We quickly established a Tactical Operations Center (TOC) at the Bagdad Airport. Everyone helped to stake tents. Our Puerto Rican company camped over a small hidden hill, hiding fresh chicken and vegetables. Their families coordinated well to ensure Iraq was a livable place for their loved ones. They always reminded me, “Padre vary your route daily to confuse the enemy.” They were fun people but never lost focus that we lived in a hostile environment. They were well-trained, ready, and resilient for battle daily. Other companies assigned to our TOC operated Detainee Facilities in Mosul, Iraq. Other Detainee Facilities provided permanent housing for me to spend quality time with them for a day or two each week. At the TOC in Bagdad, my commander and I always shared a cigar to commune under the incredible Bagdad sunset. We shared operations and morale issues within our multiple areas of operations. The commander and his chaplain walk through decisive actions that impact troops. Sometimes, the commander is alone during war in reflection. We pray for our commander. The chaplain’s presence brings confidence as a quiet sounding board. Soldiers enjoy a chaplain who has the ears of the commander.
Our visit to Mosul was always fun. The broken enemy was still licking their wounds for another day. Driving through Mosel in 2003 was an adrenaline-filled moment. Our covey did not provide citizens cutesy “right-a-way.” The powerless stop lights hardly slowed our movement. We commanded the road with our weaponry visible. Most obeyed as if we were firetrucks. We were an unstopped train. The muezzin’s beautiful sounds, horns blowing constantly, coalition forces rumbling through, weapons firing with a radio background, and dark silence make up the orchestra of a combat zone. Convoys were unstoppable trains, except when the traffic trapped us between walls. Our elevated sense of danger was normal. I always panned for snipers in partially destroyed buildings. One crowing point in Mosul was our visit to a prison for inmates, nearly built. Mosul is the marble capital of the world. The visitors sat on beautiful solid green marble benches to speak with their incarcerated inmates through a glass. My “Wizard of Oz” visual became real for a second. I flew in a Chinook back to Bagdad. We flew dark with weapons, scanning the desert floor. Flying stealth above a moonlight desert was tranquil.
The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) camp is located northwest of Bagdad, 44 miles away from the Iranian border. The camp was named after Ashraf Rajavi. The Iran Clergy assassinated her on February 8, 1982. She is a martyr and a hero among many. The warriors are all female soldiers, threatening one enemy, the Iranians. They were concerned about women’s rights, among other rights, with Iran. These noble people desire the freedom to change Iran into a country that treats women with critical rights and justice. The camp was built in 1986 after the PMOI (MEK) leadership relocated from France to Iraq into a wasteland with no paved roads or running water. Only a few desert buildings decorated the location. Over the past 25 years, Ashraf residents created a modern city of complex roads with education, social, and recreation centers. This people group was my favorite to visit with their noble cause.
Before 2003, the PMOI (MEK) publicly declared neutrality with the American-led war in Iraq before the invasion. PMOI (MEK) bases were still repeatedly bombed by the Coalition forces in March 2003. Washington and Tehran shared a quid pro quo involving Ashraf. In April 2003, the American troops justly signed a cease-fire agreement. With additional negotiations, the PMOI (MEK) signed an agreement with the American forces. Ashraf voluntarily disarmed itself for American protection. Under the Fourth Geneva Conventions, they received a Protected Person Status, and the Americans identified them as “non-combatants.” In 2003-2004, after a detailed investigation from seven American government agencies. The committee found no violations reported on October 7, 2005, and that Ashraf would have all the necessary ingredients for protection and essential human rights for safety and living their way of life. They significantly protected the dignity and justice rights of all the women warriors and women in general. The Ashraf people were peaceful and enjoyed excellent relationships with the surrounding communities. May they continue to survive through the future of many transitions in Iraq.
