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War on Terror Update

Confidence in War on Terror and Iraq at Highest Level Ever

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Army Majs. Dennis and Lesley Ortiz are reunited at Victory Base Complex in Baghdad on April 30, 2008. The Ortizes were married May 29, 1999, and have a 14-month old son, Dennis Jr., who stays with Lesley’s mother while the military couple is deployed. Photo courtesy of Army Maj. Dennis Ortiz, Multinational Division Baghdad   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

Majs. Lesley and Dennis Ortiz, assigned to the 4th Infantry Division and deployed to Multinational Division Baghdad, developed and fostered a loving relationship while simultaneously serving parallel military careers by working together and communicating effectively.

Lesley, assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team in February, deployed to Baghdad in March, and her husband, Dennis, joined the 3rd Brigade Combat Team in May at Forward Operating Base War Eagle, Iraq.

The Ortizes began a parallel career track from the beginning. They signed contracts to join the ROTC program on the same day during their junior year at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Ga., where he majored in mathematics and she studied English and education, Lesley said.

“I met him at a football game, and we became inseparable,” she said. The ROTC cadets alternated as ushers and color guards at the football games, she added.

After the pair graduated and received their commissions as second lieutenants in the Army, they attended their Officers Basic Courses in 1997. Lesley entered the Transportation Corps and attended her course at Fort Eustis, Va., while Dennis traveled to Fort Lee, Va., to complete his quartermaster officer course.
Their careers continued to parallel each other at their first duty assignments at Fort Bragg, N.C.

The Army assigned them to the same brigade, but they served in different battalions, said Dennis, who hails from Augusta, Ga.

“We were platoon leaders, executive officers, battalion staff officers and company commanders at the same time,” Lesley said.

During this time, the couple continued to communicate and their relationship blossomed and grew stronger, explained Lesley, an Atlanta native. They made it official by getting married May 29, 1999.

“Being with another person in the military, we both had a common understanding how things went, and with not rushing into starting a family, we were able to adjust [to deployments] a lot easier in the early years,” she said.

Lesley said the deployments made her realize that during their marriage, they were going to have to focus on balancing their time apart. They both realized there may come a time when they, as a military couple, would be separated due to their careers and, as a result, would have to work through the challenges, she explained.

At that moment, Lesley and Dennis stopped everything to map out a 10-year plan, she explained.

In the time that followed, they attended the Combined Logistics Captains Career Course at Fort Lee, Va., and the Combined Armed Services Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., together in 2001.

When terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon that same year, the military couple’s relationship changed forever.

Dennis and Lesley were roommates during the CAS3 course. They were on lockdown due to the attacks, and even after completing their schooling could not leave the post for several days. Lesley, who is a third-generation soldier, explained that the way the U.S. military does business has changed because the nation is at war.

Busier than ever with the new challenges of deploying to war, the couple focused on how they were going to manage their lives and work together as a team.

Lesley and Dennis said they love to plan, so they both adjusted their original 10-year plans, she explained.
Those plans brought them to Fort Hood, Texas.

Dennis deployed as the company commander of a forward support company with the 4th Infantry Division’s 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 near Tikrit. Lesley commanded the 297th Cargo Transfer Company, 180th Transportation Battalion, 64th Corps Support Group, 13th Corps Support Command. Her company deployed simultaneously to Cuba, Iraq and Kuwait, and her teams covered operations at 12 different logistical bases in Kuwait and Iraq during the initial Operation Iraqi Freedom rotation. During the next deployment, she pushed two platoons to Iraq in December 2004 and one platoon to Afghanistan in 2005.

After three years at Fort Hood, both received orders for 3rd Army at Fort McPherson, Ga., where they worked in the logistics section of the same headquarters.

“We worked together as a team, and it worked out very, very well,” she remarked.

Then one day, Lesley and Dennis’ lives would again be forever changed – this time when their son, Dennis Jr., was born in May 2007. The baby, who has started walking since Lesley and Dennis deployed, caused the military couple to review their plans yet again and make changes.

Lesley’s mother, Wilma Sims, takes good care of Dennis Jr. while his parents serve their country in Iraq. It is the first time, Lesley said, that she has ever had to rely solely on her parents, but she said her mother is doing a great job providing for her only grandson.

“I understand love in a different way than the way I did before,” she explained. “I understand loving my parents, loving my spouse; but the love for a child – it’s unconditional; it’s awesome! It inspires you to go above and beyond anything you ever expected.”

Dennis said that he also looks forward to redeploying, returning to family, his son and his home at Fort Hood, especially since he deployed nearly five months before Lesley.

“We have a 14-month-old boy, and I have been deployed for nine months, so I miss my son and haven’t had a lot of time to be with him,” Dennis explained.

Dennis returned to the 4th Infantry Division in March 2007, and Lesley reported to the 4th Sustainment Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command, in July 2007.

Dennis deployed to Iraq with the division logistics section in October as the liaison officer to 1st Cavalry Division. Lesley transferred to the 4th Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team and deployed to Iraq as the brigade’s logistics officer in March.

Dennis acknowledged that as both officers develop in their careers, it will be harder to continue to be stationed together.

“So far, the Army has been good at keeping us together,” he explained. “Even with this deployment, we were both in [Iraq] within a few months of each other and will redeploy back to the States within a few months of each other.”

“This has been a tough deployment,” Lesley said. “Leaving my baby was the hardest thing I did for this deployment. This has been one of our toughest years in the military – one of the toughest years, period.”

Both love to travel, Dennis said, and the couple has traveled to several renowned spots, from Paris to New York, where they took the opportunity to be tourists, eat out, catch a show, go to sporting events and attend the theater. They also love to cook together, added Lesley, who calls her husband her best friend.

“The only time we fight is over the kitchen,” she joked.
He makes the best lasagna, she said, and while she cooks the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, he cooks a Latin-style Christmas dinner with roasted pork and pastilles smeared with yucca paste wrapped in banana leaves.

“We are planning our next 10 years,” she added. “We’re looking at retirement homes. We’re looking where we want to retire.”

Lesley said she encourages military couples to work at their relationship as a team, and that she constantly looks for the little thing she can do today to make her marriage stronger.

Lesley said that she believes that if today’s military couples don’t have friendship established first, there are going to be difficulties in both their relationship and their military careers.

“Everyone knows that marriage is a big commitment,” she said. “No matter how big you think it is, it’s bigger than that.”

(Army Maj. Dave Olson serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 4th Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office. Army Sgt. Zachary Mott contributed to this story.)

Iraqi Dairy Factory Manager Sees Better Days AheadBy Army Sgt. David TurnerSpecial to American Forces Press Service FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU,

With his brother, Qahetan, managing the factory, Nu-Nu produces what Ahmed said is the best yogurt in

Locally made Iraqi products aren’t just a matter of pride with Ahmed. Imported products contain additives, he said, something he doesn’t need to do, since his products are shipped fresh and tested regularly. To demonstrate the quality, he opened a container of his yogurt and held it upside down, and the yogurt stayed inside. 

“You couldn’t do that with the imported stuff,” he said. “People in Basra and Nasariyah in the south or

The business, which currently employs about 175 people, used to employ nearly 300, but unsafe roads restricted fresh-milk deliveries from local farmers, reducing production. 

“We faced a hard situation when the insurgents and militias took over the neighborhoods here,” Ahmed recalled. “We faced a lot of problems, especially with the power.” 

The decline made room for cheaper, poorer-quality imported products in the marketplace. Unreliable power generation makes it difficult to keep machines working and products refrigerated. 

During a recent visit to Ahmed’s office, the lights went out twice. The two large generators, which provided most of the factory’s power, were so old and in such disrepair that they barely worked at all. 

Soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, attached to the 3rd Infantry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team, learned of the factory’s problems during an assessment of businesses in the area. They tracked down two one-megawatt generators at the Iskandariyah Industrial Complex, which the large, state-owned company was willing to donate. 

With a pair of heavy-equipment transporters, 2-502nd Infantry Regiment soldiers delivered the generators to Nu-Nu factory Aug. 5. Though slightly used, the generators represented a huge savings to the factory; purchased new, the pair would have cost almost $1 million. 

“We discovered this was something they were lacking, and not only would it bring revenue and jobs, but it would also help the whole country as well,” said Army Capt. Robert Slubowski, executive officer of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2-502nd Infantry Regiment. 

The generator delivery is only half the battle, though. The generators require repairs and maintenance before they can take over the job of supplying the factory’s electricity needs. The biggest obstacle is obtaining the parts, which may cost as much as $40,000. Slubowski, from

“We were able to save them quite a bit, so we’re hoping with that money, they will be able to get the parts they need,” Slubowski said. 

Slubowski said that although Nu-Nu isn’t exactly a small business, the downturn in production and competition with cheaper imports has left the company in dire financial straits. 

“They’ve been running at a loss pretty much since [2003] because of low productivity, but they’ve been able to come through. I think a lot of that money is coming from their other businesses they run or personal money,” he said. “I think that says a lot about their character.” 

Qahetan said he considered other business opportunities in Canada and the United Arab Emirates, but he and his brother decided to stay in

“[Ahmed] strikes me as a good guy who genuinely cares about his product and is proud of what he does,” Slubowski said. “He wants people to want to buy his product, not because it is one of the only ones available, but because it’s the best.” 

During a recent visit, Ahmed gave Slubowski a tour of the factory, insisting that he sample each product. Ahmed also pointed out a new facility at the factory, where plans are in place to begin producing meat products. If they are successful, Ahmed hopes expansion will put the factory back on solid ground. The good reputation his products enjoy will be the key to that success, he said. 

(Army Sgt. David Turner serves in the 3rd Infantry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team’s Public Affairs Office.)

Samarra, Iraq — “You were an American soldier here in 2006?” asks Abu Saif.

“Yes,” I reply.

“Then you remember the Al Bazzi tribe,” he slyly posits. “We were one of the groups shooting at you,” he winks.

“Oh, yes, I remember,” I recall, now wearing my own grin. “And we shot back.”

He nods.

With that, we part ways — but not before memorializing the moment with a photo.

The guys would not believe this. The Abu Saif I met today — leader in the Samarra Rescue Council — is not the Abu Saif we knew in 2006. Same goes for Abu Faruk, Abu Anis, and others in the room. All were High-Value Targets just two years ago — men we tried our damnedest to kill or capture — and today they are our partners.

For a soldier, it’s tough to square this circle — as I’d rather have avowed enemies six-feet under than six-feet in front of me; especially those who may have killed or injured a brother-in-arms. But today — embedded with a new unit in Samarra — I can more easily forget the memory of old enemies than the present threat of enduring ones. The friends of my brothers are — I suppose — my friends, and I’m witnessing the awakening I thought possible in 2006.

The story of the Samarra Rescue Council (Samarra’s “Sahwa,” or Awakening Movement) is complex, with every aspect of its development deserving detailed explanation. Yet I am certain of two things after witnessing the “Sons of Samarra” (SOS) firsthand: One, they would not be in existence today were it not for the persistence and foresight of brave Americans; and two, they are the single most important factor in Samarra’s dramatic, and quite sudden, turnaround. The brilliant counterinsurgency strategy I wrote about yesterday serves primarily to support this indigenous movement.

Ironically, the realization that an awakening movement was necessary came via our enemies’ actions. Am Muhamed, the provincial representative for the Samarra Rescue Council (SRC), says “after years of violence, we finally realized that al-Qaeda was only here to destroy our city.” That same realization is personal for the SRC chief, Sheik Khalid. He has lost 19 members of his family at the hands of al-Qaeda (and the affiliated Al Badri tribe), including his wife and eldest son. Al-Qaeda itself laid the groundwork for Sahwa.

Today, 2,200 SOS are paid to secure Samarra’s streets — with another 1,100 working as unpaid volunteers outside the city. Six months ago there were zero. The patrols I shadowed this week couldn’t go two blocks without seeing AK-47-toting SOS members in fluorescent vests alongside Iraqi Security Forces (ISF). Two years ago — and, I presume, six months ago — we could patrol for hours without seeing any Iraqi Police.

This cooperation between the SOS and both ISF and American forces — primarily “No Slack” Infantry battalion — is what makes the Samarra Sahwa movement work. Despite a great deal of initial resistance (heck, they were shooting at each other six months ago) the SOS work alongside formal ISF — Samarra police, national police, and the Iraqi army. They hold weekly coordination meetings, and even man joint checkpoints.

In most parts of Iraq, cooperation between so-called “Sunni militias” and conventional ISF is unheard of. In fact, Samarra’s top security officer — Major General Rasheed Al Hilfi — told me yesterday “the relationship between the SOS and ISF in Samarra is the best in all of Iraq.” This may be a stretch, but nonetheless, the predominately Shia National Police have had little trouble working alongside the Sunni SOS inside the city.

On the American side, cooperation has existed from the beginning. Unable to get support from the Iraqi government, the Samarra Sahwa movement’s six founders (two imams, two former Baath-party intelligence officers, one businessman, and one Saddam-era army colonel) — four of whom I met — eventually approached No Slack at their patrol base in the city. It was a risky proposition, but as they told me repeatedly, “from the beginning, the Americans were very serious about it.”

Initial meetings started in October of 2007, and quickly accelerated when they were synched with a parallel effort by U.S. Special Forces to facilitate the return of key leaders from Syria. Without No Slack’s initiative and Special Forces’ backroom handiwork, the movement would never have taken off. The Sahwa leaders were scared to face al-Qaeda, divided amongst themselves, and inherently skeptical of their former adversaries.

Negotiations continued in secret until mid-February, after which the SOS received four days of training at an American base and then were promptly dispatched to man checkpoints throughout the city. The first few weeks were tense, but al-Qaeda hadn’t seen it coming, and they were knocked off their feet. In the first 16 days of its existence, the SOS uncovered 19 massive weapons caches. The real power brokers had taken back their streets, and the Americans had their back. Almost immediately, attacks throughout Samarra died off, and today show no sign of resuscitation.

The movement’s founders admit that many — if not most — of their members are former insurgents. Yet they stress that most were never hardcore fighters, and their current participation in the SOS centers largely on the $250 they receive each month. Not a bad chunk of change in a city boasting a staggering unemployment rate. That said, the SRC seems to keep close tabs on their men, as I witness the council agree to expel 21 SOS members suspected of having continued al-Qaeda ties.

The events of March 28, 2008, provide the most glaring example I found that SRC leaders are not the shady back-stabbers our media has made them out to be. On this day, Am Muhamed and another former insurgent spent the afternoon briefing the entire No Slack officer corps. The topic: “Tactics of Samarra insurgents and how to defeat them.” The class included personal insights on how insurgents attack, how they escape, where they hide their weapons, amongst other tips. If only the guys could see this.

This is all great stuff, but will go for naught if Samarrans don’t abide. So how do the people feel? Everyone I spoke with reveres the SOS as “the heroes of Samarra.” One local shopkeeper summed it up thus, “With all due respect to the Coalition Forces, it was the Sahwa movement that brought the most security to the city. Today is the safest Samarra has been since al-Qaeda arrived in 2004.”

When I sat down two days ago to interview SRC leader Am Muhamed, he concluded the interview with a statement: “Please pass along a message to your government from me. Tell them to do everything they can to get my boys hired into the Iraqi Security Forces. If they don’t get hired, they will go back to being jobless . . . and we go back to the starting point.”

This is the future challenge of the SOS. Nearly all 2,200 want to join the ISF; and while General Rasheed al-Hilfi and other ISF leaders vow to do what they can to integrate them, the process will be slow, and will end in disappointment for many. On top of this, the Maliki government is suspicious of the program and the American military is hell-bent on reducing the “bridging mechanism” that is the SOS. The later point, however, we can control.

A general policy of reducing the “Sons of Iraq” rolls is correct, as they were never meant to be a permanent force. But some thought must be given to the security implications of radically reducing their numbers. To me, this arbitrary administrative “goal” smells eerily similar to the choreographed battle-space “handovers” many units hastily executed with Iraqi security units from 2004-2006, only to see the territory fall back into enemy hands.

Today, we have al-Qaeda five feet under, and yet could still snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. The SOS — and equivalent groups across Iraq — have transformed the entire war; and without them, Samarra, and all of Iraq, would not be where they are today — closer to self-sufficiency than they’ve ever been. Success, not speed, must remain our lodestar. And transferring Iraq’s Sons into the legitimate Iraqi Security Forces must be dictated by temperance, not administrative timelines.

— Captain Pete Hegseth of the Army National Guard served in Samarra, Iraq with the 101st Airborne from December 2005 to July 2006 and has returned there as an embedded correspondent for NRO as part of Vets for Freedom’s “Back to Iraq” effort.