Of vital interest, p.18
Of Vital Interest, page 18
The maneuver brigade that Sergeant Abdullah’s unit deployed with was beginning to put a lot of pressure on the local militant groups. They were setting up checkpoints, conducting more vehicle patrols, and working with local forces to raid bomb factories and weapons storage sites. As the pressure mounted, the militant groups fought back by using more powerful IEDs and conducting ambushes on local forces. The increased attacks on locally hired contractors was another sign of the growing unrest in the local groups.
One day, as Sergeant Abdullah worked on replacing the filters on a vehicle, a call came in asking for support with a vehicle that had broken down on one of the patrols about thirty minutes further north on the road toward Baghdad. The unit did not request the wrecker but sent a partial list of parts to bring. From the sound of it, Sergeant Abdullah thought they may have run over a small-sized IED. Sergeant Abdullah and Sergeant Maczrakolski grabbed the keys to the maintenance contact truck and loaded up what parts they could find.
The brigade operations officer sent an infantry squad with the two mechanics to provide security. The two vehicles made good time getting to the location. Sergeant Abdullah was partially right with his guess. One vehicle was damaged but could easily be fixed while the vehicle that had actually run over the IED was much worse.
Sergeant Abdullah noticed a large amount of blood on the severely damaged vehicle. The driver and vehicle commander must have already been evacuated to the field hospital by helicopter. The other occupants of the vehicle seemed to have only minor injuries and were sitting off to the side getting treatment from a medic.
Sergeant Maczrakolski started getting the parts from the contact vehicle while Sergeant Abdullah did a quick inspection of the damaged but repairable vehicle. He noticed several possible issues in addition to what they had been told. He made a quick list and gave it to Sergeant Maczrakolski who, in turn, went back to the vehicle and started looking. He found a couple of the additional parts and brought them back to the damaged vehicle.
The two mechanics worked quickly to remove the old parts and put on new ones. There wasn’t enough time to do in-depth repairs. All they wanted to do was make the vehicle operational so the unit could get it back to the base. It wouldn’t look pretty, and it would need additional work before going back on mission again, but it at least would be able to make it back to the base.
Sergeant Abdullah was almost done with the repairs when they received a call on the radio.
“Bravo three one, this is Bravo three six, over,” the voice said. Sergeant Maczrakolski picked up the handset and replied, “This is Bravo three one, over.”
“Bravo three one, we got a call for support about thirty minutes north of your location,” the voice said. “Can you handle this, or do we need to send another team out, over?”
“Almost done here,” Sergeant Maczrakolski replied. “What about the eleven Bravo support, over?”
“It’s all good and been cleared with their higher,” the voice responded. “So is it a go, over?”
Sergeant Abdullah nodded his head and told Sergeant Maczrakolski he would be done in about five minutes.
“Roger that,” Sergeant Maczrakolski answered. “ETA thirty-five mikes, over.”
“Roger, Bravo three six out,” the voice said as the transmission ended.
Sergeant Abdullah finished up, and the two vehicles started to move north to the next location. The infantry unit had sent the new grid coordinates to their squad. According to the coordinates, the vehicle would be about ten minutes off the main road. The infantry squad leader said something about some folks from the Green Zone going out to spend time with a unit, and their vehicle stopped running. They all joked that the visitors probably ran out of fuel.
The infantry vehicle slowed down as it came to the dirt road and turned to the left with the maintenance vehicle less than twenty yards behind. The infantry vehicle continued down the road at a slow speed; Sergeant Abdullah could not understand why they did not speed up after making the turn. They drove about three miles before they saw another vehicle sitting near the side of the road. The infantry vehicle stopped about fifty yards away, and the soldiers dismounted and moved quickly up to the other vehicle. As they approached, the driver turned his head, smiled, and waved at them.
“Whatever you do, don’t fucking shoot,” a voice called out from the inside of the vehicle. “The last thing I want to do is try to explain to my wife how I got shot by a bunch of Americans.”
Sergeant Abdullah could see what was happening but could not hear what was being said. He did not like waiting on a side road. He thought it would be too easy to get boxed in. There were too many things that could happen, and one squad of infantry might not be enough to deal with the threat.
The soldiers lowered their rifles and stepped back as the driver and passenger in the front seat got out of the vehicle. The three soldiers in the back stayed put momentarily and then opened the rear door and exited as well. The infantry squad leader motioned for Sergeant Abdullah and Sergeant Maczrakolski to come over. As Sergeant Abdullah got closer, he thought he recognized one of the men.
“Sergeant Mac,” Sergeant Abdullah said, almost as a question.
Chief MacKenzie turned his head and saw Sergeant Abdullah carrying one of the toolboxes.
“Carson!” Chief MacKenzie yelled, turning to face him.
“My apologies, sir,” Sergeant Abdullah said as he noticed the CW3 rank on Chief MacKenzie’s uniform.
“Oh, hell, Carson,” Chief MacKenzie said, stepping toward Sergeant Abdullah. “I think I can let that slide this time.”
“Wait, did you say Carson?” Captain Taylor asked. “Is this the same Carson you are always talking about, Mac?”
“Yes, sir,” Chief MacKenzie proudly said as he stood next to Sergeant Abdullah. “The guy who made it possible for me to be standing here right now.”
“Sir, you are too kind,” Sergeant Abdullah replied, feeling a little embarrassed. “I did nothing that anyone else would not have done.”
“Carson, you shielded me with your body and took rounds that would have killed me,” Chief MacKenzie countered.
“My man Carson,” Sergeant Maczrakolski said quietly to himself.
“Whatever happened, we appreciate the fact that Mac is still with us,” Captain Taylor said. “Thanks, Carson.”
“Sir, I think we should try to fix your vehicle so you can finish your mission,” Sergeant Abdullah said in an effort to make sure nobody stayed on the side road for very long.
“So how did you get here?” Chief MacKenzie asked Sergeant Abdullah as they walked to the front of the vehicle.
“I am a mechanic now, sir,” Sergeant Abdullah responded. “I had to change my MOS when the Army closed the 09L program.”
“When I heard the 09L program closed, I just thought you would get out and get a job as a civilian,” Chief MacKenzie said. “That’s where the big money is.”
“That is the same thing my first sergeant told me when we found out about the program being closed,” Sergeant Abdullah explained, although he was a little surprised that Chief MacKenzie did not understand why he’d decided to stay. “Sir, you should know better than anyone else that I would choose to stay in the Army. I am a soldier.”
“Sergeant Abdullah, you are still one of the finest soldiers I have ever worked with,” Chief MacKenzie said. “Thank you for wanting to stay in the Army.”
Chief MacKenzie walked back to the rear of the vehicle and let Sergeant Abdullah do his work with Sergeant Maczrakolski. They found several things that may have been causing a problem, and they also found a slight cut in the fuel line. It did not appear that correct operator maintenance was being done either, but the vehicle was most likely part of a fleet of vehicles available to personnel in the Green Zone.
The two mechanics working together had the vehicle in running condition in less than an hour. When they were done, Sergeant Abdullah walked over to say goodbye to his old friend.
“Sir, I am very proud to see you as an officer,” Sergeant Abdullah said. “You were a very good leader, and I am sure you are a very good warrant officer. Chief Mac. That sounds very good, and I am very happy for you.”
“Thank you, Sergeant Carson,” Chief MacKenzie replied. “I know you will continue to be a great soldier for as long as you want to stay in the Army.”
“Dang, Carson, I can’t believe you,” Sergeant Maczrakolski said once Sergeant Abdullah got into the vehicle and started the engine.
“What do you mean, Ski?” Sergeant Abdullah asked as he worked to turn the vehicle around.
“You really are a bona fide hero,” Sergeant Maczrakolski excitedly proclaimed. “I can’t wait to tell the folks about this. Heck, even the snake eaters think you are badass.”
“Ski, please do not say anything,” Sergeant Abdullah said. “I just want to be a good soldier and a good mechanic. All that is in the past, and I would rather just leave it there.”
“Come on, Carson, how can you not let me tell your story to everyone?” Sergeant Maczrakolski asked.
“I only ask you as a friend to not do this,” Sergeant Abdullah explained. “I think that is enough.”
“OK, I can live with that. I won’t say anything,” Sergeant Maczrakolski conceded, sounding a little disappointed.
The vehicles all pulled away from the location, with the one repaired vehicle heading toward the outpost and the other two heading back to the base. As they drove along the road, Sergeant Abdullah was amazed to be able to see Chief MacKenzie again. He thought it was odd how things worked out sometimes. He had to remind himself that nothing happens by chance and there is a reason for everything. He didn’t really understand what the meaning of this chance meeting with Chief MacKenzie was, but he was sure that in time it would be clear. For now, he just had to focus on getting back to the base.
14
By the time the group of headquarters personnel pulled up to the front gate of the outpost, it was hours beyond their expected arrival time. They had already contacted Master Sergeant Mandess to inform him of the vehicle problems, but there was still a level of concern for their well-being. Captain Starn and Chief Provanski met them at the gate and gave them a quick overview of what was happening as they walked to the operations building.
“We haven’t really had much in the way of problems yet,” Captain Starn said as he began to update the headquarters personnel on recent activity in the area. “We are thinking that there are issues in the village but haven’t been able to pin anything down quite yet. Luckily, one of the terps seems to have developed a level of trust with one of the village elders.”
“So, the MAVNI soldiers are working out for you?” Captain Taylor asked, trying to clarify the performance levels of the four specialists.
“Well, just like anything else, there are some that are better than others, but they are all pulling their weight so far,” Captain Starn replied. “Master Sergeant Mandess and Sergeant First Class Hermanson can give you a more detailed evaluation of their capabilities once we get to the operations building.”
The group continued to walk across the outpost grounds until they reached the operations building. Master Sergeant Mandess and Sergeant First Class Hermanson were waiting at the entrance when they walked up.
“How are you doing, Captain T?” Master Sergeant Mandess asked. “I see you brought the entire crew with you.”
“Doing good, Top, all things considered,” Captain Taylor replied. “Wish we could have gotten here earlier, but I guess the Green Zone motor pool is kind of falling behind on maintaining their vehicles.”
“Well, it’s all good,” Master Sergeant Mandess said. “Let’s get inside, and we’ll give you the nickel tour of what we’ve got going.”
Everyone headed into the building and followed Master Sergeant Mandess to a room that had a large folding table and chairs. They had folded over three-by-five cards for nameplates. Chief MacKenzie’s nameplate read CW2 lined through and followed by CW3 MacKenzie. Master Sergeant Mandess had placed a piece of pound cake in front of the nameplate.
“Congratulations, Mac,” Captain Starn said as everyone gave Chief MacKenzie a round of applause.
“Thanks, sir,” Chief MacKenzie grinned. “But you shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble.”
“Come on now, sir,” Sergeant First Class Hermanson said. “You deserve every ounce of that amazing dessert.”
“Great. Now tell us about the specialists,” Captain Taylor said in an attempt to get things back on track.
“Well, out of the four of them, two are definitely ready to move out on a mission,” Master Sergeant Mandess began, “while the other two need more time. Specialist Hassan is probably the least prepared to take on an actual mission. Not because of her language skills; she has not lived in Iraq for more than half of her life. Her parents sent her to Egypt for school, and from there, she went on to Princeton where she was attending college when she decided to enlist.”
“She did go out on a patrol the other day,” Sergeant First Class Hermanson added.
“The next one we have that has a way to go would be Specialist Ghulam,” Master Sergeant Mandess said as he continued the evaluations. “He is a hard worker, and there isn’t any problem with the effort he puts into things. If you told him to guard a door and not let anyone in, he would keep everyone out or die trying. His Arabic is good, and his cultural knowledge is above average, but he is a terrible shot and couldn’t hit the side of a barn from ten meters away.
“Next up we have Specialist Al Khafaji,” Master Sergeant Mandess continued after a short pause. “His language skills and cultural expertise are very good. The village he is from found a way to sponsor him for a student visa, and he was going to school at USC when he enlisted. He did well on the range and has established a connection with an elder in the village. It’s really difficult to read him. He seems to do all the right things but doesn’t show any emotions.
“Lastly, we have Specialist Rashidi.” Master Sergeant Mandess smiled as he began to talk about her skills. “She is an expert with the rifle and has already worked with the Army as a locally hired linguist. She is very cool under pressure and excelled during the breaching exercises back in the States. I wouldn’t hesitate to take her on any mission we run. The only reason she has not gone out with us yet is because she is already good to go.”
“Isn’t she the Kurdish one?” Captain Taylor asked.
“Yes,” Sergeant First Class Hermanson said, “but we tried to keep that very low key with the others. I don’t think that Specialist Ghulam or Specialist Hassan would have an issue, but Specialist Al Khafaji could be a different story. So far, we have not heard him saying anything about it, but he carries the male macho attitude along with him. He was a little put off when Specialist Rashidi outperformed him in marksmanship and in the breaching exercises.”
“Don’t tell me that she is the one who was going to kill Staff Sergeant Pederson with the pen,” Chief MacKenzie smiled.
“Yep, the one and only,” Sergeant First Class Hermanson said.
“The only problem we have now is the shortage of locally hired linguists,” Master Sergeant Mandess said. He was hoping to hear some good news.
“I know, Top, and I’m going to fix it. I just haven’t figured it out yet,” Chief MacKenzie answered. “But guess who I saw on the way down the road?”
“I wouldn’t even know where to begin to guess on that one,” Master Sergeant Mandess said.
“Carson,” Chief MacKenzie replied. “He was the one who came and fixed our vehicle.”
“What the heck was he doing fixing your vehicle?” Master Sergeant Mandess asked and continued without waiting for an answer. “It’s a damn shame we couldn’t have kept him. I would have expected him to get out and work as a contractor.”
“I said the same thing to him,” Chief MacKenzie replied. “He looked me in the face and said, ‘I could not do that because I am a soldier.’”
“Yep, that’s Carson for you,” Master Sergeant Mandess chuckled. “Too bad we can’t get him working with us again. We could send him and Rashidi out together and just sit back here and tally up the body count.”
“Great idea, Top,” Chief MacKenzie said as he wrote something in his notebook. “Let me see what I can do.”
The group continued to talk about other aspects of the mission like supplies, communications equipment, engineer support and explosives, and medical issues. After about forty-five minutes, the last question had been answered, and the headquarters support team was headed back to the Green Zone. With any luck, it wouldn’t take more than ninety minutes before they were back in Baghdad. Chief MacKenzie sat and wrote notes in his notebook the entire way. By the end of the trip, he had a smile on his face as he looked at what he had written.
The next day, Chief MacKenzie submitted a by-name request to Captain Taylor for his approval. Captain Taylor took a look at it and handed it back to Chief MacKenzie. He looked at the request for a few seconds without saying anything. He thought this would be the easy part.
“Mac, you know I want to get Carson here as much as you do,” Captain Taylor began, trying to explain his decision. “But we already have a couple other things out there that we need to let work through the system first.”
“Come on, Boss,” Chief MacKenzie persisted. “You know anybody they come up with won’t be as good as Carson, and Herm looks like he is in a bind with the four he has now.”
“All true, Mac,” Captain Taylor said, “but I don’t think we can make this work until we at least see what shakes out. If we don’t get any feedback on our request by the end of the week, I’ll push it forward.”
“Fair enough, but don’t you want to hold onto this just in case?” Chief MacKenzie said as he handed the request back to Captain Taylor.
“Fine. Just set it down on the desk,” Captain Taylor sighed, but Chief MacKenzie still held the request in his hand. “Now what, Chief?”
