From April 2003 through August 2004 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Major Bobby Davis served initially (for three months) as the headquarters and headquarters battery (HHB) commander for 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery, part of 1st Armored Division, and then for the remaining roughly 11 months as a battle captain in the division artillery (DIVARTY). In this interview, Davis first discusses his responsibilities as HHB commander in his battalion's area of operations near the Green Zone. "On the ground, we owned Haifa Street, which was one of the hottest spots in Baghdad," he said. "As a battery commander, I managed a train station, a gas station and a rail station near our forward operating base." Davis also talks about identifying and then working with the local "center of gravity," namely the local imam, as well as the circumstances surrounding his unit's eleventh-hour three-month extension - which was made all the more difficult in that they were not allowed to remain in their established AO, instead being tasked with a highly dangerous convoy/route security mission. What's more, added Davis, "We ended up losing more soldiers during that three-month timeframe than we did during the entire 12 months we had been there," including one mass casualty event involving a vehicle-borne IED that took the lives of eight of the battalion's soldiers. In addition, Davis talks about the Iraqi Security Forces, noting that they lacked any "legal authority" and were thus ineffective unless accompanied by US troops. He also had a hand in contracting work in his other role as the man in charge of base operations and, in this capacity, was responsible for paying Iraqi contractors. Davis further discusses a number of cultural relations issues, the persistent challenge of stability and support operations, the impact of the capture of Saddam Hussein and the death of his sons, as well as how he, as a physically imposing black officer, was perceived by the Iraqis. "For them," said Davis, "it was like seeing someone step out of a comic book…. I'm not sure they understood that there isn't any type of discrimination in our Army. If you're a soldier and you have the rank and the responsibility, you're treated fair across the board, regardless of your skin color. I think they were very surprised not only by my size but also by the fact that I was black and in charge." In closing, Davis shares the fact that he was at "total peace" throughout his entire deployment and that it was "one of the best times in [my] life." He also said that it's time to "bring our soldiers home."

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