Good cop, bad cop

When you’re the new kids in town dealing with the locals can be a bit complicated. Other than the obvious difficulties in communication there is the problem of first impressions. As a combat unit in a hostile area it is important that you take charge and show that you are in control. You show by your daily actions that you mean business and that you aren’t going to put up with any nonsense. By being thorough, proactive and tough you show the insurgents that you are a force to be reckoned with. Not a soft target, but a deadly adversary.

But another important part of our job, and the mission in Iraq as a whole, is “to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqis.” This is a phrase that we had heard frequently during our training and one that is continually impressed upon us. So in the spirit of gaining the trust of the locals it is not always the best idea to rush into every situation with your rifle pointed in someone’s face. We do need to act as though we are always in danger but we also need to be aware that aggressive actions can actually create more enemies. It really is a difficult line to walk. Sometimes you want to be polite but when you’re outside the wire it is better to have a face of stone than a big toothy smile.

The other day was a perfect example of this dilemma. On patrol in a nearby village we saw a man in his mid-twenties sneak out from underneath a bridge that is a common route for military convoys. We blocked off the area and proceeded to approach the man with our weapons raised. My job was to keep my eyes and my rifle oriented on three cars that had pulled off the road near the bridge while other soldiers searched the man. It was a pretty tense situation for everyone. After a few minutes of questioning and an inspection of the bridge we learned that the man was harmless. To his embarrassment, we had driven by just had he had finished going to the bathroom out of sight. He didn’t mean us any harm, and just wanted to go home. In that half an hour our actions resulted in several frightened and pissed off people. It was unfortunate that we had to treat them that way, but it was what had to be done. I’m just glad that the only injuries of the night were some hurt feelings.