"IRAQ'S SECRET SOLDIERS" AUTHOR, COMBAT PHOTOGRAPHER, & PSD/SET TEAM MEMBER:

John H. Hollis IV is a 25 year Security Expert Specializing in Anti-terrorism for Military, Government, and Private organizations.

He is a former U.S. Army SGT, Combat MP, Military Police Investigator, and Covert 00 Delta 1 Operator for U.S. Military CID and U.S. Military Intelligence-Counter Intelligence.

John is 4 year Veteran of OIF/Operation Iraqi Freedom with over 1000 days operating behind Enemy Lines in Red Combat Zones as a DOD Security Consultant, PSD/Personal Security Detail & SET/Security Escort Team member, as well as a ATFP/Anti-terrorist Force Protection team member & PPO/Personal Protection Officer.

He has run over 550 “Officially Sanctioned” DOD, Coalition Forces, and Iraqi Government Ministry Security Missions behind Enemy Lines serving as a team member of “Team Shark”, “Team 1 Mosul”, and Eagle Team 10”; and around 100 of these were deadly night missions.

John has been WIA/Wounded in Action 3 times in Enemy Combat and additionally injured twice, during “Official DOD and Coalition Force Missions” in Iraq’s Red Combat Zones; having skull, left eye, face, nose, mouth, jaw, lower spine, left ankle, left & right hip surgery; including bi-laterally ruptured eardrums and a broken right wrist. He is left with a speech impediment, 40% bilateral hearing loss, a partially paralyzed lower left leg, fallen foot, and permanent L4/L5 disk and Sciatic branch nerve damage.

IRAQ'S SECRET SOLDIERS PHOTO GALLERY

WELCOME TO IRAQ’S SECRET SOLDIERS…PART I

WE’RE GOING TO SHOW YOU THE INSIDE OF IRAQ MISSIONS…SECRET MISSIONS TO REBUILD IRAQ THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, NORTH, SOUTH, EAST AND WEST.

PRIOR TO TAKING YOU ON THESE MISSIONS THERE ARE SOME GROUND RULES, AND I WILL WRITE A FEW PASSAGES OF THE 1 – 14 VOLUMES OF THE IRAQ SERIES OF BOOKS.

THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT THE PUBLIC IS NOT AWARE OF THAT EVERYBODY WANTS TO KNOW, BUT NOBODY KNOWS THE REAL STORY ABOUT IRAQ’S SECRET SOLDIERS.

POLITICALLY IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FAR RIGHT, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FAR LEFT, OR WHETHER YOU ARE RELIGIOUS OR AN ATHIEST.

TRUE STORIES OF HEREOS KNOWN AS IRAQ’S SECRET SOLDIERS, SPECIALISTS IN THE PROTECTION OF THEIR CLIENTS, WHETHER THEY BE GENERALS, POLITICIANS, SENATORS, CONGRESSMEN, ENGINEERS, OR FILM CREWS.

GROUND RULES…THEY APPLY TO EVERYBODY, ESPECIALLY IRAQ’S SECRET SOLDIERS. FIRST LET’S TAKE A FEW STEPS OUT OF THE FORWARD OF THE BOOK. WHAT ARE THE SECRET SOLDIERS? IN READING A FEW LINES AND SETTING SOME GROUND RULES YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE A STRONG UNDERSTANDING OF EXACTLY WHAT THE IRAQ SECRET SOLDIERS DO, WHO THEY ARE, HOW THEY LIVE, WHAT THEY THINK, AND HOW THEY ARE EDUCATED…AND CLARIFY MISCONCEPTIONS THAT THE PUBLIC HAS.

LET’S START BY KILLING A FEW MYTHS. FIRST OFF, THE WORD MERCENARY IS THROWN AROUND A LOT. IRAQ SECRET SOLDIERS ARE NOT MERCENARIES, THEY ARE STRICTLY A DEFENSIVE FORCE IN THE PROTECTION OF THEIR CLIENTS. I CAN ASSURE YOU, IRAQ SECRET SOLDIERS, PSD TEAMS/PERSONAL SECURITY DETAILS, SET TEAMS/SECURITY ESCORT TEAMS, HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH MERCENARIES…IT HAS TO DO WITH THE PROFESSIONAL ASPECTS OF THE JOB.

NUMBER ONE, IRAQ’S SECRET SOLDIERS ARE MADE UP INTO TEAMS, THESE TEAMS ARE SET TEAMS, SECURITY ESCORT TEAMS, PSD TEAMS, PERSONAL SECURITY TEAMS, AND CP TEAMS, CLOSE PROTECTION TEAMS; THEY ARE STRICTLY DEFENSIVE FORCES.
PSD AND SET OPERATORS WHICH MAKE UP THE TEAMS OF IRAQ’S SECRET SOLDIERS ARE IN IRAQ FOR A MULTIPLE OF REASONS; CLEARLY PATRIOTISM, CAREER, ADVENTURE, AND DOING THE RIGHT THING.

THE REBUILDING OF IRAQ IS A VERY IMPORTANT OPERATION, THE RE-TRAINING OF THEIR SOLDIERS AND POLICE ARE PARAMOUNT. IN ORDER FOR IRAQIS TO CONTINUE THEIR BLOSSOMING NEW FOUND DEMOCRACY, THERE HAS TO BE LAW AND ORDER. UNTIL THE IRAQI TROOPS AND POLICE OFFICERS ARE TRAINED TO BE SELF SUFFICIENT AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WAS LEFT TO ROT BY SADDAM; NOT ONLY WAR DAMAGE, BUT CLEARLY DAMAGE OF 30 OR 40 YEARS OF RULE, BUILDING PALACES, AND FORGETTING ABOUT SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, CLINICS, AND ROADS…PSD AND SET OPERATORS WILL BE IN IRAQ.

WELCOME TO IRAQ’S SECRET SOLDIERS…PART II

PSD AND SET OPERATORS WHICH MAKE UP IRAQ’S SECRET SOLDIERS ARE IN IRAQ FOR MANY REASONS, MONEY ISN’T EVERYTHING! REBUILDING IRAQ IS A HUGE JOB, NOT EVEN THE ARMY AND ALL THE CIVIL ENGINEERS IN THE WORLD CAN DO IT ALONE; AND IT IS BEING DONE IN ONE OF THE WORLD’S WORSE COMBAT ZONES. IRAQ’S SECRET SOLDIERS ARE SPECIALISTS IN GETTING OTHER PATRIOTIC PEOPLE TO DO THEIR JOB IN IRAQ.

PERSONAL SECURITY DETAILS, SECURITY ESCORT TEAMS, AND CLOSE PROTECTION TEAMS HAVE ONLY ONE ROLE, AND THAT ROLE IS TO OUR CLIENT. WHETHER THAT CLIENT BE AN ENGINEER, MILITARY GENERALS, POLITICIANS, PROVINCIAL GOVERNORS, LEGISLATORS, SENATORS, OR FILM CREWS, OUR ROLE IS TO PROTECT THEM AND GET THEM FROM POINT A TO POINT B AND BACK SAFELY.

IN DOING SO WE OFTEN ENCOUNTER THE ENEMY, AMBUSHES SET OF THE MOST HORRIFIC TYPE! AS MENTIONED EARLY, WE ARE NOT AN OFFENSIVE FORCE, WE ARE A DEFENSIVE FORCE; BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU OF ONE THING, WHEN THE TERRORISTS HIT AND HIT HARD, WE GO OFFENSIVE. WE TAKE THE BATTLE TO OUR ENEMY, WE TAKE THE FIGHT TO THE TERRORISTS.

WE ARE SANCTIONED BY ALL COALITION MILITARY FORCES WORLDWIDE, INCLUIDING THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT. IN FACT THE UNITED NATIONS HAS BEEN KNOWN TO USE THE SERVICES OF IRAQ’S SECRET SOLDIERS; BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE ARE AUTHORIZED AND ASKED TO DO OUR JOB BY THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT.

IRAQ’S SECRET SOLDIERS TAKE PRIDE IN DOING THEIR MISSION IN IRAQ AND DOING IT WELL. IRAQ’S SECRET SOLDIERS ARE KNOWN AS THE QUIET PROFESSIONALS SOLDIERS, EVERY SOLDIER GOES HOME!

MANY PEOPLE THINK THAT, IRAQ’S SECRET SOLDIERS, SET TEAMS, PSD TEAMS, AND CP TEAMS HAVE LITTLE OVERSIGHT; THAT’S PURELY FICTION. IRAQ’S SECRET SOLDIERS HAVE MORE OVERSIGHT THAN ALMOST ANY GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION. THEY HAVE OVERSIGHT OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT, HOW MUCH OVERSIGHT CAN YOU GET?
IRAQ’S SECRET SOLDIERS ARE VETTED TO THE EXTREME, NO PART OF OUR PRIVATE LIFE IS LEFT UNTOUCHED BY GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATIONS PRIOR TO SERVING IN IRAQ. DON’T GET CONFUSED, WE ARE THE MOST MONITORED MILITARY GROUP ON PLANET EARTH!

WHEN YOU ADD THE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF MISSIONS RAN BY IRAQ’S SECRET SOLDIERS, I WILL TELL YOU ONE THING. I WILL PUT ANY COMBAT PSD, SET TEAM, UP AGAINST ANY MILITARY OR SECURITY ORGANIZATION IN THE WORLD, WHEN IT COMES TO SAFETY, TRAINING, CONCERN FOR LOCALS, AND COMMON HUMAN DECENCY.

WE ARE FIRM BELIEVERS IN RUF/RULES OF USE OF FORCE AND ROE/RULES OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ENEMY, IN COOPERATION, BOTH ARE DESIGNED BY THE MILITARY AND GOVERNMENTS OF THE WORLD AND IRAQ’S SECRET SOLDIERS FOLLOW THE RULES TO A T.

I GUESS BECAUSE OF MONEY, THAT IS WHY TEAMS RUN MERCY MISSIONS TO OUTLYING VILLAGES TO GIVE THEM FOOD, WATER, CLOTHING, SHOES, MEDICAL SUPPLIES, SCHOOL MATERIALS, TRAINING, WORK CREWS, AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, OUR FRIENDSHIP. I GUESS IT IS ONLY MONEY THAT PROMOTES US TO THE REBUILDING OF IRAQ, OFTEN DYING IN THE PROCESS TO RE-PLACE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, SUCH AS SCHOOLS, CLINICS, HOSPITALS, ROADS, OIL, WATER, AND ELECTRICAL SUB-STATIONS.

IRAQ’S SECRET SOLDIERS HIGHLY RESPECT THE MILITARY AND ALL OF OUR BROTHERS IN ARMS…MOST TELLING IS THE TREATMENT AND ATTITUDE FROM THE LOCAL NATIONALS, IRAQIS, WHO WORK BESIDE US AND FIGHT BESIDE US IN A WAR ZONE. IRAQI CITIZENS ARE THE VERY ONES THAT GIVE US INTELLIGENCE ON THEIR AND OUR COMMON ENEMY, THE TERRORISTS, AIF/ANTI-IRAQI FORCES, AND CRIMINAL GANGS.

IRAQIS WANT DEMOCRACY, THEY WANT A DECENT MIDDLE CLASS LIFE JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER MAN, WOMEN, AND CHILD IN THIS WORLD. I CAN SADLY SAY, THAT OUR NATION AND THE BETTER PART OF THE WORLD FEELS THERE IS NOTHING WORTH FIGHTING FOR ANYMORE. NOTHING COULD BE FARTHER FROM THE TRUTH…LIBERTY, JUSTICE, AND DEMOCRACY FOR ALL! THE LEGACY OF IRAQ WILL BE IN THE WILL OF THE WORLD, MAKE IT COUNT FOR SOMETHING, IRAQ’S SECRET SOLDIERS ARE.

A LARGE PROPORTION OF THE AIF/ANTI-IRAQI FORCES AND TERRORISTS ARE FOREIGNERS, THEY ARE NOT FROM IRAQ AND ARE NOT IRAQI CITIZENS, THEY COME TO IRAQ TO FOMENT ANARCHY, CIVIL STRIFE, DISOBIEDIENCE, AND TERROR. THE FOREIGN FIGHTERS IN IRAQ ARE MUSLIM EXTREMISTS, THEY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE EVERYDAY MUSLIM; THEY ARE FANATICS THAT ARE LIVING IN A WORLD 4,000 YEARS AGO. JUST LOOK THE KILLED AND CAPTURED, LOOK AT THEIR PASSPORTS, THEY COME FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.

ABOUT TEAM 1 MOSUL...

I’M GOING TO TELL YOU A LITTLE ABOUT A VERY SPECIAL TEAM, A VERY SPECIAL TEAM OF IRAQ’S SECRET SOLDIERS, KNOWN AS TEAM 1 MOSUL. TEAM 1 MOSUL WAS ORIGINALY BROUGHT TOGETHER AS A 10 MAN GROUND TEAM, WITH 3 MORE ADDITIONAL MEN, ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL EARLY IN 2004.

THE CONCEPT OF TEAM 1 MOSUL WAS TO COUNTER CONSTANT ATTACKS BY AIF/ANTI-IRAQI FORCES, INSURGENTS, AND TERRORISTS DURING MISSIONS DELIVERING MILITARY BRASS AND ENGINEERS FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF IRAQ. THESE ATTACKS WERE SPECIFICALLY AIMED AT TEAM 1 MOSUL MISSIONS, THEY WERE DESIGNED TO KILL OR CAPTURE OUR CLIENTS; WHICH RANGED FROM MILITARY BRASS, GENERALS, POLITICOS, GOVERNORS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY THE VITAL ENGINEERS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF IRAQ.

TO COUNTER THESE ATTACKS, TEAM 1 MOSUL WENT FROM A 10 MAN GROUND TEAM TO A 17 MAN GROUND TEAM BY LATE 2004, AND A 3 VEHICLE, 1 GUNSHIP MOVEMENT TO A 4 VEHICLE MOVEMENT WITH 2 GUNSHIPS. TEAM 1 MOSUL WAS MADE UP BY ALL EX-SOLDIERS, ALL SPECIALISTS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE FIELDS AND WERE COMPRISED OF U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL, COMBAT MP, MARINE FORCE RECON, DELTA FORCE, SPECIAL FORCES, NAVY SEALS, AND AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE; AS WELL AS BRITISH SAS, PARA, AND ROYAL MARINES.

THESE ELITE SPECIAL TEAM MEMBERS WERE BROUGHT TOGETHER TO FORM A PSD/SET TEAM THE LIKES THE WORLD HAS NEVER SEEN BEFORE. THEY QUICKLY GAINED A NASTY REPUTATION WITH THE ANTI-IRAQI FORCES WHILE OPERATING OUT OF FOB/FORWARD OPERATING BASE FREEDOM COURAGE IN MOSUL.

THE AIF WOULD HIT TEAM 1 MOSUL HARD WITH VBIEDS, RPG, PKM, AND IED. TEAM 1 MOSUL WOULD RESPOND WITH SEVERE SUPERIOR OVERWHELMING FIREPOWER!

TEAM 1 MOSUL HAD MANY WELL EARNED KUDOS.

ONE, NO CLIENT OR TEAM MATES WERE KIA/KILLED IN ACTION.

TWO, TEAM 1 MOSUL SUFFERED MORE ENEMY CONTACTS THAN MOST MILITARY UNITS AND ALL PSD UNITS IN IRAQ.

THREE, TEAM 1 MOSUL PER BIG ARMY INTELLIGENCE HAS THE INFAMOUS RECORD OF THE HIGHEST ENEMY BODYCOUNT OF ANY PSD/SET TEAM IN IRAQ.

FOUR, AN INTERESTING FACT OF RECORD, TEAM 1 MOSUL HAD ZERO COLATERAL CAUALTIES.

FIVE, ALMOST ALL PSD/SET TEAMS WORLDWIDE NOW USE TEAM 1 MOSUL’S METHODOLOGY.

THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A PSD SET TEAM MEMBER LIKE TEAM 1 MOSUL AND PROBABLY NEVER WILL BE AGAIN. THE LEGACY OF TEAM 1 MOSUL LIVES ON THROUGH THE DOCUMENTARY, “IRAQ’S SECRET SOLDIERS”.