IQATF: The Less Lethal Option
Tim Beckman
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2010 Tim Beckman
Discover other titles by Tim Beckman:
Blackwater: From The Inside Out
IQATF: The Less Lethal Option
Book 4 in the Path Less Travelled series
This is a collection of my experiences while working for SOS International in Iraq under the Iraqi Advisor Task Force contract. The opinions contained herein are my own and are not intended as being representative of SOSI even though it no longer has this contract and in fact the contract itself has been discontinued.
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
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Table of Contents
Chapter – The Life of an Informant
Chapter – Word on the Street Report
Chapter – Power and Water Reports
Chapter – Cell Coverage Report
Chapter – Expectation Management
Chapter – Assessing and Recommending
Chapter – Information Operations
Chapter – The Big Cigarette Hunt
Chapter – Stay Back or I'll Shoot
Chapter – Graffiti as Evidence
Chapter – The Downhill Process
Preface
It was over a cup of coffee with a guy I know named Al that I was offered a position on the Iraqi Advisor Task Force or IQATF contract. This is how it works in the world of contractors and especially amongst Special Forces guys. Someone needs a something done and we check around with our buddies to see first if we know someone capable of doing the job. Rarely do you hear of a guy asking for a cut or if there’s a signing bonus for someone recommended. It’s about your reputation. If you recommend someone who isn’t up to standard you take part of the heat for the recommendation and inevitably you find getting yourself hired becomes more challenging later on.
Initially I thought this was just another one of those touchy feely gather irrelevant data gigs that would get me paid and pass the time til I could find something more worthwhile and interesting. It turned out to be the best job I ever had and I can honestly say we made a difference in Southern Iraq in how the Coalition Forces interacting with civilians and by providing the units with tactical insight that literally saved lives during my time on the program.
Tim
Chapter - Incoming rockets
One of my Iraqi American Advisors or IAs, Hash, comes running over to my trailer. It’s late at night and I’m watching some bootleg DVDs when he pounds on my door.
‘LNA 002 just called and says they are going to fire rockets at the base!”
So I ask Hash what exactly his Local National Advisor or LNA said.
“There are a couple guys in a small sedan unloading rockets that come in two pieces. They have already set up the rails to shoot the rockets in the school yard. They are putting the rockets on the rails and doing something at the bottom of each one.”
I tell Hash to recontact his LNA and ask how many guys exactly, can he describe the guys, what direction are the rails facing, how many rails and can they see batteries at the base of any of the rails?.
I run back into my room in the trailer, check my wall map real quick, compare the LNA positions and jam a quick email to the Brigade Tactical Operations Center via Gmail which says:
FLASH
SITREP DTG NOW
MULTIPLE AIF (MIN 2 PAX). ATB 122MM ROCKETS PREPARED FOR LAUNCH. ROCKET RANGE MAKES THE SOUTHERN PART OF TALLIL AIR BASE WITHIN RANGE. IMPACT WITHIN AS LITTLE AS 30 MIN. NUMBER ROCKETS TBD, DIRECTION TBD, DESCRIPTION OF AIF TBD.
END OF MESSAGE.
OPSCEN DIRECTOR