Lessons for the Sandbox - And Beyond

(Originally posted Dec. 15, 2003; last updated June 22, 2005)

We may have captured Saddam Hussein, but this isn't over. Sparkey over at Sgt. Stryker's Daily Briefing has a friend who is deploying to Iraq. He asks:

"...he and his shipmates would appreciate any other "lessons learned" from those who've gone before or are already there."

Ask, and ye shall receive. Winds of Change.NET has run or linked to a whole bunch of useful materials over the last few months. I searched through our archives, and came up with the following items from Iraq and beyond that may be of help:

• Phil Carter links to an excellent report on 1st Armored's very successful program where "Everyone is an intelligence officer . . . everyone you come in contact with [has] intelligence value" (WoW - Nov. 10, 2003)

• IEDs are the #1 killer in Iraq. You'll never guess what #2 is. Read this officer's discussion of those threats, and you won't have to guess. Oh, and you might stop by the local Radio Shack before you head out... (June 22, 2005)

• Winds of War host Maj. Olmsted gets a message from a recently-promoted friend in Iraq, looking at some infantry operations and including some good assessments of what they're seeing in Iraq and what that means for the occupation and reconstruction (WoW - Nov. 10, 2003)

• Lessons Learned from a LTC in Tikrit (WoW - Sept. 22, 2003)

• Post-war Lessons Learned Report from 3rd ACR, and also one from TM C/3-15 Infantry, Task Force 1-64 Armor "Desert Rogues" during Operation Iraqi Freedom. (Sept. 17, 2003)

• God is in the Details analyzes the weapons problems of the 507th. See also the comments section (June 24, 2003)

• AARs from the Marines on their gear, and another related to small unit engagements in Operation Iraqi Freedom (June 3, 2003)

• Real Men Wear Pantyhose! No, this isn't a joke. (June 3, 2003)

• V Corps Lessons Learned (April 4, 2003)

• Israeli historian and army reservist Yagil Henkin on Israeli urban tactics (WoW - April 3, 2003)

• Master Sgt. Rudy Romero's Letter from Afghanistan (Feb. 18, 2003)

• 4GW: Small Wars (July 9, 2002)

• A very comprehensive account of the battle of Jenin offers some lessons on tactics, as well as some indicators of what to prepare for.

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