One Week in Iraq
(photo contributed) Major Donald L. Green, a Whitley County native, with fellow soldiers serving in Iraq. Green says he's surprised to at just how small the world is after recently meeting two Kosciusko County natives serving alongside him in Iraq.
By MAJ Donald L. Green -- December 7, 2007
My team has now spent our first week in our new surroundings in Iraq located in the city formerly known as Babylon and most recently called Samarra (pronounced Sam-a-rah). We were transported by air in two of the Army’s UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, to Forward Operating Base (FOB) Brassfield-Mora named after two soldiers who gave everything they had during Operation Iraqi Freedom’s (OIF).
Although we have spent some time learning the layout of the base we began to orient ourselves to the inner city area almost immediately. This was done by making day trips by ground into the city and visiting our Iraqi Counterparts where they work and live. We accomplish the travel by a three vehicle convoy of “up-armored” HMMWVs that provide protection from the small arms fire danger and provide a safe haven from most attacks. On top of each vehicle our gunners scan for any danger and provide coverage for anything else that may endanger the crews. In the time we have been here, there has been no use of this important equipment but we are all glad to have it – just in case.
I have to state this is the most interesting place I have visited in quite a long time and the variances to what a normal person would expect is amazing and can only be compared to something you would see in the movies. What is most interesting is the Iraqi people’s constant will that shows even when they face daily adversity from outside elements. As we traveled throughout the center of the city I was amazed by the smiling faces of the children and the friendliness of those we met. There is so much that I could never understand about why things here could be so bad, yet within the first week I have begun to internalize some of their immediate dilemmas along with the realities I will have to face in order to accomplish our mission.
The current army and coalition operations involves everyone in the area to include the Iraqi Army, the Iraqi National Police (Iraqi National Guard), the Iraqi Police (local law enforcement), and even the civilians in the area. Together they are creating “safe” zones where patrols are conducted regularly and where only authorized civilians are allowed to enter. These “neighborhood watch” type areas are beginning to spring up everywhere in the city, allowing markets and businesses to re-open which in-turn spurs the economic development in the area. This further ensures the local population has access to outside goods and services, something Americans take for granted. Checkpoints are monitored for suspicious activity and a greater portion of the city which was formerly under siege by insurgents and thugs is now beginning to give way to a future other than poverty and harassment by outsiders.
The proof has been the daily changes visible within the streets that we pass through. Adults and children alike give the local greetings of “Salam” (peace be upon you), “Mar-haba” (hello), “Sabah-il-khayr” (good morning), or “Ahlan-wa-sahlan” (Welcome). People are taking the time to clean up months of refuse from the city streets, sweeping the sidewalks where they sell their goods in front of the stores that are open once again. Lastly, the children continuously run up individually and in groups asking for basic items of necessity like shampoo, soap, and every Iraqi child’s favorite candy and soccer balls. Coming from such a prosperous land like America to a place like Iraq will make anyone want to assist every kid possible and quite often the American teams here will make care boxes to drop off randomly. The children will ultimately be the ones who will benefit from the work we do here.
I continue to believe that there are more similarities in the Iraqi people than differences from Americans and every meeting reinforces that thought. In my first week here I have seen ancient civilization peeking through the ruins surrounding the city; I have also seen the present in the people struggling to take back what is theirs next to historical monuments like the Spiral Minuet and the Al-Askyrian Golden Mosque. Things mostly seen only on television or on Google Earth. Mostly I see the future in the Iraqi children that will eventually rebuild this city to its former stature.
To emphasize how small a world it can be, I met two soldiers serving here in the 101st Division. Specialist Bryan Thomas and Specialist Adam Young are both 2004 graduates of Warsaw High School, Warsaw, Indiana . I wondered to myself why we could meet in such a foreign place, so distant from where we began, dedicating ourselves to a task so rich with rewards. I also wondered, more importantly, why more people could not support such a noble cause. I know for sure that our up-bringing ensured we would at least make the attempt.