ACT. Standardized college entrance assessment test, similar to the SAT
Aimpoint. Manufacturer of the non-magnifying red-dot sight used by the U.S. Army
AK-47. Russian-made 7.62mm assault rifle
al-Sadr, Muqtada (born c. 1974). De facto ruler of the Sadr City section of Baghdad and leader of the Mahdi Army militia
AO. Area of operations
Apache. AH-64 twin-engine, four-bladed, single-rotor attack helicopter with a tandem-seated crew consisting of the pilot, located in the rear cockpit position, and the co-pilot gunner, located in the front position. AH-64D Longbow is the upgraded version.
battalion. 300 to 1,000 soldiers, usually four to six companies, commanded by a lieutenant colonel and a sergeant major
BC. Battalion commander
blog. Online journal, from “web log”
Bradley. M2 fully armored, fully tracked fighting vehicle, armed with a 25mm chain gun, M240C 7.62mm machine gun, and two TOW anti-tank missiles, and used to transport six dismounted infantrymen
brigade. 3,000 to 5,000 soldiers, usually two to five battalions, commanded by a colonel and command sergeant major
C-130. Hercules four-turboprop-engine cargo transport plane
C-17. Globemaster four-jet-engine cargo-transport plane
C4. Plastic explosive with a consistency similar to clay
CASEVAC. Casualty evacuation, usually via field litter ambulance
Chinook. CH-47 twin-engine, dual-rotor cargo-transport helicopter
CO. Commanding officer, usually used to refer to a company commander
company. 62 to 190 soldiers, usually three to five platoons, commanded by a captain and a first sergeant
CQ. Charge of Quarters
CQB. Close-quarters battle
CS gas. Chemical irritant commonly referred to as “tear gas”; it is actually a white solid powder, usually mixed with a dispersal agent that carries the particles through the air.
DCU. Desert camouflage uniform
defilade. Protection of a position, vehicle, or troops against enemy observation or gunfire; typically used to describe a terrain depression
division. 10,000 to 15,000 soldiers, usually consisting of three brigades, commanded by a major general
E-1, E-2, etc. Enlisted ranks (as opposed to officer ranks)
egress. To leave, retreat, escape, or exit a place
EOD. Explosive ordnance disposal
exfil. Exfiltrate
FDNY. Fire Department, City of New York
FLA. Field litter ambulance
FOB. Forward operating base (“forward” means “in a combat zone”)
ghillie suit. Camouflage suit, commonly made from strips of burlap, meant to simulate the appearance of bushes and foliage
GPS. Global positioning system
HEDP. High explosive dual purpose (armor-piercing, anti-personnel) also referred to as HE.
Humvee. From “HMMWV,” meaning high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle; never called a “Hummer” in the military (a hummer is a blowjob).
IBA. Interceptor body armor
ICDC. Iraqi Civil Defense Corps, preceded the ING
IED. Improvised explosive device, commonly in the form of a “roadside bomb”
illum. Illumination
infil. Infiltrate
ING. Iraqi National Guardintel. Intelligence
IR. Infrared
JRTC. Joint Readiness Training Center, a training course at Fort Polk,
Louisiana
KBR. Kellog Brown & Root, a construction, engineering, and services subsidiary of Halliburton
KIA. Killed in action
Kiowa. OH-58 two-seat, single-engine, four-bladed single-rotor light observation/attack helicopter
LT. Lieutenant
M14. 7.62mm semi-automatic rifle, typically used by snipers and marksmen
M16. 5.56mm assault rifle, standard service weapon used by most soldiers
M2. Browning .50-caliber belt-fed machine gun
M203. 40mm grenade launcher, attached to either an M16 or an M4 M24. 7.62mm bolt-action sniper rifle
M240B. 7.62mm belt-fed machine gun
M249. 5.56mm magazine-or belt-fed light machine gun (a.k.a. SAW)
M4. 5.56mm assault rifle; essentially an M16 with a shorter barrel and butt stock
M60. 7.62mm belt-fed machine gun, preceded the M240BM9. Beretta 9mm semi-automatic handgunmedevac. Medical evacuation, usually via helicopter MILES. Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System (military laser-tag equipment)
MK19. Belt-fed automatic 40mm grenade launcher
MOI. Monastic Order of Infantrymen
mortar. Weapon that consists of a tube mounted on a baseplate and bipod that fires a round with a high-arching trajectory, commonly used to fire illumination and high-explosive rounds
MP. Military Police
MRE. Meal, ready to eat
MWR. Morale, welfare, recreation
NAI. Named area of interest
NBC. Nuclear, biological, and chemical
NCO. Non-commissioned officer
nine-line report. Radio procedure consisting of nine parts used for reporting a casualty
NVG. Night-vision goggles
NYPD. New York City Police Department
PAQ4. Weapon-mounted infrared laser, invisible to the naked eye but visible through night-vision goggles
PEQ2. Weapon-mounted infrared laser with infrared spotlight
PETA. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, a nonprofit animal-rights organization
platoon. Four squads, usually led by a sergeant first class and a lieutenant
pogue. a non-combat arms soldier
poleless litter. Lightweight nonrigid (no poles) fabric stretcher used to carry wounded soldiers
PX. Post Exchange (military post department store)
QRF. Quick reaction force
RPG. Rocket-propelled grenade
RPK. Russian-made 7.62mm machine gun
RTO. Radio telephone operator
SAW. Squad automatic weapon, M249 light machine gun
squad. nine men, usually two teams, led by a staff-sergeant
T&E. traverse and elevation; a device mounted on a machine gun tripod used to limit the vertical and horizontal pivoting movement of the gun
TC. Truck/tank commander
team. Usually four men, led by a sergeant
TOC. Tactical operations center
TOW. Tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided missile system; a 50-pound anti-tank rocket that can be mounted on and fired from Humvees, tanks, helicopters, or other vehicles, or from a tripod on the ground
UCMJ. Uniform code of military justice; military legal system
USO. United Service Organization; a nonprofit, congressionally chartered, private organization that provides comfort, morale, and recreational services to military service members and their families
UXO. Unexploded ordnance
WIA. Wounded in action
WTF. “What the fuck”
XO. Executive officer, second in command to the commanding officer (CO)
Acknowledgments
It was my friend and fellow geek Mike Fayer who suggested I create a blog to chronicle my deployment. At the time, I could find only one infantryman in Iraq who had a blog, and writing about my Army misadventures sounded like fun. Once I started writing, my friend Ernie Hilbert (a.k.a. “My friend with a Ph.D. in English from Oxford”) would occasionally plug my blog in his daily literary newsletter, E-verseRadio. One of Ernie’s readers, the novelist Dave King, was kind enough to mention me to his agent, Kim Goldstein, for which I cannot thank him enough. Expecting nothing in return, Kim worked hard to help put me in touch with Paul Bresnick, who is now my agent. Paul’s experience as an editor and agent was invaluable in helping me get a contract quickly and with little fuss from HarperCollins. I would like to give love and special thanks to my editor, Marjorie Braman, for being an excellent therapist and friend. She’s also an outstanding e
ditor whose talents made it possible to both clarify and preserve the voice in my stories.
I want also to thank:
Our platoon sergeant, Mike O’Brien, who was our anchor through this deployment. There cannot be enough good things said about him as a leader and as a man. His craft as a soldier was invaluable to our platoon, but his even temper and commonsense approach to operations are what kept our platoon safe and sane.
John Therrien, for being the best first sergeant I’ve ever had, for being an all-around bad-ass, and for all the ways he’s been a heartening example to me. I wish he could have been with us for this deployment.
Katie Gostinger, my manager, my lawyer, and my friend, for her inexhaustible support and encouragement for the duration of my deployment and the development of this book.
And my parents, Jim and Linda Hartley, for being supportive and understanding of my writing and my career in the Army, both of which, I’m certain, cause them great distress at times. I love you both.
Endpapers
Image
Between my bunk and Matt’s bunk, sitting
Image
At Ground Zero, September 2001
Image
Before an ambush.Back row from left:Rich, Jeff, Brian (the LT), Chris, Sean;front row from left:me, Mike H., Ray
Image
The former soccer clubhouse in Ad Dujayl that was converted into an air defense artillery base after the assassination attempt on Saddam, the graffiticovered ruins of which are now home to a family of squatters
Image
Willy
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Ray and Melissa overlooking Ad Dujayl
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A mosque in Ad Dujayl raided in a joint mission with Iraqi special forces
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The notorious photo of me sitting on the shitter with Willy during training at sub-zero Fort Drum, NY
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Burning a dead dog, a common place roadside bombs are hidden
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The children of Iraq have a very special message for you: “Fuck you! You my bitch!”
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At a palace in Tikrit
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Wazina
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In Kuwait before leaving for Iraq
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Iraqi kids in Ad Dujayl—they look cute but are actually very evil
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Iraqi girl, from a family of squatters
About the Author
Born and raised in Salt Lake City, JASON CHRISTOPHER HARTLEY is a member of the Army National Guard. He lives in New Paltz, New York. To view many of the photographs he shot of the war in Iraq, visit his website: www.justanothersoldier.com
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.
Credits
Jacket Design by Milan Bozic
Jacket photograph copyright © Jason Christopher Hartley.
Copyright
JUST ANOTHER SOLDIER. Copyright © 2005 by Jason Christopher Hartley. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Grateful acknowledgment is made for permission to reprint from the following:
“Institutionalized,” written by Michael Muir, Amery Smith, and Louiche Mayorga; © 1984 Bug Music (BMI), American Lesion Music (BMI), and YOU’LL BE SORRY MUSIC (BMI); administered by Bug; all rights reserved; used by permission.
Photographs © copyright Jason Christopher Hartley.
EPub © Edition SEPTEMBER 2005 ISBN: 9780061746031
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hartley, Jason Christopher.
Just another soldier : a year on the ground in Iraq / Jason Christopher Hartley.
p. cm.
ISBN-10: 0-06-084366-7
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-084366-3
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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