Sunrise Over Fallujah (24 page)

A-10

A U.S. jet fighter bomber used for close air combat

AK-47

The first true automatic assault weapon; manufactured in Russia during the Cold War; widely, often illegally, traded and used in conflicts throughout the world

Al Jazeera

A worldwide Arabic satellite and cable network, based in Doha, Qatar, that has widely expanded the availability of media in the Middle East; commonly gives the viewpoints of the Islamic world

Al-Qaeda

A loosely organized, radical, international terrorist organization whose goals are to get rid of foreign influences in Islamic countries and establish a world order based on strict, fundamentalist Islamic laws. Al-Qaeda was founded in 1989 by Osama bin Laden, among others. The United States, with its worldwide influence, has been particularly targeted by bin Laden and Al-Qaeda, which uses bombings and other forms of tactical violence to further its goals.

CENTCOM

The United States Central Command, under the control of the Secretary of Defense, is in charge of coordinating military affairs for the U.S. Armed Forces in the Middle East, Central Asia, and East Africa. CENTCOM is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.

Civil Affairs

Branch of the U.S. Armed Forces that acts as a liaison between the military and the civilians in a war zone or disaster area

Coalition

The military forces deployed from other countries to join the U.S. military in Operation Iraqi Freedom. At various points during the Operation Iraqi Freedom campaign, more than 30 countries have been listed as part of the Coalition, although the great majority of combat forces are from the U.S., followed by the United Kingdom. Most countries sent significantly smaller forces, which were often limited to support roles, rather than combat or engagement.

Detonator

A device used to trigger an explosive

Fedayeen

A group of guerilla fighters loyal to Saddam Hussein

Final Roll Call

A military ritual in the memorial services for slain personnel

FOB

Forward Operations Base; a military base that is located near the front lines of combat

Green Zone

The heavily fortified area in central Baghdad from which Coalition command decisions are made

Gulf War

Iraq invaded neighboring Kuwait in August 1990. In January 1991, United Nations-sanctioned troops, in a coalition led primarily by the United States, waged the Persian Gulf War to liberate Kuwait, which was accomplished by February 1991.

HMMWV

A hybrid vehicle, outfitted for a number of different military purposes, with a top speed of 80 mph; commonly called a Humvee

IED

An Improvised Explosive Device

Insurgents

People fighting in armed revolt against a civil, military, or political authority

Islam

A religion based on the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. Followers of Islam are called Muslims.

Jihad

A system of protecting Islamic beliefs. There are traditionally four methods of practicing jihad. 1.With the heart: doing what is right under Islamic law. 2.With the tongue: speaking the truth and propagating Islam. 3. With the hand: correcting what one sees is wrong. 4.With the sword: defending Islam against its enemies.

Kevlar

A dense material that resists penetration by bullets and can be woven into many forms. U.S. troops wear Kevlar vests with ceramic front plates inserted into specially designed pockets. The U.S. military helmet is also made of Kevlar.

KIA

Killed In Action

Kurds

A tribal people of the Middle East, most of whom live in Turkey, northeast Iraq, and Iran. Kurds are the second largest ethnic group in Iraq, where they maintain an area of autonomous control.

LOC

Lines Of Communication. LOC ensure combat soldiers have essential access to supplies, intelligence, and advice from rear services and commanders.

M-16

The standard infantry rifle of the U.S. Army

Medevac

The abbreviation for medical evacuation, the process by which wounded soldiers are quickly moved by helicopters or ground vehicles to hospital centers

Molle

Moduler Lightweight Loadcarrying Equipment. A Molle vest has special webbing and loops that can hold personal armor and upon which other equipment can be fastened.

MOS

Military Occupational Specialty; the job a soldier has been trained to perform

MRE

Meals Ready to Eat; individual rations carried by soldiers in the field

NCO

Non-Commissioned Officers; any soldiers above the rank of private, for example, sergeants, corporals, etc.

POW

Prisoner Of War

PSYOP

Psychological Operations. PSYOP military units are specially trained to give useful information to local inhabitants to encourage their cooperation and influence their support of U.S. objectives.

Red Crescent

Middle Eastern equivalent of the Red Cross. A white flag with a red crescent moon on it denotes an organization or vehicle that's on an errand of mercy and, according to international treaties, should be immune to attack.

ROE

Rules Of Engagement are established by U.S. military authorities and define when and what kind of force U.S. soldiers can engage in.

RPG

The Rocket Propelled Grenade is a shoulder-fired weapon with an effective range of up to 500 yards. It is favored by Iraqi insurgents because of its light weight.

Rules of War

Internationally agreed upon laws and treaties, such as the Geneva Conventions. Rules of War define humanitarian issues, such as the protection of civilians and how prisoners of war and war-wounded are treated, and outline which war activities are prohibited, such as attacks on hospitals or Red Cross or Red Crescent vehicles or the deliberate killing of civilians who are not directly involved in combat.

SAW

Squad Automatic Weapon; a light—or medium-size machine gun

Sheik

An Arabic term applied to a tribal elder, wise man, leader, or highly respected person

Shiite

A follower of Islam who believes that the leadership of the Islamic religion should have been the descendants of Ali, the cousin and son-inlaw of the Prophet Muhammad. Shiites are the second largest branch of Islam; the majority of Iraqis are Shiites.

Squad

A group of soldiers. Squad size may vary according to the needs of the mission.

Sunni

A follower of Islam who believes that the caliphs, or rulers, who took control after the death of the Prophet Muhammad were the rightful leaders of their religion. Sunnis make up the largest branch of Islam but are a minority in Iraq.

Tribe

A group of people who have family, religious, and language ties

Up-Armored

The additional armor added as needed to vehicles in the field

WIA

Wounded In Action

WMD

Weapons of Mass Destruction

Copyright © 2008 by Walter Dean Myers. All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.,
Publishers since 1920
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Myers, Walter Dean, 1937-
Sunrise over Fallujah / Walter Dean Myers.—1st ed.
     p. cm.

Summary: Robin Perry, from Harlem, is sent to Iraq in 2003 as a member of the Civil Affairs Battalion,

and his time there profoundly changes him.

ISBN-13: 978-0-439-91624-0

ISBN-10: 0-439-91624-0

1. Iraq War, 2003—Juvenile fiction. [1. Iraq War, 2003—Fiction. 2. War—Fiction.
3. African Americans—Fiction.] I. Title.

PZ7.M992Su 2008

[Fic]—dc22

2007025444

First edition, May 2008

Map by Jim McMahon

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E-ISBN: 978-0-545-23202-9