Chris' Deployment Journal

Historically, U.S. Army strategists had only to concern themselves with two-dimensional warfare, planning for battles that were fought in the rolling landscape of Germany or the wide-open desserts of Kuwait. Urban combat brings the third dimension to this planning dilemma and I think the concept of a 'three-dimensional battlefield' is exemplified in this shot of the stadium. Just as my truck pulled up and deposited our platoon's two-man observer/sniper team to go up this ramp and eventually to the roof, I had to begin watching out for our front, back, sides, and also now up. If someone were up there, it would be very easy for them to lob something nasty down on us, or more easily just shoot at us from that position.

In the above shot, the circular and square windows are on the backside of the stadium's press box. Once offices, these are now people's homes, as is the walled off area just to the left of the ramp. Most of the underside of the stands are now filled with similar such homes, some of which are quite elaborate, with kitchen counters, appliances, televisions, etc.