A Day for Smiles

We went on a knock and search today, accompanied by some Iraqi Police, and it struck me that many of the families whose homes we searched were happy to see us. Smiling, some laughing, didn’t appear to be irritated at all.

Almost every home has two floors, many have three, and a couple had four. The top floor is always the roof, but they use it to sleep on when it’s hot, also just as an outdoor room, much as American might use a deck or patio. We searched in body armor and although it was only in the low 90s, before long the soldiers were sweating under the armor. One soldier, taking a brief break, lit a cigarette and complained good-naturedly about the exercise “And I put on fresh uniform today.”

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A soldier came in for some help today in getting some money he’s owed, related to a foot injury. Having my attention directed to his feet and thinking “Man, that’s a lotta foot to hurt” I asked, pointing “What are those, about size 13s?” Smiling, he replied “These are 13 and a halves, but in civilian shoes I wear a 16.”