Original Kwikpoint Iraq Cultural Smart Card and IED Reference, U.S. Military Field Guide, Iraq, 2008

Original laminated accordion-fold Kwikpoint Iraq Cultural Smart Card and IED Reference produced for U.S. military personnel during the Iraq War. This is not an airdropped leaflet. It is a reusable field reference smart card designed to guide U.S. personnel on Iraqi cultural customs, religious practices, ethnic groups, social structures, gestures, Arabic names, holidays, and IED recognition. The card also includes extensive IED indicators, roadside IED guidance, vehicle-borne IED warnings, suicide bomber indicators, IED components, blast stand-off distances, post-blast procedures, and IED or UXO reporting protocols. 

Item Number: KP6-MIL-IR43

Operation: Operation Iraqi Freedom

Conflict and War: Iraq War

Year: 2008

Country and Theater: Iraq

Language(s): English, with Arabic names and selected Iraq-related terminology

Format: Original laminated accordion-fold cultural and IED reference smart card

Provenance: N/A

Translation:
Front cover: “Iraq Cultural Smart Card and IED Reference.”

The front includes a map of Iraq identifying Baghdad, Mosul, Irbil, Kirkuk, Sulaymaniyah, Tikrit, Fallujah, Ar Ramadi, Karbala, An Najaf, As Samawah, Al Kut, Al Amarah, An Nasiriyah, Basrah, Umm Qasr, the Tigris River, Euphrates River, and the Syrian Desert.

The cultural side includes panels on religion, ethnic groups, cultural customs, cultural attitudes, modern history, social structures, gestures, Arabic names, holidays, and behavior guidance under “Do This” and “Don’t Do This.” The text explains the Five Pillars of Islam, Islamic flag meanings, Islamic religious terms, Iraqi Arab, Kurdish, Assyrian, Chaldean, and Turkoman communities, honor and shame, personal space, greetings, Iraqi homes, hospitality, and religious dates from 2009 to 2011.

The IED reference side includes panels titled “IED Indicators,” “Roadside IEDs,” “Vehicle-Borne IEDs,” “IED Components,” “Blast Stand-Off Distance Cheat Sheet,” “Post Blast Procedures,” “IED Emplacement,” “Suicide Bombers,” “Explosives and Filler,” “Power Sources,” “Containers,” “IED Procedures,” and “IED or UXO Report.”

Imagery: The card combines maps, diagrams, photographs, charts, and illustrated instructional panels. Images include a map of Iraq, Islamic religious practices, Iraqi ethnic group portraits, cultural gesture diagrams, Arabic name structures, holiday images, “Do This” and “Don’t Do This” behavior lists, IED warning signs, roadside device placement, vehicle-borne explosive diagrams, suicide bomber indicators, pressure switches, timers, wires, batteries, containers, detonators, garbage concealment, overpass threats, dead animal concealment, vehicle and roadside IED scenarios, stand-off distance tables, and reporting forms.

Objective: To provide U.S. military personnel with a compact reference tool for navigating Iraqi cultural expectations while recognizing, reporting, and responding to IED threats. The cultural panels are intended to reduce misunderstandings in civilian interaction, while the IED panels train personnel to identify suspicious indicators, understand common emplacement methods, and follow reporting and post-blast procedures.

Condition: Very good condition. Complete laminated accordion-fold smart card with strong color, clear printing, intact panels, and fully legible text and imagery. Light handling wear, surface rubbing, edge wear, and fold stress are visible, consistent with field-use reference material. The object remains structurally sound and display-ready.

Exhibited in Khajistan: Office of War Information (O.W.I.) at Pioneer Works, New York, May 08 – Aug 09, 2026.