“Everyone in the unit has been instrumental (in my improvement),” Kupiec said. “They’ve been very accepting. They’ve been good to me.” With a new mission in Iraq, as the host national escort noncommissioned officer in charge, Kupiec committed herself to her job and soon found that her grief was less severe. “(The job) keeps me busy,” she said. “You don’t have time to sit back and feel sorry for yourself. It took me coming over here to realize I have a lot to be thankful for.” Kupiec said she especially enjoys working with the Iraqi laborers who come onto Anaconda every day. She said she’s learned a lot from working with the locals. “They have the same needs and wants, and they love their families so much.” Even though getting the male Iraqi workers to accept a female as the person in charge was a challenge at first, Kupiec said she now is friends with most of the workers, and greets them with a handshake every morning. “She immediately overcame any preconceived notions,” said Staff Sgt. Kris K. Kaopuiki of Honolulu, a host national escort noncommissioned officer who works with Kupiec. “She was always determined to make this work.” Kaopuiki said their job is not an easy one. “Security is foremost,” he said. While their task is to provide jobs for local Iraqi workers, the main priority is the safety of the servicemembers and civilians on Anaconda, Kaopuiki said. Each morning, Kupiec and her team of soldiers escort about 200 Iraqi workers from an entry point onto the base. Once they are inside a holding area, Kupiec is in charge of pairing them up with units who need them to accomplish tasks such as digging trenches, stacking sandbags or cleaning buildings. “This is a fun job,” Kupiec said. “Probably one of the most rewarding jobs on this post.” Kupiec said she now feels grateful to the military for providing her with a means to overcome her personal grief. Although Kaopuiki said he thinks she mostly keeps her sadness inside, he said he’s noticed a positive change in her since the deployment began. “I think the Army did me a favor,” Kupiec said of her tour. When her deployment is over, Kupiec said she plans to go back to teaching -- a profession she has always loved. But for now, she will continue to do her job, and while still missing her husband, she is able to move on with a purpose. |