RCT-6 Update: Roundtable with Col. Simcock

Posted By Grim

Col. Simcock of RCT-6 joined us again today (transcript here).  I had a question about MOE and the use of heavy weapons, which I'll put in the extended entry.  At the end of the call, however, he had a message for you:

Let me just say one thing about the e-mails. The response on that was tremendous. It was -- it literally -- it overwhelmed our systems over here. Within about -- I think it was two weeks, we had like 30,000 e-mails that came to us in support, and I would just like to say, we actually had to stop them because they were overwhelming our system, and we had to put them on a -- you know, refer them to our webpage.

If you can, I would appreciate you doing anything to thank the people for all their support that they gave us. The Marines over here really do appreciate that; that's something sometimes that gets lost. They -- as I said, they watch the news over here, and a lot of times they seem to think that, you know, the people in the United States are not supporting what we're doing over here. Nothing, you know, based on the amount of replies we got back, could be further from the truth. It was obviously an overwhelming response, and I just thank you, because it came from your guys' follow-up on me asking that.

I asked him if he wanted anything else from us, and he said no, no!  "The Marines, soldiers, sailors over here are all doing very, very well, and again, I just want to thank you for the support that you all are giving us."

So, the commander of RCT-6 sends his regards to all of you, and his thanks.  Now, for the substantive questions.

Here's the question I asked: 

GRIM:  The question I'd like to ask -- the last time we talked to you, you said that you were using a lot less air support, artillery and similar sorts of heavy weaponry; that a Marine rifle team was sufficient to the tasks you were encountering. Can you talk about whether that trend has continued, or changed in any way?

COL. SIMCOCK: I would say that it has continued. We don't use the heavy fire support assets as much as when we first got here. The air aspect, the air combat element still plays a very huge role, you know, from aerial reconnaissance aspect. They do a lot to contribute to the mission. But I think what I told you last time was there's nothing out on the battlefield that a Marine rifle squad couldn't easily deal with. That is still true and probably more so.

And the main reason, again, for that is not really that, you know, my forces have changed. I've got the same forces here in RCT 6 that I've always had from a combat power standpoint. What has changed is the Iraqi equation to it. They continue to grow, Iraqi security forces, in the form of the Army, the Iraqi police, the provincial security forces, neighborhood watches. That has been the key element that has been able to allow me to do my mission and work with them so that we're both trying to accomplish the same thing.

GRIM: Let me ask a very quick follow-up. We've been having some discussions about measures of effectiveness in Iraq. One of the things that several of us have thought might be important is this sort of heavy fire support and watching it, whether it tails off or gets more important as an MOE for how well the surge is working in various areas. Do you think that's a useful measure or not?

COL. SIMCOCK: I definitely think it is. I mean, I have in my office - - on my bulkhead is a huge chart that I get briefed on once a month, and that's just what it does. It covers measures of effectiveness -- you know, the question of are we winning, or are we losing? Now, I don't want to be asked -- I do not track, you know, supporting arms and the use thereof as a measure of effectiveness. However, it could easily be drawn in from just how we do use certain capabilities more or less to show that the situation on the ground is improving. Things I do track, like IED attacks, how many casualties we take or we dole out -- we also use a lot of more positive measures of effectiveness. How many -- how governance is increasing, how economic situations in the various cities are also increasing. But that is not to downplay -- you know, I think if you look and say, for example, how many artillery missions are fired on a weekly basis, I think you could see that you could -- you'd see a trend that that is in fact decreasing here in my area of operation.

Dave Dilegge of Small Wars Journal was on the call today, and asked this question:

DILEGGE:  I was looking at a Washington Times article this morning [I believe he means this one -- Grim], and they were quoting unnamed U.S. military leaders saying the next step is integrate the local Sunni volunteer forces into the national Iraqi security forces. Could you elaborate on that, if and when it'll be done in Anbar, and some of the challenges you think is associated with that process?

COL. SIMCOCK: One of the things that we are seeing here in AO Raleigh is the addition of the Sunnis -- the local Sunni population into the Iraqi army. That is increasing with every class that goes through their military academy, their boot camp, if you will, here in Habbaniya. So that is a huge step forward, you know, in reintegrating the Sunnis into the Iraqi security forces. As I said, the last two classes have had a lot more Sunnis participating. We don't see a lot of problems in the Army between the Sunni and the Shi'a. They work as one. In fact, they will downplay, you know, the religious aspect of it and say -- you know, they won't identify themselves as Sunni or Shi'a, they'll identify themselves as Iraqi and are working for the betterment of Iraq. And I think that's a huge step forward for them.

Finally, McQ from Q&O asked about progress at the provincial and local level, and the Colonel said that it was ongoing.  McQ's followup provides an overarching sense of the Colonel's feeling for local progress.

Q&O: If I can follow up, how do you feel or do you feel good about what you see, though, at a local and provincial level?

COL. SIMCOCK: To say that I feel good would be an understatement. I am continually amazed at how energetic and how much the local Iraqi government is actually doing to better their situation. They put in a great deal of work; they're working hand to hand not only with my Marines and soldiers on the ground, but they're also working with my embedded Provisional Reconstruction Teams that are out here. And they're truly the experts, you know, in the terms of reconstruction and governance, and they're working very, very close with them. And I'm very, very pleased with the efforts that local governance is putting forth.

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RCT-6 Update: Roundtable with Col. Simcock

Col. Simcock of RCT-6 joined us again today (transcript here).  I had a question about MOE and the use of heavy weapons, which I'll put in the extended entry.  At the end of the call, however, he had a message for you:

Let me just say one thing about the e-mails. The response on that was tremendous. It was -- it literally -- it overwhelmed our systems over here. Within about -- I think it was two weeks, we had like 30,000 e-mails that came to us in support, and I would just like to say, we actually had to stop them because they were overwhelming our system, and we had to put them on a -- you know, refer them to our webpage.

If you can, I would appreciate you doing anything to thank the people for all their support that they gave us. The Marines over here really do appreciate that; that's something sometimes that gets lost. They -- as I said, they watch the news over here, and a lot of times they seem to think that, you know, the people in the United States are not supporting what we're doing over here. Nothing, you know, based on the amount of replies we got back, could be further from the truth. It was obviously an overwhelming response, and I just thank you, because it came from your guys' follow-up on me asking that.

I asked him if he wanted anything else from us, and he said no, no!  "The Marines, soldiers, sailors over here are all doing very, very well, and again, I just want to thank you for the support that you all are giving us."

So, the commander of RCT-6 sends his regards to all of you, and his thanks.  Now, for the substantive questions.

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