29 Washington Post commentary - Tom Ricks's Inbox.

Some of the most interesting accounts of the Iraq war have come in notes from young soldiers writing to comrades who are preparing to deploy to the country.

Here, Army Lt. Brendan Hagan, a resident of Arlington and a recent graduate of George Washington University, advises an ROTC buddy on what to bring with him (the letter has been edited slightly for space). Hagan is now a highly regarded infantry platoon leader with the 82nd Airborne Division, operating near the town of Samarra...
Here is the list - visit the link for an explanation of why each item or TTP has been included:

  • Desert ghillie suits or ghillie blankets
  • Spotter scopes or good binos
  • Always carry everything you might need in the vehicles
  • Always have all your night fighting equipment with you
  • Make sure all extra ammo for the crew-served weapon is NOT inside the crew compartment
  • Have fire blankets on all vehicles in a standard location
  • Be very careful when driving on dirt roads. Don't do it if you don't have too
  • When a vehicle does get disabled by an IED or mine, slow down and look for secondaries before you move up to aid
  • Don't be afraid to dismount
  • Whenever you talk to someone get their full name. There will always be three
  • One last thing to remember is to use your personnel that have been here before, but do not get sucked into the that's-not-how-we-did-it-last-time thing