From September 2007 through May 2008 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Major Rob Young served as the G3 chief of future operations with Multinational Division-North (MND-N) in Tikrit, Iraq, which was the 1st Armored Division. He was responsible for planning and synchronizing near-term operations in northern Iraq, coordinating mission support for United Nations activities in northern Iraq, conducting transition planning for incoming and outgoing units, assisting with the development of mission rehearsal exercises for incoming units, being the operational planner for large-scale distinguished visitor visits, oversight of the division's training and schools program, and oversight of the division's linguist management program. In this two-part interview, Young also discusses the predeployment training, the movement into theater, the conduct of stability and support operations, the need for and use of interpreters, and his early redeployment to come to the Command and General Staff College. Young also talks about the major challenges he faced during his tour, the performance of his staff, his work with other US military services, the most significant lessons learned he took away, and his reintegration back to family life.

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