Finally home

1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division — March 6, 2007

MONTE MORINStars and Stripes

They made huge progressin Iraq. They also suffereddevastating losses and had

their tour extended. But whatmatters now is the soldiers of

1st Brigade Combat Team, are...

PAGE 2 · STARS AND STRIPES · 1ST BCT 1ST AD WELCOME HOME · Tuesday, March 6, 2007

BY GEOFF ZIEZULEWICZStars and Stripes

Despite the mass of forces that as-semble for deployment to a com-bat zone, war often is describedas a very personal experience. No

two soldiers take in the brutal and oftenchaotic surroundings in the same way.

But in Iraq, similarities inevitably arise:a local population that doesn’t always seemtrustworthy. Local authorities who canseem even less so. Frustrating missionswhere a soldier’s head is on a constantswivel.

The 1st Armored Division’s 1st BrigadeCombat Team saw a bit of all aspects of theIraqi experience during its recently com-pleted deployment.

Through a deployment that saw heavyaction for many soldiers in Anbar prov-ince, “Ready First” soldiers also worked towin the peace in places such as Sinjar andTal Afar, while overtly taking it to theenemy in hellish locales such as Ramadi.

Over the course of about 14 months onthe ground, 31 of the brigade’s soldierswere killed.

Back from war, many 1st BCT soldiersat Ray Barracks in Friedberg, Germany,last week seemed reluctant to talk abouttheir experiences, individually or collec-tively.

“What else is there to say?” Sgt. ThomasFleming, of the 2nd Battalion, 37th Armor

Regiment, said. “I wouldn’t recommendthat experience on anybody, or as a vaca-tion spot.”

While there’s not enough space to tell thestory of every brigade unit and soldier, itstarted for many on Jan. 5, 2006, when theyofficially said goodbye, 18 months after thebrigade’s first Iraq deployment.

The enemy had time to develop sincethat last deployment, and more days dur-ing the latest tour would be spent trainingand standing up Iraqi counterparts, bri-gade commander Col. Sean B. MacFarlandtold his soldiers on that cold, gray Januarymorning.

“Counterinsurgencies are tough,” hesaid. “Lawrence of Arabia likened it to eat-ing soup with a knife.”

By February, the brigade took commandof Tal Afar, a city of 250,000 about 40 milesfrom the Syrian border that had seen someprogress under the departing 3rd ArmoredCavalry Regiment.

On March 8, between Tal Afar and thecity of Mosul, Pfc. Ricky Salas Jr., a22-year-old attached to the 2nd Battalion,37th Armor Regiment, became the firstdeath of the new deployment. Four otherswere injured when a roadside bomb wentoff near Salas’ vehicle.

As the months progressed, many 1stBCT soldiers worked to take a more inti-mate approach to Tal Afar than their prede-cessors.

While the 3rd Armored Calvary Regi-

ment ground through in Bradley fightingvehicles and tanks after recapturing thecity, brigade troops relied more heavily onfoot patrols. The biggest challenge in TalAfar was winning over the people, and tohelp them understand that the soldierswere there to help, Fleming said.

More foot patrols in the city meant lessdamage for locals to get angry about, andalso offered troops a way to spot roadsidebombs and other potential dangers.

“Foot patrols are a risk, but you willhave the population talk to you,” Lt. Col.John K. Tien, the 2-37 commander, said inApril. “Dismounted patrols allowface-to-face contact, as opposed to contactat the end of a tank barrel. I think the peo-ple who are not terrorists also appreciatethe fact that we’re willing to get on thestreet and share the burden of risk withthem. There’s a psychological bondingthere.”

In Sinjar, an area of roughly 650,000 Ira-qis near Tal Afar, a different pictureemerged for soldiers from the brigade’s 1stBattalion, 37th Armor Regiment. In anarea with less day-to-day violence, soldiersstruggled to make it clear to the locals thatcoalition forces were not the cure-all totheir problems.

Like troops throughout Iraq, they weretrying to help the Iraqis stand on their own.

“If there’s a concern about people whoare participating in anti-government activi-ties — something about [bombs] or weap-

ons — that’s my jurisdiction,” Capt. AaronDixon, commander of the 1-37’s “Bulldog”Company, said in April. “But if the issue isabout one farmer fighting another, oneman being killed by another or a robbery,that’s the Iraqi police’s jurisdiction.”

The summer saw 1st Brigade forces bat-tling to take control of Ramadi, which is an-other story in and of itself.

In late September, as “Ready First” sol-diers continued to slog through, wordcame down that the brigade’s deploymentwas being extended 46 days. The brigadewas extended to allow a unit from the 3rdInfantry Division its minimum 12 monthsrespite before deploying.

“Overall, I understand why the decisionwas made,” Maj. Gen. Fred Robinson, 1stAD commander, said after the announce-ment. “But it doesn’t lessen your concernor pain.”

Instead of returning in mid-January ofthis year, brigade soldiers started gettingback to Germany in February and earlyMarch.

In a war that has sent some soldiers onthree tours already, it can inevitably gethard for some to gauge the impact their de-ployments have had on things overall.

The changing tides in Iraq often seem be-yond the purview of a squad, platoon, com-pany, regiment or brigade.

“I can’t say how the brigade did,” Flem-ing said. “I can’t say we did any good, orthat we did any bad either.”E-mail Geoff Ziezulewicz at:geoffz@estripes.osd.mil

AARON D. ALLMON II/Courtesy of the U.S. Army

Soldiers from Task Force 2-37, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division patrol Tal Afar, Iraq, as part of Operation Duke Storm.

Tragedy and progress in Iraq1st Brigade troops hit the streets to earn the trust of honest citizens

I think the people who are not terrorists also appreciate the fact that we’re willing to get onthe street and share the burden of risk with them. There’s a psychological bonding there.

Lt. Col. John K. TienCommander, 2nd Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment

Tuesday, March 6, 2007 · STARS AND STRIPES · 1ST BCT 1ST AD WELCOME HOME· PAGE 3

Sgt. Edward Shaffer1st Battalion,

36th Infantry Regiment

Though this 23-year-oldPennsylvanian had been in-jured earlier in his deploy-ment, Shaffer insisted on stay-ing. He died Dec. 27, 2006, inTexas, from injuries sustainedon Nov. 13 in Ramadi, when abomb detonated nearby.

Sgt. Bradley BesteTroop F, 1st CavalryRegiment (Brigade

Reconnaissance Troop)

Known as the epitome ofthe quiet, professional sol-dier, Beste, 22, of Illinois, wasin the midst of his secondIraq tour. He was killed Aug.4, 2006, in Ramadi, when amakeshift bomb went off.

1st Sgt. Aaron Jagger1st Battalion,

37th Armor Regiment

A fantastic guitar playerwho bent Army rules to helpone of his soldiers get his lifein order, the 43-year-oldMichigan resident was killedAug. 9, 2006, in Ramadiwhen a roadside bomb deto-nated near his Humvee.

Spc. Ignacio Ramirez1st Battalion,

37th Armor Regiment

The 22-year-old called Ne-vada home and joined theArmy out of a sense of patrio-tism and duty. He died onAug. 9, 2006, in Ramadi,after a makeshift bomb ex-ploded near his vehicle.

Spc. MatthewE. Schneider

141st Signal Battalion

Known as an intelligentcomputer-whiz, Schneider, 23,of New Hampshire, was eagerto learn everything he couldfrom those around him. Hedied of a heart attack on Aug.28, 2006, in Ramadi.

Spc. Andrew P. Daul1st Battalion,

37th Armor Regiment

Daul, 21, of Michigan, wasknown as a gentle giantwhose size, strength and gooddeeds were apparent to every-one. Daul died Dec. 19, 2006,in Hit, from injuries sufferedwhen a makeshift bomb deto-nated near his tank.

Staff Sgt.Robert L. Love Jr.16th Engineer Battalion

Love, 28, of Alabama, wasan eight-year Army veteranwho got along with every-body. He died Dec. 1, 2006,in Ramadi of injuries suf-fered when a roadside bombdetonated near his vehicle.

Pfc. David DietrichTroop F, 1st CavalryRegiment (Brigade

Reconnaissance Troop)

Known for his innerstrength and conviction, the21-year-old Pennsylvanianhad been in the Army for lessthan a year. He died Dec. 29,2006, in Ramadi from inju-ries caused by enemy fire.

Sgt. Nicholas Gibbs1st Battalion,

37th Armor Regiment

Known to various soldiersby colorful nicknames suchas “Giblet” and “Little Nick,”this 25-year-old North Caro-linian didn’t like being part ofhis unit’s rear detachmentduring the brigade’s firstIraq deployment. He diedDec. 6, 2006, in Ramadi frominjuries sustained when hewas shot while engaging theenemy from a rooftop.

Capt. Travis PatriquinHeadquarters and

Headquarters Company

A shaggy-haired officerknown as a rebel among hispeers, the 32-year-old Texanwas dubbed “Warrior” by Ira-qis who made him an honor-ary member of their tribe.Patriquin died Dec. 6, 2006,in Ramadi from injuries suf-fered after a makeshift bombdetonated by his vehicle.

Spc. VincentJ. Pomante IIIHeadquarters and

Headquarters Battery,2nd Battalion,

3rd Field Artillery Regiment

At 6-foot-5 and weighing189 pounds, Pomante, 22, ofOhio, was a high school wres-tling star and arguably thebest wrestler in the brigade.Pomante died Dec. 6, 2006,in Ramadi from injuries suf-fered when a roadside bombdetonated near his vehicle.

Pfc. Evan A. Bixler1st Battalion, 6th Infantry

Regiment, 2nd Brigade

Bixler, 21, of Wisconsin,was in the Army for aboutseven months. Though initial-ly barred from the Army be-cause of a medical condition,he received a waiver after afriend was killed in Iraq. Afterabout two months in Iraq, hedied Dec. 24, 2006, in Hit of in-juries during enemy fire.

Spc. AlanEugene McPeek

16th Engineer Battalion

The 20-year-old Arizona na-tive was on his final mission inIraq. As McPeek trained hissuccessor, a heavy roundstruck his forward operatingpost and killed him Feb. 2,2007, in Ramadi.

Pfc. Ricky Salas Jr.2nd Battalion,

37th Armor Regiment

A soldier who joined theArmy to give himself and hisfamily the chance to traveland have a better life, Salas,of New Mexico, was in themilitary for 18 months beforehe was killed March 7, 2006,in Mosul, when a roadsidebomb went off near his vehi-cle. He was the first “ReadyFirst” soldier killed in Iraqwith this recent deployment.

Remembering the fallen

Pfc. Jeremy W. Ehle1st Battalion,

36th Infantry Regiment

Known as a soldier whowas destined to do greatthings, Ehle, 19, of Virginia,was on his first duty assign-ment. He died of injuries sus-tained on April 2 when hisfoot patrol came under firenear Hit.

Pvt. Jody Missildine2nd Battalion,

37th Armor Regiment

The 19-year-old Florida na-tive had enlisted while still inhigh school, where he en-joyed wrestling and trackand field. Missildine told hisfamily he truly felt like a manwhen in uniform. He waskilled April 8, 2006, in TalAfar, when a roadside bombdetonated near his vehicle.

Staff Sgt.Emmanuel Legaspi

1st Battalion,36th Infantry Regiment

A native of the Philippineswho boxed for his nativecountry in the 1988 Olym-pics, “Manny” Legaspi, 38,had only lived in the Statesfor one year before joiningthe Army. He died of injuriessustained in Tal Afar on May7, 2006, when his unit cameunder fire.

Spc. Terry Lisk1st Battalion,

37th Armor Regiment

A soldier who was said tohave truly believed in theIraq mission, no matter thedifficulties, Lisk, 26, of Illi-nois, died June 26, 2006, of in-juries sustained in Ramadi,when his unit received indi-rect fire from enemy forces.He was posthumously pro-moted to sergeant.

Sgt. Mark Vecchione1st Battalion,

37th Armor Regiment

Though he was in com-mand of his own tank, Sgt.“Vecc” volunteered to fill inas gunner on another beforea patrol. The borrowed ridegot hit by a roadside bomboutside the wire. Vecchionejumped to safety, only to landon another makeshift explo-sive. The 25-year-old Arizo-nan died from those injurieson July 18, 2006, in Ramadi.

Capt. Jason WestHeadquarters and

Headquarters Company,1st Brigade

A rising star in the Armywith a future that appearedlimitless, West, 28, of Pennsyl-vania, had a ton of friends andtreated everyone as equals.He died on July 24, 2006, inRamadi from small-arms fire.

Spc. Shane Woods1st Battalion,

37th Armor Regiment

The 23-year-old Alaskanhad wanted to be in theArmy since he was a child.In addition to his patriotism,Woods donated a portion ofeach paycheck to support anorphanage in India. He diedon Aug. 9, 2006, in Ramadi,when a roadside bomb wentoff near his vehicle.

Staff Sgt.Clint J. StoreyTroop F, 1st CavalryRegiment (Brigade

Reconnaissance Troop)

The kind of guy who couldplay cards all night long yetstill be good to go in themorning with nothing but acoffee and a Red Bull, the30-year-old called Oklahomahome. Storey was killed onAug. 4, 2006, in Ramadi,when a roadside bomb deto-nated near his vehicle.

Sgt. Marquees QuickTroop F, 1st CavalryRegiment (Brigade

Reconnaissance Troop)

A noncommissioned offic-er who loved everything mili-tary and called Alabamahome, the 28-year-old Quickhad re-enlisted against hisfamily’s wishes. He died onAug. 19, 2006, in Ramadifrom injuries sustained dur-ing a grenade attack.

Sgt. DavidJimenez Almazan

1st Battalion,36th Infantry Regiment

A medic who was new to the1-36, the 27-year-old calledCalifornia home and was amentor for soldiers who calledhim “Doc.” Almazan died in aroadside blast in Anbar onAug. 27, 2006. In November,Almazan’s wife received hisnaturalization certificate, mak-ing him a citizen of the coun-try for which he died.

Sgt. Mario Nelson1st Battalion,

36th Infantry Regiment

A native of Haiti, the26-year-old joined the Armyafter helping with recoveryefforts as a National Guards-man at the World Trade Cen-ter after 9/11. Nelson died onOct. 1, 2006, from injuriessustained when a rocket-pro-pelled grenade detonatednear his vehicle in Hit.

Sgt. MichaelWeidemann1st Battalion,

36th Infantry Regiment

The son of a Navy Seabeewho was drawn to the orderand regimentation of the mili-tary, Weidemann, 23, ofRhode Island, countedwrenching on cars and com-petition shooting as hobbies.He was killed Oct. 31, 2006, inHit from injuries sustainedwhen a makeshift bomb deto-nated near his vehicle.

Spc. DouglasC. Desjardins

2nd Battalion,37th Armor Regiment

Desjardins, 24, of Oregon,loved a good laugh. He enlist-ed to serve his country andprotect those he loved. Hedied Nov. 5 in Ramadi frominjuries sustained when amakeshift bomb detonatednear his M1A1 Abrams tank.

Sgt. Angel De JesusLucio-Ramirez

16th Engineer Battalion

The 22-year-old Califor-nian served with the battalionduring its first Iraq tour fromMay 2003 to July 2004. Hewas enthralled with the Armyfrom a young age, and wasmotivated to enlist after 9/11.He died Nov. 11, 2006, in Ra-madi from injuries sustainedwhen a makeshift bomb deto-nated near his vehicle.

Cpl. Jon-Erik LoneyCompany A, 1st Battalion,

6th Infantry Regiment,2nd Brigade

Assigned to the 1st Bri-gade but originally from thedivision’s 2nd Brigade, this21-year-old Alabaman hadan infectious smile and senseof humor. Loney died Nov.28, 2006, in Hit of injuries sus-tained after a roadside bombdetonated near his vehicle.

Staff Sgt. WilliamS. Jackson II

16th Engineer Battalion

Any hour of the day, this29-year-old Michigan nativewas ready to talk to his sol-diers about anything. Jacksonhad served in Afghanistan asa Marine in 2002, but wentArmy after a break in ser-vice. He died Nov. 11, 2006,in Ramadi of injuries suf-fered when a homemadebomb went off near his vehi-cle during combat operations.

Staff Sgt.Misael Martinez

16th Engineer Battalion

Martinez, 24, of North Caro-lina, was on his third tour.While no man or woman isfearless, Martinez used thatinevitable fear as fuel to over-come what he faced. He diedNov. 11, 2006, in Ramadi of in-juries suffered when a bombdetonated near his vehicle.

of the 1st Brigade Combat Team

PAGE 4 · S T A R S A N D S T R I P E S · W E L C O M E H O M E · M A Y 2 0 0 7 · PAGE 5

BY MATT MILLHAMStars and Stripes

In war, as in life, turning points usually are recognizedonly in hindsight.

Such is the case in Ramadi, according to Col. SeanB. MacFarland, commander of the 1st Brigade Com-bat Team, 1st Armored Division, who led U.S. troops

there until late last month.Ramadi, in the southwest corner of the so-called Sunni

Triangle, has been one of the deadliest areas for U.S.troops over the nearly four-year war in Iraq. When Mac-Farland’s brigade, the “Ready First”, arrived there in May2006, it was Iraq’s most violent city, with attacks there ac-counting for nearly half of all attacks in Iraq on some days.

MacFarland was given two bits of guidance going in:“Fix Ramadi, and don’t create another Fallujah. In otherwords, don’t destroy it in the process,” he said.

The brigade knew Ramadi was no Tal Afar, where mostof the troops had spent the first three or so months of theirIraq tour. Tal Afar was an ethnically diverse city wheresome people greeted the Americans as liberators andmade, as MacFarland called them, “built-in allies.”

Ramadi, on the other hand, was dominated by Sunnis, in-cluding a large number of former Iraqi officers and Sadd-am loyalists.

U.S. commanders hadn’t committed nearly enough forc-es to overwhelm the city, as had been done in Fallujah andTal Afar. The plan instead was to take the city one piece ata time.

Less than a week after taking responsibility there,“Ready First” — aided by intelligence, special operationsforces and what MacFarland called “three-letter agen-cies” — began establishing a ring of outposts in insurgentstrongholds in a campaign to wrest key terrain from the in-surgency.

They methodically routed the insurgents from the areas inwhich they were strongest by implementing a variation ofthe “clear, hold and build” tactics that had tamed Tal Afar.They rolled into al-Qaida in Iraq strongholds, seized housesand set up combat outposts in the terrorists’ backyards.

“This is like the enemy putting a little safe house next toour chow hall,” Capt. Michael P. McCusker, commanderof Company B, 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, wasquoted as saying in an Aug. 21 Stars and Stripes article.“They don’t like this at all.”

“In my experience in the Army, that was probably thebest working relationship I had, interagency, joint, conven-tional, unconventional all working together to achieve acommon aim,” MacFarland said.

But for the most part, the brigade made little headway ingetting Ramadi’s citizens to join the fight against the insur-gency, MacFarland said. That is, until Aug. 21. That day, aninfluential sheik in a Ramadi suburb was killed by al-Qaida

in Iraq militants, who held his body for four days and pre-vented him from being buried in the Muslim tradition.

“That was the decisive miscalculation by al-Qaida thatwe were able to exploit and that will ultimately lead to thedownfall of AQ in al-Anbar province,” MacFarland said.“Al-Qaida had its Waterloo.”

However, at the time, the sheik’s slaying wasn’t recog-nized as a possible tipping point.

But shortly after the sheik was slain, a group of sheiks —mostly from Ramadi, but some from other parts of Anbar aswell — banded together to form a movement against the in-surgency. They call it the “Anbar Awakening” movement.

The sheiks aligned with the movement had had enoughof the insurgency. They told MacFarland they wanted tohelp the Americans root out al-Qaida in Iraq. The decisionhad an immediate impact on the battle for Ramadi.

“Wherever one of these tribes joined the awakeningmovement, attacks on American forces in that tribal areaceased,” MacFarland said. “It was phenomenal.”

Almost overnight, police recruiting shot up as sheiks re-cruited members of their own tribes to join the force.There were only about 140 police in Ramadi, a city ofroughly 400,000, when the brigade rolled in, and those po-lice didn’t patrol. By the end of January, there were morethan 4,000 police.

“You’ve taken away every non-altruistic reason fordoing this. It’s not for money. It’s not because they’ll be tak-ing over a militia. It’s not because they’ll be getting anypower out of it,” Capt. Thomas Breslin, a member of the2nd Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment, was quoted as say-ing in a Jan. 17 Stars and Stripes article. “They’re defend-ing their homes.”

The tribes, with American backing, accomplished morein Ramadi and its suburbs since the awakening than U.S.and Iraqi government forces together had in nearly threeyears there.

“I saw a lot more cooperation and honesty from the tribesthan I saw from the Iraqi government,” MacFarland said.

One of his goals was to get the tribes to join the govern-ment, in the hope that some of that cooperation and hones-ty would transfer over. That process was starting when thebrigade left last month.

“The objective, what you’re really fighting for, is controlof the people. And the tribes control the people,” MacFar-land said. “And when the tribes step up and say, ‘Hey wewant to work with the coalition,’ you’ve won.”

He acknowledges, however, that the battle there isn’tover. Some of the most hard-core enemy fighters remainholed up in the city’s downtown, where operations to routthem are ongoing.

“There’s still hard fighting to be done,” MacFarlandsaid confidently, “but the decisive victory has alreadybeen won.”E-mail Matt Millham at: millhamm@estripes.osd.mil

Jan. 5, 2006The 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division holds its deploy-ment ceremony in Friedberg, Germany.

Feb. 19“Ready First” takes responsibility for an area of northwestern Iraq thatincludes Tal Afar.

March 7Pfc. Ricky Salas Jr., 22, of Roswell, N.M., is the first 1st Armored Division

soldier killed during the deployment. Salas, a member of the 2nd Battal-ion, 37th Armor Regiment, died when a roadside bomb hit his vehicle.

March 20President Bush points to military successes in Tal Afar, drawing insur-gents’ attention to the city. Attacks against U.S. troops there increase.

April 15Operation Duke Storm rounds up some 1,200 Iraqi men in Tal Afar —roughly 5 percent of the city’s population — and results in roughly 100 in-surgents arrested without a shot fired.

April 21The brigade’s monthlong boxing tournament wraps up with four cham-pionship bouts in Tal Afar.

May 3“Ready First” hands security responsibilities for the western bordercity of Sinjar to an Iraqi army battalion.

May 21Col. Sean B. MacFarland arrives in Ramadi. Most of the brigade movesfrom Tal Afar with him around the same time. The brigade’s 1st Battal-ion, 36th Infantry Regiment remains in Hit, while the 2nd Battalion, 37thArmor Regiment remains in Tal Afar.

June 11“Ready First” assumes responsibility for the greater Ramadi area. Al-most immediately afterward, the brigade begins a “clear, hold and build”strategy by establishing combat outposts in some of the city’s toughestneighborhoods.

July 14MacFarland tells reporters that as his unit continues to establish newcombat outposts in Ramadi he’s growing more confident that a Fallu-jah-type offensive is not going to be necessary.

Aug. 2The brigade launches the biggest battle of its campaign to tame Rama-di. A Navy SEAL is killed in the fighting, 12 insurgents are confirmed dead,and about 15 other enemy fighters are assumed dead.

Aug. 3Insurgents respond to U.S. forces by launching a two-hour assault onCombat Outpost Falcon. No U.S. troops are killed.

Aug. 9A roadside bomb kills 1st Sgt. Aaron D. Jagger, 43, of Hillsdale, Mich.,and two other soldiers. Jagger, who was the Company C, 1st Battalion,37th Armor Regiment first sergeant, is the highest-ranking enlisted sol-dier to die during the deployment.

Aug. 21Insurgents gun down the patriarch of the Abu Ali Jassim tribe, whichmakes up much of the Jazeera area’s new police force. Soon after, someof Anbar’s other sheiks band together to form the Anbar AwakeningMovement, which allies itself with the U.S.

Sept. 1Soldiers from the Giessen, Germany-based 16th Engineer Battalion andMarines with the Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based 2nd Combat Engineer Battal-ion are well into the demolition of an eight-block section of Ramadi oppo-site the city’s embattled government center.

Sept. 11A leaked Marine intelligence analysis of Anbar province reportedlyclaims military operations in the area, which includes Ramadi, are facinga stalemate. The analysis, by some accounts, is believed to contend thatthe U.S. has already lost in Anbar.

Sept. 25Army officials announce that about 3,900 soldiers assigned to the“Ready First” Combat Team will have their tours extended by 46 days.

Sept. 29MacFarland tells reporters that the situation in Ramadi has tipped infavor of U.S. forces, citing local sheiks aligning themselves with the U.S.,and police recruiting since increased tenfold.

Oct. 20The 2nd Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment hands responsibility for TalAfar’s security over to Iraqi forces. The battalion rejoins the bulk of thebrigade in Ramadi.

Dec. 6Two soldiers and a Marine are killed in west Ramadi in a tribal areathat had recently aligned with U.S. forces. The tribe, Abu Alwan, takesthe attack on U.S. troops personally, and within 10 days, those responsi-ble are killed or captured.

Jan. 10, 2007Brigade and local leaders meet at a reconstruction conference orga-nized by the brigade.

Jan. 19Latif Obaid Ayadah, the newly appointed mayor of Ramadi, moves intohis office at the Joint Coordination Center and begins meetings withAmerican and Iraqi troops to discuss security and reconstruction.

Jan. 29Marine Maj. Gen. Richard Zilmer talks about progress in Ramadi andtells the press: “We control the entire city.” About half of Ramadi is stilldangerous, he said.

Feb. 2Spc. Alan E. McPeek, 20, of Tucson, Ariz., a member of the 16th EngineerBattalion, is the last soldier assigned to “Ready First” to die in Iraq. Heand the replacement he was training were both killed by a large-caliberround from a recoilless rifle.

Feb. 10The first planeload of “Ready First” soldiers touch down in Germany. Inless than a week’s time, about 2,000 troops are back, with only a handfulstill in Iraq.

Feb. 18After eight months of fighting in Ramadi, the “Ready First” hands re-sponsibility of the area to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Divi-sion, which is now on its third Iraq tour.

MONTE MORIN/Stars and Stripes

First Lt. Miguel Santana, 35, of Miami, inspects a family’s AK-47 rifle during a cordon-and-search operation in Ramadi,Iraq, on an early August morning.

Awakening Ramadi

A year in Iraq

That was the decisive miscalculation by al-Qaida that we wereable to exploit and that will ultimately lead to the downfallof AQ in al-Anbar province.… Al-Qaida had its Waterloo.

Col. Sean B. MacFarlandCommander, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division

Troops, tribes find common ground and success

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