Horny Hameed, 183–84;
man love, 92–94;
phone sex, 184–86;
sex education, 181–82
Shaban, Colonel, 55, 60
sheepherders, 55, 151–52
sheiks, tribaclass="underline"
control of population by, 114;
deal-making with Marines, 238;
relationship with insurgents, 114, 238
Shia Muslims, 19, 52, 220
Shlessinger, Corporal, 201
shotgun, antique, 165
snipers, 41, 64, 131–33, 202
South Dam Village, 28, 170, 231
springbutts, 24
Sudanese engineers, 236
Sunni Muslims, 19, 238
Super Stallion helicopters, 27, 239
supply issues, 73, 74–75, 77–78
Surefire light, lost, 211
swahuts, 29–30
Sweden, escape to, 228–31
tattooed inside lip, 220
terrorists’ celebration of September 11, 119
toilet kit, portable, 147–48
top-secret weapon, 63–64, 146
torture, 134–40
Trejos, Nancy, 215
tribalism, 96–99, 109, 196–99
Tseen, Captain, 82–84, 85–86, 94–95
United States: crisis in Iraq, responsibility for, 223–25;
hatred for Americans, 204;
Iraqis’ feelings about American
invasion, 111–13;
life in, 105;
media reports, accuracy of, 215, 217;
situation in Iraq, understanding of, 227;
wealth in, Iraqi perception, 60, 87, 236
U.S. Air Force, 240
U.S. Army: Camp Taji, 15;
Camp Victory, 10;
embedded adviser mission, 19–20;
failure to help Marines, 240;
militia checkpoint in Baghdad, 203;
security of bases run by, 17
U.S. Army Special Forces, 17–18, 34, 47–48, 141–43
U.S. Marine Corps:
battle decision-making process, 32;
casualties and leadership decisions, 33;
infantrymen, 148;
insurgent attack on Marine combat outpost, 6;
lists, 6;
living forever and, 213;
rank structure, 243;
religious beliefs of Marines, 193–94;
salty dogs, 5;
springbutts, 24
U.S. Marine Corps, 1st Marines, 3rd Battalion, 33, 217
U.S. Marine Corps, 3rd Marines, 2nd Battalion (2/3), 113, 121, 193, 217–18
U.S. Marine Corps, 3rd Marines, 3rd Battalion (3/3), 28, 32–34, 113, 121
U.S. Marine Corps, 3rd Regment, 5–6, 7
Valle, Daniel “V,” 101–5
violence for solving politics and policy, 113–14
wadi, crossing water-filled, 33
war, ethics standard in, 138
wasta, 70
waste and abuse in Iraq, 16–17, 235–36
Wazes, 30
weapons, 43–44, 112
Wear, Staff Sergeant, 29, 35
Weeks, Elliot, 213–14
wife beating, 89–91, 92
Wilkenson, Staff Sergeant, 23–25
women, conversations about, 42–43, 67–68
Yama Sukura war games, 3
Yasser, escape from Iraq by, 228–31
Zilmer, Rick, 161
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
After a four-year “sabbatical” as an active-duty U.S. Marine officer, Wesley R. Gray returned to the University of Chicago Booth School of Business to finish his Ph.D. dissertation. He also serves as a portfolio manager and managing member of Empirical Finance, LLC. In his spare time, Wes enjoys sports and manual labor.
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Copyright
The latest edition of this work has been brought to publication with the generous assistance of Marguerite and Gerry Lenfest.
Naval Institute Press
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Annapolis, MD 21402
© 2009 by United States Naval Institute
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
ISBN 978-1-61251-406-2 (eBook)
The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:
Gray, Wesley R.
Embedded : a Marine Corps advisor inside the Iraqi army / Wesley R. Gray.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Military assistance, American—Iraq. 2. Iraq—Armed Forces—Training of. 3. Internal security—Iraq. 4. Iraq War, 2003—Personal narratives, American. 5. Gray, Wesley R. 6. United States. Marine Corps—Officers—Biography. 7. United States. Marine Corps—Iraq. I. Title.
DS79.769.G73 2009
956.7044’34—dc22
[B]
2008055201
Print editions meet the requirements of ANSI/NISO z39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper).
14 13 12 11 10 09 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
First printing
All photos are from the author’s personal collection.