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A mural depicting the massacre at Halabja in Kuwait's "Not to Forget" museum.

Everybody on the Horn: Fallujah Police Transition Team (PiTT) Marines key mics after a mortar attack begins.

Investigate: Corporal Jon Malone checks out a nook of the old Iraqi Police station. I wish I had video, as our terp gave us a guided tour of the scene of the al Qaeda massacre of Iraqi cops while haunting calls to prayer emanated from surrounding Mosques at dusk.

Beats: a Marine checks an Iraqi Police hopeful's resting heart rate before a PT test.

Stone Cold: Navy Corpsman Doc Watson stares down a glob of peanut butter during one of the Marines' downtime eating contests.

In addition to being respected for his medical skill, Doc Watson is feted by the PiTT marines for having done "high speed shit:" he's one of only four Navy corpsmen to ever complete Marine Scout Sniper school, serving on a sniper team in the mountains of Afghanistan after 9.11. He won the eating contest, btw.

IED Effect 3: The charred inside of an Iraqi Police patrol truck. Insurgents have taken to adding fuel accelerant to the bombs in the past year or so.

Powder SLAP: Lance Corporal Aimar Campbell metes out Doc J's punishment for losing an eating contest: a slap with a palm-full of footpowder. Lance Corporal Yeager observes.

Lineup: Iraqi Army recruits form up during basic training at Habbaniyah.

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Ready for PID: waiting for "positive identification" in the turret of a humvee.

You the Man Now, Dogg: SSGT Thomas "Smitty" Smith of Military Transition Team 6 teaches an Iraqi janitor how to shake hands, OG style.

The Iraqi maintenance guys would show up daily to chat and ask for food, soda and "freaky freaky," Iraqi-English slang for skin mags like Maxim.

Smitty gave them a soda, a fitness magazine and some granola bars that day, in addition to the lesson.

Chill: MiTT Marines Lance Corporal Jason Navarro and Corporal Carlos Castillo relax while waiting to convoy.

Fricke Suits Up: Lance Corporal Daniel Fricke is a quirky dude and respected turret gunner. I overheard two other MiTT Marines mentioning that they like having him up there because "Fricke is good to go on the .50."

No Flash Allowed: Jundi (IA soldiers) guard a doorway during a midnight raid and search of a Fallujan residence housing suspected insurgents.

It's a Great Day to Convoy: MSGT James Johnson strikes a pose.

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Bridge Over the River Sty: A quickly engineered footpath keeps most of the mud off of a marine's shoes at Forward Operating Base Castle in the NE part of the city proper.

Way Out: a doorway at FOB Castle.

Marked: it's hard to escape Iraq without acquiring one or more nicknames. The Marines and IPLOs at the PiTT branded me when I left my gear sitting around. A second nickname: "Scoop."

Fricke looks on as Lance Corporal Tyler Mortimer strums a guitar.

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