WEBVTT 00:00.040 --> 00:02.950 well , give us an idea of what's going 00:02.950 --> 00:05.470 on , what's going on on what you're 00:05.480 --> 00:08.380 dealing with on a daily basis . Uh 00:08.390 --> 00:10.850 First of all , uh let me tell you , our 00:10.850 --> 00:13.183 primary mission here in Ninawa province . 00:13.190 --> 00:17.070 Uh , It is first uh , to build 00:17.070 --> 00:20.430 capable Iraqi combat forces , uh , 00:20.440 --> 00:23.010 those combat forces being in the Iraqi 00:23.010 --> 00:26.000 Police and Iraqi Army , there's about 00:26.000 --> 00:29.540 18,000 Iraqi police , uh , that's in 00:29.540 --> 00:32.930 the province and as close to 20,000 00:32.940 --> 00:35.420 Iraqi Army soldiers is in the province . 00:35.430 --> 00:39.080 Uh , those 20,000 Iraqi soldiers uh 00:39.090 --> 00:41.930 comprise of two Iraqi Army divisions , 00:41.940 --> 00:45.730 uh , one Iraqi Army Division , uh , 00:45.740 --> 00:48.830 which operates in Mosul and the 00:48.830 --> 00:51.260 southern part of Mosul down in the city 00:51.260 --> 00:54.980 of Kiev . Uh and the third Iraqi Army 00:54.980 --> 00:57.570 division that operates uh , pretty much 00:57.570 --> 01:00.020 in the western province in the Tower 01:00.020 --> 01:03.560 for area . Uh , I will tell you that 01:03.570 --> 01:06.960 uh , operations throughout Ninawa 01:06.960 --> 01:10.310 province uh and once again , Mosul is 01:10.310 --> 01:13.170 the capital of Ninawa province . Uh , 01:13.180 --> 01:15.670 but uh , we're dealing with anywhere 01:15.670 --> 01:19.390 between 10 to 13 attacks a day 01:19.390 --> 01:22.300 throughout the province . Uh And most 01:22.300 --> 01:24.411 of the attacks are pretty much simple 01:24.411 --> 01:27.660 attacks , uh , being uh small Lawrence 01:27.660 --> 01:30.770 prior attacks , I E D S . Uh And those 01:30.770 --> 01:33.590 type of attacks , we also , on occasion , 01:33.600 --> 01:37.430 uh , will get uh , vehicle born IEDs . 01:37.440 --> 01:40.830 Uh and those got I E . Ds primarily 01:40.840 --> 01:43.570 target the government centers as well 01:43.570 --> 01:46.530 as Iraqi security forces . Uh , so 01:46.530 --> 01:49.260 that's pretty much in a nutshell . Uh , 01:49.270 --> 01:51.590 what we're doing , building up the 01:51.590 --> 01:53.534 capability of Iraqi Army and Iraqi 01:53.534 --> 01:55.820 police also conducting combat 01:55.820 --> 01:57.780 operations here in the province 01:57.780 --> 02:00.850 alongside them . Uh and ensuring that 02:00.850 --> 02:03.620 mineral provinces a stable province 02:03.620 --> 02:06.830 that operating and how's it going . I 02:06.830 --> 02:09.500 mean , you've got the goals to go ahead 02:09.500 --> 02:11.720 and stabilize the area . But is it 02:11.720 --> 02:13.831 working out how is morale out there ? 02:13.831 --> 02:16.830 Uh Absolutely . Uh First of all , I 02:16.830 --> 02:20.260 will tell you that uh we see progress 02:20.270 --> 02:23.870 not only uh in the training , the Iraqi 02:23.870 --> 02:26.070 Army and Iraqi police , there are in 02:26.070 --> 02:28.980 the lead uh when I first got on the 02:28.980 --> 02:31.670 ground here back in november , you have 02:31.670 --> 02:35.340 the Iraqi Army uh that actually worked 02:35.340 --> 02:38.620 for me . Uh Both divisions work for uh 02:38.630 --> 02:42.120 coalition forces . Now the Iraqi army 02:42.120 --> 02:45.920 work worked for the Iraqi Ground 02:45.920 --> 02:47.976 Forces command . They no longer work 02:47.976 --> 02:51.330 for me . Uh and they conduct an 02:51.340 --> 02:55.260 independent Ops night raids caught on 02:55.260 --> 02:58.515 researches uh going after the enemy on 02:58.515 --> 03:01.445 a daily basis . So the province is 03:01.445 --> 03:04.345 stable and the people are 03:04.345 --> 03:08.015 cooperating with not only the Iraqi 03:08.015 --> 03:10.905 security forces uh but we're coalition 03:10.905 --> 03:14.265 forces and we also 03:14.275 --> 03:17.285 uh doing a major reconstruction effort 03:17.285 --> 03:19.795 of the province as well . And we're 03:19.795 --> 03:22.415 trying to create those long term uh 03:22.425 --> 03:25.675 jobs that are so needed here in Iraq ? 03:25.675 --> 03:27.786 So we're working that piece as well . 03:27.786 --> 03:30.745 Would you say that when you got on the 03:30.745 --> 03:32.801 ground and your men came out there , 03:32.801 --> 03:35.055 were you prepared for what you found in 03:35.055 --> 03:38.455 the region ? We absolutely 03:38.465 --> 03:42.075 uh we did not know whether we're coming 03:42.075 --> 03:45.175 to Mosul and were planned as part of 03:45.175 --> 03:47.064 our training to go to a myriad of 03:47.064 --> 03:49.965 places here in in Iraq . and our 03:49.965 --> 03:53.065 training paid off , We stood up , this 03:53.075 --> 03:55.765 brigade combat team one year , part two 03:55.765 --> 03:58.825 deployment , uh there at Fort Bliss 03:58.825 --> 04:02.435 texas in el paso . Uh we stood it up , 04:02.445 --> 04:04.855 we're trained it and uh we deployed 04:04.855 --> 04:07.805 over here having been trained and ready 04:07.805 --> 04:09.972 after National Training Center as well 04:09.972 --> 04:12.138 as the training that were conducted at 04:12.138 --> 04:15.145 Fort Bliss texas . So we're absolutely 04:15.155 --> 04:18.065 train uh we absolutely have the 04:18.065 --> 04:19.965 equipment necessary to conduct 04:19.965 --> 04:23.325 operations here and what are your men 04:23.325 --> 04:25.492 thinking and you personally , what the 04:25.492 --> 04:27.436 morale out there . I mean , I know 04:27.436 --> 04:29.269 you're certainly happy with your 04:29.269 --> 04:31.492 progress , but how is your team doing ? 04:31.492 --> 04:34.575 Uh A team is doing really well here . 04:34.585 --> 04:38.535 It is busy every day here and I will 04:38.535 --> 04:42.245 tell you that uh being busy is a good 04:42.245 --> 04:46.235 thing uh because it uh allows us not to 04:46.235 --> 04:49.425 get complacent . We're focused on the 04:49.425 --> 04:51.925 on uh with our primary mission of 04:51.925 --> 04:54.765 training the Iraqi security forces and 04:54.765 --> 04:57.645 that takes up a lot of times . Uh they 04:57.645 --> 04:59.534 are capable of fighting as I said 04:59.534 --> 05:02.155 earlier . Uh but what we are doing is 05:02.165 --> 05:04.332 focusing on those areas where we could 05:04.332 --> 05:06.925 see improvement things like logistics , 05:06.935 --> 05:09.575 things like their engineer capability , 05:09.585 --> 05:12.215 their aviation capability . So those 05:12.215 --> 05:14.630 things are keeping us busy and it's 05:14.630 --> 05:17.220 great to see progress here and progress 05:17.220 --> 05:20.310 alone keeps the morale up pretty high 05:21.150 --> 05:23.150 and I know along those same lines , 05:23.150 --> 05:25.317 they've also had to deal with a lot of 05:25.317 --> 05:27.410 loss as of late and the men are all 05:27.410 --> 05:29.410 handling things well and things are 05:29.410 --> 05:32.630 still moving forward . Absolutely . We 05:32.630 --> 05:35.200 understand that we're here in combat 05:35.210 --> 05:37.432 and we also understand that we're going 05:37.432 --> 05:40.200 to take losses as a result of fighting 05:40.200 --> 05:43.850 this volunteer . Uh so uh it is a 05:43.850 --> 05:46.570 hard thing when you lose soldiers and 05:46.570 --> 05:49.450 as the brigade commander of this great 05:49.460 --> 05:52.270 organization is hard for me when I lose 05:52.270 --> 05:54.610 a soldier . But we fully understand 05:54.610 --> 05:58.040 that uh we're in a fight here and that 05:58.050 --> 06:00.410 we're going to have casualties . Have 06:00.410 --> 06:02.790 you seen any surprises out there ? 06:02.800 --> 06:06.240 Uh , surprises as in terms of 06:06.240 --> 06:08.770 what everything I mean , what when you 06:08.770 --> 06:11.010 go into this a combat maneuver , you 06:11.010 --> 06:13.066 have certain expectations . I'm sure 06:13.066 --> 06:15.500 when you deploy , what surprised you 06:15.500 --> 06:18.290 since you've been in Mosul and I think 06:18.300 --> 06:21.980 uh what you have to understand is at 06:21.980 --> 06:24.740 this juncture , You have a pretty good 06:24.740 --> 06:28.210 lot of combat season troops . And this 06:28.210 --> 06:30.880 is my third deployment to Iraq . Uh so 06:30.880 --> 06:33.220 I really haven't seen any surprises . 06:33.230 --> 06:35.640 And when I deployed over here , I have 06:35.640 --> 06:39.100 an 80% combat veteran ratio 06:39.110 --> 06:41.510 deploying here in the theater . Those 06:41.510 --> 06:43.850 guys that have been here in the past 06:43.860 --> 06:46.660 that are coming back . So uh the 06:46.660 --> 06:48.827 veterans that are on the ground here , 06:48.827 --> 06:51.410 uh they've operated here before . We do 06:51.410 --> 06:53.577 have some veterans that have operating 06:53.577 --> 06:56.790 in Afghanistan . So there hasn't been 06:56.790 --> 07:00.700 any real surprises uh to speak of . 07:00.710 --> 07:04.150 Uh but I will tell you here in Mosul or 07:04.150 --> 07:07.980 Ninawa province . Uh we are uh 07:07.990 --> 07:11.460 real at this progress at the progress , 07:11.470 --> 07:14.290 uh this province . So we want to take 07:14.290 --> 07:17.090 it further . Uh , we hope to be able to 07:17.100 --> 07:20.330 leave here uh in the future having done 07:20.330 --> 07:23.940 so that the media often gets a bad rap . 07:23.950 --> 07:26.440 We're trying to describe what things 07:26.440 --> 07:28.830 are like on the ground where you are . 07:28.840 --> 07:30.896 If there was anything that you could 07:30.896 --> 07:32.850 tell the people good or bad , what 07:32.850 --> 07:34.294 would you tell them about 07:34.294 --> 07:36.880 characterizing the situation ? Uh , 07:36.880 --> 07:40.220 I'll tell you that uh , what you have 07:40.220 --> 07:42.276 here and then we'll province make no 07:42.276 --> 07:44.387 mistake about it . We're still friday 07:44.387 --> 07:46.498 enemy here in this province . But for 07:46.498 --> 07:48.387 the most part , you have a stable 07:48.387 --> 07:50.442 province . You have people out every 07:50.442 --> 07:52.640 day with their shops open , the kids 07:52.640 --> 07:55.920 are out playing the jobs , the markets 07:55.920 --> 07:58.680 are thriving here . Uh , so we have 07:58.680 --> 08:01.440 hope here . The other thing is , you 08:01.440 --> 08:04.140 don't have sectarian violence here . 08:04.150 --> 08:06.372 And the reason you do not have it , you 08:06.372 --> 08:09.130 have basically , the population is 08:09.140 --> 08:12.970 predominantly Sunni is a 45% 08:12.980 --> 08:16.470 Sunni . 40% occurred , 08:16.480 --> 08:20.140 about 15% Shia . And then other 08:20.150 --> 08:23.070 uh so we do not deal with the sectarian 08:23.070 --> 08:25.181 violence that you see down in Baghdad 08:25.181 --> 08:27.690 and elsewhere . And that is uh made 08:27.700 --> 08:30.580 life uh for us 08:30.590 --> 08:34.420 better uh , so to speak , uh , than in 08:34.420 --> 08:36.710 Baghdad and other places . Uh , we 08:36.710 --> 08:39.150 fight a predominantly Sunni insurgency 08:39.150 --> 08:42.300 here in this province . So the bottom 08:42.300 --> 08:45.480 line is out there , We see progress , 08:45.480 --> 08:47.702 we see the kids out , we see the people 08:47.702 --> 08:50.400 out going to the markets we see on a 08:50.400 --> 08:53.000 daily basis . People building homes , 08:53.000 --> 08:55.770 building construction factories , you 08:55.770 --> 08:59.240 name it . Uh So we're getting in after 08:59.250 --> 09:01.660 after it here , but the most important 09:01.660 --> 09:04.070 thing that people are getting after it 09:04.070 --> 09:07.680 here in rebuilding their lives , is 09:07.680 --> 09:09.791 there anything that you've learned in 09:09.791 --> 09:11.902 the last six months that you wish you 09:11.902 --> 09:11.620 could have told your men before you 09:11.620 --> 09:14.840 deployed ? Uh 09:15.460 --> 09:19.250 huh You knew uh I 09:19.250 --> 09:21.970 can't think of anything uh off the top 09:21.970 --> 09:24.730 of my head , I think we did a pretty 09:24.730 --> 09:28.320 good job training and I think 09:28.330 --> 09:30.940 uh I guess telling them that we're 09:30.940 --> 09:32.662 coming to Mosul because we all 09:32.662 --> 09:34.940 anticipated going elsewhere in Baghdad 09:34.950 --> 09:37.620 or possibly Ramadi , but that was out 09:37.620 --> 09:39.990 of my hands . Uh we're here in Mosul 09:39.990 --> 09:43.130 now . So that's not the only thing uh 09:43.140 --> 09:45.970 that I can think of . Uh once again , I 09:45.970 --> 09:48.137 think uh the leadership throughout the 09:48.137 --> 09:50.120 brigade combat team prepared the 09:50.120 --> 09:52.850 soldiers to assume mission here well , 09:53.680 --> 09:56.100 and the most important question of all , 09:56.110 --> 09:58.880 what do you miss the most about El paso ? 09:58.890 --> 10:02.280 Uh my family definitely , that's the 10:02.280 --> 10:04.460 most important person and I gave you 10:04.460 --> 10:06.960 the most important answer . Absolutely 10:06.960 --> 10:10.290 miss my two daughters and my wife . And 10:10.290 --> 10:12.457 if you could send any message home for 10:12.457 --> 10:14.623 you and your entire team , what do you 10:14.623 --> 10:18.100 want to say to El paso ? Uh thank you . 10:18.110 --> 10:21.270 I really do think the El paso community 10:21.270 --> 10:23.740 and the Fort Bliss community , uh not 10:23.740 --> 10:25.629 only for the support that they're 10:25.629 --> 10:27.796 giving us while we were deployed , but 10:27.796 --> 10:29.907 most importantly for the support that 10:29.907 --> 10:32.073 they're giving our families back there 10:32.073 --> 10:34.073 while we're deployed . Uh , they've 10:34.073 --> 10:36.780 been absolutely a supportive team , uh , 10:36.790 --> 10:40.130 to our loved ones . So thank uh , the 10:40.140 --> 10:42.370 el paso community as well as support 10:42.380 --> 10:44.490 this community for spreading their 10:44.490 --> 10:47.960 loves uh , on our loved ones back there . 10:48.320 --> 10:50.598 Thank you sir . I appreciate your time . 10:50.598 --> 10:52.653 Is there anything else you'd like to 10:52.653 --> 10:54.598 add ? Uh , thank you very much . I 10:54.598 --> 10:56.653 appreciate your time . Absolutely be 10:56.653 --> 10:58.820 safe and we look forward to seeing you 10:58.820 --> 10:59.860 home soon . Okay , Thank you .