A follow-up interview to the one conducted on 4 November 2004 concerning Colonel (Ret.) Bradford Parsons' involvement in the 98th Division's 2004-2005 Iraqi Army training and advising mission, this one, as the interviewer put it, focuses more on "what was going on back at the 98th Division Headquarters from roughly the time you stood up the tactical operations center in June 2004 through the time that the division received the mobilization order in September." Parsons responds in a very detailed manner to questions concerning his dealings with Forces Command, US Army Reserve Command and a number of general officers on the subject, first, of whether an institutional training division (DIVIT) should take on such a mission and, second, whether the 98th specifically could fit the bill. Privy to high-level, behind-the-scenes discussions and briefings as the 98th Division G3, Parsons here relates the difficulties the 98th leadership encountered, the personalities and opinions/biases they had to deal with, and the other challenges they had to overcome - both predeployment and then once in theater - if this complex mission (unprecedented for a DIVIT) was to succeed.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited