Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Briggs talks about war in Iraq, becoming drill sergeant

At no point since the war in Iraq began has the situation been good, but it's better now than it was in the beginning.

Sgt. Napoleon Briggs, a 1987 graduate of Prescott High School and 14-year veteran with the U.S. Army, said he arrived in Iraq shortly after the war began.

He touched down in Kuwait on April 2, 2003 and got to Iraq on April 10. His group pushed up from the south through Baghdad, which was secured by the time he arrived. He was attached to the 1-44ADA, part of the First Brigade Combat Unit. His battalion ended up in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown, and settled in.

The area Briggs and his men settled in later became Camp Iron Horse, division headquarters. The mission from then out was to secure the city and make sure it was locked down. Patrols were done day and night, with the Iraqi citizens having a 10 p.m. curfew. Anyone caught out between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. was questioned and searched. Most, Briggs said, had legitimate reasons for being out, such as needing to go to a hospital, but others had more nefarious reasons.

When Iraqis were stopped, he said, the soldiers were supposed to have an interpreter to speak to them. However, there were not enough interpreters to go around, which led to people being detained until one could be rounded up and brought where they were needed.

Briggs said some of the vehicles they searched were carrying weapons and explosive devices. These items were confiscated and those in the car arrested and turned over to the military police (MP). "We found a lot of AK-47s, RPG (rocket propelled grenades) and explosive devices. But most of the people we stopped were legitimate."

Briggs and his unit had duty between Tikrit and Sammarra, which was recently seized. "There were a lot of raids," he said. "We'd have high value targets, develop our plans and kick in doors."

This had to seem odd for Briggs, who was trained in air defense. However, Iraq had no air force, so Briggs was converted into an infantryman. "It was a drastic role skill change," he said. "I was there assisting MPs and doing foot patrols. I basically became an infantryman."

Being an infantryman was no picnic, he said, as the men never knew what was waiting for them around any corner. Four men were lost from Briggs's battalion and none, he said, had an easy death. "There's no good or easy way to die there. Word's can't express it. One day you're talking to a person, the next they're gone. It's hard to deal with."

When asked how the soldiers felt about the media not being allowed to show the flag-draped caskets being sent back to America, he said it's confusing for them. "The soldier's are confused and it affects the morale with the people back home not being shown what's going on. We want the people to know as much as they can.

"But the soldiers know why they're there. We didn't find any weapons or mass destructions, but we're making Iraq a safer and better place for those who live there. We've helped reconstruct schools, houses and public areas. The people there live bad. It's definitely a third world country. I realize how blessed we are in the U.S."

Iraqi citizens, he said, live in clay houses with straw roofs, with few amenities. Most, he added, are happy for the military presence there, in spite of the rebels and insurgents. The latter groups want chaos as it means they can control the rest.

Briggs returned from Iraq on March 28, 2004, and completed drill sergeant school. His new duties will be to train the men being sent to Iraq. His drill sergeant training was done at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. He will be going to Fort Bliss, Texas to train entry level recruits.

In discussing his new duties, Briggs said the most important thing he can do is get the recruits to understand how vital the training they're getting is and will be in keeping them alive. "I'll tell the recruits to pay attention and take their training seriously. Discipline will need to be imbedded. They'll be told to keep their weapons clean. Their training will be what initially saves them in hostile situations."

Of those he trains, he expects 80-90 percent to be shipped to Iraq.

He said it was definitely an experience to be in the war. While the worst of the fighting was going on, Briggs's battalion found millions of dollars. At one point they found $2 million wrapped in plastic bags, along with a dump truck carrying about 900 gold bricks. The money and gold were returned to the MP and was given back to the Iraqi government.

Briggs lauded the effort being made by the National Guard and reserve. Without them, he said, the regular Army would be there 24-7 with no relief. But, he added, though there are 150,000 American soldiers in Iraq, it's not enough and there are still problems. Getting the situation in Iraq straightened out won't happen overnight, he said.

The soldiers in Iraq, Briggs said, want to know people in the U.S. are behind them. "They have a job to do and are following orders. They never dreamed they'd be in a situation of this nature or magnitude."