Shawn Patrick

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As Operation Iraqi Freedom unfolded, the mission of the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion was to draw out Saddam's forces and engage them while larger bodies of troops moved on Baghdad. With one Recon platoon, a journalist was embedded who turned their story into a series of articles, a book and an award winning Hollywood production named Generation Kill. Part 2 of 3. (Caution: strong language) (25:06)

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They thought it was over. In 2003 the men of the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion stormed into Iraq during the initial assault. They returned home triumphant, mission accomplished. But then the word came that there would be an emergency redeployment. Saddam may be gone but the job was not finished and they were going to Fallujah. Part 3 of 3. (Caution: strong language) (32:56)

Thomas Wells

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Thomas Wells was adopted into a large family in Omaha which gave him a good environment in which to grow up. His folks decided he needed some discipline, though, as he neared the end of high school, and they informed him he would be joining the Army. He found some good role models in the DI's at Fort Benning. (4:54)

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It was just a quick comment from a commander to a lowly recruit, but what Thomas Wells heard that day completely changed his state of mind and helped him get through basic training. As he traveled to his first duty station, another chance meeting with a superior worked out well for him. (4:55)

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His company won a shooting competition which meant they could attend the Bright Star exercises in Egypt. Thomas Wells was packing to leave when he got new orders. The unit was going to Iraq and they only had thirty days to train up on all new equipment. (4:42)

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All the bad stuff happened at the bridge. You rotated between three posts in the small Iraqi town and for the men of Blackhawk 1-9 Cav, the bridge was where you didn't want to be. Thomas Wells remembers that place well and he also remembers trying to keep good relations with the locals, whom he always tried to treat with respect. (5:51)

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It was the worst incident of the deployment. At a bridge in a small Iraqi town, a car bomb took out three soldiers. Thomas Wells pays his respects by recalling them from better times. (3:38)

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Thomas Wells interacted with a lot of Iraqi children but there were two in particular that he found very charming. He would give them candy and money and the last time he saw them, they got a significant parting gift. (2:45)

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Ali was taking an immense personal risk. If he was identified as an interpreter for the Americans, he and his entire family could be assassinated. Thomas Wells reveals what happened to Ali. (2:17)

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What did they do during down time? As in every war, young men looked around for something to drink. Thomas Wells laughs as he recalls what they came up with. Since it was the dawn of the digital age while they were in Iraq, they had a lot of music and movies on personal media. (4:10)