Colonel (COL) Stu James is an active duty Army officer who earned his commission as an Armor officer following graduation from West Virginia University ROTC. He entered active duty service in 1996 and has held numerous leadership positions in armored and mechanized formations throughout his career. COL James has extensive combat and deployment experience, including three tours to Iraq, one tour to Afghanistan, one tour to Kuwait, and one stability operation in Bosnia. His notable actions with 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division during the Operation Iraqi Freedom ground invasion is the focus of this episode.
What You’ll Get From This Episode
Colonel Stu James tells the story of his experience as a junior officer leading his company-level combined arms team from Kuwait to Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom from 20 March to 7 April 2021.
Key battles explored during this episode are the engagements at An Nasiriyah, Al Kifl, An Najaf, Karbala, and Baghdad.
Resources for Topics Discussed in the Episode
On Point: The United States Army in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The initial history that looked at the Army’s role in the ground invasion during Operation Iraqi Freedom in March and April 2003. This book was published by the U.S. Army’s Combat Studies Institute Press in 2004 and is available for free to the public.
Thunder Run: The Armored Strike to Capture Baghdad. Pulitzer Prize winning reporter David Zucchino was embedded with the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division during the 2003 Operation Iraqi Freedom ground invasion. This book tells the engaging story of 2nd Brigade’s battles on their march to Baghdad.
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