On the 25th of March, 2008, the Iranian trained insurgent militia known as "JAM", over 100,000 strong, rose up against American forces in Sadr City, spilling into the local areas of Ur and Tharwa.

The 1st Squadron of the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment was called in to quell the uprising.

On the 28th, 1st Squadron was sent into Tharwa to regain control of the city. After over 18 hours of hard fighting, deep inside of enemy dominated territory, coalition forces were forced to fall back to the local combat outpost.

The following morning on the 29th of March, 1st Squadron regained the forward line while "Bull Company" was sent even further forward to capture a schoolhouse being used as a rocket firing position and enemy stronghold. Once captured, the patrol base was christened "Outpost Gumby", in honour of our fallen brother SSG Gamboa who was killed during the first days of the uprising.

It was the most forward and most active fighting position of the entire uprising.

We, the solders of Bull Company 1/2 SCR, held Outpost Gumby for over a week, repelling waves of JAM special attack groups and standard militia until they had nothing left to throw at us and were pleading for a ceasefire.

After negotiations had concluded with local militia leaders the patrol base was torn down and Bull Company returned to the main forward line, holding that ground for another two months before finally being relieved of their duties.

In all, the uprising would claim the lives of three Bull Company solders and become one the most destructive, violent and bloody events to take place in Baghdad since the invasion.

During all of that, this was my gun-position in Outpost Gumby; facing down the main avenue of approach we started calling "the alleyway of death".

I will always remember my brothers in arms:

SSG Gamboa
SGT Lilly
CPL Kazarick