Battlefield Fallujah Warriors: 1st Lieutenant Christopher Conner, USMC

Company Executive Officer, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines

Episode 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12
Interviewer: Chief Warrant Officer William Hutson
Fallujah, Iraq - November 17, 2004 | Haditha Dam, Iraq - October 23, 2004
Courtesy of the Department of Defense and the U.S. Marine Corps History Division

Military background and experience: Enlisted in reserves, summer 1992, Raleigh Reserve Unit. NCSU grad in 1995, active duty, RSU at 29 Palms. His CO told him to look into the officer program. OCC program August 2000. TBS, IOC. 1/8.

Deployment for OIF-1 with 1/8. Part of 26 MEU, departed March 5, 2003. OIF began. Still off the coast of Greece. MEU rec'd word to put forces in the north of Iraq, Secure Mosul Airfield. Would be relieved by 3rd ID Army. On USS IWO JIMA. Flew in C-130 from Crete to the Mosul Airfield. Secured the airfield. He was 81s platoon commander at the time. Performed a few operations. Did the link up and got back to Crete and on the ship.

Deployment for OIF-2. He was part of the advance party. Cherry point, airplanes, Ireland, Kuwait, C-130s, Al Asad. Got on a convoy to the Haditha Dam, relieving 3/4. Enduring tasks: integrated with Iraqi National Guard checkpoints. 3 checkpoints along ASR Bronze. July 1 became operational, by July 12 told to go to Fallujah. Came back August 5. New tasks to ensure routes north, near Anna were secure, on bronze road.  

Source: U.S. Marine Corps History Division