While recovering back in the US from five gunshot wounds incurred during an April 2003 firefight in Afghanistan, Major Gregory Trahan had to relinquish command of his company (which was still in theater) and was planning, upon returning to duty, to take over a planner's slot in 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division. Fortunately, though, the command of the division's Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) opened up and he assumed command of that in August, in time for his second Global War on Terrorism deployment, this one to Iraq in 2003-2004, and the subject of this interview. While no one "sat me down and told me what it actually meant to be the division HHC commander," Trahan explained, he quickly found that it meant being "the life support for the division main, the division rear and, if necessary, if the division TAC was ever sent out, for the division TAC." The division main command post was based in Al Anbar Province, in Ramadi at Champion Main, and there was also a contingent at FOB Ridgeway (Taqaddum Airfield). As such, Trahan's company was split between the two locations "to provide sustainment at both the CPs." He discusses the full range of support activities he was responsible for, how crucial realistic training is and, looking back over both his GWOT deployments, the necessity of generating your own intelligence at the company level as well as the absolutely crucial importance of never letting your guard down. With respect to this Iraq rotation specifically, Trahan talks about the times that convoys of his came under improvised explosive device attack, including one in particular that witnessed a young female sergeant heroically manning a SAW under fire. He also talks about the positive division-to-division handover that was done with the 1st Marine Division.

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