Central American Allies Aiding in Iraqi Peacekeeping

DoD - American Forces Press Service ^ | Aug. 14, 2003 | Jim Garamone

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Central American Allies Aiding in Iraqi Peacekeeping

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, Aug. 14, 2003 – Want to see why military-to-military contacts are important? Go to Central America.

Or better yet, go the area around Najaf, Iraq, some time after Sept. 1 and see the results of decades of U.S. military-to-military contacts with Central American nations. These contacts are paying off as formerly unstable countries now export stability to a desperate portion of the world.

Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers just completed visits to the four Central American countries providing troops to Operation Iraqi Freedom: El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras and the Dominican Republic.

El Salvador is a case in point. Throughout the 1980s, the country was in the midst of a bloody civil war. Tens of thousands died or disappeared. El Salvador, a place named for the Prince of Peace, was a living hell for those trapped in the country.

American aid helped stabilize the country and American training transformed the military from a non-professional gang, to a dedicated and motivated and professional force, subservient to civilian control. U.S. Special Forces teams worked with units even as they were engaged in battle against rebel forces.

International military education and training opportunities placed Salvadoran soldiers, sailors and airmen at U.S. military schools such as the academies and the various war colleges.

Finally, U.S. military trainers worked with Salvadoran military leaders to stop abuses that the non-professional force often visited upon the people it was sworn to protect. Human rights training became an important and integral part of all professional military education in El Salvador. It remains so today.

One of Myers' visits on the Central American trip took him to the Salvadoran special forces training base at Ilopango Air Base outside the capital city of San Salvador.

Soldiers stood wearing battle-dress uniforms and topped by green berets. The patches are different, but the weapons are the same and so is the training.

The formation was ready for inspection by Myers. "Growl like a tiger," the commander said, and the soldiers gave their version of the U.S. Army's "Hooah" call. "Ai-ya!" the Salvadorans yell.

The training the new soldiers receive is right out of a U.S. Army field- training manual with subtle differences for the Salvadorans. The rappelling tower the Salvadoran special operators use is an exact copy of towers that dot U.S. military bases.

Jump training is exactly the same, only in Spanish. Soldiers jump from a practice tower count and check canopy the same way as troops at Fort Benning, Ga.

"The Salvadorans have not forgotten that we stood by them in some very tough times," said an embassy official. "After (Sept. 11), Salvador was one of the first countries to offer to help. And when the United States began asking for international forces to help in Iraq, Salvador was again one of the first to step forward."

Salvadoran participation in such a peacekeeping operation so soon after emerging from its civil war is an incredible feat, officials said. "The mere fact that Salvador is going to Iraq as a peaceful democratic nation should be a sign of hope to the Iraqis as to what can be accomplished," the embassy official said.

The Salvadoran group, along with service members from Nicaragua, Honduras and Colombia, will come under command of the Spanish brigade, which is part of the Polish-led division.

And these countries will be able to work together because each has benefited from military-to-military contacts with the United States. The units will be able to work together because they have a common background provided by working with the U.S. military.

	Salvadoran special forces personnel rappel down a tower that could have come from Fort Benning, Ga., during a demonstration for Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers Aug. 13. Photo by Jim Garamone
	Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers answers questions during an Aug. 13 press conference at El Salvador's Special Forces headquarters. El Salvador is sending 360 special operations troops to help in peacekeeping operations in Iraq. Photo by Jim Garamone

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

8 Unapologetically Pro-Coalition News Links and Articles

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

US military previous work w/ Central American militaries paying off for our troops now in Iraq:

The Salvadoran group, along with service members from Nicaragua, Honduras and Colombia, will come under command of the Spanish brigade, which is part of the Polish-led division.

"The Salvadorans have not forgotten that we stood by them in some very tough times," said an embassy official.

If you want off or on my pro-Coalition/anti-wanker ping list, just ping.

[Jessamine]

From the Article:

Salvadoran participation in such a peacekeeping operation so soon after emerging from its civil war is an incredible feat, officials said. "The mere fact that Salvador is going to Iraq as a peaceful democratic nation should be a sign of hope to the Iraqis as to what can be accomplished," the embassy official said.

From Jessamine:

Ai-ya! There those American oppressors go again, exporting liberty and stability!

[blackie]

Up with the Americas!

Be Well ~ Be Armed ~ Be Safe ~ Molon Labe!

[Grampa Dave]

Another great find. Amazing how the left wing mediots have not let us know about this.

Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers just completed visits to the four Central American countries providing troops to Operation Iraqi Freedom: El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras and the Dominican Republic.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[Miss Marple]

Grampa Dave, Ragtime Cowgirl is doing a fantastic job in getting these articles out so that all of us can read them and use them. Just this morning a chronic Bush-bashing thread about military pay was easily refuted because of RC's articles (and, RC, I am making sure I bookmark from now on...thanks for your help).

The anti-Bush people are combing every left-wing paper they can find on the web to post articles demeaning to the military and the President. RC has taken it upon herself to give us the tools to counter them, and also information we can e-mail to our local papers!

[My2Cents]

Gee, I thought we didn't have any allies...Let's see -- Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Colombia, Poland, Japan, the Czechs, Italy, Spain, Britain, Australia...But wait! We don't have France and Germany, so none of the others count.

[SAMWolf]

Troop News Bump!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thanks for the kind comments, Miss Marple. My very sweet neighbor listens to the local TV news, reads the local paper, is clueless. She is surprised to hear the facts.

Thank you for finding and sharing the stories. Many others - veterans, troops and family members - people around the world who are paying attention - are doing the same. More every day.

Freepers, aiming to make sure both the bad guys and the good guys know we know.

[Mr. Silverback]

Can you imagine how ticked off those peacenik wankers who go after the School of the Americas are about this? Wait until the Honduran and Salvadoran "paid killers" are policing Iraq better than a lot of American big city police departments. Let the frothing at the mouth begin!

[Mr. Silverback]

These are Honduran soldiers leaving their families to go help us birth a free nation in Iraq. I dedicated this week's Useful Idiot Caption-A-Rama to them because they are just the sort of thing the useful idiots hate the most: Sons of democracy, with American training and all the finest skills of the warrior's trade, ready and willing to go kill bad guys and not apologize for it for one second. Stay safe, Amigos, and make it home to those families soon.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Great post, thanks!

AP wrote about this - at the end of an article headlined by criticism from Maoist Chavez for Gen. Myers.

[TEXOKIE]

WOW.

I had no idea. This story was quite moving to me, and I teared up unexpectedly. I truly had no idea that there had been such a turnaround in Central America. THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION!!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Yes...and the Romanians. (^:

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

TEXOKIE, I know little beyond what these pictures and this article shows. One thing's clear - around the world, wherever the US military has gone in to fight the bad guys and liberate the people, the people are grateful.

Our military leaders know the meaning of "military on military" contact. Good militaries must be honorable, and they mean what they say. The diplomats and NGOs do a lot of talking, but when two military groups meet, they DO.

Does that make sense, lol?

I think of our troops when I read the stories we seldom see in the press. Decades from now, count on a deep bond between many Iraqis, Afghans and our troops:

8 Fifty years after end of Korean War, one vet looks back - Appleton (WI) Post-Crescent | 7/27/03 | Peter Adams

8 No end of gratitude for Korean war veterans  www.buffalonews.com | 7/26/2003 | TOM ERNST

8 King Kong lives! Richard Botkin reveals little-known special group of Vietnam Marines ^

[Dolphy]

More great information, thank you. I find El Salvador's participation particularly interesting for a couple of reasons. First, Bush made a point of stopping there on a trip to the region (I had always wondered why). Also, I believe in the aftermath of September 11, in a sampling of the countries that had lost citizens, Bush named El Salvador.

The second reason is that I am friends with a family that came here illegally during the Salvadoran civil war. They have worked hard, become citizens, and have brothers that fought in the first Gulf War. Yet they came here illegally and I never forget their example when considering the problem in general.

[floriduh voter]

Thanks for the pings, RC. It may seem like I'm not paying attention but I am, promise. I look forward to your updates, don't you, other freepers?

[optimistically_conservative]

I'm glad you mentioned it, the School of Americas was extremely successful in transforming the militaries in Central and South America and bringing stability to many countries. Officially the SOA closed under Col. (ret) Glenn Weidner, who was an exceptional officer - an absolutely amazing intellectual.

Now the Dept. of Defense has a similiar school in the same spot called the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Yet they came here illegally and I never forget their example when considering the problem in general.

I understand, Dolphy. Our Cuban-American Florida neighbors are better 'Americans' than most Americans who were raised on MTV and public school today (taught to hate America). Most Cuban-Americans cherish faith, family - opportunity, freedom, knowing first hand what it means to live without these blessings.