Night Moves

We pull into this village under the cover of dark. Its dark, really dark.  So dark that even using night optics, its still hard to see. Everything is quiet as we pick our way through the streets, even the radio.  Under the cover of night, this village seems relatively nice for something in Iraq.  The streets are clean, there is no sewage or trash along the road.  There are a few lights on, even at this late hour, which casts an orange-brown glow on small areas of the neighborhood.  My platoon’s job tonight is to set up cordon for some searches that will be occurring in the town.  I hate cordon security.  It means I sit there and keep everything outside – out, and everything inside – in.  It means we sit in a location for a long time without moving.  That sets us up as easy targets.  The Iraqi Army has several trucks full of dismounts in the town somewhere as well.  Always a wildcard with them.  Will they do the job, leave, or start shooting at anything that moves.

We pull left and up about 100 meters at an intersection.  Another truck pulls the same distance right.  Another stays 100 meters back up the road, and the last truck 100 meters up the road.  A mini-perimeter so we can watch each others backs while we keep an eye out for the bad guys.  I step out of my truck.  There is a cool breeze.  I think to myself, “Its funny that 90 degrees feels cool now.”  Amazing what runs through your head when you’re tired and stuck with only your own thoughts for conversation. 

I take in my surroundings.  Its a clean, wide, concrete street.  There are a couple of lights on each side of the road a few hundred meters down, then it fades into blackness.  To my left, the truck.  Behind it a rather large adobe style house.  The house has two stories and is surrounded by an 8 foot wall with a steel door in it.  Obviously someone with money.  Another smaller house is next to it, followed by an intersection and more of the ubiquitous mud houses.  On my right, a large wall.  The back of some building.  Behind me is the intersection, and I can barely make out the outline of another humvee in the distance.  Nothing else to see except clothes on lines from the second story of the house.  I scan the roofs with my optics making sure someone isn’t in the second story of the house or on the roofs waiting to ambush us.  Nothing. 

I hear the radio in the truck, and the raids have started down the street.  The first one is empty, so is the second.  I always wonder if they weren’t tipped off when this happens.  I turn my attention back to the street.  I can hear some dogs bark, and what sounds like a woman wailing.  Someone probably just busted in her door and woke the family up. 

BANG!  Something inside the courtyard to my left.  Like a bloodhound my ears perk up and I hone in on the sound. “What was that!?” I ask my driver and gunner. “Dunno.” is the reply.  We listen intently for a few minutes and hear someone moving around inside their yard. Lots of banging metal and clicking noises.  Probably harmless.  It is almost morning prayer, but we need to keep an eye out nonetheless.  You never know if that gate will swing open, an insurgent with an AK behind it. 

Morning prayer starts.  Its still pitch dark outside and now the air is permeated with that deep wailing prayer.  Creepy.  It can be heard all over the town.  I realize the mosque must be just up the street behind me as the prayer is quite audible.  I can’t help but wonder what is being said.  The mosques have been used as a platform for the insurgents in the past and the Imam often sounds angry.  All fire and brimstone.  When the prayers stop, I always wait for something to happen.  Crack!  A shot rings out just up the street.  I duck behind the door and start scanning.  No more shots fired, no radio traffic, nothing seems unusual.  An Iraqi Army soldier had yet another negligent discharge.  I scan the roofs again though, just to make sure.

“Move East.”  I get back in the truck, and our platoon moves up the street.  This sector is cleared.  We set up in the next intersection and start the whole process over again.  This time I am standing along a wrought iron fence with the wall of the mosque across the street.  I hear the sound of an AK to my left.  I look over and the wall is lined with IA.  They are all sitting on the ground, weapons haphazardly held, mostly asleep.  “Nice security!” I think to myself.

The dark has turned to a light gray as morning comes.  Only about a half hour to sun-up.  We sit security until I can see the sun cresting the horizon.  Then we move up to the major intersection in town and cordon it off.  Slowly IA units begin to appear in the intersection.  I guess this is the new Assembly Area.  The raids must be about over.  We sit security for another hour as the sun rises.  I can see the whole town from this intersection.  Its located on the top of a hill.  The mosque is behind me down the hill a bit, and below it a small park (the fence I was parked along) with actual green grass in it.  Well more like green weeds, but green nonetheless. The intersection is the main intersection in town and thus is also the market street.  No vendors are showing up this morning though.  Probably due to all the IA and coalition troops here at the moment.

“Prepare to leave.”  We get back in the truck, down an energy drink, and start the truck.  Its been another long day, followed by a long night and the drink will get us home safe.  We fall into our patrol order and leave the town in a cloud of dust.