SOUTHASIA Online

Paul Rieckhoff arrived in Baghdad May 1, 2005 to begin conducting operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The initial combat was over, but his infantry platoon of 38 national guardsmen inherited a more frustrating mission: to participate in counterinsurgency operations in order to stem the tide of violence in sections of Baghdad.

His eleven months in theatre were typical for the over one million United States soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen who have participated in the global war on terror. In his seminal work, Chasing Ghosts: failures and Facades in Iraq, Rieckhoff explains with great detail the frustration of counterinsurgency as well as the constant motivation a platoon leader needs to get himself and his troops to complete their mission, stay task oriented, and deal with the thousands of people he encounters daily from a culture very few Americans know and understand.

Chasing Ghosts gives a first person account of the platoon-leaders experiences from working for clean-up crews during the September 11th attacks, journeying to Iraq and returning home in time for the 2004 election, to his formation of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Association (IAVA). In spite of the fact that Rieckhoff's tone is extremely blunt, his deeply humanist perspective allows Americans to see how certain vital mistakes early in the 2003 invasion planted the seeds of subversion which  hindered operational success later.

Throughout the book Rieckhoff positions himself to be not just empathic towards the plight of the Iraqi civilian population, but provides a rare and unique window into the perceptions, the tension and the constant alertness which takes its toll on the psyche of soldiers. His work is a breath of fresh-air for a much needed understanding of what our troops go through as they interact with hostile environments and heated situations on a daily basis.

One particularly poignant moment involved his platoon cordoning off a hospital only to find a storage of trailers of dead bodies and mutilated limbs. Yet Rieckhoff balances these moments of terror, with the hope of helping protect a school from sectarian violence. During his tour he saw not only shortcomings, but also ways to improve and continue the mission of bringing stability in his own particular section of Baghdad. His position is one few people get to experience and is quintessential to understanding the larger picture of what happened during the early years of the War.

Rieckhoff's story shows that while it only took three weeks to take over one of the largest countries in the Middle East, security and planning were critically absent resulting in months of chaos and crimes which allowed the insurgency fester and grow. Rieckhoff's work reiterates the fact that the United States military is the most powerful fighting force in the world and has the irrefutable capacity to destroy any threat. Nonetheless, where glory during war-time has oftentimes been venerated throughout history and classical texts, we seldom find accounts of the realities and psychological impact war has on even the most hardened troops and soldiers like Reickoff who faced stymies, causing hardships and scars for civilian populations and military servicemen alike.

Yet in Iraq, the United States military seems to be learning from their mistakes and progress is gradually taking root. While extremists on both sides of the political spectrum in America and around the Islamic World try to judge things based on their perspective of right and wrong, it seems that this blurred vision and skewed interpretation characterize most perspectives of the Iraq war.

While people complain about troop levels being too high or too low, American soldiers and Iraqi civilian and military structures are consistently fighting to instill government and give control back to the Iraqi leaders. What no military can ever do is to heal wounds of the past. Samuel Huntington referred to this as the Clash Of Civilizations that Reickoff experienced first hand in his attempt to make Iraqis look past differences and focus instead on national peace. As the world’s superpower, the United States’ policy makers need to realize that mistakes affect and can cause grave damage to the rest of the world. The 2008 election might be the most key battle for Iraq and Afghanistan, because defeat is not a word American servicemen and women use lightly, and politicians ultimately decide whether to stay or withdraw.

Paul Rieckhoff and the IAVA will be critical in determining what happens in Iraq and Afghanistan particularly those policies which concern the American Veteran. While Americans consistently tout their party line, regardless of disaster or triumph, it is important for all Americans to acknowledge that progress is being made resulting in a new Islamic democracy. Lives will be lost and more will certainly suffer due to the effects of these two parallel wars no matter if America withdrawals from Iraq or NATO from Afghanistan. What is important though is that eventually the countries of Iraq and Afghanistan will benefit from our presence there. While most people find it hard to believe that anything positive can result from war, it is important to remember that our world stability hinges on the success of the Middle East.  

Ryan Bartkowski graduated from Clemson University with a degree in Political Science. He lives in southwestern Oklahoma.

PRAISE FOR CHASING GHOSTS from www.paulrieckhoff.com

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