[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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If you want on or off the Pro-Coalition ping list, please Freepmail me, Calpernia or xzins. Warning: it is a high volume ping list on good days. (Most days are good days).

[SAMWolf]

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

Maybe there's hope after all.

[usnret99]

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

[ex-snook]

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

[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.