Marine Corps 1st Lt. Barry Edwards has seen a major change after serving his second tour of duty in Iraq.
The Danville native serves with the Second Marine Division. He served as a helicopter chief when he arrived during the initial invasion.
“It was a gunfight,” Edwards said during an interview this week. “If they were holding a gun, they were the enemy.”
The first six months of his tour sped by quickly due to the amount of fighting.
During his second stint in the Iraqi city of Fallujah, the country was different in several ways for Edwards.
His job duties were different. He was working at a higher command level, which gave him a better idea about the wider picture in the area.
Edwards also saw the advantage of having more troops on the ground against terrorists like al-Qaeda.
In March 2007, there were 750 incidents reported that ranged from mortar fire, direct fire, gun fire, improvised explosive devices and other attacks against coalition forces.
In January 2008, that number had dropped to less than 20 incidents, some of which involved celebratory fire from Iraqis.
“The surge is working,” he said.
Edwards said there are people who would like to see U.S. troops leave their country.
However, there are more people with the mindset that they don’t want coalition troops to go until the job is finished.
One factor that changed the way some Iraqis looked at coalition troops, was al-Qaeda itself. Edwards said.
Under the group’s reign, people were forced to live under strict rules that took them back to the 7th century.
“They couldn’t smoke. There was no TV. There was only one book - the Koran,” he said. “They realized it was a mistake to let in al-Qaeda forces. We built trust because coalition forces kept their promises.”
Leaders, some of whom Edwards had the opportunity to meet, told military commanders to do what was needed to keep them safe. That meant bringing in enough troops to secure areas and go after fleeing terrorists.
Edwards said the area is changing. He said seeds of economic development are sprouting during this time of rebuilding.
In a few weeks, Edwards begins his new duty assignment. He will be working in Los Angeles with television and movie producers and directors to assist in how the Marine Corps is depicted on film.
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