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In Baghdad, a Flimsy Outpost
U.S. troops sleep after setting up a combat outpost, one of 100 slated for the capital, in an abandoned gym in western Baghdad.
(By Ernesto Londono -- The Washington Post)
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Despite its shortcomings, the gym was one of the best locations the military has taken over in Baghdad, the "crown jewel" among the outposts, as one commander described it. Across town, other members of the brigade were building an outpost in a parking lot by erecting tents.
'Everything Is Worth Trying'
The 130 or so soldiers in the company assigned to the gym belong to the 4th Brigade's 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, out of Fort Riley, Kan. Their brigade is the second of five being deployed to Iraq as part of the troop increase.
The brigade, essentially built from scratch during the past 15 months, had been expected to provide logistical support for convoys and security for the large, citylike bases that the U.S. military has until recently used as its main operational centers in Iraq.
That mission changed Jan. 10 when Bush announced that he intended to send thousands of additional troops to Iraq to help implement a U.S. and Iraqi plan to pacify the capital and other parts of the country. Word trickled down the ranks of the Black Lions, as the 1st Battalion's members are known. At least two-thirds of the unit's soldiers are fresh out of basic training.
"I went home and said to my wife, 'The president talked about the surge to Baghdad,' " said Overby, the 1st Battalion's second in command. "How often do you get to be a part of what the president says? We were happy. It was better than escorting trucks through the desert."
It would also be far more dangerous, the battalion's soldiers recognized. Their commanders told them their mission was to secure a part of Baghdad by winning the confidence of residents, disarming militant groups and bringing criminals to justice.
But to do that, they will have to navigate streets where sniper attacks and bombings are common. And they will operate in densely populated areas where allies and enemies are often indistinguishable.
Cpl. Jon Dorsey, 20, of Sun Prairie, Wis., sitting on his cot in the gym's main hall, said he couldn't wait to go out on patrol. He had memorized the names of the city's neighborhoods and seemed to grasp the nuances of the conflict.
"We've been staring at maps for months," he said.
His friend Cpl. Lee Taylor of Oklahoma City jumped in: "We're going to meet and greet people, win the hearts and minds."
They felt adequately prepared, they agreed, albeit scared. Taylor found out two weeks before traveling to Iraq that his wife was pregnant. That night the couple celebrated by eating at Chili's, where they avoided talking about the dangers he would soon face.
"I have a lot to live for," he said. "I want to come home."
