The soldiers had not yet recovered from their first deployment when they learned that they were headed back to Iraq. They accepted the news with stoicism, though their families did not. They knew the situation in Iraq had changed dramatically, but no one could articulate their new mission with any certainty. During the thunder runs, they had been aggressors. They had closed on the enemy and killed him. But during their summer in Falloujah in 2003, they had been confronted with the new, postinvasion reality: They were no longer on the attack. They were on patrol. They were targets.
For the Second Brigade officers and men sent back to Iraq, the country was a more confusing and menacing place than the one they had left just a year earlier. The insurgency had spread and mutated into a lethal and largely unseen force. American soldiers were dying every day, but rarely in the face-to-face combat of the invasion. They were more likely to be killed in hit-and-run attacks by insurgents who melted back into the civilian population, or by remote-triggered roadside bombs. On the worst days, the number of attacks spiked past eighty. Iraqi civilians were dying, too, either killed by terrorist car bombs or when caught up in strikes by American forces. The effort to rebuild Iraq faltered so badly in the face of relentless attacks on infrastructure and against officials of the interim Iraqi government that Washington diverted huge sums of money from reconstruction to security.
Only in retrospect did it become apparent that the thunder runs in Baghdad in April 2003 were a prelude to an expanding insurgency. Many of the same fighters who had survived the battle for Baghdad had refined their tactics. They regrouped, transforming themselves into a classic guerrilla force relying on stealth, surprise, and terror. The Saddam Hussein regime had been driven from power, but many of the men who once helped maintain Saddam’s brutal police state were still at large. With the help of some of the same jihadis who had fought in the thunder runs, they were directing a shadow terror-state-within-a-state.
The two thunder runs had shown that tanks and Bradleys could fight and prevail in cities, at least under certain conditions. Though it was not immediately apparent in April 2003, conditions in Baghdad proved to be nearly ideal for an armored strike into the capital. American armor was able to seize the initiative, moving with speed and daring. Iraqi forces, with a few notable exceptions, were disorganized and poorly led. The main battlefields—Highway 8 and the downtown government and palace complex—were largely devoid of high-rise buildings and dense civilian neighborhoods.
The capture of Baghdad has come to represent the pinnacle of American combat achievement in Iraq. After the fall of the capital, it appeared that the U.S. military had avoided the bloody, grinding, disheartening urban warfare that so many Americans had feared. But less than two years later, as the Second Brigade returned to a much different battlefield, that fight was now upon them.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Any story of war is the story of men—of their performance in the face of stress and danger and fear. This book, a chronicle of men in modern combat, would not have been possible without the willingness of the officers and soldiers of the Spartan Brigade to share their stories with me. Each man’s story was uniquely personal and, in many cases, painful. These soldiers were honest about their fears and their anxieties, and about the emotional toll inflicted on young lives by the killing of fellow human beings. As Major Mark Rasins remarked to me one day in Baghdad, “We’re in the business of managing violence.” No one I spoke with exulted in killing people. Some men expressed certain regrets, but all spoke of the pride they felt in what the brigade had accomplished under trying and often terrifying conditions. They had not asked to go to war, but when sent they responded with courage and sacrifice and, often, with valor. They were tested, and they prevailed. This book is for them.
Several members of the brigade spent many hours helping me to confirm various accounts and details of the battle. They helped me correct many of my own errors and misconceptions. I owe a special debt to Colonel David Perkins, Lieutenant Colonel Eric Wesley, Lieutenant Colonel Philip deCamp, Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Twitty, Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Gantt, Major Mark Rasins, Major Kent Rideout, Major Denton Knapp, Major Rick Nussio, Major Michael Donovan, Captain Edward Ballanco, Captain Aaron Polsgrove, Captain William Glaser, and Captain Phillip Wolford.
I received considerable assistance from Major Dane Childs, a U.S. Army historian who during the war was attached to the Third Infantry Division (Mechanized) as commander of the 102nd Military History Detachment. His insights and comments were invaluable in ensuring the accuracy and authenticity of this book. I also thank Professor James O. Kievit of the Center for Strategic Leadership at the U.S. Army War College for his help in researching the origins of the military term thunder run. Several members of U.S. Army public affairs units in Iraq and at Fort Stewart, Georgia—Sergeant First Class James M. Brantley, Specialist Mason Lowery, and Specialist Katherine Robinson—were particularly helpful in locating soldiers for interviews.
Many former members of the Iraqi military, along with numerous Iraqi civilians, took calculated risks in sharing their stories with me, and for that I am grateful.
Several people came to my assistance after I lost all my possessions in a troop truck plunge into a canal near Karbala. Colonel David Perkins allowed me to embed with his brigade combat team, and my colleagues Geoffrey Mohan of the Los Angeles Times and Gregg Zoroya of USA Today graciously offered the use of their satellite phones and laptop computers. Photographer Rick Loomis of the Los Angeles Times was an inspired and irrepressible traveling companion who shared with me an unforgettable adventure in Iraq.
This book began as an article published in the Los Angeles Times Magazine, and I relied heavily on my early reporting in Iraq as an embedded reporter for the Times. I thank editors John Carroll, Dean Baquet, Scott Kraft, and Marjorie Miller for their support, and the newspaper for granting me a leave of absence to write Thunder Run.
I also thank Brando Skyhorse and Morgan Entrekin at Atlantic Monthly Press for believing in this book and my agent, Flip Brophy, for her faith in me.
I am indebted to several friends for their careful reading of sections of the manuscript and for their suggestions and advice: Mark Bowden, Ed Hille, Rick Nichols, Dennis (Piano Legs) Rickman, and my brothers Larry and Vincent Zucchino. I am especially grateful for my favorite editor, my wife, Kacey, who guided me through the manuscript’s many rough patches while also keeping our family together while I was preoccupied with this project. This is her book, too.
APPENDIX
COMBAT AWARDS
SPARTAN BRIGADE
SILVER STAR
RANK
NAME
CPT
BARRY, STEVEN
CPT
BENTON, LEROY D.
SSG
BOOKER, STEVON A.
CPT
BURRIS, LARRY Q.
CPT
CARTER, CHRISTOPHER
CPT
CONROY, JASON P.
LTC
DECAMP, PHILIP D.
SSG
DIAZ, JASON
SSG
EDGY, GANNON
SSG
FRANCO, KENNETH
SFC
GAINES, RONALD
CSM
GALLAGHER, ROBERT
CPT
HIBNER, DAVID
CPT
HILMES, ANDREW
SSG
HOBBS, CRAIG
CPT
HUBBARD, DANIEL
CPT
JOHNSON, RONNY
SFC
LUSTIG, JONATHAN M.
SFC
MARSHALL, JOHN
COL
PERKINS, DAVID G.
LTC
SCHWARTZ, ERIC. C
SSG
STEVER, ROBERT
LTC
TWITTY, STEPHEN
SSG
WILSON, OBERT
CPT
WOLFORD, PHILLIP
CPT
WRIGHT, JOSHUA
BRONZE STAR with “V” for Valor
RANK
NAME
CPT
AHEARN, JAMES A.
1SG
ALEN, SILAS JR.
SFC
ANSLINGER, MICHAEL
SSG
ARROYO-MERLO, ROBERTO
SSG
AUSTIN, DALE
1LT
BAKER, DOUGLAS
1LT
BALL, ROBERT
CSM
BARNELLO, WILLIAM
1SG
BAUGH, JAMES A.
SSG
BELL, JOE S.
1LT
BERRIMAN, MICHAEL
SSG
BIRTHISEL, JEFFERY W.
SSG
BORJA, DANIEL
SGT
BRISLEY, CHRISTOPHER
2LT
BURNS, MICHAEL
SSG
BYRD, ROBERT
1LT
CANADAY, ERIC
1LT
CASE, BRIAN
1LT
CASTRO, FRANCIS
SSG
CHANDLER, DON E.
SFC
CHILDERS, DAVID
SGT
COUVERTIER, JOSE L.
SGT
COX, BRADLEY
SFC
CURTIS, DAVID
MAJ
DONOVAN, MICHAEL
SFC
DUNFEE, MICHAEL
MAJ
DUNLOP, KEVIN
SSG
EMPSON, JEFFERY
LTC
FAIRCHILD, JAMES
1LT
FEW, JAMES
SPC
FRANKS, TERRY
1SG
FRENCH, CHRISTOPHER
LTC
GANTT, KENNETH
SSG
GASAWAY, KEITH A.
SGT
GIBBONS, DAVID A.
SGM
GONGORA, BARREIRO, A.
SSG
GRISHAM, CHRISTOPHER
1LT
GRUNEISEN, ROGER
SSG
HALL, JASON S.
2LT
HART, JEFFERY
SFC
HAY, ROBERT A.
SGT
HERNANDEZ, CARLOS
SFC
HOLMAN, JASON
SPC
HORTON, MATTHEW
1LT
HOYT, DOUGLAS M.
SGT
INGRAM, PAUL F.
MAJ
KNAPP, EVERETT
1LT
KUO, RYAN
CPT
LAWRENCE, HARRIS
SFC
LEGRANT, ANDRE
SSG
LEVESQUE, LEO A. III
SGT
LUCAS, DUSTIN
SFC
LUJAN, JEFFREY
SFC
LUSTIG, JONATHAN M.
SSG
MACPHAIL, DUNCAN C.
SSG
MAO, CHHAY
CPT
MCFARLAND, STEFAN
1LT
MCKENNA, MATTHEW
1LT
MCKNIGHT, LEE
SFC
MEADOWS, JOHNNY
1SG
MERCADO, JOSE
1LT
MIDDLETON, MAURICE
SSG
MILLS, CHRISTOPHER
SFC
MORALES, JOHN N.
SGT
MORGAN, ADAM
1SG
MOSER, JEFF D.
SSG
MURRAY, WALTER
MAJ
NUSSIO, RICKY
SFC
OLSON, ERIC
SFC
PALMER, JEROD S.
1LT
PANETTA, EDWARD
SSG
PATRICK, JAMUS
SGT
PERDUE, JOHNNY
LTC
PRESNELL, MICHAEL
MAJ
RASINS, MARK
SSG
RICHARD, DAVID
PFC
RICHARDSON, MICHAEL
MAJ
RIDEOUT, KENT
CPL
ROBICHEAU
SSG
RUSSELL, RODNEY
SSG
SANDERS, CHARLES
1LT
SHELL, BRANDON
PFC
SHIPLEY, CHRIS L.
SSG
SLAGO, THOMAS W.
SFC
STEFANSKI, JAMES E.
SGT
STRUNK, MARK E.
SPC
SULLIVAN, SHAWN B.
SFC
TERPAK, TIMOTHY
KOS
TERS, JAMES A.
SGT
THAYER, BRADLEY
PFC
TOPAHA, VIRGIL
1LT
VAN KIRK, DANIEL
SSG
VEGA, FELIPE
CW2
WALKER, STEVEN K. JR.
LTC
WESLEY, ERIC
SSG
WHELAN, DENNIS
SFC
WHITE, RAY
SSG
WITHERSPOON, EUGENE
SSG
WOLENS, JAMES C.
CPT
WOODWARD, SCOTT
SFC
WRIGHT, ERIC
PFC
YAZZIE, TERRANCE A.
CW2
YOUNG, WILLIS G.
SSG
ZUMEK, JASON
BRONZE STAR
RANK
NAME
CW3
ACEVEDO, ANGEL
CPT
AHEARN, JAMES
SSG
ALBRIGHT, CHRISTOPHER M.
SSG
ALEXANDER, LARRICCO
SFC
ALFIERI, ERIC J.
CPT
ALMAGUER, FELIX
1LT
AMARA, CHRISTOPHER
SFC
ARROWOOD, RODNEY
SSG
AUSTIN, KENNETH
CPT
BAILEY, JIMMY
SSG
BAKER, GORDON
SGT
BALDWIN, DON
CPT
BALLANCO, EDWARD J.
CSM
BARNELLO, WILLIAM
1LT
BARR, JASON
MAJ
BARREN, JAMES E.
CPT
BARRY, STEVEN T.
SPC
BAUMGARTE, CAMERON
SSG
BECK, JOHN J.
CPT
BEESON, PALMER R.
SFC
BERTRAND, ROBERT S.
CPT
BIAGIOTTI, WILLIAM T.
CW2
BISCHOFF, RAY M.
SFC
BLACK, RICHARD
CPT
BLENZ, RICHARD A.
1LT
BOGDA, DEREK R.
SSG
BOOKER, STEVON A.
1LT
BOOTH, THOMAS
SSG
BOUTON, DANNY
CPT
BOWEN, MAJOR
1LT
BOWERS, WILLIAM
SSG
BRIGHAM, DENNIS
CPT
BRODANY, WILLIAM
1LT
BROWNING, MICHAEL
SSG
BRYANT, LESTER
1LT
BRZOZOWSKI, MARK
CPT
BULLOCK, BRADLEY
MAJ
BURGESS, JOHN E.
1SG
BURNS, CEDRIC S.
CPT
BURRIS, LARRY Q.
CPT
BUTLER, ANTHONY L.
1SG
BUTLER, KENDRICK J.
CPT
CANNAN, FREDERICK
SSG
CAPAZ, CASEY S.
CPT
CAPRA, KEVIN S.
SSG
CARMON, TROY
CPT
CARTER, CHRISTOPHER
1LT
<
br /> CASMAER, MONICA L.
1LT
CHEN, DAVID H.
SGT
CHISLER, PATRICK E.
SGT
CHOAT, AARON B.
CPT
Thunder Run Page 42