were not members of the Party were not permitted to get an education.

Safa also spoke of the Gulf War. In 1990-91, the U.S. and its allies pushed Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi army out of Kuwait, a small, wealthy, oil-rich country south of Iraq. According to Safa, during the Gulf War, the US urged the people of Iraq to rise up against Saddam. People took to the streets, ready for change and excited about the possibility of a more protective and supportive government. But, Saddam acted fiercely toward dissidents. Helicopters filled with Iraqi soldiers flew above towns and fired machine guns at people outside their homes. Safa said it resulted in 300,000 Iraqi citizens killed by the government. There was no one to help the people said Safa. The U.S. had left Iraq at the conclusion of the Gulf War and Saddam was more powerful than ever.

"I had not left my village in ten years," Safa said. From the end of the Gulf War to the onset of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Safa and his family remained in their small village, along with many other villagers, struck with fear. Leaving your village meant running the risk of meeting an Iraqi soldier and being killed said Safa. Imprisoned in their village, they survived on mostly bread, sugar and tea. "There was no hope, no God," he said.

But, the return of U.S. soldiers to the region as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom removed, forever, Saddam's power over the Iraqi people. Since Coalition Forces have occupied Iraq, Safa has left his village daily to work at Al Asad. And, life is beginning to slowly improve for Safa and his family as his wages and opportunities increase.

The soldiers around Safa listened intensely. After a long pause, one soldier explained to Safa that his dream was to go back to America soon.

"My dream is to visit America," Safa said. He named many famous places and sites he'd like to see when he's there. Lastly, Safa said most passionately that his dream was also that there would be no more guns or killing in Iraq. We all agreed.

Safa, like many Iraqis, is truly grateful for the job that we're doing. But, we are also grateful to him for sharing his uplifting and inspirational story with us. It renewed in us our faith that we are making a difference in the lives of the Iraqi people. And, we all rejoice knowing that Safa is just the beginning.

We left that evening after meeting Safa knowing just how rich we really were. And, not for the money in our pockets, but because of our supportive families back home and the freedoms, rights and liberties of the United States. Not only did we leave a Safa that evening a little richer, but also truly blessed.

from the 2333rd in Iraq

By: October 08, 2003

This articvle is written by Becky Morrow, mother of Kaleb Morrow who is stationed with the Iowa National Guard 2133rd Tansportation Company in Iraq.

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Kaleb is stationed at Al Asad which is a former Iraq Air Force Base 120 miles northwest of Baghdad. The 2133rd Transportation unit supports the 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment. Kaleb is in the headquarters platoon as a dispatcher. He has also been on Civil Affairs missions, and starting transporting helicopter pilots and supplies on base. The Civil Affairs teams visit schools and medical clinics to evaluate the buildings for repairs and then to contract local people to do these repairs. The villages are located between Al Asad and around the Euphrates River. These civil affairs missions involve contact and interaction with local vendors, contractors, local citizens and lots of children. It is very heartbreaking to see the starving children, and the poverty conditions of the local people.

The living conditions for our soldiers are bearable but rough. The temperatures linger between 120 and 110 degrees. They must drink water constantly to prevent dehydration. It is very difficult to stay clean or to have clean clothes because of all the blowing dust and sand. Upon arrival in Iraq many of them were sick with dysentery for up to two weeks due to contaminated water. The electricity and water are constantly being sabotaged so very undependable. Kaleb tells funny stories about doing his laundry in 5 gallon buckets and how much more he now appreciates his grandmas for all the laundry they have done over the years.

Kaleb and his tent mates recently bought an air conditioner for their tent and said it is the best money they have ever spent. When the electricity works, they can get their tent down to a cool 90 degrees. Many soldiers suffer from lack of sleep because it is so hot at night and difficult to get any rest.

It now takes two weeks for a letter to get to Al Asad. Recently their mail contractor was killed. When the mail started up again he received 39 letters and 3 packages all at once, so quite a windfall. Of course getting a letter from home is a wonderful thing. He said they now have a PX and can get basic necessities. He said the candy bars in the PX are like packets of pudding due to the heat. His biggest request was just letters from home and Iowegians which we send out weekly.

Kaleb is in good spirits, and all are anxious to come home to their loved ones. They only hear rumors and really don't know when they will get to return.

Kaleb avoids telling us about the dangers of being in Iraq so we won't worry, but other local soldiers have reported in their letters of shots being fired at the trucks and IED's (improvised explosive devices) being used, pot shots at their post, and numerous grenades, plastic explosives, artillery and mortar rounds being found in the areas their trucks have to travel off base. It is definitely a very dangerous place, with a strange culture and no one, not even the children can be trusted at this point.

We are very proud of the 2133rd TC and are anxiously awaiting the end of their tour of duty and their arrival home. We really appreciate your thoughts and prayers, and thank you for paying for Kaleb's Eagle membership for the next year. Hopefully he can get home soon to enjoy it and come in to see all of you and tell some stories

Captain Beasley writes from Iraq

By: August 01, 2003

Captain Thomas Beasley, commander of the 2133rd National Guard Transportation Company in Centerville has been sending E-mail newsletters from Iraq back to the remaining soldiers in the unit. These are some excerpts from his communications.

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The 2133rd Transportation Company has been attached to the 3rd Armed Calvary Regiment and is currently in the western part of Iraq. The 3rd ACR plans to keep the 2133rd TC with them until they return to home station. All our soldiers in the 2133rd are safe and doing well. The unit's primary mission running sustainment supplies to the Regiment.

The missions take us west, within a 100 miles of where we are stationed. These missions are considered heavy, taking more than one day travel time. Other missions we run such as transporting troops for MWR, are considered light.

Our talents are well beyond our military occupations and the unit has been able to perform every mission assigned with great tenacity and professionalism. I am very proud of what we have accomplished so far. You all should be too.

We also have regular duty manning one guard tower, as well as, taking turns manning the other towers the unit is responsible for.

Maintenance is doing an excellent job here, the sand and heat are tough on our vehicles and tires are items that seem to give way first. It's an ongoing job to keep the trucks up and running, but our maintenance team has it well under control.

The unit has been authorized to wear Stetson Cowboy hats and spurs. Our soldiers are excited about the prospect of being able to wear them.

We have just received a shipment of Travel Smart Dual Wattage Power Converts. Please express my and the whole units sincere thanks to everyone who contributed their generous gifts!

I believe I speak for everyone when I report to you that all of us here are still committed to seeing this mission through. We are doing our share to support America's war on terrorism!

Thank you for your continued love, support and understanding

letter from Iraq

By: February 05, 2004

Lawrence Dommer of Blakesburg passed on this letter to the Daily Iowegian from his son.

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My name is CW2 Mike Dommer. I am an Ottumwa resident currently deployed to western Iraq with the Iowa National Guard 2133rd Transportation Company.

Iraq, like any combat zone, is not a fun place to be. The enemy here does not wear a distinctive uniform and operate in a predicatable manner. Instead, they blend into the general population, springing ambushes on our convoys and setting and detonating Improvised Explosive Devices (IED's) along the roadways. The insurgents here have proven to be both resourceful and resilient.

The purpose of this letter is not to dwell on the negative things occuring here in Iraq. I am sure that the media is covering that side of the war very thoroughly. What I would like to share is a little information about some of the positive things that the U.S. and coalition forces are doing here in Iraq. Most military units of battalion or larger size are conducting civil affairs missions. The main focus of these missions is to assist the Iraqi's in improving their infrastructure and making Iraq a better place to live. Most of the effort is placed on utilities, roads and schools. The Iraqi infrastructure suffers badly from the neglect of the Saddam regime. One of the main purposes of these missions is to help win the hearts and minds of the people.

As the 2133rd TC moved across the border from Kuwait into Iraq, one of the first observations made is that Iraq is a country of extreme poverty. As we rolled through the Iraqi border village of Safwan in the wee hours of the morning there were dozens of dirty, poorly clothed children running out of the darkness toward our convoy looking for handouts. That is the moment when the reality of the task ahead started to hit home.

As our convoy continued to move north toward Baghdad, this scene was constantly repeated. Although in the daylight the scene was not so surreal, the austerity and poverty of the country became more apparent. In this war, as in all wars before it, the children are caught in the middle of all of this.

These children are not so much victims of war but of a dictator's regime that ignored the basic needs of all but a chosen class of its people. Since many of us have children and/or grandchildren at home, it is difficult not to look at a little Iraqi boy or girl and not think of our own kids.

Whenever possible, several of us participate in civil affairs missions in the area. As an instructor at IHCC, I am particularly interested in the school system and have visited several of the school in Khan Al Baghdadi, a village near here. The schools are in terrible condition, many without restrooms, electricity or water. Most of them have suffered at least some degree of looting. While on one of the civil affairs missions we were made aware of a kindergarten school that, in addition to having no water or electricity, also had no desks or chairs for the students. A group of us from the 2133rd took on the task of building ten desks and twenty benches for the school. We worked on them after normal duty hours over a period of about 30 days.

Once constructed and painted, we delivered them to the school. A trip to the local village is not like a trip to the mall in the U.S.. For safety, we are required to travel with a minimum of two vehicles and quite a lot of firepower even on relatively short trips. Once we arrived at the school, we established security of the area and spoke briefly with the teachers and administrators. We told them what the purpose of our visit was. We then went into a classroom with all the little boys and girls, ages 4-6 and handed out candy and tried to interact with them. We then carried the desks and benches into the school. We also had crayons, coloring books and other school supplies that we brought with us. Once we set up the desks and benches, we placed crayons and coloring book pages on the desks. The teachers then escorted the kids into the room. In order not to frighten the children, some of us removed our ballistic vests and helmets. We then sat and colored and played with the little guys and girls for about 30 minutes. I think this was the first time many of these kids had ever seen crayons. Although language was a barrier, we overcame it with smiles and gestures. We took a few pictures and then said good-bye.

The next day when the civil affairs team returned to finalize arrangement for funding improvements to the school, they reported that the enrollment in the school had doubled and that the kids were busy coloring and seemed very happy. The time that I spent coloring with those little Iraqi children was one of the most memorable of my time here in Iraq. The U.S. Army is conducting civil affairs missions everyday here in Iraq. Even though some days it seems like we have lost all we have gained here, you only have to look into the eyes of a happy child to see that it is worth the sacrifice.

2133rd Company's time winding down in Western Iraq

By: February 16, 2004

Lawrence Dommer of Blakesburg passed on this letter to the Daily Iowegian from his son Mike Dommer, who is an Ottumwa resident currently deployed to western Iraq with the Iowa National Guard 2133rd Transportation Company.

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The 2133rd Transportation Company's time here in Iraq is winding down and we will soon be able to say that our mission is complete. Every soldier here will leave with his or her own set of unique experiences and memories, both good and bad. How these experiences will ultimately affect us as individuals is yet to be seen. I am trying to focus on the positive things I have seen here. I prefer to focus on the people and events that give me hope that what has been sacrificed here may ultimately have a positive outcome.

Shortly after moving into our area of operations here in western Iraq I was assigned a mission to support the 3rd ACR Civil Affairs (CA) team. I was the Officer In Charge (OIC) of the 2133rd TC security team that accompanied the CA team as they met with local government officials in the villages in our area of operations. The security teams responsibility is to provide security and protection for the CA team as they conduct their mission.

At this time we had only been in country for a few weeks, so everyone on the security team was somewhat apprehensive about the mission. For many of the members on the 2133rd TC team, including myself, this was our first real opportunity to meet the Iraqi's face to face. My last experience with the Iraqi's was in the village of Samawah in southern Iraq following an accident involving one of our trucks. It was a very tense confrontation with a large group of angry Iraqi's that could have easily become violent and resulted in bloodshed.

One of the first stops on our CA security mission was to look at a school in a village called Maskhan. Once we arrived we established security around the Humvees. Within minutes we had locals approaching us, bombarding us with questions in Arabic. Overall their behavior was non-threatening and they seemed only curious as to why we were there. Within 30 minutes or so we had a crowd of close to 100 people around us. There were only four of us in the security team so it was getting more and more difficult to control onlookers. In addition to the adults surrounding us there were dozens of children darting around peering inside our vehicles, asking for handouts and trying to reach inside the vehicles. This went on for a couple of hours and it was becoming difficult to balance being diplomatic and yet being firm with the Iraqi's. Once the CA team returned from their mission we discovered that there were several small items that were stolen from the vehicles. After some discussion with the local leaders a few of the items were returned. Ultimately everyone left the village with a bad feeling about the experience and locals involved.

A couple of days later our team traveled to the village of Joba. This village is nestled along the banks of the Euphrates River and also consists of an island linked by a pontoon bridge. The pontoon bridge can no longer sustain vehicle traffic but is still used as a walk bridge. The layout of this village would have made an excellent set for a typical Middle Eastern terrorist movie. Narrow winding streets, blind corners and typical Middle Eastern architecture.

We strategically positioned the vehicles so we could best protect them and their contents. The temperature was about 130F; we were in full battle dress to include Interceptor Vests. There was no shade except for the overhangs built out from the shops and buildings that line the dirty, winding streets. As the CA team and the local contractor disappeared down a street to inspect the schools. We were left with the vehicles, all of us quite apprehensive, particularly after our previous experiences.

Sitting in the shade by the shops was about a dozen Iraqi men. For the most part they barely acknowledged us. Periodically a dilapidated car, truck, motorcycle or tractor would come careening down the street, its approach keeping us constantly on edge. A few curious children approached, we communicated with them using very basic English and Arabic. A couple of hours passed, the temperature continued to climb, nearing the 140F mark. At about 1:00 p.m. the shops closed and the group of men started to move across the street directly across from us seeking deeper shade. As they passed us a couple of them tried to talk to us. They were asking if there were going to be jobs available on Al Asad. The unemployment rate is very high here in Iraq and poverty is evident everywhere.

After a short frustrating attempt to communicate they wandered into the shade by the shops directly across the street from us. They periodically invited us to join them in the shade, since to them it did not make much sense to be standing in the sun during the heat of the day. Because of the heat any activity that had been going on earlier came to a halt. The children retreated to their homes to sleep or went to the Euphrates River to swim. Someone brought out a large tray of food for us. They set it in the shade across the street from us near where the men were sitting. Two at a time I allowed my team to eat if they desired. Our directive was not to eat food prepared locally but when on the Civil Affairs missions you risk insulting the locals if they offer you food or drink and you refuse. We all ate at least a small portion of the food. Shortly after we were finished eating we were brought hot sweet tea, the Arabic word for tea is "chi". Although apprehensive we all tried the chi, everyone seemed to like it and suffered no ill effects. By this time we were not quite as apprehensive as we had been initially. Although we continued to be alert to our environment we allowed ourselves to relax a little. For the next hour we sit in the shade with the Iraqi's trying to communicate the best we could. Although the Iraqi's knew very little English and we knew even less Arabic we were able to have a worthwhile exchange. The Civil Affairs Team and contractors returned and after saying goodbye we departed the village.

Since that initial visit I have had the opportunity to return to Jopa several times throughout my stay here in Iraq. Of all the towns and villages that I have visited Jopa remains my favorite. The people seem a little bit friendlier and the village a bit more peaceful than most of the villages here. During my stay here I have met and befriended several Iraqi's that work here on Al Asad. Many of them are from Jopa. They are very proud of their little village and it's ancient history.

However even this little village is not immune to insurgent activities. A small air conditioner repair shop was blown up shortly after our first visit. The former owner of the air conditioner shop, Safar, now operates the Kabob stand here at Al Asad. Many times I have sat at the Kabob stand talking to the Iraqi's, irregardless if they are Sunni, Shiite or Kurd there does not seem to be any friction or animosity between them. I believe that the people of Joba fairly represent the majority of the people of Iraq. With all the death and destruction here I believe the majority of Iraqi's attitudes and expectations are not that different from ours. They are looking only to live life in peace and provide opportunity and hope for their families.