An operations officer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Gulf Region Division, Major John Henderson - himself a licensed engineer - supported Operation IRAQI FREEDOM from January to June 2004. Working out of Victory Base, Henderson's office directed roughly $60 million worth of construction projects throughout central Iraq, such as a new headquarters for the 1st Cavalry Division (which he termed "the most technologically advanced forward military headquarters in the history of the world"), as well as a number of Iraqi Army bases, barracks, power plants and assorted water and irrigation projects. During his time in theater, Henderson also commanded 80 to 90 convoys, trips that involved everything from delivering supplies and inspecting job sites to transporting millions of dollars at a time to pay Iraqi contractors. Among the many challenges he faced included combating corruption, building with often inadequate materials, Iraqi workers with "suspect" affiliations, contract security personnel who were essentially “mercenaries.” “Master the art of movement in Iraq,” Henderson advised, “because that’s the one with potentially the direst consequences.” Mastering the art – as well as the language – of cultural relations were also keys for Henderson. As he noted, “If you ever got an ‘Insha’ Allah’ on any question you asked, it was time to be afraid. Because that meant, basically, it’s only going to get done if God wills it to be done, if God intervenes and gets it done.”

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