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January 11, 2005
[Have an opinion about the issues discussed in this article?
Sound
off in our Discussion Boards.]
By Joseph Giordono,
Stars and Stripes Mideast edition
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| (Joseph Giordono / S&S) Cpl. Ben McGuire, left, and
Sgt. William Henderson, of 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment,
patrol a stretch of road on the Hit-Hadithah Corridor. |
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| (Joseph Giordono / S&S)Staff Sgt. Edwin Morgenthaler,
of 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, checks a stretch of
desert along the road between the cities of Hit and Hadithah. |
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| (Joseph Giordono / S&S) A Humvee gunner with the 1st
Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment peers over his .50-cal. machine
gun during a patrol of the Hit-Haditha Corridor. |
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HADIT-HAH, Iraq — It is a stretch of barren, desert road that runs
for about 60 miles between what would normally be two unremarkable
Iraqi towns on the Euphrates River. But the Hit-Hadithah Corridor,
and the Marines assigned to the 31st
Marine Expeditionary Unit
who patrol it, stand as a stark reminder of the challenges facing
the U.S. mission.
The corridor runs through western Anbar province. It is littered with
roadside bombs; local officials have balked at the push for Jan. 30
elections; and the U.S. military and the insurgents have waged an
ongoing war for the support of the local population.
“Things will be pretty interesting over the next few weeks,” said
Sgt. William Henderson, who leads a Mobile Assault Platoon in security
patrols of the area.
“Some days they like us, some days they don’t,” said Staff Sgt. Thomas
Watson, 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, of the towns the Marines
patrol. “The little kids still smile and wave, because they’re expecting
candy. The older the kids get, the less they smile at us. Reality
is what it is.”
With Iraq’s
national elections less than three weeks away, Marines on the ground
say they have a sense that critical mass is approaching. While the
U.S. mission in Iraq will not be made or broken by the elections,
they said, it seems much of their effort is coming to a head.
Now, the soldiers and Marines
around Iraq must meet their biggest challenge. Providing security
for those willing to vote.
On Friday, President Bush told reporters in Washington that keeping
the elections on course will be a daunting task for the U.S. military,
especially in four of Iraq’s 18 provinces.
One of those four is Anbar, which also includes the cities of Ramadi
and Fallujah.
Attacks on U.S. troops currently average 70 a day and military officials
expect attacks to increase to 85 a day as the election nears.
Marine commanders in Anbar have been given more physical assets to
deal with.
Last week in a meeting that included the local Iraqi National Guard
general, Lt. Col. Greg Stevens, 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment
commander, pulled the general aside.
“When you get back to Hit, I’ve got a surprise for you,” Stevens said
in a stage whisper, smiling broadly. “Actually, four surprises. And
they each weigh about 70 tons.”
The surprises were Abrams main battle tanks, an imposing presence
both physically and psychologically. The Marines have deployed them
in several areas throughout the Hit-Hadithah Corridor, Stevens said.
Marines in the area have largely operated from Humvees and trucks,
instead of heavy armor vehicles.
Vehicle armor remains an issue with some of the Marines patrolling
the corridor, they said.
Some Marines patrol in “highbacks” — Humvees with open beds surrounded
by high pieces of metal. Others escort convoys in Humvees with soft
canvas tops, no windows and metal-panel doors that won't stay shut.
Other units have fully armored M1114 Humvees, the heaviest in the
U.S. arsenal. Sometimes, though, they are given to personnel who rarely
leave the wire.
“I’m sure the pogues need those,” muttered Staff Sgt. Edwin Morgenthaler,
pulling out with a convoy of lightly armored vehicles, using military
slang for soldiers or Marines whose jobs keep them on base.
But armor isn’t everything.
On Saturday, Marines were talking about the seven soldiers killed
near Baghdad by a massive roadside bomb detonated under their 25-ton
Bradley fighting vehicle.
Soldiers and Marines have been remarkably open about voicing their
concerns. They wonder frequently about whether people in their hometowns
realize how cold it is in Iraq right now, how frequently they put
themselves at risk or how many of their friends have been killed or
wounded.
“Look, a lot of these guys should be back at college or taking their
girl out to a movie,” said one senior officer in a Marine Force Reserve
battalion. “I don’t know if the people back home really understand
what they’re doing on a day-to-day basis.”
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