Inside the Elephant

An Army commander tells eight stories.

By Paul Staheli '98

Most people’s experience of war and combat is confined to Hollywood movies, television news reports, and stories told by uncles and grandfathers. But war isn’t like any of those stories. War changes everything. It’s not like the movies. In the war I was in, in Iraq, the hero does not walk away into the sunset after the last round is fired; instead he wakes up three hours later and goes out on patrol again. The weak and cowardly rarely have a change of heart. There are incredibly long hours of boredom on rooftops waiting for the enemy to attack. The anxiety of waiting for the unseen but all-too-present improvised explosive device to detonate cannot be felt through the TV screen or captured on camera. Nor can anyone, including me, ever really explain the unbreakable bonds among men who have shared a guard post under fire, or hidden in a bathtub while rocket-propelled grenades destroyed the walls around them.

We called the war the elephant. We heard it roar and we smelled its stench.

Here are some stories from inside the elephant.

Jose, Ar Ramadi, Iraq

Jose was a specialist with Able Company. He departed the base to establish vehicle control points on the east side of the city. His M-240 gun was mounted on a truck. At approximately 1300 he turned his gun over to his assistant gunner and accompanied a security patrol on the company’s flank. A taxi was observed watching the company. Jose’s squad was ordered to close with the taxi and detain the occupants for questioning. As his squad approached the taxi, it rapidly departed, triggering an intense enemy ambush. Two of Jose’s squadmates were immediately wounded and the whole team pinned down. Jose returned fire, which allowed the two wounded soldiers to be dragged to cover. He then maneuvered under heavy enemy fire into a house and returned fire on the concealed enemy from the second floor. While repositioning, one of his teammates was wounded and unable to make it to cover. Though under increasingly heavy fire, Jose immediately ran forward and dragged the soldier to cover and stopped his bleeding.

Jose’s team moved to the rooftop. While climbing the stairs, his team leader was wounded in the groin and began bleeding profusely. Through heavy enemy fire Jose dragged him behind cover but was unable to save his life. Jose then moved to an elevated position and laid down heavy fire so that the three wounded soldiers could be evacuated. Through intense enemy fire Jose refused to quit his post.

Intelligence estimates are that Jose’s squad was ambushed by an eight- to ten-man element with AK-47s, RPGs, and an RPK machine gun. The enemy also reinforced with up to five additional enemy personnel. During the fighting, Jose’s platoon took 23 detainees, killed five enemy personnel, and destroyed two bunkers. Jose continued to man his position throughout the night, allowing other soldiers the opportunity to sleep before him. As dawn broke the next morning, Jose’s platoon was ordered to clear a section of the city. They again received heavy small arms contact from the northeast. Jose’s platoon was pinned down by machine gun and AK-47 fire. Though under direct fire, Jose and his gun crew immediately occupied a second story firing position and placed effective fire on the enemy. The volume of fire Jose placed on the enemy broke their ambush position and allowed his platoon to continue their assault.

Intelligence estimates are that Jose’s platoon faced 5 to 7 enemy personnel armed with AK-47s and light machine guns. It is believed that 2-3 enemy personnel were killed in the engagement, and 8 personnel were detained for insurgent activities or supporting insurgent activities.

Following this contact, Jose’s platoon continued to clear the sector. During Operation Badger, Jose’s platoon conducted 42 hours of non-stop combat operations, cleared six square kilometers of terrain, killed seven enemy insurgents, wounded an unknown number of insurgents, and detained thirty-one insurgents or supporters.

Michael, Ar Ramadi, Iraq

Michael, a sergeant who had been wounded in the first Gulf War and was one of the few soldiers in the company with combat experience, departed the base just before daybreak in order to establish a vantage point at an intersection used heavily by insurgents to traffic weapons and munitions into Ar Ramadi. At 1300, his platoon came under intense enemy fire from RPGs, PKCs, and AK-47s at close range. Three soldiers were wounded in the enemy’s initial volley. The enemy’s intense fire prevented the platoon’s medic and lightly armored medical vehicle from moving forward and evacuating the wounded soldiers. The company commander ordered gun trucks to move up toward the enemy’s position. Michael and platoon’s medic refused to move their vehicle forward to aid the wounded soldiers after their vehicle was hit with a dud RPG. Sensing the platoon’s loss of initiative, the company commander’s vehicle and a wingman assaulted the enemy’s fortified positions. The frontal assault forced the enemy to move and allowed the medic to move up and treat the wounded soldiers. Michael’s gun truck then escorted the medical vehicles with the three wounded soldiers back to the battalion aid station and then returned to the fight.

During this and numerous other engagements with the enemy, Michael never placed himself in harm’s way, but he was never relieved for his actions.

John, Ar Ramadi, Iraq

John was the typical handsome all-American kid from Texas. He loved football, cars, and hanging out with his friends. After high school, John enlisted in the Army Reserves. On September 11, 2001, John’s unit was immediately assigned to the Pentagon to recover the remains of personnel killed in the attack. He never spoke of the horrors he saw, but maturity and resolve emanated from the man. After his tour at the Pentagon, John chose reassignment to active duty. He was sent to Korea and assigned to a fire team. A natural leader, he led from the front, whether it be assaulting a Korean ridgeline or going downtown to blow off steam.

When deployment orders to Iraq arrived, John worked tirelessly to train his men to survive and succeed in combat. He also used his personal experience to motivate and help explain the “why” to some of the younger soldiers. In Iraq, John was the go-to guy, always drawing the tough mission because his chain of command knew he could accomplish the mission.

On November 9, John’s platoon was occupying a vehicle control point on the outskirts of Ar Ramadi. Near midday, John’s team was ordered to detain the driver of a suspicious vehicle observing the platoon. As his team moved through the dense alleys to flank the vehicle, an enemy machine gun position ambushed the team. Fighting to the cover of a walled compound, John and two soldiers in his team were hit by intense and heavy small arms fire. John was struck in the thigh, but continued to lead his men to a covered position where they returned fire on the enemy. Not knowing he was shot, he helped treat and stabilize the two soldiers, then led the remnants of the squad to an elevated position to better suppress the enemy. While moving, John’s body finally gave out. He collapsed on a stairway and was dragged to cover by a teammate. Though his friends fought to save his life, John’s wounds were severe, he had lost an enormous amount of blood, and not even a skilled trauma surgeon could have saved him.

John led his men till the very end. His calm and decisive action saved the lives of many of his teammates.

John left behind a daughter and eight soldiers who owe their lives to him.

He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.

Ellis and Jason, Ar Ramadi, Iraq

Ellis, a sergeant, and Jason, the company commander’s driver and gunner, departed the base at daylight to establish a series of blocking positions in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. Shortly after entering the densely packed back alleys of the city center, the company was engaged from three mutually supporting enemy elements armed with RPGs, PKCs, AK-47s and IEDs. Jason engaged the enemy until the intense volume of fire caused his .50 caliber machine gun to malfunction. Without hesitation he transitioned to his M-4 and continued to engage the enemy. As bullets and RPG rounds flew around the vehicle, the commander directed Ellis to an alley where the crew could engage the enemy from a covered and concealed position. The fight raged for over an hour until the enemy withdrew leaving four confirmed dead.

The company maintained its positions for the remainder of the day despite near-constant enemy activity. At 1300, a suicide bomber in a vehicle attempted to ram the position was destroyed. A small cache of IEDs, RPGs, and ammunition was discovered in a pile of trash. A lone RPG gunner was killed while attempting to engage us. Frequent reports of armed insurgents crossing alleys using children as lookouts or shields began to come in at 1500. Soldiers did not engage the enemy for fear of hitting the children and women being used as shields. Sensing an imminent attack, the commander ordered Ellis and Jason to the top floor of the adjacent building to help secure the company’s flank. At 1600 the enemy attacked with heavy RPG and machine gun fire. Ellis and Jason were forced to take cover in a steel bathtub to avoid the flying RPG fragmentation and ricocheting bullets. During the firefight two soldiers were seriously injured and required immediate evacuation. The enemy attacked again at 1730 as the company withdrew from the city. Intense fire skipped around the vehicles until out of the city. Jason attempted to engage targets with his M-4 and then 9mm pistol until pulled inside the vehicle by the company commander. The company returned to base just before dark.

Ron, Ar Ramadi, Iraq

Ron, a sergeant, departed the base in an M-998 cargo truck on a daybreak combat patrol. His vehicle came under intense and accurate enemy fire from four enemy soldiers carrying AK-47s and one RPK. The initial enemy volley surprised the platoon, and Jeremy, the soldier next to Ron, was immediately wounded by a shot that penetrated his forehead and came out the side of his helmet. Ron immediately identified the enemy position and swung his M240B machine gun into action over the side of the cargo compartment. While enemy fire cracked overhead and impacted the lightly armored vehicle, Ron returned accurate fire on the enemy. His first bursts killed the insurgent who had just shot Jeremy. While the rest of the soldiers in the vehicle scrambled to return fire on the enemy or to administer aid to the wounded man, enemy bullets continued to ricochet and fly around the vehicle. Ron shielded Jeremy with his body and continued fire on the enemy. His accurate fire killed a second insurgent on a rooftop. The platoon then exited the kill zone. Ron then stabilized the wounded soldier’s condition, applying aid as the truck bumped down streets and over curbs until they had reached the aid station. He saved the life of his seriously wounded comrade.

Ron was evacuated from the theater some months later for combat stress injuries after three of his close friends were wounded in separate engagements.

Jeremy, Ar Ramadi, Iraq

Jeremy, a private, was one of the most loyal and hard-working soldiers in the company, but he developed a weight problem and could not keep up with the rigorous physical training demanded of the company. Due to his limited physical abilities, he was assigned as the company’s resources and utilities representative. When the company deployed, Jeremy was detached to work with a team of soldiers fixing generators, electrical wiring, and plumbing. Despite the desperate requirement for soldiers with his skills, he still wanted to be out on missions fighting the enemy. On 13 November, he was asked to accompany a team on a daylight patrol into Ar Ramadi. The team was soon ambushed by a five- to seven-man insurgent element armed with PKCs, RKGs, and AK-47s. Jeremy was hit  in the initial volley of enemy fire. The 7.62mm bullet struck him in the head above his left eye. The bullet exited his left temple and blew out the side of his helmet. PFC Jeremy remained conscious as his teammates fought through the ambush and then began treating his wounds. Jeremy was evacuated to the battalion aid station in the same truck he was wounded in, then to Baghdad by helicopter. He was subsequently discharged from the military and is continuing to recover from severe brain trauma. His cognitive skills and reasoning are diminished. His sense of humor and good nature remain as sharp as ever.

Daniel, Ar Ramadi, Iraq

At 27, Daniel was slightly older than the other privates in the company. Like many young men in the military, he’d struggled to find himself, trying college and jobs he did not enjoy. He found his niche as an infantryman when we trained in Korea; he often hiked the ridgelines around the camp taking photos of the foggy valleys or simply observing the wildlife. His solitude there allowed him to find focus in life. He looked forward to getting out of the military and pursuing his new dream of photography. He was never the center of attention but he always wore an easy smile. He was a great listener, and many in the company sought him out for quiet conversations and advice.

Dan’s platoon was ordered to establish ambush positions to prevent the enemy from smuggling weapons, munitions, and personnel into Ar Ramadi. The night was extremely dark and there had been many days of rain. During the patrol, Dan served as the machine gunner for the trail vehicle. While on a dirt road along an irrigation canal Dan’s vehicle lost contact with the rest of the platoon. A section of road collapsed under the vehicle’s weight and flipped it into the canal upside down. Dan tried to jump from the turret but was trapped in the deep soft mud at the bottom of the canal. His four fellow soldiers were also trapped under water until they managed to kick open a door and swim to the surface. They struggled to lift the vehicle off of Dan, but the mud sucked it and Dan deeper. Several vehicles were hooked up to the overturned vehicle but they were unable to free Dan from the wreckage. After 45 minutes of frantic work, Dan was recovered, the medics worked madly, but he was dead. He left behind the girlfriend he was about to marry on his return. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.

Every combat leader prepares himself or herself for soldiers killed or wounded in combat. Nothing prepares you for watching a young man die in an accident and being unable to intervene. The feeling of complete uselessness strikes at your heart.

Mike, Al Sofia District, Iraq

Mike, a lieutenant, departed the base just prior to daylight on a mission to bring out a squad hidden in a covert ambush position and retrieve the road barriers blocking the enemy’s main supply route of weapons, equipment, and personnel into the district. The soldiers manning the ambush position were tired, they had been watching the obstacle for close to 48 hours, and they had seen no enemy activity. Mike ordered his men to establish a security perimeter to cover the moving squad, while other soldiers began tearing down the obstacle. As daylight broke and visibility improved, an IED triggerman initiated his explosive device which was dug in beneath the road. Typical for that area, the IED was a large propane tank packed with C-4. The concussion of the blast blew Mike and his soldiers several feet through the air and covered them with dirt and parts of roadway. This type of IED is extremely loud, has a large concussion, but little fragmentation. No one was hurt during the attack, though the insurgents destroyed a large portion of the road, limiting traffic to only one lane. The triggerman was not identified, and was probably initiating his attack from several kilometers away. Mike continued his mission, picked up the ambush squad, and returned to the base shortly after daylight.

These were some of my men.

Paul Staheli ’98 was a captain in the United States Army, serving for more than a year as company commander in Iraq. He is now an Army Ranger.