Western Iraq is tougher than the rest of the country. Desolate Al Anbar province is poor, sparsely populated and, this time of year, bitterly cold. Not to mention dangerous, with native malcontents and foreign fighters taking potshots, planting bombs and periodically getting organized into honest-to-god small units for street firefights.
The Seabees of Mobile Construction Battalion 133 know all about this. They got detachments all over the province, at Al Taqaddum, Ramadi, Fallujah and a God-forsaken border outpost called Rawa. Most of the Seabees stay on the bases doing construction work and dodging the occasional mortar round, but some run dangerous convoy escort missions. Four from 133 got hurt a few weeks back in one attack on a convoy.
I embedded with 133 here at Al Taqaddum airfield. Over the next week I’ll pay visits to Ramadi and Rawa before ending my tour with the battalion at Al Asad air base. Anticipating my night in Rawa, Senior Chief Bob Crandall from the Al Taqaddum detachment advised I borrow a blanket or two. Facilities are primitive and the weather is cruel. But it’s not weather I’m worried about.
At Al Taqaddum, a small Seabee detachment plays housekeeper to a population of several thousand soldiers and Marines. The Seabees can do just about any civil engineering or construction job you can imagine. Here, they put up buildings, repair old decaying Iraqi wiring and plumbing, and patch up the battered runway where Air Force C-130s, Marine Corps helos and Army Sherpa airlifters deliver a constant stream of men and material.
But, according to Crandall, their most rewarding missions are always the ones that get them into the local community, building schools and repairing infrastructure and winning hearts and minds. That’s what 133, which is based in Mississippi, was doing stateside in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. But here in Iraq, Crandall’s detachment rarely leaves the protective nest of Al Taqaddum; the threat level’s just too high. Which is a shame, since the nearby town of Habbaniyah sure could use their expertise.
This is the story in much of Iraq but especially here in the western part of the country. Security is deteriorating, putting an end to serious reconstruction projects and creating an atmosphere in which day-to-day interaction between coalition troops and Iraqi civilians is impossible. There’s a spiral effect. The alienation creates distrust which leads to further alienation and only makes security even worse. In such an environment, the only feasible operations are combat operations.
– David Axe
Combat vs. Construction
Previous post: Rapid Fire 01/19/06
Next post: “Aerial IED” Denied… Kinda, Sorta
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Max:
I’d be *very* careful about calling David Axe “lazy.” He’s been to Iraq many, many times over the past few years. He knows what the situation is like on the ground. And he is not some knee-jerk military-hater.
nms
Noah, this thing drives me nuts-I watched places like Route Irish go from the wild wild west to romper room-yet still I was told by a New York journalist that the situation had “fallen apart”. David may not be lazy, but some times you guys floor me with interpretations of things. I lost faith in you guys after “Camp Normal”.
I stand with my argument-all evidence points to a security situation that is NOT deteriorating.
Max:
I don’t make a habit of arguing with readers, and I’m not going to start now. But I’d like to understand your point of view. Are you saying that because *one* reporter told you something silly (and, yeah, I saw Irish get pretty tame, too) that all reporters (including Mr. Axe from South Carolina) are somehow biased? Or am I misunderstanding you?
Also, you’re saying you “lost faith” after my initial impressions of Camp Victory. I just went back and re-read that post. It’s about my surprise at finding the digs to be so nice. What “interpretation” lost you?
nms
Hello from Ramadi!
A distinction needs to be made between the areas of Iraq controlled by the U.S. military and the rest of the country. Inside the U.S. miliatry’s steel cordon, things are pretty safe.
But outside, security is worsening. I’m not making this up.
Of course, there are regional differences, even differences between neighborhoods in single towns. But overall, it’s harder to work outside the wire in 2006 than it was just two years ago. This applies to anyone — civilian or military — trying to do reconstruction and humanitarian work.
Cheers.
Thanks, I didn’t mean to insinuate that anyone was making things up. I only did a year in Iraq, ending in the fall, from my experience and talking to friends I still have in Baghdad the situation is different from your experience.
Thank God for Mr. Axe showing the other side of the war – The Seabees building for military and the people of Iraq. We need to hear good news of men trying to protect and do good for human beings! You never hear of the Seabees doing their humanity deeds for the common people of this war torn area. We only hear of the death and misfortunes of WAR, whats wrong with the news media, hungary for Death and blood!God Bless them for their duty to country and people of all backgrounds! I am a son-of-a WW2 Seabee, William Bolha
i currently have a son attached to the 74th in iraq he calls or emails most every day he doesnt tell us were hes working or doing but my wife and i know when we dont here from him for a couple of days that he off base working we now no news is good news but its hard until you here that voice again you just sit by the phone untill your prays are answered.
IS this just a place to make comments or does anyone know how I can get in touch with someone at Al Taqaddum? I am in need of trying to find my soldier who is based there right now. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Email me?: mlff96@yahoo.com
is it hard whaen you guys are at cobat and thank you for battling for us
I’m thankful that we have so many great people over there in Iraq! As someone who has been working within the construction industry for a long time, it is easy to realize the value of proper building codes and structural safety.