In September 2004, halfway through the unit's tour, Command Sergeant Major Timothy L. Mace joined 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment and, as he noted, "About five weeks later, the battalion was involved in the battle of Fallujah." Occupying a key position in the Bradley of Lieutenant Colonel James Rainey, the 2-7 commander, Mace followed the lead assault elements into the city and, in this interview, provides a wealth of insights, as detailed as they are candid, about this decisive and "professional" combined-joint urban operation. As he observed, "When you have professionals with good equipment and good support who work well together going against a bunch of raggedly little muj', you're going to win. Everybody knew they were going to fight, and I'm not disparaging the enemy. They're brave in their own right, but they were just amateurs fighting professionals - and the professionals had the better toys." Speaking at length on the joint aspect, Mace insists that the "rivalry crap between the Marines, the Air Force, Navy – that stuff doesn’t survive the first bullet. Everybody we worked with – the SEALs, the Air Force, tac air guys, the Marines, my counterparts, sergeants major in the Marines – it was almost like an automatic friendship.” In addition, he discusses the impact of taking casualties, his impressions of principal leaders, embedded reporters, as well as the Iraqi soldiers who fought with 2-7 and the enemies who fought against them. “Everybody knew these guys we’re fighting are not good people,” said Mace. “They’re just bad people, and every time you pulled the trigger, the world got a little bit better.”

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