Through an unexpected chain of events, Forward Operating Base (FOB) Falcon was my final destination Thursday night. The FOB, located in southern Bagdad, is the home of 4th Battalion 64th Armor Regiment. I had been scheduled to embed with HHC, the ‘Hell Raiser” company.[# More #]
When the U.S. Army pushed forward with the “Surge” early last year, they started putting together Combat Outposts (COP). The purpose of the COP was to place elements of American units in areas of the community with Iraqi National Police (INP) or Iraqi Army units. In doing this, it was believed that the Iraqis would be empowered through the support of these strategically placed COPs.
As I boarded the UH-60 Blackhawk in the darkness of Bagdad, my memory briefly ran back to my deployments. I was in the combat zone where I had once served. The aircraft ride to FOB Falcon took a little over an hour, as we landed to drop off and pick up troops along the way.
Once I arrived at the FOB, I was greeted by a Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) from the Public Affairs Office (PAO) who took me to the brigade headquarters. Due to the late time of evening, I was given a quick overview by the PAO officer and then shown to my quarters. The next day would begin my observation of our military’s progress in Iraq.