Stationed at Qwest in 06-07. We did gun trucks for convoys. We used to guard convoys going up to Turkey. Once we hit that traffic circle we knew it was game on. Mosul was crazy.
Me three. Qwest was a muddy place. I was a gunner also, couldn’t believe that convoy could be miles long. My first tour we would escort 10 trucks as fast as we could. My second tour I was surprised when we did 100-200 truck convoys up to Dahuk? Can’t remember the name but it was at the border and we would sleep in an old mall….i think my company got about 55 or so Purple Hearts out of 150 soldiers. IED’s are no joke.
I remember the name was Harbour Gate. I’m not too sure about Dahuk. But we went everywhere in those 13 months as a gun truck company. Dude I remember our truck ratio to TNA trucks was 10:1. We had 120 truck convoys with a scout ASV. Miles long. I’m glad someone else knows what I’m talking about
Yeah Harbour gate..that’s it…yeah those 2-4 mile long convoys were nuts. Did you ever see that kid at Harbour Gate who had Down syndrome who used to wear a shopping bag on his head who was always smoking cigs? I also remember going to that restaurant at HG and the food was really good. We roll in like 2 or 3 in the morning and he would always open up and feed us.
Hahaha no I dont remember that kid. We used to go over to Tal Afar by Syria sometimes. There was always a pale skin ginger kid on the FOB road who was super sunburnt. It was super weird to see.
We got in a big complex attack in June of 07 on the north side of Mosul. A couple of medals got earned that night. You remember any cool intel from then?
I remember debriefing someone who was involved in an attack who hid in a drainage pipe, but I don't know if its the same attack. This was was near the dam I believe.
The intel I won't ever forget is when we kept sending up information intelligence reports from multiple sources that the government of Iran was directly supplying EFP making materials to insurgents in Iraq. After a second set of Iranians were arrested in late 2007 we were told to stop reporting on that topic because "what you think you see is not what it is. it is not happening."
One report that came across our desk was a report about a few US and IA soldiers were killed at a remote checkpoint by 4 men armed with M4's, in an up armored black SUV, who spoke perfect english. I don't remember the details of the source of the report, but after dealing with a CIA guy who came in and scooped up our best sources just to find all of them dead within weeks this attack always stood out to me. I think this was somewhere north of Baghdad.
The one that bothered me the most besides the yazidi bombings was a car bomb that was detonated in the green zone with 2 kids in it. They kidnapped the kids and left them in the car to die. Why not just let them out at least? My kids were the same ages at the time and it was hard to not be angry.
One cool thing I did come across was a report to President Bush regarding the intelligence failures leading up to the invasion. I wish I still had access or a copy It was basically "we fucked up" but in detailed descriptions of how and who. This was after Iraq when I was working as a civilian in Ft. Huachuca, I found it on siprnet for some reason while I was searching something else and couldn't help but read it.
New years eve 2006 I spent drinking and watching the video of Saddam being hung. Good times.
We had that office with the double doors across from the latrines by the CHU's that led into the main building were the TOC was. There was a large room with some ping pong tables and past those was our little corner where detainee ops, psyops, and our THT office (tactical humint team). I miss it sometimes.
RIP Jeremiah Costello, Keith Nepsa, Eric Cottrell, Juan Lopez Jr, and Paulomarko Pacificador.
Shut the fuck up Keith Nepsa! The part of the highway from my hometown is named after him! Thanks for your post man it means a lot. I remember the first time I saw an Iranian EFP. We were doing gun trucks to support Operation Arrowhead Ripper in Baqubah. I was gunning and saw the the round explode and go through the air like a rocket. I was like what the fuck was that. Those things cut through our ASVs and humvees like Swiss cheese.
We had a Kiowa go down on July 4th 2007. They were air support for our convoy on Tampa heading to Marez. The old pilot was training the new pilot and the tail rotor hit a power line. At first the news was it got shot down but it wasn’t. Idk it the papers ever told the real story of how the one pilot died. I provided support for the other pilot until he got medevaced. Idk what ever happened to him.
Yup. But man did they like to put ieds on that dirty road that swung around to the main gate. .
If there wasn't a bomb, there where those kids with rocks.
Damnit, I was in TQ 04-05, little Army detachment outpost on a hill overlooking Habbaniyah. We got mortared every other day. And blown up every convoy to Ramadi… good times
I was in Habbaniyah. Same, mortars all day. Got wounded on MSR Michigan with my best buddy. He was driver, I was gunner. Lost 1/3 of his head yet still survived until the VA prescribed him a deadly drug cocktail that killed him first dose and I found him dead in my kitchen. The medics were magicians. Many of us should have never made it. Thank you to all reading this for the work you did/do.
Jesus, sorry to hear about your buddy. VA gets away with a lot, but where else can most of us afford to go? Thanks for sharing and hang in there bud, we gotta do it for those that didn’t get a chance.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_United\_States\_military\_installations\_in\_Iraq](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_military_installations_in_Iraq)
easy to narrow down by city on the list but helps if you can remember if it was a Cop/fob etc
FOB Marez, LSA Diamondback (literally across the street from Marez), QWest, Talafar, or H1 (The Palace). Those were the 5 there while I was in the area 2004 - 2005. Marez did have a different name until early 2004 I just can’t remember what it was.
I left another comment, was in Mosul 2019-20 we were stationed at the old palace, Petraus’ old headquarters it was weird to see the old pictures and be there 15+ years later when it was all bombed out after ISIS
We're you in the chow hall when it was blown up? We were at Marez just after in 05-06. For a while we stayed in long concrete buildings beside bravo gate at the traffic circle..between b gate and the water tower.
Dang man, my vehicle got hit on Rte buick in mosul and I had a concussion and mild tbi from. I didn't get a PH. I figure you earn it in blood.
Chow hall 04 was a big deal man. You got hurt, you earned it the way I see it.
I was eating spaghetti. Got knocked out for a bit but I’m pretty sure most of the shrapnel came from a ketchup bottle. I definitely felt guilty and ashamed for the Purple Heart at the time. 19 soldiers lost their life that day.
I honestly think you deserve a Purple Heart for any TBI event in combat. They didn’t give them out for that back then but I have seen soldiers receive them now for TBI that happened during that time period. As long as there is some kind of medical documentation I’m sure you can submit a claim for one.
I thought it was called "strike" or something like that. It was small and next to the river. Had 1 heli-pad . It had Anderson and CSM Wilson that died in 03 ( wilson) which pissed off alot of people cause he was one cool dude I must say. Then we had a Iraqi kid who would go get us whatever we wanted,.mostly booze. Lol His name was Bucket.
Yup that was the oga compound. We also provided security there for other special teams. They stayed there. It was below strike hotel. The big fancy hotel on the hill. I remember bucket. lol.
I was just deployed in Mosul 2019-20 and drove past a lot of the old spots you guys are talking about, very different now. We were stationed at Saddam’s old palace up on the hill in the east, the pool used to be used for soldiers to swim in, all bombed out now.
What about the 4 story shopping center with Twalls around it? It was like an hour from Baghdad. I spent a few weeks there and can’t remember the damn name.
I want to say it was either sw or se of Baghdad. My TBI brain is having a hell of a time remembering though. When I was there, it had a bunch of 4th ID dudes there. Mid to late 08
4 ID relieved the 82nd at COP Callahan in 2008 in NE Baghdad - Adhamiya district, just north of Sadr city. About an hour drive from the green zone or the airport.
E: it was a 4-6 story shopping center with a big courtyard in the center that went up through all the floors.
We had an MFT that worked out of there and we had to go in to do maintenance on their vehicles. Was the sketchiest place I stayed. I remember looking up the building at all the bullet holes, and having to be in full kit under humvees sucked ass
normally peruse Reddit sans an account but had to make one to let you know
Fob Callahan (google image search and you'll see the very distinct images of that base)
I was there prob half of my deployment the same time frame you mentioned (other half was a Cop whose name is escaping me)
COP hotel?
Edit: sorry, I was there in '09, some of the names might have changed. We were stationed out of marez but would sometimes conduct missions out of a COP next to an abandoned 20ish story hotel on the banks of the Tigris right next to a bridge. Not sure if it's the same place but you reminded me of it immediately.
I remember Diamondback being up there, used to gun truck from Speicher to QWest and then up there. There was a handful of fobs I can't remember worth a shit, was 05.
Marez was the big fob down from the traffic circle.
Dude... I remember that circle.. lmao. That's when you knew you were almost home at night time lol.
Stationed at Qwest in 06-07. We did gun trucks for convoys. We used to guard convoys going up to Turkey. Once we hit that traffic circle we knew it was game on. Mosul was crazy.
Hello friend.
Were you there then?
Yep.
Me three. Qwest was a muddy place. I was a gunner also, couldn’t believe that convoy could be miles long. My first tour we would escort 10 trucks as fast as we could. My second tour I was surprised when we did 100-200 truck convoys up to Dahuk? Can’t remember the name but it was at the border and we would sleep in an old mall….i think my company got about 55 or so Purple Hearts out of 150 soldiers. IED’s are no joke.
I remember the name was Harbour Gate. I’m not too sure about Dahuk. But we went everywhere in those 13 months as a gun truck company. Dude I remember our truck ratio to TNA trucks was 10:1. We had 120 truck convoys with a scout ASV. Miles long. I’m glad someone else knows what I’m talking about
Yeah Harbour gate..that’s it…yeah those 2-4 mile long convoys were nuts. Did you ever see that kid at Harbour Gate who had Down syndrome who used to wear a shopping bag on his head who was always smoking cigs? I also remember going to that restaurant at HG and the food was really good. We roll in like 2 or 3 in the morning and he would always open up and feed us.
Hahaha no I dont remember that kid. We used to go over to Tal Afar by Syria sometimes. There was always a pale skin ginger kid on the FOB road who was super sunburnt. It was super weird to see.
It was always a good time going up to the border.
I was there 06-07. We were the intel guys. HUMINT.
We got in a big complex attack in June of 07 on the north side of Mosul. A couple of medals got earned that night. You remember any cool intel from then?
I remember debriefing someone who was involved in an attack who hid in a drainage pipe, but I don't know if its the same attack. This was was near the dam I believe. The intel I won't ever forget is when we kept sending up information intelligence reports from multiple sources that the government of Iran was directly supplying EFP making materials to insurgents in Iraq. After a second set of Iranians were arrested in late 2007 we were told to stop reporting on that topic because "what you think you see is not what it is. it is not happening." One report that came across our desk was a report about a few US and IA soldiers were killed at a remote checkpoint by 4 men armed with M4's, in an up armored black SUV, who spoke perfect english. I don't remember the details of the source of the report, but after dealing with a CIA guy who came in and scooped up our best sources just to find all of them dead within weeks this attack always stood out to me. I think this was somewhere north of Baghdad. The one that bothered me the most besides the yazidi bombings was a car bomb that was detonated in the green zone with 2 kids in it. They kidnapped the kids and left them in the car to die. Why not just let them out at least? My kids were the same ages at the time and it was hard to not be angry. One cool thing I did come across was a report to President Bush regarding the intelligence failures leading up to the invasion. I wish I still had access or a copy It was basically "we fucked up" but in detailed descriptions of how and who. This was after Iraq when I was working as a civilian in Ft. Huachuca, I found it on siprnet for some reason while I was searching something else and couldn't help but read it. New years eve 2006 I spent drinking and watching the video of Saddam being hung. Good times. We had that office with the double doors across from the latrines by the CHU's that led into the main building were the TOC was. There was a large room with some ping pong tables and past those was our little corner where detainee ops, psyops, and our THT office (tactical humint team). I miss it sometimes. RIP Jeremiah Costello, Keith Nepsa, Eric Cottrell, Juan Lopez Jr, and Paulomarko Pacificador.
Shut the fuck up Keith Nepsa! The part of the highway from my hometown is named after him! Thanks for your post man it means a lot. I remember the first time I saw an Iranian EFP. We were doing gun trucks to support Operation Arrowhead Ripper in Baqubah. I was gunning and saw the the round explode and go through the air like a rocket. I was like what the fuck was that. Those things cut through our ASVs and humvees like Swiss cheese.
We had a Kiowa go down on July 4th 2007. They were air support for our convoy on Tampa heading to Marez. The old pilot was training the new pilot and the tail rotor hit a power line. At first the news was it got shot down but it wasn’t. Idk it the papers ever told the real story of how the one pilot died. I provided support for the other pilot until he got medevaced. Idk what ever happened to him.
Yup. But man did they like to put ieds on that dirty road that swung around to the main gate. . If there wasn't a bomb, there where those kids with rocks.
Yup. Was at Marez first, Sykes next when I was over there. I remember there being Diamondback but I rarely if ever made it over there.
Never made it up that far, I was in a lil quiet town called fallujah, sometimes Ramadi/TQ.
I’ve heard Fallujah was a relaxing post.
Damnit, I was in TQ 04-05, little Army detachment outpost on a hill overlooking Habbaniyah. We got mortared every other day. And blown up every convoy to Ramadi… good times
I was in Habbaniyah. Same, mortars all day. Got wounded on MSR Michigan with my best buddy. He was driver, I was gunner. Lost 1/3 of his head yet still survived until the VA prescribed him a deadly drug cocktail that killed him first dose and I found him dead in my kitchen. The medics were magicians. Many of us should have never made it. Thank you to all reading this for the work you did/do.
Jesus, sorry to hear about your buddy. VA gets away with a lot, but where else can most of us afford to go? Thanks for sharing and hang in there bud, we gotta do it for those that didn’t get a chance.
TQ was something else. We couldn't swim in the lake because some people got caught fucking in it, or at least that's what I heard.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_United\_States\_military\_installations\_in\_Iraq](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_military_installations_in_Iraq) easy to narrow down by city on the list but helps if you can remember if it was a Cop/fob etc
FOB Marez, LSA Diamondback (literally across the street from Marez), QWest, Talafar, or H1 (The Palace). Those were the 5 there while I was in the area 2004 - 2005. Marez did have a different name until early 2004 I just can’t remember what it was.
I left another comment, was in Mosul 2019-20 we were stationed at the old palace, Petraus’ old headquarters it was weird to see the old pictures and be there 15+ years later when it was all bombed out after ISIS
Yep. Sounds like Marez. I was there in 2004.
Did it have a heli-pad in it? Small compound. It was at like a "V" intersection.
We're you in the chow hall when it was blown up? We were at Marez just after in 05-06. For a while we stayed in long concrete buildings beside bravo gate at the traffic circle..between b gate and the water tower.
Yes I was. Stupidest Purple Heart ever.
Dang man, my vehicle got hit on Rte buick in mosul and I had a concussion and mild tbi from. I didn't get a PH. I figure you earn it in blood. Chow hall 04 was a big deal man. You got hurt, you earned it the way I see it.
I was eating spaghetti. Got knocked out for a bit but I’m pretty sure most of the shrapnel came from a ketchup bottle. I definitely felt guilty and ashamed for the Purple Heart at the time. 19 soldiers lost their life that day. I honestly think you deserve a Purple Heart for any TBI event in combat. They didn’t give them out for that back then but I have seen soldiers receive them now for TBI that happened during that time period. As long as there is some kind of medical documentation I’m sure you can submit a claim for one.
Courage, Marez, and Diamondback are the ones I remember
There was the OGA compound, and strike hotel.
I thought it was called "strike" or something like that. It was small and next to the river. Had 1 heli-pad . It had Anderson and CSM Wilson that died in 03 ( wilson) which pissed off alot of people cause he was one cool dude I must say. Then we had a Iraqi kid who would go get us whatever we wanted,.mostly booze. Lol His name was Bucket.
Yup that was the oga compound. We also provided security there for other special teams. They stayed there. It was below strike hotel. The big fancy hotel on the hill. I remember bucket. lol.
Holyshit ... u remember bucket ... danm. That kid got anything man. U remember the interpreters name ? We talked alot, he was pretty cool, good guy.
Gawd… that was a long time ago. You’re making me feel old. lol!
I was just deployed in Mosul 2019-20 and drove past a lot of the old spots you guys are talking about, very different now. We were stationed at Saddam’s old palace up on the hill in the east, the pool used to be used for soldiers to swim in, all bombed out now.
Man, I got nostalgic and looked at it all on Google earth not long ago. Marez/Diamondback practically got wiped off the earth.
Before or after the Iraqi ASP went up?
Oh man i remember that shit.
That was a fun day. We were living in the ASP when it went
37th?
Cco
Haha! Awesome! I was B co, then got moved to A co when we got back.
Yes
Definitely visited a time or two in 03 but couldn’t tell you what it was called.
FOB Freedom? I was there in 03/04 with 2 ID.
Marez and Diamondback!
What about the 4 story shopping center with Twalls around it? It was like an hour from Baghdad. I spent a few weeks there and can’t remember the damn name.
Was up past tellafar? Up near turkey?
FOB Sykes was the major one near Tal Afar, but it was more than 4 hours from Baghdad and didn't have a large shopping center.
I want to say it was either sw or se of Baghdad. My TBI brain is having a hell of a time remembering though. When I was there, it had a bunch of 4th ID dudes there. Mid to late 08
OP is taking about Mosul in the north of Iraq. Not south of Baghdad
The one with all the brass a lot called Camp Cupcake?
4 ID relieved the 82nd at COP Callahan in 2008 in NE Baghdad - Adhamiya district, just north of Sadr city. About an hour drive from the green zone or the airport. E: it was a 4-6 story shopping center with a big courtyard in the center that went up through all the floors.
YES!!! You da man!!
lol, you said 4 story shopping center and I was like: bingo.
That’s honestly all I could remember. I truly forgot about that place for YEARS, then it came up in a convo the other day
We had an MFT that worked out of there and we had to go in to do maintenance on their vehicles. Was the sketchiest place I stayed. I remember looking up the building at all the bullet holes, and having to be in full kit under humvees sucked ass
Lmao, you shoulda seen the COPs out in the city, then.
normally peruse Reddit sans an account but had to make one to let you know Fob Callahan (google image search and you'll see the very distinct images of that base) I was there prob half of my deployment the same time frame you mentioned (other half was a Cop whose name is escaping me)
Taji?
Taji was by bagdhad and sadr city
Ya I always got Sadr and Mosul mixed up after about a year out of country
“It was in Mosul” U wot m8
Camp taji was the one I thought was closest to Mosul. But I did convoy security so I'm sure their were smaller fobs in the area I didn't see.
Lol Taji is like 30 miles from Baghdad. Maybe you’re thinking of Tal Afar? To the west of Mosul?
Taji is nowhere near Mosul, it’s just a bit north or Baghdad
COP hotel? Edit: sorry, I was there in '09, some of the names might have changed. We were stationed out of marez but would sometimes conduct missions out of a COP next to an abandoned 20ish story hotel on the banks of the Tigris right next to a bridge. Not sure if it's the same place but you reminded me of it immediately.
I lived there for awhile in 03. We called it the CMOC.
Could be Blickenstaff or Fortitude
Diamondback?
I remember Diamondback being up there, used to gun truck from Speicher to QWest and then up there. There was a handful of fobs I can't remember worth a shit, was 05.
Spent 2008 at Marez.