Kevin Cianfrani
U.S. Army veteran and West Chester University undergraduate Lawrence Davidson interviewing United States Army veteran and fellow student Kevin Cianfrani in the Special Collections room in the Francis Harvey Green Library on the campus of West Chester University, West Chester, PA as part of the Soldiers to Scholars project.
Chapter Index:
Chapter 1 (10:01): personal background, pre-military preparation, impact of Sept. 11th, Operation Iraqi Freedom, family support, delayed entry program, views on war prior to deployment.
Chapter 2 (10:01): occupation (airborne infantry), reception, basic training, Fort Benning, GA (June 2005), “down range,” challenges, absent without leave (AWOL) incidents, theater specific – improvised explosive devices (IEDs), Advanced Infantry Training (AIT), battle drills, assignment.
Chapter 3 (10:01): Airborne school, training casualty, the jumps, Fort Richardson (Anchorage, Alaska), 1st/40th cavalry (new unit), 4th brigade, 25th infantry division, cold weather training, Joint Readiness Training Center (Ft. Polk, Louisiana), deployment (October 2006) to southeast Baghdad, downtime during training.
Chapter 4 (10:01): Kuwaiti City, pre-Iraq training, Forward Operating Base (FOB) Falcon (southeast Baghdad), replacement, FOB food, patrolling, equipment (armored humvees), dismounted patrols, “presence patrols,” Horijab (Iraqi town), “You shouldn’t be here,” local gangs/insurgents, first firefight.
Chapter 5 (10:01): patrol base (Abu Disher district), conditions at the FOB, downtime (guitar hero, internet, fitness center), phone cards, calls, high value targets (hvt), snatch and grabs, figuring out the area of operations (AO), Iraqi army, interpreters, winter months, the “Surge” (spring 2007), 3rd infantry division, aviation support (Apache helicopters, etc), heat casualties.
Chapter 6 (10:01): awareness of media while in theater, NY Times embed (4 August 2007) – humanitarian mission in Horijab, “worst day,” search for IEDs, casualties, casualty collection point (CCP), IED explosions, pressure plated IED impact on commander’s vehicle, leadership, ambushed, casualty collection, medical care, CCP.
Chapter 7 (10:01): casualty collection point (CCP), after action reports, casualties during tour, post traumatic syndrome (PTSD), impact of extended tour (mid-tour notice), transition out of war zone, views prior to/after deployment, view of “Surge.”
Chapter 8 (10:01): drawdown, homecoming (Alaska), challenges, “bucket list,” January-August 2008, shoulder repair, decision not to re-enlist, veteran’s benefits, West Chester University, veteran on campus, college students, advice.
Chapter 9 (6:20): reasons to learn more about Global War on Terror (GWOT), view on end of combat relations, reflection on service, children of Iraq, plans for the future, talking with significant others about the war.
Biographical Information
Name: Kevin Cianfrani
Place of birth: Philadelphia PA
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Race/Ethnicity (Optional): White
Branch of service: United States Army
Regular/Reserve: Regular Active
Commissioned/Drafted/Enlisted: Enlisted
Highest Rank: E4/Specialist
Service dates: AUG2004-FEB2008
Military Occupation: 11X Airborne Infantry
War, operation, conflict served in: OIF 2OCT2006-NOV2007
Unit that Deployed with; 1-40 Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigrade 25th Infantry Division
Location(s) where you/your Unit was stationed in Theater (Base name, province or region):
Iraq: Southeast Baghdad, Hawr Rajab, F.O.B Falcon
Type of operations/missions conducted:
Patrolling Mounted/Dismounted, H.V.T. snatch and grabs, Air Assaults, I.A. Training, S.K.T. operations, I.E.D route clearance, Humanitarian Aid operations
Battles/Campaigns (Specific names if there are known):
Iraq Surge Operation: FEB2007-NOV2007
Chapter 1 (10:01): personal background, pre-military preparation, impact of Sept. 11th, Operation Iraqi Freedom, family support, delayed entry program, views on war prior to deployment.
Chapter 2 (10:01): occupation (airborne infantry), reception, basic training, Fort Benning, GA (June 2005), “down range,” challenges, absent without leave (AWOL) incidents, theater specific – improvised explosive devices (IEDs), Advanced Infantry Training (AIT), battle drills, assignment.
Chapter 3 (10:01): Airborne school, training casualty, the jumps, Fort Richardson (Anchorage, Alaska), 1st/40th cavalry (new unit), 4th brigade, 25th infantry division, cold weather training, Joint Readiness Training Center (Ft. Polk, Louisiana), deployment (October 2006) to southeast Baghdad, downtime during training.
Chapter 4 (10:01): Kuwaiti City, pre-Iraq training, Forward Operating Base (FOB) Falcon (southeast Baghdad), replacement, FOB food, patrolling, equipment (armored humvees), dismounted patrols, “presence patrols,” Horijab (Iraqi town), “You shouldn’t be here,” local gangs/insurgents, first firefight.
Chapter 5 (10:01): patrol base (Abu Disher district), conditions at the FOB, downtime (guitar hero, internet, fitness center), phone cards, calls, high value targets (hvt), snatch and grabs, figuring out the area of operations (AO), Iraqi army, interpreters, winter months, the “Surge” (spring 2007), 3rd infantry division, aviation support (Apache helicopters, etc), heat casualties.
Chapter 6 (10:01): awareness of media while in theater, NY Times embed (4 August 2007) – humanitarian mission in Horijab, “worst day,” search for IEDs, casualties, casualty collection point (CCP), IED explosions, pressure plated IED impact on commander’s vehicle, leadership, ambushed, casualty collection, medical care, CCP.
Chapter 7 (10:01): casualty collection point (CCP), after action reports, casualties during tour, post traumatic syndrome (PTSD), impact of extended tour (mid-tour notice), transition out of war zone, views prior to/after deployment, view of “Surge.”
Chapter 8 (10:01): drawdown, homecoming (Alaska), challenges, “bucket list,” January-August 2008, shoulder repair, decision not to re-enlist, veteran’s benefits, West Chester University, veteran on campus, college students, advice.
Chapter 9 (6:20): reasons to learn more about Global War on Terror (GWOT), view on end of combat relations, reflection on service, children of Iraq, plans for the future, talking with significant others about the war.
Biographical Information
Name: Kevin Cianfrani
Place of birth: Philadelphia PA
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Race/Ethnicity (Optional): White
Branch of service: United States Army
Regular/Reserve: Regular Active
Commissioned/Drafted/Enlisted: Enlisted
Highest Rank: E4/Specialist
Service dates: AUG2004-FEB2008
Military Occupation: 11X Airborne Infantry
War, operation, conflict served in: OIF 2OCT2006-NOV2007
Unit that Deployed with; 1-40 Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigrade 25th Infantry Division
Location(s) where you/your Unit was stationed in Theater (Base name, province or region):
Iraq: Southeast Baghdad, Hawr Rajab, F.O.B Falcon
Type of operations/missions conducted:
Patrolling Mounted/Dismounted, H.V.T. snatch and grabs, Air Assaults, I.A. Training, S.K.T. operations, I.E.D route clearance, Humanitarian Aid operations
Battles/Campaigns (Specific names if there are known):
Iraq Surge Operation: FEB2007-NOV2007
