WEBVTT

00:00.750 --> 00:03.290
I'm like a conductor of all operations ,

00:03.300 --> 00:06.780
both ground and air for roughly 15,000

00:06.780 --> 00:09.140
soldiers . That includes Iraqis on the

00:09.140 --> 00:13.080
east side of Baghdad sounds like a

00:13.090 --> 00:15.257
pretty big job , what does that mean ?

00:15.257 --> 00:18.930
A typical day is like for you ? Well ,

00:18.930 --> 00:21.190
roughly in the morning we have a

00:21.200 --> 00:24.190
synchronization meeting to go over the

00:24.190 --> 00:27.810
roughly 200 plus operations that

00:27.810 --> 00:31.390
may current uh 24 hour period

00:31.430 --> 00:34.570
to anywhere from dismounted patrols ,

00:34.580 --> 00:38.320
mounted patrols , engagements with our

00:38.330 --> 00:41.700
Iraqi partners units , multiple

00:41.700 --> 00:44.700
meetings . You can you can think about

00:44.700 --> 00:46.644
it , we're responsible to do it in

00:46.644 --> 00:49.660
addition to providing fuel ,

00:49.960 --> 00:52.640
ammunition and all the things needed to

00:52.650 --> 00:56.590
uh to keep the operation going . So

00:56.590 --> 00:58.610
you do work with the Iraqi security

00:58.610 --> 01:00.832
forces . What is your impression of the

01:00.832 --> 01:03.054
Iraqi security forces ? Are they coming

01:03.054 --> 01:06.490
along quite well . I think they are

01:06.500 --> 01:08.500
almost 10 months . I've been on the

01:08.500 --> 01:10.667
ground . Uh from my first days , I can

01:10.667 --> 01:13.690
tell you that their effectiveness and

01:13.690 --> 01:16.070
confidence has grown uh and our

01:16.070 --> 01:18.850
partnership with these units has gotten

01:18.850 --> 01:21.580
better . But bottom line to answer your

01:21.580 --> 01:23.770
question yes , they are getting better

01:24.090 --> 01:26.710
and they will get better in the near

01:26.710 --> 01:30.680
future . What is your impression of the

01:30.680 --> 01:32.570
Iraqi people there ? How do they

01:32.580 --> 01:36.300
respond to you ? Uh to the coalition

01:36.300 --> 01:40.050
forces throughout our particular , a uh

01:40.060 --> 01:43.270
we have had no uh no problems . As a

01:43.270 --> 01:46.750
matter of fact , I want to say , 99% of

01:46.750 --> 01:49.800
the Iraqi people on the east side of

01:49.810 --> 01:53.260
Baghdad welcome us . I can step out of

01:53.260 --> 01:55.690
the vehicle at any time . I can talk to

01:55.690 --> 01:57.970
any Iraqi citizen , they'll they'll

01:57.970 --> 02:00.560
tell me what's on their mind . Uh and

02:00.560 --> 02:03.600
they'll tell me what areas uh the Iraqi

02:03.600 --> 02:06.380
government needs to work on the bottom

02:06.380 --> 02:09.670
line . We can work hand in hand with .

02:10.610 --> 02:12.721
That's good to hear . We never really

02:12.721 --> 02:14.777
get that side of it . You spent some

02:14.777 --> 02:16.554
time in Washington at Arlington

02:16.554 --> 02:18.554
National Cemetery . What did you do

02:18.554 --> 02:20.777
there ? Uh I was a company commander in

02:20.777 --> 02:23.000
the third U . S . Infantry , The old

02:23.000 --> 02:26.850
guard out of Fort Myer Virginia . Uh

02:26.860 --> 02:29.290
roughly . Uh I was responsible for

02:29.290 --> 02:33.010
about 140 men company . And we

02:33.010 --> 02:36.890
did most of the full honor funerals for

02:36.890 --> 02:40.610
our departed uh Heroes past and

02:40.610 --> 02:44.410
present . We hear that your

02:44.420 --> 02:46.476
fourth child was born while you were

02:46.476 --> 02:48.698
deployed . Have you had a chance to see

02:48.698 --> 02:52.050
her yet ? Yes . Our fourth daughter

02:52.060 --> 02:55.990
johnny was born february 15th

02:56.010 --> 02:59.280
and I was able to redeploy for roughly

02:59.280 --> 03:02.290
two weeks and spend time with her . Uh

03:02.300 --> 03:04.140
and then uh and then returned to

03:04.140 --> 03:07.460
Baghdad . But I tell you I really miss

03:07.460 --> 03:09.990
all for them . Including my lovely wife

03:09.990 --> 03:12.230
Stacy . She's certainly start in my

03:12.230 --> 03:15.340
life . Are they watching you this

03:15.340 --> 03:17.118
morning ? Would you like to say

03:17.118 --> 03:19.240
anything to them ? Yes , they are

03:19.240 --> 03:22.060
watching . And I think she she got them

03:22.060 --> 03:25.460
all up so that no one misses the show

03:25.460 --> 03:27.540
that she probably called my mom in

03:27.540 --> 03:31.230
Wisconsin . But to Stacy , thank you

03:31.240 --> 03:33.950
for for being there to support me and

03:33.950 --> 03:36.230
supporting all of us . My second family

03:36.230 --> 03:39.390
here And uh thanks for

03:39.400 --> 03:42.700
Whitney madea lucy and little johnny .

03:42.710 --> 03:46.190
Thank you very much . I love you all if

03:46.270 --> 03:48.381
And major johnny Davis , thank you to

03:48.381 --> 03:51.340
you for joining us this morning . Thank

03:51.340 --> 03:51.760
you .

