Chosen Soldier - Dick Couch [191]
We rolled back into the Special Forces compound shortly after daylight with twelve detainees. The little task group was after four targeted individuals—insurgents known by name with an active history of violence, intimidation, insurgent support, and IED activity. We got three of them. The others were brought out because they had multiple weapons, explosives, or documents in their houses that tied them with insurgent activity. Bringing out detainees, even documented insurgents, is not a grab-and-go business. Each detainee and his house has to be searched, and the results of that search documented. Each detainee’s personal documents are taken from him and put in a ziplock-type bag and hung around his neck. He is then cuffed and blindfolded, and placed in one of the vehicles.
The marines were tasked with finding and capturing the head insurgent hiding in this village. Their job proved to be easier, or harder, depending on your perspective. Their target eluded them initially, but the insurgent leader and five of his bodyguards ran into one of the Marine security elements. They made the mistake of trying to fight it out with them. The marines killed all six, and cut off the head of the insurgent snake in this area. One marine was slightly wounded. When the ODA got this report later in the morning, the men were happy for the marines, and maybe even a little bit jealous.
The marshaling and management of the detainees was an operation unto itself. It took time and attention to detail, and had to be done properly in order to document the conditions of their detention so these insurgents could be dealt with appropriately. Their capture, detention, documentation, interviews, and transport had the makings of a crime-scene investigation as much as a combat operation. Each was given a quick medical examination by the team medics to ensure he was fit for transport. Most of the communication with the detainees was through interpreters. Two of these interpreters were permanently assigned to this ODA, and two others were brought along from the AOB for this operation. Two were U.S. citizens, one a local Iraqi national, and one an Iraqi national living in the United States awaiting citizenship. All were civilians, and all were under contract with the Department of Defense.
“I grew up in Basra and I came to the United States about six years ago,” one of them told me. “I live in East Lansing [Michigan] and I’m a crane operator, but soon I will be an American citizen.” Before I could ask how it was to be back, he told me. “I love Iraq and I love Iraqis. They are a good people, and they deserve justice. These insurgents, they deserve justice as well—swift justice. I hate them for what they are doing to my country—my country, Iraq, and my country, America.” He went on to tell me how we should be handling detainees, and it was quite a bit different than the criminal-apprehension, chain-of-custody, civil-liberty-awareness treatment that I observed. I had watched him during the operation and during the field interrogations. He was conscientious and passionate—a great asset to the team. On my way out of Iraq, I met him in Balad. He was heading for the U.S. consulate in Germany to finalize his citizenship.
While the team bent to the tedious task of processing the detainees, I was able to spend a few minutes with the Civil Affairs team and their team leader, a Civil Affairs major. “We’re here to assist ODA and to do what we can for the locals, both to build confidence in the new government in Baghdad and to make the people a little more trusting of us.” He showed me