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> Special Sections > Letters From Iraq > Letters > MAP 7, Weapons Company
MAP 7, Weapons Company |  | |
Captain John A. Kasparian
3rd Battalion, 25th Marines
A little while ago, I had the experience of traveling to Camp Hit which is in our southern area of operations. We visited Company K, 3/25 out of Moundsville, VW. On the way, we stopped by to see Company L out of Columbus, OH, who was in the field, and the Regimental Combat Team-2 headquarters at Al-Asad. RCT-2 commands 3/25 here in Iraq. Lieutenant Colonel Lionel B. Urquhart told each of the staff members that we had to make a trip to Camp Hit to get a feel for how the Marines are living down there. Then we can bring that information back to Hadithah Dam and support them better.
Mobile Assault Platoon (MAP) 7, the great team that escorted us, originally comes from Headquarters and Service Company from Brook Park, OH. They began training for combat missions with Weapons Company, who are based out of Akron, OH and now work for them. I spent the next two days in the last vehicle of MAP 7 helping to provide security. Well actually, I just road along like a nice quite passenger, Lance Corporal Lance Graham with his M249G Machinegun really provided the security.
Before you step into any vehicle, the MAP commander always provides a brief of the current situation, threats, and actions upon contact. As in a boat, there may be many bosses, chiefs, and cooks...but there is only one "Captain." Staff Sergeant Michael Brady has earned the respect throughout the Battalion as a no-nonsense, get the job done commander. He is reflective of most of the MAP Marines who daily face the threat of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), mines, and the enemy. They clear the roads, conduct combat missions, and basically get overworked for one purpose...to help Iraq to get on its feet and provide its own security. As I entered my HMMWV, the vehicle commander, Sergeant Michael Main, says with a smirk, "Hey sir, glad to have you. Just one thing, your door latch is broken. No problem though, just hold on."
MAP 7 headed out of Hadithah Dam and we entered the desert highway. Of course, we head into a turn going about 35 mph and my door snaps wide open. I look down and envision everyone seeing Captain Kasparian trying to imitate a dysfunctional super hero flying over the sand trying not to land on his head.
I quickly grab the door and swing it shut and the driver, Corporal Jeffrey Schuller Jr. yells back, "Still with us, Sir?" They all start laughing. Marines like that sort of humor. "Roger, drive on." They laugh again.
We end up at a place called the "Military Housing Complex". Saddam used to have his Iraqi army officers live there. By comparison, it's a rather nice neighborhood. However, 3/25 also knows it houses insurgents, so Company L got the call to clear it. Major Steve Lawson from Dayton, OH and 1st Sergeant Dan Altieri of Canton, OH trained Co L into one of the best infantry companies in Iraq. They had the area well in hand. I spoke to several Iraqi's in the only store in the area while the Battalion Commander toured the area with the Marines. Some liked Americans, some did not. I ended up using a smart, confident, 14 year old boy as a translator. He summed it up, "Iraqis do not like Americans when they make everyone pull over while they pass. It's our highways not theirs." Later he goes on to say, "I love America and want to visit Los Angeles and go to school in New York." The complexity of Iraq amazes everyone all the time.
After a few hours we get back on the road. Another hour of radio checks, security halts, and more "Let's lose the Captain," and we stop at an intersection waiting for another convoy to go by. In that time, Sergeant Michael Marzano and I spot a vehicle behind us slowing and the driver looking at us. We make a mental note and then 10 minutes later we see the vehicle do it again. Thinking it may be the enemy, Staff Sergeant Brady makes the call to stop them. Our HMMWV immediately goes off road and tries to capture the vehicle the next time it comes down the highway. The driver seems to have gotten the hint, and we don't see it again. After a little while, we move out and arrive at Camp Hit.
Camp Hit's living conditions are different than those at Hadithah Dam. In some ways it is more primitive, in others a lot better. They have a bigger Segovia (public phones and internet) and other assets because they are closer to Al-Asad for support. Most families of Company K and the Camp Hit Marines will get more phone calls home than those at the Dam. However, the Dam has some better facilities like a gym and good living quarters. When Marines move into combat phase outside both camps, day-to-day life basically become equal. After five hours of liaison work with my Administration Clerk, Sergeant John Van Bennekom and gathering in some of the needs of Camp Hit, we head out to Al-Asad for the Transfer of Authority ceremony between Colonel Tucker's RCT-7 and Colonel Stephen W. Davis' RCT-2. Colonel Davis is 3/25's boss. LtCol Urquhart, SgtMaj Edward Wagner, and I all made contact with our counterparts at the Regimental Headquarters to go over day-to-day issues. I think after many hours as RCT-2's houseguests, we all wanted to get back "home" to the Dam.
Another convoy rolls in and it's Capt William "Billy" Brown and his hardy veterans from Company L to give us a ride back. SgtMaj Wagner arranges for them to get a few hours sleep and some hot chow before we roll. The convoy is again escorted by MAP 7. Another few hours and we all arrive safely back at the Dam. After 2.5 days I get back to a lot of unfinished work, a hot shower, and clean socks. Even today, I keep thinking of that trip and realize one thing that keeps me focused on the mission. I spent a little while out of my month on the road; our companies and MAPs do it everyday! We, in support of the 3/25 combat units, remember the constant missions they do, and it drives us to better support their everyday needs. Headquarters and Service Company, Weapons Company, Company L, Company K, and Company I conduct operations professionally time and time again. Their families can be proud.
Capt John A. Kasparian
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