On Wednesday, February 5th, 2003, the telephone rang at the home of Aaron Spencer in Provo, Utah. Aaron had big plans that weekend – he was getting married in two days and wedding plans were in full swing. Aaron received unexpected and shocking news. As a member of the 1457th Combat Engineer Battalion, Aaron learned his battalion had been activated and he was being sent to an unknown overseas destination. He’d be shipping out on Friday. After explaining to his Platoon Sergeant that he was getting married in two days, his Sergeant arranged to let Aaron go and report back Saturday morning. The wedding went off as scheduled on Friday, but at 0600 on Saturday morning, Aaron reported to the American Fork Armory for active duty.

Though it was not the honeymoon he was planning, Aaron traveled to Fort Lewis, Washington for training. He was initially a light wheel mechanic, working on all types of vehicles that weighed less than two tons. He had no prior mechanical experience and enjoyed learning how to diagnose and fix problems to keep the vehicles running. Later Aaron would serve in logistics where he coordinated ordering supplies and parts.

After three months of training, Aaron was ready to ship out. The “shock and awe” campaign of the initial invasion of Iraq happened in April 2003. In May, Aaron boarded a chartered civilian plane for a flight to Kuwait. He remembered all of his fellow soldiers passing through TSA security at the airport. They all carried rifles and were required to remove the bolt assembly and place it in their pocket in order to pass through security. As Aaron passed through, TSA officials stopped him. The agent discovered that Aaron was carrying a pair of nail clippers. They laughed at the irony of being able to carry a rifle, but nail clippers were against TSA rules.

The soldiers boarded a chartered civilian plane that was operated by a civilian crew. Rather than placing their bags in the overhead compartments, the soldiers all placed their rifles there. Aaron remembered the flight attendants taking turns holding a gun. This was not their usual flight protocol and they seemed to enjoy the assignment.

The flight stopped for refueling in Rome, Italy. Italy did not want to participate in troop movements, as they were not a part of the coalition. Consequently, the soldiers were not allowed to get off the plane during refueling. They opened the passenger door so soldiers could stick their head out and get a breath of fresh air or stand on the staircase they brought to the plane. Airport officials allowed those who smoked to do so at the bottom of the staircase. They took pride in announcing that they had placed their feet on the ground of Rome.

After refueling, the plane was airborne again, headed for Kuwait. The United States had built several bases of operation in Kuwait and designated it as a place for soldiers to acclimate to the extreme heat in the desert of the Middle East where temperatures could soar to 120 degrees.

Aaron and the other soldiers slept in tents. At the time they didn’t have any air-conditioning, though they added hard-sided structures with air as the war progressed. Soldiers had to learn to sleep in tents that were stifling hot. There were a few common areas that had portable air conditioning, and soldiers would sometimes grab a nap in the cool air.

After one month of acclimation and training, it was time to head to Iraq. The 1457th gathered for the convoy across the desert to Iraq. The convoy consisted of about 200 vehicles that traveled in “chalks” or smaller groups. Aaron was part of the Headquarters Company, and the Headquarters Company was part of the maintenance group. A member of each company was represented in his platoon.

As the convoy left for Baghdad, the word on the ground was that almost every group heading there had been attacked. Certain “red zones” were identified as being particularly at risk for attacks. In those zones, soldiers always kept a round in their chamber and were especially vigilant. On the last leg into Baghdad, Aaron’s convoy was hit with a couple of RPG rounds.

Aaron remembered hearing popping sounds and seeing a rocket head skip across the road. Fortunately, the rocket lodged in the side of a vehicle but didn’t detonate. There was no additional attack because the attackers generally fired RPGs or set up IED bombs and then ran away. The convoy sent for EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) to remove the rocket head that had lodged in the vehicle. They waited most of the night for EOD to arrive and remove the rocket. They finally set out for Baghdad again in the early hours of the morning.

Aaron and his platoon set up camp at the Baghdad International Airport. The airport was previously known as Saddam International Airport but the United States renamed it. Aaron remembers the prominent smell of smoke as they entered the city. “It kind of smelled like a big bonfire and burning tires all the time,” he said. He also remembers the sounds of barking because of all the wild dogs that roamed the city.

The 1457th established camp at the airport and started setting up tents, digging latrines, building communications towers and installing concertina wire around the perimeter of the base. Occasionally they patrolled in the city. Certain roads had been cleared of landmines and explosives and were deemed safe. Uncleared areas were off-limits. Aaron remembers one soldier who stepped into the uncleared area to go to the bathroom. When his fellow soldiers reminded him where he was standing, he quickly got back to the safe zone.

Aaron really enjoyed his visits to downtown Baghdad. “I liked the convoys. It was nice to get out of the “pad” as we called it and go downtown. Sometimes I had to go on supply runs to get parts we needed. I liked the commerce and food. One of my favorite foods was a little stop, kind of like a food truck, that sold plates of rotisserie chicken, potatoes, vegetables for about $3.00. It was cheap and delicious. We could pay for anything in Baghdad with US dollars. In fact, locals had wads of Iraqi money called Dinar and tried to sell us the Dinar for dollars. I brought back a few Dinars,” Aaron said. Aaron also purchased some jewelry for his new bride, paintings and a Koran in Arabic.

Many of the members of the 1457th were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. A chaplain of the same faith held worship services and did his best to share war-time sermons. The soldiers all realized that as much as they were missing their families and homes, they had a job to do.

The fact the soldiers were missing home was compounded by the challenge of staying in touch with family. “When we first arrived, communication was a huge challenge. If you wanted to call home the process took hours,” Aaron said. There were long lines to use the phone and when it was finally your turn, there was no guarantee you could even get through. The phone system relied on landlines that connected to satellites that shot a signal to a base in Germany, then another signal to the US, then finally to the number you were trying to connect with. That process could take 2-3 hours and often dropped the call in the process.

Aaron remembers that he often tried to call home if he was assigned late night guard duty. “It still took 2-3 hours to get through, but it was daytime back home and I had nothing else to do.” Aaron and his wife Julie still laugh at a memory. Aaron was working an overnight shift and was determined to connect with his wife. He started the process and finally about three hours later, successfully heard ringing on the other end. He was calling Julie’s office in the middle of the day. Julie’s co-workers answered and excitedly went to tell Julie that her husband was calling from Iraq. Julie, unaware of the time it took to get the connection, came to the phone and explained that she was with a client and could Aaron call back in just a few minutes. Aaron and Julie still laugh at that memory today. As time progressed, communications got better and eventually, Aaron was able to buy a cheap cell phone and a phone card and reach home. By the time he left, he could even do video calls back home.

In Iraq, the 1457th operated under Lt. Col. Jeff Burton and General Brian L. Tarbet. Before members of the National Guard are deployed, they are under the command of the Governor of the State. Once troops are activated, they report to their commanding officers and ultimately the President of the United States.

A typical day for Aaron might include rising at 0600, eat chow, and then get to work. He usually helped with mechanics or dispatched vehicles needed for convoys. He remembers one controversy that made national news. Many of the vehicles in Iraq were not armored. Because of the threat of IEDs or land mines, soldiers took it upon themselves to armor their own vehicles. They got metal plates and welded them to the sides of the vehicles. The media got a hold of that story and it made national headlines for weeks.

In April 2004, the 1457th was preparing to return home. They were in Kuwait when word came of heavy fighting in Fallujah. The soldiers learned they were being sent back to fight. It was very discouraging because they were looking forward to returning home. About that time, Col. Burton came to their defenses. He explained that the 1457th were family men from a National Guard unit and not regular Army. He persuaded his superiors to change the orders. The 1457th was going home! The friendships Aaron had developed remain strong to this day. They battalion was grateful that although some were wounded, everyone came home alive.