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Interview with COL Robert Abrams

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During his 2004-2005 Operation Iraqi Freedom deployment, Colonel Robert Abrams commanded the 1st Cavalry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team, based primarily in Sadr City. In this interview, he starts off by discussing the predeployment training he put his brigade through, their movement into theater, the transfer of authority with the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, as well as the events and circumstances surrounding the April 2004 uprising by Moqtada al-Sadr's forces that essentially welcomed them to Baghdad. Throughout, Abrams addresses his brigade's five lines of operation: combat ops, training the Iraqi security forces, promoting economic pluralism, promoting Iraqi governance and restoring essential services. He talks about everything from brigade-level operations to how he made every effort to empower subordinate leaders who were occupied with the day-to-day neighborhood interactions with Iraqi civilians. Abrams also speaks to his own dealings with key tribal and political leaders; his experiences with embedded and other reporters; how the revelations of the Abu Ghraib detainee abuse scandal resulted in changes to his brigade's standard operating procedures involving prisoners; as well as the Iraqi national elections in January 2005 that he considers a remarkable success, based on his brigade's responsibility for 485 polling stations and some 40 district election offices. Additionally, Abrams talks about and evaluates a number of Iraqi Army units he had control over and also stresses the "countless reconstruction success stories" in Iraq that are just waiting to be told. Of the Iraqi people, he said: "They are very proud, but I can tell you, to the man, they're glad we came, they're glad we got rid of Saddam Hussein, and they are ready for us to leave when our job is done." In closing, Abrams highlights again the exceptional performance and abilities of the Army's junior leaders and further speculates as to why his brigade had the highest reenlistment rate for the year they were in Iraq.

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During his 2004-2005 Operation Iraqi Freedom deployment, Colonel Robert Abrams commanded the 1st Cavalry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team, based primarily in Sadr City. In this interview, he starts off by discussing the predeployment training he put his brigade through, their movement into theater, the transfer of authority with the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, as well as the events and circumstances surrounding the April 2004 uprising by Moqtada al-Sadr's forces that essentially welcomed them to Baghdad. Throughout, Abrams addresses his brigade's five lines of operation: combat ops, training the Iraqi security forces, promoting economic pluralism, promoting Iraqi governance and restoring essential services. He talks about everything from brigade-level operations to how he made every effort to empower subordinate leaders who were occupied with the day-to-day neighborhood interactions with Iraqi civilians. Abrams also speaks to his own dealings with key tribal and political leaders; his experiences with embedded and other reporters; how the revelations of the Abu Ghraib detainee abuse scandal resulted in changes to his brigade's standard operating procedures involving prisoners; as well as the Iraqi national elections in January 2005 that he considers a remarkable success, based on his brigade's responsibility for 485 polling stations and some 40 district election offices. Additionally, Abrams talks about and evaluates a number of Iraqi Army units he had control over and also stresses the "countless reconstruction success stories" in Iraq that are just waiting to be told. Of the Iraqi people, he said: "They are very proud, but I can tell you, to the man, they're glad we came, they're glad we got rid of Saddam Hussein, and they are ready for us to leave when our job is done." In closing, Abrams highlights again the exceptional performance and abilities of the Army's junior leaders and further speculates as to why his brigade had the highest reenlistment rate for the year they were in Iraq.

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