Iraqi Disabled Vets Say Farewell To Their U.S. Soldier Friends

CJTF7 ^ | Jan. 17, 2004

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Iraqi Disabled Vets Say Farewell To Their U.S. Soldier Friends


BAGHDAD, Iraq – Soldiers from the 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion, an Army Reserve unit from Greensboro, N.C., and the 354th Civil Affairs Brigade, an Army Reserve unit from Riverdale, Md., both part of Task Force 1st Armored Division, said their goodbyes to the Iraqi disabled veterans at the Al Shamookh Village for Disabled Veterans after the units’ final mission there Jan 4.

Maj. Eric Murray, team chief for the 422nd, said the units built strong ties with the veterans after the veterans traveled across the city to visit them at the Al Karkh Civil Military Operations Center (CMOC) for help. After listening to their needs, Murray and his team took the project into their own hands.

“This is a mission that we took on voluntarily,” Murray said. “They came asking about salaries and complaining about the condition of their rehab facilities after they had been looted.”

The village is home to 150 veterans and their families. Every veteran is considered 100 percent disabled. Before the conflict, they received full support by the former regime. After the war, they had nothing, he said.

Murray’s road to success with the Iraqi disabled veterans, however, was not an easy one. The rehabilitation center needed reconstruction and the veterans needed money to support themselves and their families. Murray and his team took the veteran’s pleas for help to the Iraqi ministries and succeeded in gaining financial support.

“We did assessments, procured funds from the ministries, paid contractors, paid the veterans and their families and monitored the rehab facility reconstruction efforts,” said Murray. “The work we have done is a small project that really sums up Coalition involvement all over the country.”

The civil affairs teams’ involvement with the disabled veterans has gained them notoriety within the Al Shamookh community. After numerous visits to the Al Shamookh village, the teams have gained trust from the community.Children ask for soldiers by name whenever the soldiers arrive in the neighborhood.

As a result of working together, both the veterans and the soldiers have gained trust and respect for each other, Murray said.

“These veterans are the most down-to-earth and trustworthy people,” Murray said. “We have pushed for support for them. Now it is time for the Iraqis to take over and make things happen.”

Release #040117e

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Task Force 1st Armored Division, said their goodbyes to the Iraqi disabled veterans at the Al Shamookh Village for Disabled Veterans after the units’ final mission there Jan 4.

Maj. Eric Murray, team chief for the 422nd, said the units built strong ties with the veterans after the veterans traveled across the city to visit them at the Al Karkh Civil Military Operations Center (CMOC) for help.

The civil affairs teams’ involvement with the disabled veterans has gained them notoriety within the Al Shamookh community....Children ask for soldiers by name whenever the soldiers arrive in the neighborhood.

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422nd Civil Affairs Battalion, 354th Civil Affairs Brigade ~ Army Reserve ~ Task Force 1st Armored Division (winning hearts and minds), ping!
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[MEG33]

Great story!

[SAMWolf]

Children ask for soldiers by name whenever the soldiers arrive in the neighborhood.

Maybe there's hope after all.

[McGavin999]

The hope has always been with the children Sam. From the first day, it has been the Iraqi children who have opened their hearts to the American soldiers. Children have an instinct about people and they instantly recognized that our military was there to help.

[usnret99]

To bad you won't see this on the "big media outlets"

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

I promise that some of them will see this story, and a few will read it ~ and maybe understand a bit more.

[ex-snook]

Good post. You can always rely on a soldier to do the right thing.

[Mr. Silverback]

Children ask for soldiers by name whenever the soldiers arrive in the neighborhood.

Maybe there's hope after all.

One of the troops from our local unit (33rd MP Co., Illinois Guard) came home on leave and told how he had written the Arabic script for his fiance's name on the back of his helmet. All the Iraqis they worked with would refer to him as "Specialist Rachel" because they thought it was his last name. No real connection to this story, but it gave me a mental picture of little kids running up to him shouting, "Rachel! Rachel!"

[Mr. Silverback]

Talked to a 333rd guy on leave, he came out to our rally today and was very appreciative to us and the whole FR organization. He confirmed that they're seeing less trouble from the bad guys since the capture, and that things have been getting better all along. Most of the general population is very friendly and happy our guys are there. One exchange went like this:

Me: So the trouble you are getting from the general population, what's the source for that, is it religious?

Dan: No, not religious. They just would rather we got done.

Me: It's not that you're not Muslims, it's that you're not Iraqis?

Dan: Exactly. They're glad we got rid of Saddam, but they want an Iraq run by Iraqis and they really want their country back.

We didn't talk very long; I wanted to get him out of the cold! Just a few days ago he was wearing shorts and a T-shirt, today in Freeport we had freezing rain.

[blackie]

422nd Civil Affairs Battalion, 354th Civil Affairs Brigade ~ Army Reserve ~ Task Force 1st Armored Division (winning hearts and minds) ~ Bump!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

He confirmed that they're seeing less trouble from the bad guys since the capture, and that things have been getting better all along.

...Me: So the trouble you are getting from the general population, what's the source for that, is it religious?

Dan: No, not religious. They just would rather we got done.

Lol, of course. (^:

Thank you for that report, Mr. Silverback. It validates other reports we hear, away from the press corps.

[Valin]

They're glad we got rid of Saddam, but they want an Iraq run by Iraqis and they really want their country back.

It makes sense to me.

[windchime]

Bump!

[radu]

As a result of working together, both the veterans and the soldiers have gained trust and respect for each other, Murray said.

Hearts and minds won, on both sides. :-)