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Jefferies served as a First Sergeant with the 4th Infantry Division. Below, you'll find Perry Jefferies journal, in which describes some of the difficulties he encountered in Iraq while striving to take care of his soldiers. Problems included over-extended troops, deplorable living conditions and the lack basic necessities including food, water and supplies. Perry was Operation Truth's Vet of the Week from September 30th to October 7th.
You can hear Perry Jefferies speak about the shortage of Humvee armor on NPR (December 15th, 2004).
I watched America provide doors, floors, windows, plumbing, sewage disposal, and air conditioning for Iraqi troops while American soldiers on the same compound struggled with none of these things. Despite promises to make conditions equal for US and Iraqi troops, the construction never approached parity. Meanwhile, the Coalition Provisional Authority struggled to keep the new Iraqi Army from quitting as it prepared for its first big 'graduation.'
Here are a few excerpts from some of my letters home during that time:
23 May – "We have food and water to eat and drink (2 meals a day) but none to wash with. I have been waking up with Charlie horses each night, I think from lack of vitamins or fresh fruit. I'd rather have news.
The administration systems here are totally broke. Some of the troops are on a 'chemical recon' now (looking for weapons of mass destruction) but I have even stopped carrying my mask – no one seriously believes that there is a real chemical threat."
28 May – "It is Monday again and we are still at K-2 airfield in Bayji. As a squadron, we are 'demonstrating a military presence.' That means the troops set up checkpoints and stop hundreds of cars, searching them and the people. They keep taking these 'detainees' or EPWs and I have partial responsibility for the 'jail', which is a building here on the airfield. But we are not set up for this. MPs are supposed to come and get them almost immediately but they take a while. Plus the Civil Affairs/Counter Intelligence teams that are supposed to talk to them don't know crap and the whole thing borders on a war crime. I am just trying to find blankets and light and medical care for the prisoners.
One of the generals from division visited today. He brought no hopeful news about anything – going home – getting mail – getting parts or oil. Still no news or newspapers or radios or phone calls or anything. So that is depressing. We are told that we have to be 'weaned' off of bottled water. Since we have only 2 of our 4 water trailers and the support unit can't supply us with any fresh water, this will be interesting. The reporters are all gone, so – no witnesses. It's still early, I know – but I still see no reason we needed to come do this.
Also, I guess there is a 'draft' proclamation about the end of the 'war' part. That might give us some clue about coming home. That is what I want to do the most of all."
30 May – "We are still hurting for water, have no hot food (although Brigade has one hot meal daily), no showers or bathrooms or amenities. In headquarters, we are just making up as many excuses as we can think of for no mail, trying to beg borrow or steal water, oil and repair parts.
Ha! We are still on 2 MREs a day, with no hot meals in sight. It wouldn't be right to keep convicts like this but its okay in the Rumsfeld Army."
14 June – "114+ degree temperature today – Iraq heats up. Today was the day we were supposed to get some word on stop-loss, but nothing yet. Not even any new rumors about our return. We still have no parts to repair an ever-growing inventory of broken tanks, no bath & shower unit (although the Brigade Commander thinks we have one), no cold water or ice, little mail and little current news.
Our next mission, if it starts will be in this same general area of operations, but will have us spreading out even farther! ... We tried to go to the town close to here today but someone had bought the ice before us and the commander got a flat tire and so we returned empty-handed.
We are still on 2 meals a day with water, while the brigade headquarters is eating 3 hot meals a day. I think it's not right to keep these soldiers (and me) this way."
18 June – "We are seeing reports about Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) tents and cyber-cafes in the rear, while we still need food & water, but, Yay!, the Bath & Shower unit showed up yesterday. I took all of their water and put it in trailers to drink and then put the operators on guard. They are shitting bricks. The division command sergeant major has visited us once since leaving the states. He was scared and aghast at how we lived, then ran away fast.
Today is a big visit from the brigade commander and some are running around, trying to change stuff to look good for their 'senior rater.' He didn't rate me. I stood my people down. Maybe they will fire me."
To interview Perry Jefferies, please contact Operation Truth at press[at]iava.org.
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