Iraq War Pre-Surge: Butler Range

[April 11, 2025]  In preparation for the Surge, an area east of Baghdad was not part of high-level planning, mostly for reasons of little insurgent activity and environmental issues like a lack of reliable water supplies. As the commander of MNC-I, General O wanted a unit to cover his easternmost flank in case things went wrong in the Baghdad AOR. Our Engineers were quick to identify an old Iraqi Republican Guard location as the only option that met his overall military strategy. And, the construction work we were going to undertake would be a lower priority. That would change when General O made it clear that incoming combat units at Butler Range were critical to crushing the military arm of the insurgency.

Butler Range (originally called “Hammer” by US forces, then later named “Besmaya”) was going to be transformed from a sleepy outpost to a major BCT base, projecting firepower throughout the area. 3/3, the unit there would be responsible for keeping eastern Iraq free of trouble through interdiction efforts of terrorists moving into Baghdad from the east and to tamp down a local insurgency that had been brewing there for several months. This meant that our Engineers would be required to shift the construction effort into high gear. Completing the accommodations for 3/3 would become a major effort because the location lacked the very things a desert-located unit would need.

Early on Monday, 26 March 2007, a small contingent of senior Army officers flew out to Butler Range to get “eyes on” what would soon become a major base upgrade. The contingent included BG Ed Cardon (DCG, 3ID), COL Juan Fernandez (MNC-I C-7), Jerry Vincent (C-7 Environmental), several KBR personnel, other officers, and myself, all traveling on two Blackhawk helicopters. By this time, we had already planned for a larger base at Butler Range and now we were given the green light. I remember that day like it was yesterday. We arrived at the helipad and got hit with a shot of superheated desert air. The wind was whipping everything around, commonplace in the open desert but hard on humans.

As we entered the main Command Post tent, we were greeted by early 3/3 arrivers and Engineers. They knew me but had never met the rest of the arriving party of officers. We were asked if we would like water, and, of course, we accepted. One of the NCOs asked me if I’d like a water enhancer that made the water taste better. It was something called “Crystal Light,” a new product rich in electrolytes.  I chose iced tea as the flavor and saw the NCO add two packets to a two-liter bottle. The drink was the best thing I’d ever had. I immediately slugged down the entire bottle.

We spent most of the day “inside the wire” getting educated on the setup of the Force Provider sets and the good (fast setup) and the bad (little room to move) of these FPs. We were briefed on the local enemy threat and we were relieved to hear there were no major problems. The small C-7 Environmental Team had found water about two miles up a dry canal that local farmers had blocked so they could get more water for their crops. We unblocked it. KBR had also brought in a welldriller for groundwater, although there was a very high saline content requiring filtration from ROWPUs (reverse osmosis water purification units). Water and electrical power are the two resources we need to function. Water would remain a problem for the duration of the occupation of Butler Range.

One persistent problem was the delivery of supplies: logistics. In part due to the influx of more troops and equipment, our transportation networks were becoming increasingly strained. Per the commander’s guidance, we had to make do with existing assets. Mr. Guy Laboa, KBR’s principal manager, noted that KBR had the assets to transport, but we needed greater transportation flexibility to protect the movement of those critical items.  This would best be accomplished by contracting for external specialized PSD (personnel security detachments) or using internal assets. Both would come at a significant cost.

While Butler Range was getting more attention, I stumbled upon a serious contracting problem. Legislation enacted by Congress called the Antideficiency Act (ADA) prevents federal employees (like the military) from spending over certain limits. This is an old law, originally passed in 1884, but regularly updated. It makes sense to ensure money allocated by the federal government is spent in accordance with Congress’s intent. The law is not that complex, but the only entity that can make exceptions is the U.S. Congress itself.

Prior to my arrival, units had avoided the law by leasing large and expensive facilities instead of purchasing them, and this, they thought, avoided the legal spending limits. The problem is the case law anticipated such workarounds and leasing a facility that exceeds 90% of the estimated cost of a facility means an ADA violation. I found that all the major electrical power generating plants, dining facilities, and several other buildings were all in violation. The established remedy is to immediately shut down any ADA violation upon discovery.  Of course, that was not going to happen in the middle of a war, so I compiled a list of the violations, briefed GEN Petraeus, and he traveled to Washington, DC to get approval from Congress. This is how we were able to continue using these leased facilities.  This was no minor problem, and it took weeks and many man-hours to overcome.

Late in the war, Butler Range would again be a sleepy outpost and eventually an Iraqi Army base.

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Please read my books:

1. “55 Rules for a Good Life,” on Amazon (link here).
2. “Our Longest Year in Iraq,” on Amazon (link here).