We were almost to Samarra when the call came to turn the convoy west. The captain told us to deliver the supplies to the school and then catch up with the others. We figured the detour would take us ninety minutes, tops.
—Staff Sergeant Mason Betts
I remember thinking, You’re shittin’ me—the school? But Betts said we were doing it, and he was in charge.
—Specialist Win Tishman
The best way to promote peace is to educate the women. I’m probably quoting someone, but I can’t tell you whom.
—Captain Penn Sinclair
Counterinsurgency meant building infrastructure and relationships. Some people believed in it more than others. The captain, he was one of the believers.
—Corporal Joe Kelly
Just after we turned the convoy, we got reports that the road-clearing crews had been pulled from the main supply route north of Samarra. I remember saying to the captain, “It’s a good thing our guys aren’t going there.”
—First Sergeant Vince L. Crosby, aka Velcro