Some of you out there are probably wondering what exactly we do over here on a Border Transition Team. I've been in the army for over 18 years and this is the first time I have ever done anything like this. Anyway, David Botti is a reporter for Newsweek and he wrote the following story. Mr Botti traveled with and interviewed the team that we replaced over here. It is a pretty interesting article.
Posted Friday, August 22, 2008 6:43 AM
Frustration and Hope on the Syrian Border
By David Botti
Roughly 250 miles northwest of Baghdad, the border between Iraq's Ninawa province and Syria is marked by nothing more than a single dirt berm. The mound is easy enough to walk, and in some places, drive a vehicle over. While the terrain is mostly flat, nighttime often brings a consuming darkness and electricity here is non-existent. Snaking through this terrain are countless dried-up canals, affording the area's smugglers concealed routes through which their cross-border business is conducted with relative ease.
Meanwhile, members of Iraq's border police (the IBP) wait, watch, and listen from their forts and outposts, some with little more than a flashlight, a few rifles, and handheld radios frequently turned off to conserve what little battery life remains.
Equipment shortages, lack of fuel, poor training, and the large swaths of terrain to cover have hampered the force's effectiveness. And, the life out here is hard. Between the more livable forts spaced along the border, IBP soldiers can find themselves working for days at smaller outposts that can consist of only a small tent. Around them the desert stretches endlessly in all directions, with no one and nothing in sight.
Tasked with advising and training the nearly 3,000 members of Ninawa's border force are three small groups of senior U.S. Army soldiers assigned to units known as border transition teams. Lead by Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Rainey, the soldiers have a 12-month mission to strengthen this force, while trying to ensure needed changes ultimately come from the Iraqis themselves. It's a difficult balance for the Americans to find.
Threats to the Border
On a day-to-day basis, the two main threats to the Iraq-Syria border are the smuggling of various products, and the crossing of foreign fighters; though the degree to which these types of operations are intertwined is still murky. There is the possibility that the smugglers are simply trying to make a living the only way they know how, while foreign fighters arrive in Iraq with the aid of sympathetic residents living in border villages. Or, smugglers are aiding the fighters, using their knowledge of the terrain to facilitate movement.
The reality may also be some combination of the two, but while the IBP and Americans can quantify smuggling operations by goods confiscated (50,000 packs of cigarettes were confiscated in July), it's difficult to track the foreign fighters.
"The IBP has never caught foreign fighters in the act [of coming through]," said Lieutenant Colonel Todd Wasmund, head of a transition team here. "It's all been done through intelligence."
These fighters never cross the border carrying weapons or other identifying equipment, choosing instead to blend in with the locals. It isn't until they travel further into the country, that they join the various insurgent groups.
One result of this is the relatively low number of violent incidents, though they do occur. The border police have found themselves the targets of roadside bombs and small arms fire, as smugglers seek to harass and intimidate. It's not uncommon to see IBP vehicles driving around with all their windows blown out from a bomb blast, though the resources to repair this damage are scant.
American commanders also cite the isolation of the border area as another reason for so few attacks, saying insurgents prefer to hit higher profile, more densely populated areas. Still, earlier this year a suicide bomber detonated himself steps from the border in the town of Rabiyah, one of two official points of entry from Syria. His targets: machines in place for biometrically scanning travelers to Iraq.
The One Thing Everyone Needs
Among IBP forces all along the border, the single common denominator is almost always the same: fuel is scarce. Out here, having enough fuel means being able to fill a vehicle to a quarter tank. Without fuel the IBP's machine gun-mounted Chevy pickup trucks cannot patrol the border, or deliver supplies. Generators which could provide electricity for recharging radio batteries and spotlights sit idle. Major James Moses, head of a transition team responsible for the southern portion of Ninawa's border, recounted with amusement seeing one border policeman mix small amounts of gas and kerosene to make diesel fuel.
"I don't know how he knew what to do, and what amounts to mix, but he did it" Moses said. "These guys know how to make something out of nothing."
Moses also pointed out that even if the border police were able to strengthen their numbers to fill in the unguarded gaps along the border, there wouldn't be enough fuel to sustain the larger force.
Iraqi Colonel Abed Al Karem, head of a local IBP battalion, expressed hopelessness over his unit's fuel shortages. The problem, he said, exists at the IBP's higher levels, and is beyond his own control.
"Sometimes I just sit down and I think: why [do we have this problem], it's only fuel," he said. "Iraq is all fuel. It is the first nation of fuel. Here in Iraq the fuel is more than water."
Fuel and power shortages affect not only the IBP, but also the civilian populace. As one drives along the border road at night, the differences are quickly evident. Across the berm in Syria, nearby villages appear as clusters of bright lights while on the Iraqi side only the occasional porch light powered by a generator is visible.
American commanders here said one reason the IBP lacks supplies is its distant proximity to Baghdad where the force is administered by the Ministry of Interior. They said other M.O.I. forces, such as the National Police and Iraqi Police, are first in line for money and gear.
"The further you are from centers of influence, the less you get," said Lt. Col. Rainey, "Things are just very slow to trickle down. Until we get the resources to replace what we expend, it's going to be a struggle"
Confronting Reliability
When Lt. Col. Wasmund arrived at the border this past January, he found a force unable to adequately train itself. Compounding his challenges was the realization some in the IBP, including officers and key leaders, were actually involved to some degree in smuggling operations.
"We were cruising along feeling like we were doing some good work, feeling like we were making progress," Wasmund said. "We hadn't heard any negative reports about our police yet. Then we got the first report from a detainee that, by name, some of our guys were corrupt. And it was like someone took a pin and just popped our little bubble. For about three days it felt like it was a funeral—it was so demoralizing. You're looking ahead almost nine months before you are done doing this mission, and it's futile. It just feels like it's a waste."
As the leader of a small team constantly working in close proximity and living at a Spartan combat outpost, Wasmund knew back in January that the success of his mission depended on reinventing how they approached advising the IBP. He described his assessment of the situation as existing in layers: the tasks of training, improving IBP logistics, and rooting out those border police deemed unreliable.
"We had to be careful not to generalize that because one leader is corrupt that the entire organization is corrupt," he said. "Everybody wants to hang a label and it's not that simple."
Still, among the rank-and-file IBP soldiers, some of whom are thought to take bribes from smugglers to look the other way, Wasmund said their motives are understandable. The rudimentary conditions the IBP works under can easily foster discontent.
"If you're not motivated, and you feel like you're destined to fail, you'd be pretty vulnerable to take a bribe or get involved in opportunity for profit," he said. "And if your income provides for 12 to 15 people, moonlighting would be tempting."
Glimpses of the Future
Since their arrival in January, the border transition teams here in Ninawa cite progress with the IBP, although it's often slow, frustrating, and requires long days and nights of traveling 180 miles of border.
Earlier this summer Lt. Col. Wasmund began what he calls the "IBP Leaders Academy," a five-day course that brings about a dozen border police to the Americans' small combat outpost for training in all manner of soldiering. The idea here was to educate small unit leaders on how to train their own men upon returning to the border forts. Topics range to everything from weapons use, to searching enemy prisoners, to calling in casualty evaluations.
"These guys are seasoned fighters, but they're not skilled trainers and leaders. [Under Saddam's army] they did as they were told," Wasmund said. "You make assumptions, and we found in the first few months our assumptions were really pretty bad. We overestimated their ability to do their mission."
So far the transition team considers the class a success, though it is often dependent on the quality of Iraqi soldiers present, and their willingness to learn. The Iraqis are capable of making rudimentary mistakes like picking a machine gun up by its hot barrel just after the weapon's been fired, or shying away from leading their comrades in simple physical training routines. Still, there is also an obvious dedication among most of these soldiers, and a general willingness to listen and learn—even if the process is a slow one.
Wasmund believes with time this model of training will trickle down to the individual border policemen, and the Americans will ensure this is happening rather then taking on the responsibility themselves. Still, it's the wider institutional changes that may end up having the greatest influence on the IBP's effectiveness. One cause for hope on this front came unexpectedly to Wasmund only a couple of weeks ago.
At a meeting he attended between leaders of the border police, the Iraqi Police, and the Iraqi Army, Wasmund watched as the men took turns criticizing their counterparts for the quality of their forces and operations. Such conversations are often the norm all over Iraq, but then Wasmund noticed a curious thing: each leader seemed to become more driven to outdo the other, vehemently defending the quality of their men.
It was this simple act of peer pressure, Wasmund thought, that could force commanders to push their men further in training.
"They don't want to come back to meetings and always be the guy who's not doing his job," he said. "What's neat about that is now it's not me holding my commander accountable, it's Iraqis holding other Iraqis accountable…when Iraqis are in charge of Iraqis that starts to go down the road of governance. They're starting to make decisions for themselves about what's right and what's wrong."
Well we decided to take today off for a change. We have been running real hard lately with the mission down to Mosul and then back-to-back missions to BDE HQ's. It was nice to do nothing for a change. We actually busted out the BBQ grill this afternoon, threw on some ribs, and relaxed. The only thing missing was some beer….the non-alcoholic crap you get over here just doesn't count!!!
We also got a huge mail drop in yesterday so got to pick it all up this morning. We all got packages…I got nine myself. It was a great day. We all opened up boxes and shared with everyone on the team and even had some left over to share with some of the people and agencies that support us here on FOB Sykes. Gotta take care of the folks that take care of you!!! A special thanks goes out to my sister-in-law Kathy's sister Sophia. Her and her friends made 49 boxes of cookies and sent them over. There was more than enough for our team and for a lot of the people that help us here on the FOB. Also a thanks to the All American Pin-Up Girls. They send out boxes to deployed troops all over the world. They really do a great job. If you want to help them out…check out their MySpace page….they are listed on my friends list. And thanks to all those out there who support the troops all over the world…especially during the holiday season!!!
The internet is real slow today. I guess it is because it is Sunday and most of the Soldiers are inside the wire bogging down the internet. Hopefully it clears up later on this evening. Not sure what is on the plate for this week, but whatever it is we will do it safe as we can. Good luck to the Steelers this afternoon in Baltimore. I hope to catch the game on AFN, but if they are not playing it I will need some help with internet links from Steeler Nation out there…hook a brother up!!! Go Stillers!!!
I can't believe it is December already. Time really flies when you are outside the wire...just like it did in Afghanistan. Inside the wire isn't too bad either...we got internet in our rooms, at $85 a month, but was worth it to see Kellee and the boys on the webcam. The connection was pretty slow, but it was bettan nothing. Thanksgiving here wasn't bad. The DFAC put on it's usual top-notch spead. We had all the traditional food...even seconds and thirds if you wanted. We took the day off..it was our first real day off since we've been over here. It was nice to give the guys a whole day to not do anything.
We just came back in from checking out the 2nd BN border forts. We found much of the same things that we did in the 1st BN area. We sense a lot more corruption in 2nd BN than in 1st. We'll see how that goes. It's hard to believe that if you have a border fort or annex every 500 meters, and they have inter-locking fields of vision, that smugglers and insirgents still get through. the only way that I can think of is that some of these guys are on the take. That is not secret information wither, it is just my personal opinion. We'll see what happens as the months progress.
So now we plan the next trip to BDE HQ's to tell them of our adventures. We also have to head to another FOB to get some add-ons to the MRAP's. Shouldn't be a big deal. It will be another stop on the T-Shirt Tour!!! Take care and Go Stillers!!!!!
We made it back from our extended operations along the 1st BN, 6th BDE, 2nd Region Iraqi Border Patrol sector. We stayed out a few nights. We saw a bunch of border forts and some of the smaller annexes. These guys really try to do their best with very limited supplies and training. No night vision devices, small amounts of ammunition, few if any binoculars, and very poor communication. The Iraqi Border Patrol has been around since mid-2003. They are really still in their infancy. Most of their officers however are all prior service Iraqi Army. Atleast they do have some experience. All in all it was a good trip. We now have an idea, atleast in 1st BN's area, what the shortcomings are and have some ideas on how we will advise and mentor the Brigade to fix things. In the coming weeks we will hit the other three BN's in the Bridage's area of operations. We roll in MRAP's...they are pretty good. They have a high center of gravity, but they are designed to withstand IED's and mines. So what if you can't take turns sharply.... atleast if we get hit, we all will walk away with only our bells rung. We will take tomorrow off and relax for Thanksgiving. The DFAC here is putting on a big spread...as per the norm at the holidays. Take a moment this year and give thanks for all that you have....I know I will.
All is well here in Ninawa Province for the team. We are trying to get all the equipment and such organized from the old team. You know the drill, sorting through connexes, getting the vehicles up according to our load plans, fixing the communications gear, and getting our HQ's bunker squared away. Last night we had rain...first time since we got here. Heavy downpours, lightning, thunder, and the whole works. This place is now a huge mud puddle. Too much fun!!! Anyway, we are going to start our assessments of the border forts in the upcoming weeks. That should be a good time. Our region covers 375km of border between Syria and Iraq. There are border forts and annexes on each side...we will only be stopping at the Iraqi ones though..lol!!!I've been taking picures and once we get our team internet installed I'll upload them. The Department of Defense put out an order the other day that no external hardrives or other devices will be inserted into government computers. So I'll get them uploaded when I can. Take it easy all and Go Stillers!!!
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Well after hitting all of the "hot tour spots" here in Iraq, we are finally at FOB Sykes in northwest Iraq. The last leg of the trip was fun...two hours via Chinook with the "replacement crew." We were bouncing all over the place. Good times!!! We hit Kirkuk, Key West, and Mosul before arriving here. Anyway, we have linked up with the team we are replacing and are getting to know the area and such. This place is pretty nice...relatively speaking and compared to all of the other great places I've stayed over here. I wish all of you the best, stay safe, and Go Stillers!!!
Just wanted to let everyone know that we are still alive and well. We are currently in Camp Taji, north of Baghdad. We are on the Iraqi side which is so exciting...not!!! We are living in some old British 1920 style barracks. We are attending the Phoenix Academy. It is mandatory counter-insurgency training prior to our movement out to our areas of responsibility. It was a nice trip up here. We went from Camp Buehring to Ali Al Salim Air Base to BIAP (Baghdad International Airport) to Camp Striker to here. Our trip up north should have just as many stops. Life aint too bad here. The MWR facility they have is nice. I get to chat online or call Kellee almost everyday and they keep the Stars 'n Stripes paper pretty current. Hell, I even got to watch some of the Steeler-Redskin game!!! Go Stillers!!! Hope everyone is doing well and remember...those stupid, annoying campaign commercials, emails, bulletins, etc are almost over!!!
We arrived in Kuwait late on the 19th. We had an hour bus ride from Ft Riley to Topeka to Forbes Field. There we boarded a 767 and headed out for Leipzig Germany. It was an 8 ½ hour flight. We had a two hour layover in Leipzig so that is where we had our last beer for a while. We then re-boarded the plane for the 4 ½ hour flight to Kuwait. Once in Kuwait we took a bus to Camp Virginia. There we were separated from the Marines who were on-board our flight and we waited for transportation to Camp Buehring. Once at Buehring, we got our in-brief, was assigned a tent, and bedded down for the rest of the night…it was 0400 at this time. Yesterday consisted of nothing but checking out Buehring and things like that. This place is wild…there are more restaurants here in the various food courts that I have seen in most major malls back home!!! Hell, they got three Starbucks coffee shops here. To be a "Fobbit" in Kuwait…what a tough life!!! Anyway, we have certain training that we have to complete while we are here before we head up to the Phoenix Academy in Taji Iraq. We do have access to phones and internet here so the evenings are pretty much up to us which is cool. The internet is kind of slow though, it is almost like being back on dial-up so it may take a little bit of time to get responses out to some of you, but I will eventually get to them all.
I just want to let all of you know that my team and I are leaving this weekend for Iraq. We are a Combat Advisor Team that will be working along an Iraqi Border Enforcement Brigade along the Iraq/Syria border (that information does not violate OPSEC). Anyway, the ability to communicate with the "real world" has come leaps and bounds since I was in Afghanistan. We will have regular access to the internet and telephones...and of course there is always mail call. I will try to keep everyone updated on what we are doing and such while we are over there. I will try to post a blog at least once a week and also upload pictures and stuff. I have my Steelers hat, fleece pullover, and Terrible Towel, so I am ready for the rest of the season!!! If you would like my address while we are over there, please let me know and I will shoot it to you in a message. I want to thank all of you for your continued support of those of us in uniform. We couldn't sustain the optempo that we do without the support from those at home.
