Kaboom

by Matthew Gallagher

Clay, Captain

  leadership of

  Rant and

  replacements and

  Clusterfucks

  Coalition forces

  counterinsurgency and

  private contractors and

  Cold-Cuts, Specialist

  Gravediggers and

  mosque raid and

  night patrol and

  redcon-1 and

  shootout and

  snow patrol and

  Cold Warriors

  Combat Action Badge (CAB)

  Combat outposts

  explosion at

  photo of

  photo at

  Commandos, National Police

  photo of

  Communications

  Concertina wire, photo of

  Counterinsurgency

  bastardized

  counter-

  joys of

  microgrants and

  politics and

  precision targeting in

  principles of

  success for

  tedium of

  Curly, Sergeant Major

  D-Wizzle, Sergeant

  Daffy Duck

  Daraji, Ali

  capture of

  questioning

  Das Boot, Private First Class

  Big Ern and

  CAB for

  call sign of

  children and

  dead dog and

  Doc and

  at ECP

  Estonian soldier and

  night patrol and

  photo of

  water pipe and

  Day of Ashura

  Dear John tales

  Democracy

  Demolition, Captain

  departure from the military

  EFP and

  Deployment

  end of

  surviving

  Desert Storm

  Detainees

  photo of

  Dirty Jerz, Lieutenant

  East Hussaniyah and

  Gunslingers and

  joint-patrol and

  leadership of

  Qusay and

  Discipline, lack of

  Divorces

  Diyala Province

  Doc

  call sign of

  Das Boot and

  dominoes and

  fobbits and

  garbage and

  Haydar and

  Hot Wheels incident and

  photo of

  Suge and

  Tunnel and

  Dominoes

  Dragunov sniper rifle

  Dust storms

  DynCorp

  E-mails

  East Hussaniyah

  Eastwood, Clint

  Economic problems

  Eddie

  Abbas and

  Anwar and

  Saif and

  Sitting Bull and

  translating by

  EFP Alley

  EFPs. See Explosively formed penetrators

  Eisenhower, Dwight: military- industrial complex and

  Elections

  Afghan

  protecting Iraqi

  U.S.

  EOD. See Explosive Ordinance Disposal

  ESPN

  Estonians

  Executive officers (XO)

  Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD)

  detonation by

  Explosively formed penetrators (EFPs)

  attack with

  hunting down

  Facebook

  Fadl

  Fasting

  Field grade officers

  Cold War and

  described

  generational gap and

  terps and

  First Amendment

  First Cavalry Division

  Flashback, Specialist

  patrol and

  Playboy of

  rockets and

  FNGs. See Fucking new guys

  FOB. See Forward operating base

  Fobbits

  Forever wars

  Forward operating base (FOB)

  photo at

  return to

  Fourteenth Cavalry Regiment

  Fourth Infantry Division

  Fragos

  fragmentary orders and

  merry fucking

  Friendly fire incidents

  Frowny-Face, Captain

  Christmas and

  contractors and

  detainees and

  EFP attack and

  HUMINT and

  parade grounds and

  polls and

  questioning and

  release forms and

  show-of-force mission and

  State Department official and

  Fucked up beyond all recognition (FUBAR)

  Fucking new guys (FNGs)

  Fuego, Sergeant

  Daraji and

  Haydar and

  IP attack and

  joking by

  photo of

  Gaul, Sean: death of

  General Order No.

  Generational gap

  Generator, explosion of

  Geneva Convention

  Ghazi (Haydar’s son)

  Ghost tanks. See Strykers

  Global war on terrorism (GWOT)

  Golden house

  Gonzo, Specialist

  Obama speech and

  Tupac/Notorious BIG and

  Goo, Lieutenant

  Grand Canal

  Gravediggers

  bomb and

  briefing(photo)

  Camp Taji and

  children’s letters for

  Christmas and

  counterinsurgency and

  Hot Wheels incident and

  leadership for

  mission of

  night patrol and

  operational tempo and

  photo of

  security by

  Shaba and

  snow patrol and

  vehicle-maintenance refit by

  Great White Hope, The

  departure from the military

  high life and

  Green Zone

  photo of

  Grunberg, Arnon

  Guinness socks

  Gunslingers

  Christmas and

  patrol with

  GWOT. See Global war on terrorism

  Haitian Sensation, Specialist

  Arabic language and

  Bulldog and

  FOB and

  Hot Wheels incident and

  IP attack and

  mosque raid and

  photo of

  return of

  Smitty and

  Hajjis

  Halliburton

  Halloween

  Hamid

  Hammer, The, Major

  Hammerhead, Sergeant First Class

  Christmas and

  holidays and

  Rant and

  replacements and

  Hands of Victory

  photo of

  Hawaii

  leaving

  return to

  Haydar, Sheik

  Bassam meeting and

  military posture/mannerisms of

  Suge and

  water-plant contract and

  Heat, dealing with

  Helicopters

  photo of

  training with

  High-value target list (HVTL)

  Holidays

  bizarre

  Muslim

  Hooah

  Hot Wheels, Private

  Banana-Hands and

  Bon Jovi and

  generator explosion and

  leadership of

  photo of

  Hottest Latinas, debate about

  Human intelligence (HUMINT)

  Humanity, losing

  Husayn

  Husayn, Major

  Hussaniyah division of

  JAM and

  market

  patrol in

  photo of

  raid i
n

  and Saba al-Bor compared

  sewer politics of

  Shias in

  Hussayn the Star

  Hussein, Saddam

  Iran-Iraq War and

  statues of(photo)

  IA. See Iraqi army

  IEDs. See Improvised explosive devices

  Improvised explosive devices (IEDs)

  attacks with

  Bon Jovi

  countering

  emplacers

  exploding

  hunting for

  reports of

  ROE and

  See also Vehicle-borne IEDs

  Improvised rocket-assisted mortar (IRAM)

  Insurgency

  Internet

  Interpreters. See Terps

  IP. See Iraqi police

  IRAM. See Improvised rocket-assisted mortar

  Iran-Iraq War

  Iraq Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA)

  Iraq War

  departing for

  evolution of

  politics and

  success in

  Iraqi army (IA)

  Bassam meeting and

  Daraji and

  Shaba and

  Zaydan assassination and

  Iraqi National Police (NP)

  commando(photo)

  Day of Ashura and

  helicopter training for

  Hussaniyah and

  memorial service

  Mongo and

  Iraqi parliament

  Iraqi police (IP)

  Bassam meeting and

  distrust for

  election problems and

  friendly fire incident and

  Hussaniyah and

  IEDs and

  JAM and

  joking with

  Mojo and

  mosque raid and

  rockets and

  sizing up

  terps and

  Iraqi security forces

  performance of

  photo of

  Shaba and

  training of

  Iraqis, killing

  Islamic Dawa Party

  iWar

  J, Sergeant

  Jabba the Hut. See Nour, Sheik

  JAG. See Judge Advocate General

  Jaish al-Mahdi (JAM) paramilitary

  Badr Corps and

  Hussaniyah and

  IP attack and

  Iran and

  resurgence by

  Sadr and

  terps and

  toy RPG launchers and

  Jaish al-Rashiden (JAR)

  JAM. See Jaish al-Mahdi paramilitary

  Joes

  opinions of

  Johnson, Boss

  death of

  memory of

  remnants of(photo)

  Johnson II, Boss

  Joint-security station (JSS)

  Jorge, Staff Sergeant

  JSS. See Joint-security station

  JSS Istalquaal

  Iraqi control of

  Pennsylvania National Guard at

  photo of

  JSS Ur

  Judge Advocate General (JAG)

  Jundis

  Junior officers

  discipline and

  exodus of

  generational gap and

  professionalism and

  promotion of

  recentralized warfare and

  senior officers and

  Kevin (State Department rep)

  Modhir and

  Kipling, Rudyard

  Knight, Suge

  Axel and

  Banana-Hands and

  Big Country and

  bomb and

  Daraji and

  dead dog and

  diabetes for

  dominoes and

  fasting

  Haydar and

  as international man of mystery

  IP attack and

  locals and

  masks and

  microgrants and

  Nour and

  patrols and

  rockets and

  safety and

  sniper rifle and

  stereotypes and

  Ten Bears and

  translating by

  on tricking heat

  women and

  Larry, Lieutenant Colonel

  blog piece and

  Boondock reassignment and

  Bronze Star and

  congressional inquiries and

  leadership of

  Mustafa and

  officer trade and

  promotions by

  standing up to

  XO position and

  Las Cruces

  Laser range-acquisition sight (LRAS)

  Lawrence, T. E.

  Leadership

  layers of

  styles of

  Little America

  Londono, Ernesto

  Loyalty

  M4 Carbines

  Mahdi Army

  Mail

  Marshmallow, Sheik

  Masks, terps and

  McCain, John

  Microgrants

  Middle Army, Big Army and

  Military-industrial complex

  Military police (MP)

  Military Times, poll by

  Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAPs) armored vehicles

  Mission Accomplished

  MND-B. See Multinational Division-Baghdad

  MNF-I. See Multinational Force-Iraq

  Modhir, Sheik

  Kevin and

  Moe, Major

  Mohammed, Colonel

  Mohammed the Ghost (Mohammed the Shadow)

  Mojo

  General Order No. 1 of

  Mongo, Lieutenant

  Christmas and

  detainees and

  flag-football game and

  leadership of

  NP and

  Patrol by

  photo of

  raid by

  West Hussaniyah and

  Mortars

  Mosques

  raids on

  MP. See Military police

  MRAPs. See Mine Resistant Ambush Protected armored vehicles

  Muhamed, Lieutenant Colonel

  Muhammad, Prophet

  Multinational Division-Baghdad (MND-B)

  Multinational Force-Iraq (MNF-I)

  Mussolini, Benito

  MySpace

  Nahias

  Najij, Colonel

  National Guard

  NCOs. See Noncommissioned officers

  New Years

  Night vision

  Nisoor Square, shootings in

  Noncommissioned officers (NCOs)

  Dear John tales and

  generational gap and

  Hot Wheels incident and

  intervention by

  loyalty of

  photo of

  politics and

  recentralized warfare and

  relations with

  worshipping

  Norris, Chuck: jokes about

  Notorious BIG, Tupac Shakur and

  Nour, Sheik

  guarding

  petroleum inheritance of

  NP. See Iraqi National Police

  Oath of office

  Obama, Barack

  Observation post (OP)

  Odierno, General

  Office Space: Iraq (hypothetical film)

  Officers

  careerist

  company-grade

  executive

  general

  generational gap among

  junior

  oath of office for

  politics and

  promoting

  senior

  staff

  trading

  types of

  See also Noncommissioned officers

  Oil refinery, burning

  1-27 Infantry

  101st Airborne

  “Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage, The” (blog piece)


  OP. See Observation post

  Operation Phantom Phoenix

  Operational security (OPSEC)

  Orlando, Wildebeest and

  Orwell, George

  Osama, Bassam meeting and

  Palahniuk, Chuck

  Patrols

  joint-

  last

  night

  photo of

  Patton, George

  Pennsylvania National Guard

  Pentagon

  People other than grunts (POGs)

  Petraeus, General

  microgrants and

  strategy and

  website and

  Phoenix

  flirting by

  Smitty and

  translating by

  Pistol Pete, Captain,

  Platoons, function of

  POGs. See People other than grunts

  Politics

  counterinsurgency and

  military and

  Polling sites, guarding

  Pop culture

  Porta-John chronicles, reading

  Porta-Johns

  Post exchange (PX)

  Posttraumatic stress disorder

  Poverty

  Powell Doctrine

  Precision targeting

  Press coverage

  Prime, Specialist

  Chem-Light and

  fobbits and

  photo of

  Private contractors

  Privatization

  Professionalism

  junior officers and

  Promotions

  Prostitutes

  Public relations

  PX. See Post exchange

  Qadas

  Qasim, Nasim Abdul

  Rahdi, Mayor

  Ramadan

  Rant, Lieutenant

  Abbas and

  EFP attack and

  elections and

  Hamid and

  Hussaniyah and

  on motivation

  needling

  photo of

  polls and

  replacements and

  Thanksgiving and

  Rashadiya

  Rassim

  Rear-echelon mother fuckers (REMFs)

  Reconciliation

  REMFs. See Rear-echelon mother fuckers

  Reno-Gazette Journal

  Republican Guard

  Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC)

  Revolutionary Brigade

  Rip-Its

  Rocket propelled grenades (RPGs)

  Rockets

  attacks with

  ROE. See Rules of engagement

  Romeo, Private First Class

  joking by

  night patrol and

  photo of

  Roosevelt, Theodore

  ROTC. See Reserve Officers’ Training Corps

  Route Crush

  Route Dover

  Route Flames

  Route Gold

  Route Islanders

  Route Lincoln

  Route Maples

  Route New York

  Route Ninjas

  Route Plato

  Route Senators

  Route Swords

  Route Tampa

  IED attacks on

  patrol on

  Route Texas

  RPG launchers, toy

  RPGs. See Rocket propelled grenades

  Rules of engagement (ROE)

  Saba al-Bor

  aid distribution at(photo)

  aroma of