Introduction

In the Winter of 2006, the first 250 of 20,000 Marines departed from a remote California air base for their turn in the annual rotation to Iraq.  Anbar Province in western Iraq is the apex of the Sunni Triangle and was the focus of coalition efforts until the Iraqi-on-Iraqi attack at the Golden Mosque of Samarra resulted in a conflagration of sectarian violence.  These are my personal notes and essays on what I witnessed as the Marine Force Public Affairs Director.  This is not written for personal glory, but in humility and admiration for the courage and selflessness of the men and women who served with the I Marine Expeditionary Force.