Flying the "Don't Tread on Me" Flag June 24, 2005 prior to a convoy. One hour later our vehicle was disabled by an IED between Samarra and Balad. Me (standing) and SPC Bowman- our gunner from Massachusetts. This was a fully up-armored HUMVEE and the armor saved us from being severely wounded or killed. We were brought to the hospital to be evaluated after we towed the vehicle to a base in Balad, Iraq. Unfortunately the Army (in error) notified all of our families that we'd been wounded, treated and released. Somewhere in the event the flag was lost. For the entire story was posted in my blog dated 4 July 2005 (IED Fireworks)

Sitting on a HUMVEE in an Iraqi Sunni village, April 2005

CPT Rice in a school shaking hands with Iraqi children 

30 seconds after an IED exploded to the right rear of our vehicle. Fortunately no one was injured. April 16, 2005. Near Bayji, Iraq. The vehicle behind ours made it through the site, the vehicle behind that one took this photo. The explosive device used was made of two 125 mm artillery shells and one 107 mm rocket attached to a remote controlled detonator. We dismounted and entered the village to the right and questioned local Iraqis along with a translator.  

Securing the IED site. April 2005, Bayji, Iraq 

The IED hole. April 2005. Near Bayji, Iraq.  

Dan Rice poses with six Medal of Honor Recipients near Tuz, Iraq. From left to right: LTC Roberts, CSM Littrell, LT Norris, COL Jacobs, CPT McGinty, CPT Rice, COL Thorsness.  

Flying on a Marine Chinook Helicopter. The running joke is that the Marine Corps is always fighting the "next war with the last war's technology". The Marines usually flew Chinooks and Cobras and the Army typically flew Blackhawks and Apaches.

CPT Rice (USMA '88) with LTG Petraeus (USMA '74). LTG Petraeus was the Divison Commander for the 101st Airborne during the invasion of Iraq. He then was promoted to three star and became responsible for building the Iraqi Army. During our one year in Iraq the Iraqi Army went from virtually zero troops- to over 100,000 troops trained and in the field. This was a critical phase in handing over Iraq to the Iraqis.  

CPT Cotton and CPT Rice in Baghdad under the Swords December 2004. I replaced Keegan as the Commerce Officer for North-Central Iraq. One of our major responsibilities was agriculture. People could not believe "Rice" would replace "Cotton" (two of Iraq's biggest crops) and have responsibility for Agriculture!

CPT Rice with Iraqi Minister of Interior and BENS member Rafael Benaroya 

December 25, 2004 Christmas on an Iraqi tank 

Waiting on the flight line to fly a Blackhawk with a military dog named "Zappa", Aug '05.

CPT Rice and CPT Pratt with local leaders 

An Iraqi flying the Iraqi flag on the roadside between Tikrit and Bayji. Sadly, we all came to the immediate conclusion that he was mentally unstable... May 2005.  

Riding a camel in front of the Treasury Building, the ancient city of Petra,Jordan, November 2004 

Flying over Baghdad. If you look closely you can see satellite dishes on every house in Baghdad. Taken from a Blackhawk helicopter by Dan Rice April 2005. One of the most fundamental long term changes in Iraq since the fall of Baghdad is the new free flow of information. Nearly every building or mud hut has a satellite dish and access to worldwide information. With this new freedom though comes some adjustments. Now Iraqis in the south learn when an Iraqi in the north is killed. Under the closed society of Saddam there was no information flow- which has obvious trade-off's- one of them is that "ignorance is bliss." Now all Iraqis are overwhelmed with information and choices, and many of them are unprepared for this new information age. They also have internet access, which has connected disenfranchised teens and potential terrorists with networks throughout the radical Islamic world. The free flow of information has helped spread democracy but with it comes some signficant downsides to US national security.

Memorial to CPT Esposito and 1LT Allen, Killed on FOB Danger May 2005  

Treasury Building, the ancient city of Petra, Jordan. November 2004 

The palace in Tikrit where I work. May 2005. Saddam built these palaces in his hometown of Tikrit after the loss of the war in Kuwait in '91. He did this to show his Sunni constituents that he was still in control. Most of his cronies made money building the palaces with funds from the Oil for Food fiasco.  

Dan Rice over Diyala Province Iraq in a Blackhawk July 2005 

General Chuck Boyd (CEO of BENS) and CPT Rice in Baghdad 

Five Medal of Honor Recipients pose with two soldiers who were with SFC Smith in the invasion of Iraq and witnessed the heroism he displayed in leading his troops. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Bush two days before this photo was taken. The two soldiers had just arrived to begin their second one year tour of duty in Iraq with the 3rd Infantry Division. This photo was taken at FOB Dagger. The day after this photo a rocket attack killed one female soldier on this small base.  

Iraqi Children playfully salute us March 2005

An Oil fire near Kirkuk after an insurgent attack. Taken from a Blackhawk Helicopter by CPT Rice. 

CPT Rice (at bottom of stairs) leaving New York en route to Iraq 

Dan Rice, Queen Noor of Jordan, Carlos Mendez and date. Event hosted by US Trust just prior to deployment. Queen Noor spoke to our clients about Jordan, which I would visit several times during the deployment