Yusufiyah citizens get potable water in their community

Staff Sgt. Angela McKinzie
2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI) Public Affairs

YUSUFIYAH, Iraq — In most communities it is common to have clean water available to drink and for recreational use. Often one can go through a neighborhood on any given day in the summer and see people watering their plants, washing their cars or playing in the sprinkler – all of which require running water.
But in Yusufiyah, Iraq citizens are lucky if they have enough water to survive a hot, summer day.
Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) teamed up with Soldiers of the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI) to assist the people of Yuufiyah in repairing water pipes Jan. 23.
“The city services and the water minister asked for assistance in breaking the concrete above the pipes since they do not have a jack hammer,” said Capt. Chris Sanchez, a native of Los Angeles, Calif., who serves as the 4-31 civil affairs officer. “The people of Yusufiyah are served well by civil servants like the water minister.”
In order to help repair the pipes holes had to be made in the concrete.
“We are making four holes in the ground so that the water can be tested to see if it is potable,” said Pfc. Shawn Armstrong, a 2nd BSTB heavy equipment operator and native of Lewistown, Penn. “So far the mission has been great. It is good to help people and show them what we can do for them.”
As the BSTB Soldiers drilled holes in the ground, the 4-31 Soldiers and Iraqi Army soldiers from the 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division secured the area.
“The Iraqi Army led the way and coordinated the security and worked with the residents to accomplish the mission,” Sanchez said.
The minister of water spoke of what it was like to help his own community.
“The sewer system is very old and it is a priority to reinstall it,” said Bilal Adbul Kareem Mohammed, the Yusufiyah minister of water. “I am happy to help my people, but they need to be healthy. Being healthy includes having potable water.”
As the team worked to drill holes in the ground, residents and Iraqi children gathered to watch. As the people stood around, one mother showed the Soldiers scars that were on her daughter’s body from an improvised explosive device detonation. The small girl only had four fingers as well – also from the IED blast.
“At one time the people of Yusufiyah could not come out to the streets because of the terrorists,” Mohammed said. “That is why it took so long to get the water pipes fixed. Yusufiyah’s area is secure enough to be able to do projects like this.”
Mohammed said the long-term plan was to build a water plant in the area.
After all the projects are complete the citizens of Yusufiyah should have potable water in their homes.

Soldiers inducted in NCO Corps during ceremony

Staff Sgt. Angela McKinzie
2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI) Public Affairs

CAMP STRIKER, Iraq — The tradition of commemorating the passing of a Soldier to a noncommissioned officer can be traced to the Army of Fredrick the Great. Before one could be recognized on the full status of an NCO, he was required to stand four watches, one every four days. Although different from yesterday’s traditions, the Army today still commemorates the rites of passage for NCOs.
Soldiers from the 210th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) were inducted into the NCO Corps during an NCO Induction Ceremony Jan. 19 here.
“This is a very emotional experience,” said Sgt. Arays Cruz, the 210th retention NCO and native of Miami, Fla., who was being inducted. “Before I became an NCO I never imagined that I would be standing here today surrounded by my peers.”
As the color guard opened the ceremony senior NCOs provided the inductees with guidance to help them in their new role.
“Take care of your Soldiers,” said Cmd. Sgt. Maj. Mark Joseph, the 15th Sustainment Brigade command sergeant major and native of Lake Charles, La. “Make sure you always uphold the standards, whether it is conducting pre-combat inspections or making Soldiers wear their seatbelts …. Take the hard right instead of the easy wrong.”
After the senior NCOs gave their speeches other NCOs took the responsibility of inducting 21 NCOs into the Corps.
The audience listened as the inductees raised their right hands to swear the oath of the NCO.
“As a NCO I accept the charge to observe and follow the orders and directions given by supervisors, acting according to the laws, articles and rules governing the discipline of the Army,” the inductees said in unison. “In doing, so I will fulfill my greatest obligation as a leader, and thereby confirm my status as a NCO.”
After the inductees swore in they signed and received their charge and the NCO Creed.
“Now that I am an NCO I will point Soldiers in the right direction and always help them out,” Cruz said as her eyes filled with tears. “I will guide them in the right direction.”
Before the inducted NCOs left, a Soldier made a simple request to them.
“Treat me with respect, sergeant, for no heart in all the world is more loyal than the heart of the American Soldier,” said Spc. Timothy Montminy, a 210th BSB driver and native of El Paso, Texas. “Train me, sergeant, that one day too I can be called sergeant.”
After the ceremony ended the inductees talked amongst themselves and received congratulatory hand shakes.

Golden Dragons use all resources to accomplish missions

Golden Dragons use all resources to accomplish missions

Staff Sgt. Angela McKinzie
2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI) Public Affairs

OWESAT VILLAGE, Iraq — Normally when one thinks of the Army they think of Soldiers on land. It is not too often that Soldiers use water to assault the enemy, but using water has become an asset to the modern-day Golden Dragon.
Soldiers from Company C., 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) conducted a search and attack operation in Owesat Village, Iraq into the Anbar Province to search for caches and talk to local nationals.
Instead of using convoys to conduct the mission the Golden Dragons used boats. They assaulted down the Euphrates River into an area that had never been engaged by Coalition Forces.
“Our unit is really showing its flexibility and adaptability,” said 1st Lt. Matt Knox, a native of San Francisco, Calif., who serves as the C. Co. executive officer. “We have to go after enemy forces anywhere in our area of operations.”
The completion of the operation showed the company’s versatility to provide support and humanitarian support to the local populace while conducting operations against those that would cause harm to the local nationals.
“Our company flawlessly conducted its first ever boat assault and continued a successful mission outside of our normal area of operations,” Knox said.
The Golden Dragons plan to use boats in future operations.

Commandos communicate with loved ones during VTC

Staff Sgt. Angela McKinzie
2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI) Public Affairs

VTC.
Sgt. Ryan Brubaker, the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team “Commandos,” 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) plans noncommissioned officer in charge and native of Plains, Mont., talks with his wife Heidi and five-month-old son, Carter, during a video telecommunication conference Jan. 13 on Camp Striker, Iraq. Brubaker is one of the HHC Soldiers that participated in the VTC. Another HHC VTC is scheduled for February.
(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Chris McCann, 2nd BCT PAO, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI))

Polar Bears detain two suspected Al Qaeda members

2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI) Public Affairs

RUSHDI MULLAH, Iraq — Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers detained four suspected terrorists east of Rushdi Mullah, Iraq Jan. 22.
Soldiers from the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, “Polar Bears,” 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), worked with troops from the 4th Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division to detain the suspected terrorists.
Two of the detainees are suspected Al Qaeda members. The two others were detained for having fake identification cards in their possession.
The suspects are being held for further questioning.

Polar Bears detain two suspected Al Qaeda members

2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI) Public Affairs

RUSHDI MULLAH, Iraq — Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers detained four suspected terrorists east of Rushdi Mullah, Iraq Jan. 22.
Soldiers from the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, “Polar Bears,” 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), worked with troops from the 4th Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division to detain the suspected terrorists.
Two of the detainees are suspected Al Qaeda members. The two others were detained for having fake identification cards in their possession.
The suspects are being held for further questioning.

Three detained, weapons found during Operation Black Eagle II

2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI) Public Affairs

RUSHDI MULLAH, Iraq — Coalition forces detained three suspected terrorists and found weapons during a combat operation in Mahmudiyah, Iraq Jan. 23.
Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) worked with troops from the 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division during Operation Black Eagle II, aimed at denying anti-Iraqi forces sanctuary within the Mahmudiyah area.
During the operation, the Soldiers detained three suspected terrorists for suspicious activity. Weapons found during the operation included two AK-47 bandoleers and two Katusha rocket casings.
The suspects are being held for further questioning.

Combined operation in Lutifiyah nets eight suspects

2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI) Public Affairs

LUTIFIYAH, Iraq — Coalition forces and Iraq Army troops detained eight suspected terrorists and seized weapons during a combat patrol northwest of Lutifiyah, Iraq Jan. 23.
Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) and the 1st Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division were on a combat patrol when they came under a small arms fire attack from a canal.
The troops called in for aviation support after the attack ensued. One insurgent died in the aerial attack. The remaining four insurgents tried to escape down a canal. Iraqi troops pursued, killing the four terrorists.
Following the fire fight, troops searched the area for more insurgents. They found nine Iraqis hiding in a nearby house. Eight of the nine were detained, all wanted for suspected terrorist acts.
The search also turned up a weapons cache consisting of three medium machine guns, two AK-47 assault rifles, a shotgun and a sniper rifle with a scope.
The eight suspects are being held for further questioning.

Polar Bears detain four suspected terrorists

2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI) Public Affairs

RUSHDI MULLAH, Iraq — Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers detained four suspected terrorists east of Rushdi Mullah, Iraq Jan. 22.
Soldiers from the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, “Polar Bears,” 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), worked with soldiers from the 4th Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division to detain the suspected terrorists.
Two of the detainees were on the black list and the other two were detained for having fake identification cards in their possession.
The detainees are being held for further questioning.

Security operation uncovers cache in W. Baghdad

2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI) Public Affairs

RADWANIYAH, Iraq — Multi-National – Division troops found and seized a weapons cache north of Radwaniyah, Iraq Jan. 19.
Soldiers from the 1st Squadron, 89th Calvary Regiment, “Wolverines,” 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) found the cache in the western Baghdad suburban area during a clearing mission in the area.
The cache, included an AK-47, 50 5.62mm rounds, a .22 caliber rifle, 12 blasting caps, a pair of night vision goggles, a .38 caliber pistol, three mines, five rocket-propelled grenade launchers, detonation cord, a belt of 12.7mm heavy machinegun rounds, six spools of copper wire and a homemade hand grenade.
An explosive ordnance team was called to the site. The team destroyed the weapons and ammunition in a controlled detonation.

Golden Dragons mourn loss of fallen comrade

By Staff Sgt. Angela Mckinzie
2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI) Public Affairs

PATROL BASE GATOR SWAMP, Iraq — In the military there are Soldiers that touch people’s hearts and leave a their mark in the lives of many others – Neil Mitchell III was one of those Soldiers.
Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) gathered to mourn the loss of a fallen comrade during a memorial ceremony at Patrol Base Gator Swamp, Iraq Jan. 13.
Mitchell, a native Winchester, Tenn., who served as a gunner with 2-14, was killed by enemy small arms fire while pulling route security around the PB Gator Swamp area Jan. 6, just two weeks after returning from leave and one week after celebrating his 21st birthday.
Mitchell was remembered as more than a Soldier. He was a friend, a practical joker and one who loved computer games.
“Mitchell was very outgoing and spent most of his time playing computer games,” said Spc. Joseph Carmosino, a 2-14 gunner and native of Syracuse, N.Y. “He was very generous and would help anyone with rides, money … anything. You could not help but to like Mitchell,” Carmosino said. “He never got mad at people and always did stuff for others.”
Carmosino, who considered Mitchell one of his best friends, reminisced of Mitchell’s love for computer games.
“One night I crawled through Mitchell’s ceiling to see if I could use his car … Mitchell would not answer the door because he was playing a computer game,” he said. “Instead of me borrowing his car, Mitchell said he would go with me after he finished his game. I waited for six hours for him to finish that game.”
During the ceremony Mitchell’s commander spoke highly of the Soldier.
“He was one of those Soldiers that could shun any burden with a smile,” said Capt. Brendan Hobbs, Company C. commander, 2-14 and native of Tampa, Fla., as he tried to fight back tears. “He always had a smile even on the worst of days.”
Mitchell was also remembered for his big, white Cadillac – a car without any doors and referred to as the platoon car.
“One morning before first formation I noticed a big, white car that was parked with one tire on the curb at an odd angle,” said Staff Sgt. Darren Lemorta, a platoon sergeant with 2-14 and native of Schenectady, N.Y. “I wanted to see whose car it was so I tried to open the doors, but they did not work. After leaning into the window I found paperwork from so many different Soldiers in the platoon that I had no idea who the car belonged to.”
Lemorta said Mitchell’s car was so big that it was banned from the first few rows of the parking lot. The car was only allowed to be parked in the back of the parking lot.
Before the ceremony ended the chaplain left the Soldiers with some encouraging words.
“There is no way to hide the fact that losing someone you trained with, hung around with and fought with hurts,” said Ch.(Capt.) Kent Coffee, the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI) chaplain and native of Fort Drum, N.Y. “It is probably one of the hardest things anyone has to do, but in order to truly honor that friend’s sacrifice requires us all to dig deep and rely on our Army family and drawing strength from God.”
Although Mitchell served as a gunner with 2-14 he had also served in multiple duty positions to include rifleman, Javelin gunner and was selected above his peers as the platoon radio transmitter operator, a job that requires a great deal of responsibility and common sense.
Mitchell’s awards and decorations include the Purple Heart Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge.
Mitchell is survived by his father, Raymond Mitchell, Sr., and his grandmother Joyce, both of whom reside in Tennessee.

Wolverine Soldiers assault packaging plants

Spc. Chris McCann
2nd BCT PAO, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI)

BAGHDAD, Iraq — It’s the stuff war movies are made of – breaking in doors, Soldiers moving in, rifles at the ready. And it isn’t just movies.
Soldiers of the 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI) conducted a nighttime raid on a Baghdad meat-packaging facility suspected of being a terrorist meeting place Jan. 7.
The 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division concurrently assaulted the salt factory next door, also a suspected terrorist planning area. The two-pronged assault netted 32 detainees and more than 20 weapons, including 11 AK-47s, a Kalishnikov assault rifle, two SKS Russian-made carbines, 15 60mm mortar rounds and a PPSh submachine gun.
The men, some of whom were guards at the building, were detained due to suspicion that they were allowing the buildings to be used as a terrorist rendezvous point, a suspicion strengthened by the weapons found in the area.
The 1-89 Wolverines staged at Forward Operating Base Falcon, Iraq, with the 1-18, then rolled out under cover of darkness.
“It was our first joint operation,” said Lt. Col. Mark Suich, a native of Greenville, Penn., and commander of 1-89. “It was a very successful operation.”
Sgt. Jess Thurman of Denver, Colo., a team leader with Troop C, 1-89, said that the Soldiers seemed glad to put their skills to use.
“It’s not often we get to do this,” Thurman said. “It’s fun to do our job as infantrymen and take down the ‘bad guys’.”
The factory was locked up for the night, and Soldiers stormed the building methodically, breaking down doors and clearing each room despite the fact that they had been awake and working for many hours.
“It’s been a long day,” said Thurman, “But everyone kept their heads up and kept their motivation.”
Pfc. William Salser, a dismount with C Troop and a native of Calumet City, Ill., enjoyed the mission.
“This mission rocked,” he said. “We got to enter and clear a building. My buddy and I got to kick a door down. It really increased my motivation hearing the word ‘Breach!’”
Platoon leader 1st Lt. Andy Kimes, a native of Fostoria, Ohio, said he was pleased by the Soldiers’ teamwork, which they’ve trained on extensively.
“I enjoyed it because it’s payoff of all the training,” he said. “Seeing it all come together was great.”
Troop C’s lead scout, Staff Sgt. Myles Page, a native of Birmingham, Ala., also was pleased by the execution of the mission.
“The motivation the entire platoon had upon entering the objective was high,” he said. “Everyone was pumped about such a large-scale operation. All the drills we’d completed and the skills we’ve acquired gave us the will to accomplish the mission.”
The raid netted 32 people who were detained for questioning. Six of those were kept in custody and brought to Camp Cropper, Iraq, for further questioning; the others were released.
In addition to the men detained in the operation, Soldiers found money and bonds from various countries in one of the buildings and a cache of 15 mortar rounds nearby.
Spc. Christopher Ray, a native of Waveland, Miss., and a cook with 1-89, guarded and searched the detainees. He summed up the mission in a single sentence.
“We were expecting weapons and bad guys,” Ray said. “We found what we were looking for.”

Provider Soldiers make quality of life better for brothers in arms

Capt. Amanda Nalls
210th BSB, 2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI)

BAGHDAD — It is common knowledge that the quality of life for deployed Soldiers is much different than it is in the United States. Soldiers at battle positions across Iraq make due with baby wipes instead of hot showers, a chilly sleeping bag instead of a warm bed and Meals, Ready to Eat instead of home-cooked meals. The Soldiers in maneuver units assigned to the Commando Brigade sacrifice some of life’s comforts willingly every day in the name of winning the War on Terror.
Soldiers assigned to the 210th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) recently developed projects that will assist their maneuver battalion brothers in improving the quality of life at some of the remote locations throughout the brigade’s area of operations.
Company B of the 210th BSB, under the direction of Capt. John Forsyth, the company commander, have developed Mobile Maintenance Teams dedicated to repairing equipment forward in sector.
The teams, composed of several experienced repairmen, travel to patrol bases and battle positions throughout the Commando AO. At each location they service generators, rewire shower trailers and repair wiring in company command posts.
Their efforts have improved the reliability of power and electricity at these locations and have greatly improved living conditions for Soldiers within the brigade.
“We’re dedicated to ‘fixing forward,’” commented Forsyth, a native of Rochester, N.Y. “Our Soldiers will continue to assist in repairing equipment in sector so that the brigade’s Forward Support Companies can focus their efforts on pushing supplies and maintenance farther forward.”
Company C of the 210th BSB also continues to focus its assets forward in attempt to make life better for their fellow Soldiers.
1st Lt. Dennis Rufolo and Spc. Michelle Daus, the 210th BSB Preventative Medicine Team, are two of many Soldiers that are dedicated to finding and fixing problems in sector.
Hardly a day goes by that does not see Rufolo and Daus in sector assessing living conditions and proactively developing solutions to the brigade’s problems.
“I love my job,” Daus, a native of Lakewood, Calif., said as she stood in calf-deep water turned brownish-green from sewage and trash. “I want to get outside the wire and make a difference.”
Since their arrival in theater, Rufolo and Daus have made great strides in improving, among other things, water quality, trash and waste removal, and pest and animal control across the brigade’s area of operations.
The quality of life improvements are the result of a mindset instilled in the leaders and Soldiers of 210th BSB by the battalion commander, Lt. Col. Brian Rogers.
“Our Soldiers will focus their efforts forward,” Rogers, a native of Missoula, Mont., said. “As leaders we cannot allow ourselves to become complacent and focused on our own ‘rice bowl’ back on Camp Striker.”
The effort to make a difference has grown to include members of the battalion and brigade staff who routinely travel to patrol bases throughout the Commando AO to assess the current conditions.
Although living at a company-size battle position will always remain a far cry home, Soldiers at such remote locations can count on the Provider Soldiers to make life just a little bit better so that they can continue to sustain the fight and look forward to a hot shower when they get back off of patrol.

Iraqi, U.S. Soldiers clear village, find caches

JANABI VILLAGE, Iraq — Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment Military Transition Team have been working – as has the entire 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) – to get the Iraqi soldiers trained to enable them to take over Iraq’s security themselves.
So the success of the recent joint operation Jan. 15 which put the entire 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division together with Soldiers of the 2-15 and the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd BCT, was a victory not only against terror, but for the soldiers themselves.
“This is the best Iraqi army unit I’ve worked with,” said Staff Sgt. Michael Myers, a native of Gasport, N.Y., who serves on a MiTT, to one of the Iraqi soldiers. “You guys are motivated.”
Some troops air-assaulted into the village under cover of darkness, while the main force convoyed to the village, marching in at first light to search houses and fields, seeking weapons caches and suspected terrorists.
Over 600 troops participated in the operation.
“It went very well for such a large operation,” said Capt. Art Stringer, a native of Dardanelle, Ark., and the Field Artillery Effects Trainer, who planned much of the mission.
“It was a complex operation – the joint air assault, and a large ground assault. Once on site, we used Task Force Iron Claw, engineers and explosive ordnance disposal, and they all combined very well,” Stringer said.
“Any time you can let the Iraqis test their boundaries, it’s good,” he said of the IA involvement. “It’s their battle space, and it helps them build confidence in themselves and in the U.S. forces.”
The operation, two weeks in the planning, netted 87 detainees, 12 of whom were on the IA blacklist, and several large caches of weaponry, which included rocket-propelled grenades and launchers. A large cache of improvised explosive device making materials was also recovered, which included cell phones, wire and other hardware.
One of the IEDs discovered was a pipe six inches in diameter and 42 inches long, filled with homemade explosive. A detonation cord was implanted in it as a fuse.
“We’re talking about a catastrophic IED,” Stringer said of the device.
Some residents directed the troops to the homes of suspicious people.
“We got information on two of the guys on the blacklist,” said Myers. The squad he was with interrogated a man who gave them the information.
“The Iraqi Soldiers are very motivated,” Myers said. “They’re doing a lot better than they were at first; they’re doing more complex missions. They need some more experience with map reading and such, but they did an excellent job creating a secure perimeter. They’re doing well.”
1st Lt. Bobby Temple, a native of Atlanta, Ga., concurred.
“They’ve got good situational awareness,” he said. “Our navigational and communications assets are still essential to them - they don’t have global positioning systems or even maps, but they’re doing better. And once they’ve been to a place, they can get there again, no problem.”
The Iraqi army took a very active role in the searches and planning, Stringer said.
“The mentorship the U.S. forces are giving the Iraqi soldiers is very helpful. We’re seeing a great increase in their ability from the hard work of our guys,” he said.
“Without the effort of the Iraqi army being reciprocated, we couldn’t do this.”

Wolverines and Providers give Iraqis basic medical care

Staff Sgt. Angela Mckinzie
2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI) Public Affairs

GRETEMA VILLAGE, IRAQ — Nawal, an Iraqi mother, brings her three children to a place where she know they can get help. Each of the children is sick and has not seen a doctor since they were born. She now has the opportunity to get her children medical care because of the Iraqi and coalition forces.
Soldiers from the 1st Squadron, 89th Calvary Regiment and the 210th Brigade Support Battalion, both units of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), teamed up to provide the citizens of Gretema Village, Iraq with basic medical care Jan. 12 during a medical operation.
“We are out here providing basic medical assistance to the Iraqis since their medical resources are limited,” said Sgt. Nicholas Patla, a 1-89 medic and native of Chicago, Ill., as he checks the temperature of an Iraqi baby. “We want t o establish a good relationship with the citizens of the village.”
During the medical operation citizens complained of symptoms ranging from a sore throat to an aching back. However, chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure could not be treated in one day. Since the medical operation was a very basic medical set-up the patients with chronic illnesses were sent to the Civil Military Operations Center where they could receive continual care.
“Today we are treating and giving out medication for common illnesses,” said Capt. Jeffrey Kunz, the 1-89 squadron surgeon and native of Ronkonkona, N.Y. “The CMOC is staffed with doctors that can do more for the Iraqis.”
A portable dental clinic, the 210th’s Doc-In-a-Box invention, allowed Iraqis to receive basic dental care during the operation. Toothbrushes and toothpaste were given to the citizens as part of the dental portion of the operation.
“Providing medical care makes me happy because we are getting to interact with the people and help them,” said Pvt. Lisa Ming, a 210th BSB medic and native of Beaumont, Calif. “It really makes me feel good when I see the children smile.”
After the operation was over the B Troop commander took a moment to explain the benefits of conducting these types of operations.
“Since we are building relationships with the Iraqis they have given us information about improvised explosive devices within the area,” said Capt. Christian Cosner, a native of Davis, W. Va. “Working with the Iraqi people is a way to deny anti-Iraqi Forces sanctuary within the Wolverines’ area of responsibility.”
Some of the Soldiers shared their thoughts of the operation before departing the area.
“It was great to get out and help the Iraqi people and show then that we are here for them,” said Staff Sgt. Billie Caperton, the 210th BSB Camp Striker, Iraq Troop Medical Clinic noncommissioned officer in charge.
“It felt good to get my children seen by doctors,” Nawa said with a smile. “There are no doctors here … I wish the Americans could stay forever and take care of us.”