We Got Him!

by Steve Russell

  Stewart, Ronnie W

  Stinson, Tyronne

  Sucsy, Jayme

  Swift, Earnest

  Taylor, Larry A

  Taylor, Jeremy D

  Theiss, Peter J

  Thompson, Curtis Y

  Thompson, Richard S

  Trejo, Christopher

  Trimble, Shem H

  Urrutia, Christopher D

  Vakselis, Dennis

  Venoms, Jeremiah

  Washington, Alonzo

  Webb, Job W

  Williams, Carl A

  Wolgemuth, Jason A

  Yates, Jeremiah

  74 EN CO. (BRIDGE)

  OFFICERS

  Herbst, Karl F

  Muller, Stephen

  Rogers, David L

  Scott, Ann M

  Shaw, Peter

  Williams, Marc H

  ENLISTED

  Anderson, Chad C

  Babcock, Robert

  Babcock, Stephanie

  Bailey, Aileen C

  Bamsberger, James

  Banks, John

  Beal, Latesha

  Beltran, Wendy L

  Bennett, Jayson B

  Bienemy, Dalven

  Bittner, Kieth J

  Bonnett, Raymond J

  Brookshire, Justin

  Burgoyne, Max

  Burton, Danjanira

  Campillo, Alexander

  Campos, Mario

  Carrasquillo, Joaquin

  Carswell, Brian

  Castro, Eric

  Cheatham, Darryl M

  Christensen, Kenton

  Cleary, Alston

  Codogan, William S

  Collin, Zachary

  Corrigan, Timothy

  Cortez, Jimmy

  Craig, Shawn K

  Creppel, Richard L

  Cuffy, Franklyn

  Dailey, Floyd C

  Daniels, Thomas A

  Davis, Antonette

  Davis, Hayward

  Dickson, Kevin A

  Eanes, Adrienne D

  Eller, David W

  Ellison, Ernest

  Enriquez, Eleazar

  Estes, Brent

  Ewell, Laparis T

  Ferguson, Anderson

  Fletcher, Richard T

  Franco, Roberto

  French, Robert

  Gallup, Kristi

  Garcia, Benjamin

  Garner, Lakesha

  Germain, Emily

  Gibson, George R

  Gilley, Kevin J

  Grant, James R

  Gregg, Steven R

  Gustafson, Robert S

  Hambrick, Cory

  Hamby, John R

  Helvey, Ryan T

  Hemingway, William J

  Herman, Steven M

  Hightower, Jason L

  Hofmann, Damian A

  Howdahl, Jesse L

  Intong, Khanhthong

  Jennings, Billy

  Johnson, Patrick

  Jones, Lameka

  Jordan, Adam R

  Kabelman, Andrew R

  Kallhoff, Tyrel J

  Keller, Nicole L

  Kidwell, Charles T

  Korbal, David E

  Krick, Joseph R

  Krick, Melissa J

  Labuda, Kurt J

  Leanos, Azucena

  Liendo, Antonio

  Mallet, Robert

  Martin, Michael

  Martinez, Miguel A

  Matthews, Keenan

  Maybin, Timothy

  Mcdaniels, Bryan

  Mckee, Robert

  Mcrae, Daniel B

  Mercado, Jose L

  Merriman, Anthony J

  Moore, Edwin

  Moore, Klysta

  Mower, Kevin D

  Murdock, Eric M

  Nicho-Diaz, Caesar

  Nielsen, Zachary R

  Norng, Dy

  Otis, Aaron

  Padilla, Felipe E

  Parker, Reginald

  Parks, Tiffany M

  Payne, Alice O

  Paynther, Brandon

  Person, Chentell

  Peters, Terrance

  Pinion, Charles W

  Powell, Jason A

  Putman, Pheama L

  Randall, Timothy H

  Replogle, Christopher

  Rice, James W

  Rivas, Jason

  Rivera, Manuel

  Robinson, Brian

  Rodger, James

  Rogers, Reginald

  Sanchez, Jaime

  Scovill, Todd L

  Showman, Craig A

  Simm, David

  Skelton, George

  Smith, Stephanie

  Soennichsen, Amanda

  Soennichsen, Casey J

  Sokolowski, Jason

  Spain, Jacob P

  Steele, Clennon E

  Steele, Jennifer L

  Stendel, Shawn M

  Stevens, Marcus

  Stevens, Renee

  Stroman, Cory

  Tjersland, Scott

  Tye, Adam P

  Uchel, Hammurabi

  Vanpoorfliet, James M

  Vargo, Michael

  Vega, Jose A

  Vodehnal, Nicholas J

  Ward, Joshua J

  Warren, Quent R

  Weatherton, Curley

  Whitby, Akins

  Williams, Christopher

  Wilson, Frederick

  Wilson, Lance R

  York, Thomas

  Yuhas, Lorraine

  362ND PSYOPS DETACHMENT

  Darrah, Charles P, Jr (w)

  Carrizales, Antonio R (w)

  Mosely, Malcolm X (w)

  DIRECT SUPPORT TEAM 1, 418TH CIVIL AFFAIRS BATTALION (USAR)

  OFFICERS

  Ailslieger, Kristafer R

  England, Jerry

  ENLISTED

  Groefsema, Daniel V

  Weaver, Daniel D

  Ponder, David R

  Wistrom, Ronald

  Erickson, Sean D

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  Acknowledging those who helped me shape and form this book has been extremely difficult. It is inevitable that my appreciation can never be adequate to the men and women of Task Force 1-22 Infantry who served in Tikrit, Iraq, from 2003 to 2004. I, along with the nation, owe them a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid. Some soldiers I fought with and led may have been at my side, while others performed crucial duty elsewhere materially shaping the outcome of our mission.

  This memoir is a depiction of the life I knew during my service in Iraq. It has been extremely difficult to write as I have drawn up raw emotion from the well of traumatic experience and have attempted, with the use of words, to convey what it is like to live on a battlefield. As a trained Army historian, I recognized at the time the importance of where we were and the historical significance of our service. I attempted to record events in my journals and notes the best I could, and implemented procedures in our task force to help us document the fight. The events listed in this book are drawn from my memory, from my journals, from the period combat action reports of our task force, from contemporary news reports, and from interviews of others present. Many of the conversations and details in this memoir were a result of our witness statements and combat action reporting procedures from the participants themselves, fresh after the battle. Even with all that effort, I have found it still possible to omit some key player or some key action. My hope is that I can be forgiven and that this story shall serve as the basis of memory for those who were there.

  Among the soldiers to thank, I am grateful to General Raymond T. Odierno for his kindness and encouragement to finish the book and for his battlefield leadership that I believe saved many of our lives. His writing of the foreword is, to me, both humbling and more than I deserve. To the skilled leaders of the 4th Infantry Division, I say thanks. Men like General Mike Barbero and General Don Campbell made a difference and always kept the field commander foremost in their minds. I also count myself very privileged to have had the encourageme
nt and enthusiastic support of fellow Oklahoman and extraordinary leader General Tommy Franks.

  I don’t have adequate words to say thanks to Colonel Jim Hickey. His toughness and standards paled in comparison to his focus and understanding of what we must achieve when our nation asks. I knew him as one of his main battle commanders and I can think of no one I would ever want to serve under or fight with more where so much was asked and times were uncertain. More than that, we became brothers in the bonds of battle, differing from many in that we fought in the streets and fields while also carrying the extreme burdens of commanding large bodies of America’s soldiers. Thanks, Jim. We, and our nation, owe you much.

  I want to say thanks to Command Sergeant Major Larry Wilson for his humor, his dedication and his great treatment of our soldiers as a part of 1st Brigade. Many times the brigade sergeant major can be a burden to the battalions. Larry was anything but. He will always be my brother.

  To Jack, Matt, Doug, John, Kelly, and many others—the bonds cannot be described. Thanks.

  Nothing could have been executed in Task Force “Regulars” without Bryan Luke, Mike Rauhut, and Brian Reed. Nothing. These iron majors were not only professionals, but sought to understand what was in my tired mind and passionate heart. They not only carried out the plans and orders but they pursued them as their own with the same excitement and drive. More importantly, we fought together, dodged bullets and bombs together, ate together, cried together, and celebrated the success of our great soldiers together. I dragged them through much and at times felt a bit of guilt for the risks I placed upon them, but knew they had to be taken. I am grateful for their lives and their friendship. Thanks, my brothers.

  To my battle buddy and hardened confidant Command Sergeant Major Pete Martinez, thanks for keeping me straight. No two humans can share the same food, hooch, work, and burdens of being in charge together in war and be anything less than family at the end of it. Again, words are not adequate. Pete knew my every burden, secret, and concern and kept me focused through it all. Thanks seems so inadequate, Pete—as long as we have breath.

  To my commanders in Task Force 1-22 Infantry who carried out the fight and shed their blood and sweat on the streets and in the fields of Tikrit, Iraq, I will be eternally grateful. Their friendship and commitment will be forever burned in my memory: Chris Fallon, Mark Stouffer, Scott Thomas, Brad Boyd, Jon Cecalupo, Curt Kuetemeyer, Mitch Carlisle, and Mike Wagner. I still see them and think of them every single day.

  Our soldiers who returned home are alive due to the efforts of First Sergeants Delionel Meadows, Jaime Garza, Louis Holzworth, Mike Evans, Robert Summerfield, William Matlock, and Ron Davis. The nation will never know how many wounded, bleeding soldiers you transported on Hummer tops, how many weapons, how much ammunition, fuel, and food you delivered, and how tough you were in a fight rallying the young and inexperienced in shocking episodes of war. But I will. And I am forever grateful.

  To my field surgeons, Phil Billoni and Bill Mazullo, and to my physician assistants, Alex Morales and Armando Buerguete, who saved our lives on the stretchers in the dank kitchen converted to handle battlefield surgery. How can thanks ever be expressed to those who handled the trauma of hurting, broken, bloody young men and women and do it at a moment’s notice, day in and day out? We owe them, the surgeons at the 28th Combat Surgical Hospital, and all of our Task Force 1-22 Infantry line medics, medical platoon, and attending chaplains, so very much.

  One of the surprising bonds to have developed from our time in Iraq was with the field reporters and photographers who recorded our story, one filing at a time. I came to respect combat reporters such as Brian Bennett, Kim Dozier, Greg Palkott, Kevin Sites, Robin Pomeroy, Alexander Vasovic, D’arcy Doran, Paul Garwood, and Andrew Cawthorne, to name a few of the many who embedded with our task force. These reporters endured enormous hardship and risks to file their stories, complimented with the artistic work of combat photographers such as Efrem Lukatsky, Yuri Kozyrev, Shawn Thew, Ivan Sekretarev, Jewel Samad, Mauricio Lima, Stefan Zaklin and Rob Griffith. Because of the risks they bore, armed only with pens, recorders and cameras, we have an incredible and almost daily record of many of the actions relating to the hunt and capture of Saddam. For that I am ever grateful.

  To my friends who took up the fight upon our return home to convey the truth of our service in Iraq and Afghanistan, I wish to particularly say thanks to David Bellavia, author of House to House; Marcus Luttrell, author of Lone Survivor; and Jeremiah Workman, author of Shadow of the Sword. The friendship we formed on tour with Vets for Freedom and Pete Hegseth is something I count as a privilege. As long as we have breath we will tell of our soldiers’ gallantry and the service they rendered to our nation. Thanks for your encouragement to complete this work and for your continued friendship.

  Although this tale is personal and much of the thanks has been expressed to soldiers and combat field reporters, I am reminded that turning a soldier’s tale into the reality of a book is the work of many professionals and volunteers in civilian life. To my agent, Frank Breeden of Premiere Authors, thanks for sticking with me and believing in the work. To Emma Conaughty, none of this would even have made it to the page without your encouragement and incredible editing ability. To Deb Purinton, who handled myriad calls and schedules, many thanks.

  To 1-22 Infantry Vietnam veteran, Bob Babcock, your friendship is priceless. We have a history because of you and your team at Deeds Publishing. I am also grateful to Mark and Jan Babcock for poring through the manuscript, presenting the layout, and editing the text. Their efforts have made the work professional.

  To my incredibly tough and beautiful wife, Cindy, and my five wonderful children, Jessica, Matt, Chris, Patricia, and Hannah; to my parents, Gene and Donna, and my sister, Janelle, and brother, Rusty: your love is a bond that sustained me in battle and tolerated me through the emotional roller coaster of writing this book. I love you all more than anything in this world.

  Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God, who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever.

  SDR

  Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

  March 2011

  INDEX

  Note: Arabic family names that begin with “Al” are sorted by the letter that begins the second word of the name. For example, “al-Musslit” can be found in the “M” section.

  1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division “Raider,” 48, 242, 288, 389

  1st battalion, 18th Infantry “Vanguards,” 407

  2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry, 69

  3rd Battalion, 66th Armor, 25, 210–11, 387

  3rd Special Forces Group, 16

  4th Aviation Brigade, 221, 314

  4th Forward Support Battalion, 189, 193–94, 390, 395

  10th Cavalry, 130, 272, 315

  10th Special Forces Group, 361

  28th Combat Surgical Hospital, 230, 338, 345, 367, 387

  74th Engineer Company (Bridge), 85, 170

  299th Engineers, 103, 161, 379

  A

  Aadland, Erik, 202–3, 205

  Abdullah Hussein Mohammed, 40, 135, 242, 291

  Abizaid, John, 241–43, 247

  Ad Dawr, 6, 182, 294–95, 312–13, 315, 317, 328

  Adnan, Ali, 2, 107, 123, 162, 243

  Afghanistan, 10, 13–14, 16, 50, 57, 141–42, 148, 167, 193, 361, 370

  AFP (Agence France Presse), 138, 401

  Ahmad, Sami Sharif Shehab, 293

  Ahmed, 132

  Faris Amir, 349

  Gazwan Nazhem Sharif Shehab, 295

  Munther Mohammed, 271

  Omar Hadel Mohammed, 132

  Qusay Shehab, 296–97

  al-Asi:

  Ahmed, 287, 289

  Amir, 287, 289

  Thamer, 189, 237, 285–89

  al-Awayes, Kamil, 286, 294

  Ali, 38, 292–97

  Ali Ghalib Ibrahim, 178

  Abas Omran, 212

  Arkan Hardin, 300

  Chenar Abas, 211�
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  Haji Amin, 294–95

  Khalid Amin, 295

  Mahsin Amin, 295–97

  Nasar Farhan Jasim Mohammed, 296, 300

  Thaier Amin, 294–95, 312

  Thamer Jasim Mohammed, 286, 294, 296–97

  Zenab Abas, 211–12

  Allen:

  Andre, 80–81

  Jeff, 353–54

  Reggie, 272, 315, 341

  Allum, 39, 147

  Araq, 273

  Arauco, Oscar, 271

  Arispe, Abel, 303–4

  Arnold, Stephen, 392–93

  Arriaga, Richard, 182

  al-Asawi, Fidel, 85, 147

  Auja, 6, 17–18, 42–43, 49–52, 59–63, 67, 72, 126, 129–30, 133, 140, 151, 169, 179, 187, 189, 214, 231–35, 237–40, 256, 259, 272, 276, 294, 300, 301, 311–12, 315, 317, 347, 362, 379–80, 389, 406–7

  Aweed, Khalid Adai, 107

  Azawi, Leith Adnan, 107

  B

  Bach, Sean, 228

  Baghdad, 1–2, 14, 58, 84, 107, 126, 133–35, 138, 142, 154, 165, 218, 262, 264, 289, 296–97, 300, 307–8, 310–14, 324, 326–29, 333, 342, 346, 377, 417

  Bailey:

  Desmond “Dez,” 85, 130, 163–65, 180–82, 219, 221, 256, 272, 309, 311, 314, 317–19, 322–23, 327–28

  Ronald, 360–61

  Barbero, Michael, 71–72, 184, 250–51, 394, 396–97

  Bardee, Ayman Hameed, 286, 294

  Barnaby, Jeff, 278, 368–69

  Bayjat tribe, 239–40

  Bayjii, 25, 80, 85, 101, 121, 179, 202, 208–9, 216, 224, 288, 309, 311, 328, 344, 379, 383–85, 389, 407

  Bell, Clay, 238, 252, 254, 261–62, 284–85, 290, 297, 372–73, 376, 408, 416

  Belt, Patrick, 354

  Bemak, Jason, 190–91

  Bennett, Brian, 86, 222

  Benson, Milton, 68

  Beretta 9mm, 36–37, 39, 85, 422

  Billoni, Phillip “Doc,” 30

  Birthday Palace, 34, 97, 99–100, 108, 116, 140, 193, 210, 286, 302, 334, 341, 365, 400–401, 406, 411, 413

  Blake, Kevin, 419–20

  Blalock, James, 80–81

  Blue Spaders, 340

  Bombs, 6, 84, 88, 102, 121, 127–29, 136, 138–39, 144–45, 152–54, 156–61, 163, 166, 168–69, 173–75, 180, 184, 186, 194–97, 202, 206–8, 213–15, 223, 226, 236–37, 240–41, 243, 256–57, 261, 265, 272–77, 283–84, 288, 292, 298, 301, 334–35, 340, 344–45, 348–50, 359–61, 368, 373, 375–77, 379, 382, 389, 396, 400–401, 411–13, 417, 419