In 1999, Marine General Charles C. Krulak wrote of the “three-block war” where soldiers in irregular conflicts “will be confronted by the entire spectrum of tactical challenges in the span of a few hours and, potentially, within the space of three contiguous city blocks.” Most importantly for regions like the area around COP Courage, where the Iraqi national government is little more than a rumor, “the individual [American service member] will be the most conspicuous symbol of American foreign policy. His or her actions may not only influence the immediate tactical situation, but have operational and strategic implications as well.”

At heart, much of this work is done by cultivating relationships — showing the Iraqis that American soldiers are strong, but fair, and that they’re an honest broker in a country rife with corruption, double-dealing, and a government seen by most Sunnis as being sectarian at best, a tool of Shia Iran bent on violently subjugating the Sunni minority at worst.

Part of this relationship building is figuring out who the power players are in any given region. The term “sheik,” I discovered, has become one of the more overused terms in Iraq. Once the “awakening” movement started in Anbar in 2006, and then moved through different parts of the country in 2007, Iraqis began popping up, assuring the Americans that they were “sheiks.” Add the fact that Charlie company is new to the area, and “a lot of guys are coming out of the woodwork trying to assert themselves saying, ‘Hey I’m a sheik, I’m in charge of this whole town,’ so you have to weigh that with what the old units told us about that guy operates,” [Captain] Helberg told me as we walked to Munder’s house. Apparently, Sheik Munder made the cut.

Sit in on the meeting between the captain and the sheik over at Paul’s blog.