My War in Iraq
Colonel Marcus Fielding
“I was there at the start and Marcus was there at the end. Because of this, I found Marcus’s book fascinating. I congratulate him. He was in the middle of it all, and he had enough nous to write about it.”
Major General Jim Molan AO, DSC, (Retired)
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Colonel Marcus Fielding provides a rare glimpse into the contentious Iraq war, one of the most controversial conflicts of our time. An experienced soldier, he paints a vivid picture of the conditions for Australian troops and provides fascinating insights into the complexity of rebuilding a nation against a backdrop of Sectarian violence.
Marcus worked in the senior coalition headquarters in Baghdad, which managed coalition forces on a grand scale and laboured to rebuild a country of 26million people. From his ‘office’ in Saddam’s former al-Faw Palace, Marcus deals with the vital issues associated with rehabilitating this war-torn nation during the introduction of democracy and several crucial elections.
Red Zone Baghdad covers Marcus tour of duty during the final days of the Australian presence in Iraq. His personal experiences of everyday life set against a backdrop of violence: the heat and dust, attending meetings in the Red Zone, the camaraderie of the cigar club and visits to orphanages; allow access to a little understood war and a soldier’s life, far removed from the peace and certainty of life in Australia.
Additional Information
• More than 20,000 men and women of the Australian Defence Force served in or near Iraq between 2003 and 2009.
• These men and women were all volunteers and they did what their democratically elected government asked them to do. Together they risked their lives to try to create a better future for the people of Iraq.
• They served either as part of the initial invasion under the banner of ‘Operation Falconer’ or in the subsequent rehabilitation and reconstruction of Iraq under ‘Operation Catalyst’.
• The one group that existed almost from the time that the Coalition was formed in Iraq was that group of Australian soldiers that were embedded in various coalition headquarters. This group were collectively known as ‘embeds’.
• Marcus was based in the senior coalition headquarters in Baghdad, the highest Coalition headquarters in Iraq.
• Marcus tells his story in this book over nine months at the conclusion of the Australian involvement in Iraq.
• There are few books written about the war in Iraq and yet Marcus was one of 150,000 soldiers in the Multi-National Force in Iraq. Hopefully his experiences will add to the historical record of Australia’s involvement in that war.
About the Author
Marcus Fielding is an experienced veteran with 28 years of full-time service in the ADF and he has held a wide range of command, instructional and representational assignments. He participated in four operational deployments.
• 1992 he directed operations to clear land mines in Afghanistan.
• 1995 he coordinated infrastructure construction projects in Haiti.
• 1999 and 2000 Marcus directed security operations and coordinated the repatriation of displaced persons as part of the Australian-led international force in East Timor. For his work in East Timor, he was awarded Commendation for Distinguished Service.
• 2008 and 2009 Marcus spent nine months as a senior member of the Headquarters Multi-National Force–Iraq in Baghdad.
• 2011 he transitioned to part-time service with the Australian Army.
Marcus continues to keep track of developments in Iraq and takes a professional interest in the war in Afghanistan. He has returned to Melbourne and is now a director in his own business. Marcus also participates in a new Commonwealth Government initiative called the ‘Australian Civilian Corps’ which deploys civilians in support of stabilisation efforts around the globe.
Sharon Evans Big Sky Publishing
