Interview with MAJ David DeFelice

In this February 2009 interview MAJ David DeFelice discusses in detail his deployment to Kuwait and Iraq in preparation for the initial invasion into Iraq. MAJ DeFelice describes the pre-deployment training he and his unit received while in Kuwait and the dividends that paid for the Soldiers as time wore on and they eventually crossed the berm into Iraq. On the tip of the spear, MAJ DeFelice's company charged forward into Iraq along with the rest of 3-7 CAV and conducted numerous attacks against different organized divisions of the old Iraqi Army. MAJ DeFelice explains the initial run in he and his company had with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and how they overcame that. Eventually ending up in Balad, MAJ DeFelice describes the numerous stops they had to make on the road to Baghdad and the difficulties he and his company faced with lack of supplies and the poor logistical support he was receiving from higher. 3-7 CAV was extended in theater until August and this caused issues back home with the family readiness group (FRG) as they kept getting told different information about their return which eventually led to the degradation of the FRG and the positive things they were doing. MAJ DeFelice discusses many of the challenges he faced, successes he had, and lessons he learned throughout this deployment. MAJ DeFelice concludes his interview by stating that, "Individual tasks are critical to the survival of everybody. If Soldiers are trained on how to do the simple, individual tasks correctly then that leads into all the other tasks; that leads into your collective tasks more easily. We did the collective tasks well because Soldiers knew how to do their individual tasks without having to be watched."