Fort soldier re-enlists at Saddam’s monument, as others already have

Sierra Vista Herald, Sierra Vista Arizona ^ | Oct 26, 2005 | Bill Hess

[SandRat]

INTERNATIONAL ZONE, Iraq — Against a backdrop of a victory arch of two hands holding cross swords put up by Saddam Hussein to celebrate his self-declared victory over Iran years ago, an American soldier swore to continue defending freedom.

Sgt. Troy Lust raised his right hand and re-enlisted in an area where former Iraqi dictator Hussein reviewed quasi-goose-stepping members of his Republican Guard.

The former Marine, who said he spent eight years during peace time in the Corps and five years as a soldier in a country at war, signed up for another half-decade of military service.

Before having the oath administered to him by 1st Lt. Aaron Vandiver, the 3rd Platoon leader of the 69th Signal Company, Lust had to complete some paperwork to make his re-enlistment legal.

Sgt. 1st Class Vanesa Webster, career counselor for the 54th Signal Battalion, went through the documents with the soldier.

“Write in Fort Lewis, Washington, in your own handwriting” she told Lust, using the front seat of a vehicle as an office. In the back seat, Vandiver waited to put his signature on the documents, verifying the promises made.

Those words — Fort Lewis — sealed the pact between Lust and the Army, giving him the post he wants once he returns from deployment next year. A cable dog, he departed Fort Huachuca nearly a half year ago.

He and his wife Elisabeth call the Spokane, Wash., area home. They have a 5-year-old daughter, AshleyMarie.

“It’s only a six-hour drive from Fort Lewis to Spokane,” Lust said after the ceremony, adding his wife and daughter will be closer to home when he deploys again, something the soldier knows will happen.

A number of his fellow 3rd Platoon soldiers were at the ceremony.

Two of them, Spc. Brien Wentworth and Spc. Desmond Hughes, held an American flag, a required banner when a soldier takes an oath to defend the U.S. Constitution.

“You are the best group of soldiers. Working with you made me want to re-enlist,” Lust said to his fellow soldiers at the ceremony.

War rubble that had not been removed was part of the background.

Concertina wire was laid out near the base of one the hands, reportedly modeled after Hussein’s.

The base of the sculpture included helmets spilling out of a container. The helmets taken from dead Iranian soldiers were held in concrete. Since the war with Iraq in 2003, some of the helmets have become covered with graffiti. American GIs putting their names, units and hometowns on them.

Lust said he asked for the re-enlistment ceremony to be held at the cross sword arch — there are two of them, the other down at the end of the parade boulevard — because other soldiers have done it and the symbolism of America’s defeat of the Iraq dictator.

That freedom from repression can be seen by growing business acumen of local residents.

Behind the large hand across the street from where Lust took the oath, Iraqis sold souvenirs — old dinars with Hussein’s face on them, brass ware, paintings, flags, rugs and Iraqi police arm bands.

First Sgt. Bobby Williams watched the ceremony.

For the 69th’s “Top,” as company first sergeants are called, the cable dogs of the unit are exceeding the organization’s re-enlistment goals.

During the last quarter of the recently completed federal fiscal year, which runs July 1 through Sept. 30, the 69th had a quota of eight soldiers to re-enlist. The unit finished with 15 retaking the oath.

Although Williams said he doesn’t know what the 69th’s goal for the first quarter of this fiscal year, Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, he already has had two re-enlist and has two more waiting for their paperwork to be completed.

“I just want to get out ahead,” Williams said.

Soldiers who have deployed and are re-enlisting is not surprising to Williams.

The soldiers who are re-enlisting in Iraq have their bonuses tax free, Williams said. The amounts can range from being paid $6,000 to $30,000.

More important in his eyes is that soldiers, especially married ones, know their families are being taken care of and the soldiers enjoy their work.

Although most of the re-enlistments have been by soldiers who have deployed more than once in the past four years, they continue to want to serve.

However, Williams said he and other Army leaders are concerned that soldiers are not watching the extra money they are getting, which includes re-enlistment bonuses and additional pay for being separated from families and hazardous duty funds. To ensure the 69th’s soldiers understand the importance of financial management, the company will soon have personal budget training.

The soldiers get extra money — anywhere from $600 to $800 a month. Instead of saving it, they use it, though prior to deployment they had less to live on, Williams said.

Although Lust does not know what his final bonus will be until the Army’s finance office tells him, he could not wait to call his wife in Arizona.

“Hi honey, I did it. Yes, Fort Lewis. It’s all in the contract,” he told his wife at 4:15 a.m. — 2:15 p.m. Tuesday in Iraq. “I love you, go back to sleep.”

SENIOR REPORTER Bill Hess can be reached by e-mail at bill.hess@svherald.com.

[SandRat]

PING

[dc-zoo]

That's what you call "Heros".

[armydawg1]

God bless him. Thank you young man.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT