Won't you be my neighbor

UPDATE: This should curtail some of the racket around base for a little while.

We've been spending a lot of time lately away from base, and out at the JSS's (Joint Security Stations). These are smaller company-level combat outposts that are situated in the middle of Baghdad neighborhoods. Some are manned by both Iraqi and American soldiers, some are purely American enterprises. The plan is to eventually turn all of these outposts over to Iraqi control over the course of the next year. There is certainly a downside to staying at the JSS's. For my part, I miss Internet connectivity the most. We sleep on cots or in beds that aren't ours. The food is mediocre. They're more crowded and dirtier than our quarters on base. There are no showers. On the upside, being away from the flagpole means that uniform standards are lower. You can actually walk around in a t-shirt and flip-flops without incurring the wrath of some irritable Command Sergeant Major. There is also a stronger sense of camaraderie and shared sacrifice with the guys out there that is much more elusive on the big mega-bases. Also, as of late, it actually feels somewhat safer out in the neighborhoods. Our base has come under increased rocket and/or mortar attack lately, which has resulted in a couple of deaths and dozens wounded. The thud of mortar rounds has become an almost nightly nuisance. I use the word nuisance because, really, that is all it is. In spite of the recent casualties, the impact of these attacks is mostly psychological, and strategically insignificant. They do little more than harass.

As conditions improve in Baghdad, the danger of complacency becomes increasingly relevant. On some of our recent patrols in Sunni neighborhoods, we have received the warmest, friendliest receptions of our tour. It is too easy to push the dangers of war to the back of your mind when you're sitting on lawn chairs in a well tended garden with children playing on the swing while you're being served fresh homemade lemonade and chatting about electrical problems and the price of propane. A brief anecdote illustrates the reverse side of this coin. At one house, as we pounded on the large metal gates to gain entry to the property, an old woman in a neighboring house panicked, "Oh no! It is the National Guard!" - meaning the Iraqi Army. Another woman said, "No, no. It is the Americans!" The old woman replied with obvious relief, "The Americans? Oh! Well, show them in! Offer them something to eat!" The Iraqi security forces are improving, but they still have along way to go before they truly earn the trust of the people. This is particularly true of the Sunni neighborhoods which chafe under the presence of dominantly Shia Iraqi Army and Police. The Sunni are still suffering the consequences of their refusal to participate in the political process and security force recruiting drives back in '03 and '04; a decision that most Sunni leaders now view as a grievous mistake on their part.