Daily Afghan-Iraq Update/10-20
Photos by Spc. William Henry
Brian Parrish an infantryman, stands guard during a humanitarian aid mission with Kuh-e Safi District police in Dandar village, Sept. 30. The focus of the mission was to give the police a positive presence in the area by giving back to the community they work in.
A local girl carries a bag of lentils.
Pfc. James Brunson, an Infantryman fires an AT-4 rocket during a range training exercise in Parwan.
By Army Spc. Maurice A. Galloway
"These children are carried everywhere, and these mothers aren't going to be able to continue carrying these kids as they grow older," said Col. Michael Rath, 308th CAB, 17th Fires Bde, 34 ID, medical surgeon. "After speaking with these families, I found that most of these children have bed sores from lying down constantly. These wheelchairs will help with the reduction of those open wounds, by giving the children a means of getting out of their beds.”
At age four, Husain Diaa was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, rendering him unable to control his motor functions. "It touches my heart that these Soldiers would give this wheelchair to my son,” said Husain's mother, as tears streamed down her face. “We need it so much and I can't thank them enough."
Jeehied Wahav appreciated the Soldiers' caring during the event and remarked on the life-changing effect the wheelchair will have on the life of his 10-year-old daughter. "I'm very grateful to the Soldiers who took the time to do this," he said. "My daughter can't walk, and I've been carrying her around. I've been afraid to send her to school because of this, although she's very smart, but now the chair changes that."
"It gives me joy to be able to give someone else joy," said Spc. LaFena Washington, 34th ID. "Back home I'm very involved with community outreach. It's very fulfilling to be able to continue to give assistance and provide hope to those who really need it."
"It's good to have a collaborative group come together to complete a goal that benefits so many people that really need assistance," said Maj. Diane Greenpope, 308th CAB, PRT Health Team leader. "Assembling these wheelchairs was a very simple task, but the impact it had on the kids and their families will be very hard to forget."
"I'm normally driving or providing security for these events," said Sgt. Demont Moore, 1st Bn, 377th FAR, 17th FB truck driver. "To actually have a hand in providing these wheelchairs is something that made me feel very proud."
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Army divers come out of the Euphrates River after a 2-hour dive to locate debris in the path of the new Saqlawiya bridge being built north of Taqaddum, Oct. 5, 2009. The “umbilical cord” on shore includes the air supply and communications for the divers, who are assigned to the 86th Engr Dive Team. (Army photos by Spc. Michael MacLeod)
SAQLAWIYA – On a floating bridge beside the stump of a modern concrete highway span under construction, 2 middle-aged men talk through an interpreter about the job before them. One is Najee Hamed, shift supervisor for the IP who is manning traffic control points and providing security for the bridge and new construction. A large, heavyset man, Hamed is a former 1st sgt of an IA artillery btry, who was wounded by rocket fire in the Iraq-Iran War. The other is U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Scott Thomas, a paratrooper on his 5th deployment, whose family’s military service dates back to the U.S. Revolution. Thomas, with the 82nd Abn Div’s 504th PIR, is providing security for an Army dive team that is removing debris from a destroyed bridge so that Iraqi contractors may finish a new bridge project.
The 504th was the first inf regt in the Army to be designated airborne. Now it's part of the newest tool in the Army’s arsenal developed for this kind of mission: the advise-and-assist brigade. “Local residents are glad the Americans are here, because the Iraqi contractors were getting slowed by the old pontoons in the river,” Hamed said. “Our concern is to minimize the time this bridge is closed to the public while divers are in the water.”
Local people look forward to the additional food and services that will become available when the project is complete, Hamed said. “Above everything, they are most concerned with their economic survival.” The security situation at the bridge site is very good compared to years past, he noted. “Two years ago, we could not cross the bridge without getting shot at,” Hamed said.
With a 5-knot current, depths up to 40 feet and ink-like visibility, the surface-supply diving is done completely by feel. Mapping the river bottom is done by trigonometry. Evenly spaced knots in the diver’s tether line indicate the length of the hypotenuse. The depth gauge gives the 2nd leg of the right triangle, which allows the third leg to be calculated. “The conditions are right on the edge of what is possible,” said Army 1st Lt. Joe Lunn, cmdr of the dive team. The divers work 2 at a time. The work is cold, slow and unnerving, said Army Staff Sgt. Matthew Hawkey, a father of 2. Due to the amount of time involved in preparing to go into the water, they're only able to conduct 2 dives per day. At the deepest, swiftest point in the channel, it takes a diver 30 minutes to traverse 7 feet. Army Sgt. 1st Class David Schimant, a plt sgt with the 50th MRBC, is glad to have the support of such a highly regarded unit. On some projects, his bridge builders provide their own security. The presence of the 82nd paratroopers lets them concentrate on supporting the dive team with their boats, dozers and bridging expertise. As with U.S. forces throughout Iraq, the 50th MRBC is teaching Iraqis to do for themselves, for when the Americans are gone. In Sept., the 50th trained up an Iraqi bridging company on a joint project in the Taji area spanning the Tigris. They named it Partnership Bridge.Just up the road, a platoon from Thomas’ company has been training with the IA. At the request of the Iraqi sgt maj, paratroopers are helping Iraqis develop their NCO officer corps through classes and teaching materials on tactical and leadership skills, Thomas said. “We're calling it ‘Strike Training,’” he said. It includes a full spectrum of soldier skills and strives to lay out standards for field techniques, hygiene, physical fitness and even rudimentary expectations, such as being on time. Currently, Iraqi officers must handle those sorts of tasks, handled in U.S. forces by NCO such as Thomas and Guzman.
“If you want to go to Ramadi or Fallujah, this is the best way,” Hawal said, waving a hand at the soon-to-be finished span. At 29, he has a friend who lost a leg in the violence of years past, and another who lost a hand. Still, he is unafraid to stand sentry at the new bridge with the Americans. “This is my home,” he said.
BAGHDAD — Children at a girl's school in the Rashid district here recently received school supplies from IFP and U.S. Soldiers with Co A, 30th HBCT.
The U.S. Soldiers gave new back packs stuffed with pencils, pencil sharpeners and educational materials to IA officers to hand to the students of the Imtithal Elementary School. The Soldiers also gave soccer balls, crayons, coloring books and office supplies to the school's principal, Eman Hussein, to distribute and use later. "It's a great thing to be able to do this," said one FP officer. "We need to do more of this. It's win-win for everybody."
Hussein accompanied the group as they visited each classroom. Children smiled and giggled as the FP presented each child with the items. "It was nice to see the FP working with the schools, and see the children being comfortable around the FP," said 1st Lt. Troy Smith. "It's important to have that interaction." The students in each class called out a unanimous thank you as the group left one classroom to go to the next.
Hussein said the students were very happy to receive the gifts, and thanked both Iraqi and American forces as they were leaving. "They're so happy," she said. "Thank you. You are welcome here any time."
