As aide-de-camp to Major General James Marks - the Combined Forces Land Component Command (CFLCC) senior intelligence officer, or C2, during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM - Major Kris Arnold, at the time a captain, had a fairly unique wartime experience in getting the chance to work at the operational level. "I compare it to a great movie," he quipped, "where I had great seats but every once in awhile [was ordered to] go out and get popcorn." During his October 2002 to June 2003 deployment, Arnold spent most of his time at CFLCC headquarters at Camp Doha, Kuwait, and was present for numerous briefings and discussions involving high-level operational and strategic planners and commanders, including the CFLCC commander himself, Lieutenant General David McKiernan. In mid-April 2003, Arnold moved forward with Major General Marks to Baghdad with the early entry command post and, in this interview, provides further observations on how this movement affected operational command and control. He also discusses at length the controversy over – as well as his insights into – the difficulties of shifting from Phase III, major combat operations, to Phase IV, stability and support operations in Iraq. “I think there was a feeling within CFLCC,” Arnold said, “that if you don’t successfully execute Phase III, there won’t be a Phase IV.” But nonetheless, “once the looting started, the momentum switched from the U.S. forces to the population, and then from there to the insurgency.” In response, Arnold offers detailed advice on how, in the future, such transitions can be handled better.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited