U.S. Marines In Iraq, 2003: Combat Service Support During Operation Iraqi Freedom - U.S. Marines in the Global War on Terrorism - Taking Baghdad and Tikrit, Special Purpose MAGTF

The story of combat service support during Operation Iraqi Freedom is one that could have been easily overlooked by history, except what would have been lost is more than a simple tale of Marines performing exceptionally during a time of war. Lost would have been a recollection of historical firsts, an account of extraordinary vision and insight from some of the Marine Corps' top leaders, and a chronicle of miracles performed in the heat of battle by individuals who rarely receive the glory and praise of their front-line combat counterparts. This monograph tells the story of the Marines and sailors from 1st Force Service Support Group and 2d Force Service Support Group, whose combined efforts helped pave the way for the Marine Corps' success during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

It is never easy to honor and recognize Marines and sailors for simply doing their jobs, even when those jobs are performed in an exemplary manner. And when those jobs span a wide spectrum of distinct combat support specialties, they are often overshadowed by the stories of frontline combat troops. Combat service support Marines are not the traditional "trigger-pullers;" they are the ones who help pave the path for successful Marine Corps operations. They are the ones pushing fuel through a hose across 60 miles of battlefield, building bridges under fire to allow the infantry to fight through to Baghdad, supplying ammunition throughout the night to support a barrage of U.S. artillery fire, turning wrenches in sweltering heat to ensure vehicles and equipment are combat ready, purifying water from a polluted canal, and providing rations to sustain combat troops.
Behind the historical firsts and monumental feats stand leaders and individuals who exercised a level of innovation and ingenuity that merit both recognition and praise. The goal of this monograph is to honor those combat service support Marines and sailors who selflessly performed their jobs, and doing so in such an extraordinary manner, ensured the success of the Marine Corps during Operation Iraqi Freedom-I. This monograph represents an operational history developed from a collection of oral history interviews and perspectives on the ground from a wide range of resources. It is not an official history, but rather a segment of a story that will be written and told for many years to come of Marine Corps operations during the Global War on Terrorism. This monograph covers the combat service support operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom-I between November 2002 and October 2003. The main characters are 1st and 2d Force Service Support Groups (FSSGs), and in its eight chapters, the manuscript tells a story of reorganization, preparation, and execution.

Chapter 1 - Setting the Stage for War * Chapter 2 - Arrival in Theater * Chapter 3 - Opening Days of the War (17-22 March 2003) * Chapter 4 - Battling for An-Nasiriyah and Beyond (23-26 March 2003) * Chapter 5 - Northern Support Areas (27 March-3 April 2003) * Chapter 6 - Taking Baghdad and Tikrit (4-22 April 2003) * Chapter 7 - Security and Stabilization Operations * Chapter 8 - The Special Purpose MAGTF * Appendix A - Chronology of Significant Events