Posted: 8/4/2007 6:07:39 AM EDT
Let's say someone I know was going to be deployed to the Haditha area sometime in the next year or so....... What's it like in that area now? I hear the dam itself is pretty nice, anyone been to any of the FOB's in the surrounding countryside? Heard insurgent activity has been at a minimum, but everyone's jaw-jacking about Ramadan being a fun month? |
| At this rate you will have a fairly quiet experience. The FOBs in that area are not luxurious. One of the TF Commanders out that way has requested permission to go to a softer PPE posture. Bad stuff happens, but not all that often. Look for major changes in this AO and don't be surprised to see your tasking change. I should be down South by the end of next month, but if you pass through Falluja/Ramadi before hand let me know. |
I heard they were even doing some patrols in soft covers! Thanks for the info. |
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The dam is nice and the rushing water keeps it a little cooler than anywhere else. At the dam life is pretty good but when I left they were still taking a lot of mortar/rocket fire. Most hit the water, but it only takes one lucky shot. Also, while I was there people working the gate got complacent. Some Iraq worker or workers got in with some IEDs set up in fire extinguishers. One went off but luckily didn't hurt anybody. The worst part of the dam is it is too safe and folks get too relaxed. The town of haditha is a bad place. Be 100% in the red at all times around that town. Those people are evil and very smart. |
You sure you are working off of current data? Cause things have changed a great deal in Anbar. |
A buddy of mine got killed in the town. he said the dam was good living, but that town sucks, major insurgent undercurrents there. Though that was '05 |
| My Haditha experience was in 05', but those folks in Haditha were smart enough to get names of individual Marines and Sailors and then start the propaganda ball rolling. that is a mark of some serious insurgent undertones. I know Ramadi got cleaned up since 05', but no idea about Haditha. I'm still be real careful anywhere near that town. |
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I was up that way in 06... the dam is nice........as long as you don't mind stairs- and for me staying on the first deck everything was up, but we weren't actually at the dam for very long so it wasn't too bad. do you have a sipr side email? i can send you a bunch of info on what's been going on up there lately... to sum it up- the triad has gotten pretty quiet- not ramadi quiet but definately not what it was. and iirc we don't own the dam anymore.... PM me and i'll get you a bunch of info on it... -Roth |
+1 in 05 that area needed to be wiped out. i moved between haditha and hit. there was a lot of activity in the haditha/haqlaniya/barwanah "triad" area. lots of bad people. the MSR's are were fairly safe because we patrolled them so heavily. the firm bases in hit weren't too bad, but not safe either. camp hit is fairly safe and we didn't get mortared much the last part of the deployment. i'm sure things have changed in that AO since i've been there. our BN task force lost 49 Marines and Sailors and i don't know how many wounded. stay safe and if you have specific questions, PM me or some of the others in this thread. |
Wow, good to hear. The Hiditha area was hell in 2005. Spent a lot of time there and lost some good friends. Hope the chow at the dam has improved, sucked walking up seven floors to get that shit 
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 I skipped alot of meals.
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I can guarantee this isnt happening. I have met and work with all the Commanders from MEF on down and they are strict as hell when it comes to wearing PPE. When we have VIPs visiting Haditha we are usually reminding them to wear their ppe, which is strange when the guy whom you are protecting made the policy about wearing your gear properly yet he isnt wearing it. It must be nice having a collar that heavy
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