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A few days ago, there was an unfortunate incident, in which friendly fire resulted in death of new Iraqi lieutenant, LT Low'a.  His battalion, fellow Soldiers and family mourn his death today.  Tragic.

I only know the rough version of what happened.  The Iraqis Army was traveling on a major road south of Baghdad when they encountered an Iraqi VIP convoy.  Perhaps the convoy was for Prime Minister Maliki, but I believe that this is speculation.  The Iraqi Army vehicles approached the Iraqi VIP convoy at the fast pace at which they always drive.  The Iraqi VIP convoy wanted them to stay back, firing a warning shot.  This shot entered the lead HMMWV and passed through LT Low'a, killing him on the spot.

The lieutenant was 19 years old and was recently engaged.  His fellow officers explained that Iraqis believe that you subconsciously know shortly before you die and start saying goodbyes.  Looking back, they see that it is the will of God and that he had been saying his goodbyes.  Every HMMWV in the battalion now has his picture on the front windshield on the turret.

The incident is reminiscent of the days when a U.S. security corporation, Blackwater, ran around Iraq with an attitude that some would describe as trigger happy. 

Two notes in relation to U.S. army operations.  First, Soldiers are discouraged from firing warning shots as means to control a situation.  While effective at times, many people believe that the only time to fire a weapon is when there exists the need to kill.  Second, the mentality of protecting a convoy from approaching vehicles used to be the standard in Iraq with civilians knowing to stay back from signs on the back of our vehicles warning, "Danger Stay Back 100 Meters!  Use of Deadly Force Authorized."  We no longer have these signs.  We no longer subscribe to this mentality of the past.  The roads belong to the Iraqi people and we drive intermingled with them.  Of course, the police still wave us through checkpoints.  Also, it is not that we break the rules of the road, there just are not that many rules, especially if you are driving a 30-ton MRAP.

Soldiers look the same when they are waiting around for the word to go no matter what country they are from. Notice the picture of the recently killed lieutenant on the turret of the HMMWV. His picture is on all the HMMWVs in the battalion.