On the day of elections here in Iraq we had been tasked to ensure the proper receipt and delievery of the voters ballots, we would do this from FOB Mawtini headquarters for the fourth Iraqi Army batallion. We arrived early in the morning with our replacements in tow and the majority of our Task Force preposistioned in one of the larger local towns. This operation was going to be done almost entirely by the Army and people of Iraq, as it should be. This is all part of the process of downsizing and ensure the stability of Iraq.

I am happy to say that most of the day was quite boring with us just sitting around listening to radio traffic and waving to the different shifts of Iraqi soldiers out patrolling the streets.The government of Iraq had taken the steps needed to protect it's people and allow them to do what they had been waiting close to forty years to do, vote. Near the end of the evening many of the Iraqi trucks kept pulling in and filling with soldiers then, speeding out the gate. I asked one of the "Terps" what was going on because they were moving so fast, honking their horns and yelling, I thought that maybe there was some sort of trouble brewing. The "Terp" told me that they were all going to go vote and then got in a vehicle himself that was full of soldiers. I asked him if he was being escorted home and he told me he was going to vote and several other "Terps" climbed in and off they went, to vote.

I want to stress something very important about what was happening. Many, if not all, of these people were risking getting killed by going to vote. The "Takfiree" had promised to kill those that chose to vote in the elections. The "Terps" could have been signing their own death warrants by not only voting, but riding into town with the new Iraqi Army and exposing themselves as "Terps" and working with Americans. I truely wish Americans could understand how blessed we are by being able to vote any time we want, and yet voter turn out is shameful in America. Could one imagine what it would be like if our polling stations were targets for bombings simply because some radicals didn't want people to vote, it's unimaginable. And yet here in Iraq the people in our region turned out at ninety percent, I'm proud of my Iraqi friends and soldiers. When they returned from the polls our "Terps" proudly displayed their "Badges of Honor" their ink stained fingers signifying votes being registered.

The day that was filled with such excitement and joy ended in sadness. My friends had been attacked late in the day while bringing back the ballot boxes. No one was killed but several were wounded and one of the soldiers may not make it. The Iraqi Army would have to do this one on its own tonight, the American Army did not rush to the site of the wounded and the IA secured the area and retrieved the damaged vehicle on their own, it is a sign of things to come very quickly, limited and almost non existent American presence. The Iraqi Army performed well and did it all on their own, those that are so critical of our progress should have been at FOB Mawntini election night.

One thing stood out for me after the Iraqis returned with the damaged vehicle, one of the Iraqi gunners looked over at me in my gun turret and said "Ali Baba fu--ing sh-t". I was worried he was going to ask me why I didn't come to their aid but he didn't, he was just angry at the "Takfiree" for what they had done to his friends. When people back home ask me if this year of risking my life and being away from my home and family was worth it, I will tell them what happened on election night in Iraq and ask them to remember to vote.