WEBVTT 00:00.040 --> 00:03.640 Gordon ? As you mentioned , uh many of 00:03.640 --> 00:05.696 our soldiers are going for the first 00:05.696 --> 00:07.640 time and others going back for the 00:07.640 --> 00:10.570 second time . Uh the country certainly 00:10.570 --> 00:12.850 has changed since we deployed to Iraq 00:12.850 --> 00:14.740 the first time , as you know , on 00:14.750 --> 00:17.630 january 30th , the country had a very , 00:17.630 --> 00:20.550 very successful election and so the 00:20.550 --> 00:22.772 citizens of Iraq are sovereign and they 00:22.772 --> 00:25.410 have a government that's functioning uh 00:25.420 --> 00:29.140 In addition to that uh we have a stable 00:29.140 --> 00:31.307 and secure environment there now which 00:31.307 --> 00:33.473 uh when we got there we didn't have at 00:33.473 --> 00:35.362 first , so those are the two most 00:35.362 --> 00:37.310 significant changes that we'll 00:37.320 --> 00:40.380 encounter when we get to Iraq . Uh In 00:40.380 --> 00:42.550 addition , the Iraqi security forces 00:42.550 --> 00:44.383 have started to play very , very 00:44.383 --> 00:47.120 significant role . In fact they are in 00:47.120 --> 00:49.690 front of all the military and police 00:49.690 --> 00:51.810 operations and that will continue to 00:51.810 --> 00:54.010 grow and grow and grow uh from now 00:54.010 --> 00:56.590 until our deployment and we will be 00:56.590 --> 00:58.701 working very , very closely with them 00:58.701 --> 01:00.701 which we have it before . The other 01:00.701 --> 01:02.701 thing is very , very significant is 01:02.701 --> 01:04.757 that most of the people that went to 01:04.757 --> 01:07.020 Iraq with this brigade before we went 01:07.030 --> 01:09.460 in different positions , they were 01:09.470 --> 01:11.192 either in different leadership 01:11.192 --> 01:13.192 positions or in different different 01:13.192 --> 01:15.248 soldier positions . So , uh although 01:15.248 --> 01:16.970 they may have been there , the 01:16.970 --> 01:19.081 environment has changed in their duty 01:19.081 --> 01:20.970 positions have changed within the 01:20.970 --> 01:23.081 brigade combat team . We have all new 01:23.081 --> 01:25.192 battalion commanders uh and of course 01:25.192 --> 01:27.192 this is my first deployment uh as a 01:27.192 --> 01:29.137 brigade commander , although I was 01:29.137 --> 01:31.081 there with the division previously 01:31.081 --> 01:33.248 Gordon . They're really two parts that 01:33.248 --> 01:35.120 to answer the first thing is I 01:35.120 --> 01:37.453 mentioned earlier , we are working very , 01:37.453 --> 01:39.509 very closely with the Iraqi security 01:39.509 --> 01:41.860 forces . Even more so than before . Uh 01:41.870 --> 01:45.010 when I assume my brigade sector from 01:45.010 --> 01:47.250 the brigade that I'm assuming it from , 01:47.260 --> 01:50.880 I will also work with a uh Iraqi 01:50.880 --> 01:53.270 brigade commander . So all of my 01:53.270 --> 01:56.290 leaders will have Iraqi uh military 01:56.290 --> 01:58.550 counterparts and my soldiers will be 01:58.550 --> 02:01.330 working right alongside uh Iraqi 02:01.330 --> 02:03.552 soldiers , which many of them didn't do 02:03.552 --> 02:05.663 previously . They are now starting to 02:05.663 --> 02:07.719 occupy bigger footprint in their own 02:07.719 --> 02:09.552 country , which we think is very 02:09.552 --> 02:11.497 significant . The other thing that 02:11.497 --> 02:13.690 we'll do more of that than than we did 02:13.690 --> 02:17.100 before is work uh essential services 02:17.110 --> 02:20.630 uh projects we did that previously in 02:20.630 --> 02:22.241 the form of sewage , water , 02:22.241 --> 02:25.690 electricity , academics , trash uh 02:25.700 --> 02:28.500 medical uh this time we'll do more of 02:28.500 --> 02:31.200 that . What we've learned is that the 02:31.200 --> 02:34.590 non lethal uh side of our operation is 02:34.600 --> 02:37.140 is as important as the lethal side . So 02:37.150 --> 02:39.206 we'll go there and we'll continue to 02:39.206 --> 02:41.206 defeat the insurgents but will also 02:41.206 --> 02:43.600 help the Iraqi citizens that are in 02:43.600 --> 02:45.600 desperate need of our assistance in 02:45.600 --> 02:47.600 conjunction with their government . 02:47.600 --> 02:51.090 Gordon ? The most important thing that 02:51.100 --> 02:53.040 is happening in Iraq now is the 02:53.040 --> 02:54.984 establishment of a safe and secure 02:54.984 --> 02:57.040 environment for sovereign citizens . 02:57.040 --> 03:00.230 The Iraqi security forces are being 03:00.230 --> 03:02.230 established to take the lead with . 03:02.230 --> 03:04.500 That is very , very important that Iraq 03:04.500 --> 03:06.611 had its own government which you know 03:06.611 --> 03:08.667 uh as well underway . It's also very 03:08.667 --> 03:10.611 important that they have their own 03:10.611 --> 03:12.611 security forces both in the form of 03:12.611 --> 03:15.260 military uh security forces and police 03:15.260 --> 03:17.630 security forces . So that's a very very 03:17.630 --> 03:20.630 important mission . We uh got a chance 03:20.630 --> 03:24.010 to work with uh Iraqi security forces 03:24.010 --> 03:25.954 out here in the box . Uh They were 03:25.954 --> 03:28.010 actually american soldiers that were 03:28.010 --> 03:30.121 playing the role of Iraqi troops . So 03:30.121 --> 03:32.066 each of my battalions had an Iraqi 03:32.066 --> 03:34.730 platoon that was attached to them and 03:34.730 --> 03:36.786 they were involved in each and every 03:36.786 --> 03:38.841 mission that the battalion performed 03:38.841 --> 03:40.897 out here in the box . So they've had 03:40.897 --> 03:43.119 quite a bit of hands on experience with 03:43.119 --> 03:45.230 uh working with another unit that was 03:45.230 --> 03:47.341 playing Iraqi security force . Uh But 03:47.341 --> 03:49.341 when they get to Iraq they also get 03:49.341 --> 03:51.063 some right seat left seat ride 03:51.063 --> 03:53.730 opportunities with both the U . S . 03:53.730 --> 03:55.897 Army counter part as well as the Iraqi 03:55.897 --> 03:56.790 security forces .