Thread by @sfrantzman

October 21, 2016 around five years ago, I was at Nawaran on the frontline during the open phase of the Mosul offensive in the Kurdistan region as Peshmerga pushed ISIS back toward the city and then handed over operations to Iraqi army and ISOF

It seems like many years ago, more than it was, that I was there, there was this very cold night I recall sleeping there with artillery and small arms fire going on all night

The morning of the 21 we had tea and warmed ourselves by the fire around a burning fire

Heroic journalists from Rudaw came and went from the frontline; caked in dust

Among the photos I was looking at was this very tall Kurdish man; Im not short but he was very tall; I asked him for a photo

Think of those days with fond memories, I may post some other photos in coming days

I think I was in better shape back then too 😂

I met a lot of great fighters during those days, men looking for the fight, some offered for me to come along into the battle for Fazalia and other villages, I saw some fighting but eventually I said no, I had responsibilities at home far away and couldn’t risk more

In the spring of 2017 I went into Mosul; more on that next year when the anniversary of the defeat of ISIS in Mosul comes around

Saw and spoke with some of the other militaries on that line, including foreign special forces ; still after these years I respect the requests not to show photos of faces and vehicles where we were asked not to; but many played a big, and quiet, role in this battle

Those little binoculars I carried caused a stir for some reason at airport security in a transit country…whatever…they were useful. Years later we lost them at a nature reserve in Israel…I STILL have the hat though. That hat has been through a lot 😃 the Nikon camera also

The range in age and types of Kurdish men who came as volunteers to help was extraordinary #peshmerga

At the end of the day; when colleagues have been wounded and killed; and the fight is over for now; war is hell