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A Soldier’s Story First Sgt. Robert Jennings |
Troops promote
unity and charity
This week started out on a positive note. I received an e-mail from Spc. Juan Hernandez. He let me know that he was recovering well at William Beaumont Medical Center in El Paso, Texas. This was a relief for myself and the other soldiers because we had not heard any news on his condition in some time. Also, we learned Spc. Joseph Salinas returned to Hawaii to finish his therapy at Tripler Army Medical Center. Two out of the four soldiers evacuated May 2 have returned safely. We just pray the other two will continue to improve on their difficult roads to recovery.
We began the week with a ceremony at the Government Building to show symbolic unity between the four ethnic groups in the city. One person representing each ethnic group -- Arab, Kurdish, Turkemon, and Assyrian -- rose one flag each side by side officially recognizing the city's stand concerning ethnic diversity: one Iraqi, one country.
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July 26, 2215 hours >> Two rockets fly over the patrol base and hit the airfield. Rockets hit a field, and there were no casualties.
This week, I met one of the leaders of a national youth organization that has based its membership on ethnic diversity. This is one of the only organizations in the country that does not focus on ethnicity or political party affiliation. I linked them with a nongovernment organization out of Canada. Together they plan on improving the group's learning centers to focus the young people on a future trade. We also outfitted four of their soccer teams with uniforms for the fall league.
July 27, 1055 hours >> A police officer is gunned down in the street as he was entering his house. The officer later died of his wounds at the local hospital.
We took time out to distribute medical supplies to the Amu Shabi clinic. We purchased an EKG machine, suction machine and surgical tools for minor surgeries. We also purchased numerous smaller supplies, including stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs, tongue depressors and anything else for use on routine check-ups. This should enhance the ability of this small village to treat minor injuries and do check-ups that were previously done at the hospital. Our next project with the clinic is to supply them with a vehicle to take patients to the hospital. They currently use a taxi.
While we were there, we inspected work done on their trash collection points around the village. This was one of the major health problems in the area. There are close to 7,000 people, but no place to store trash. We contracted for 25 collection areas and cleaned up existing trash scattered throughout. After we finished our inspection, we all agreed that it was a 100 percent improvement.
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July 28, 1805 hours >> We have just received word that two local Iraqi men were killed while they were trying to place a roadside bomb. These have been a major problem for coalition forces and police. Seems like poetic justice to me.
The week ended with another clothes handout in one of the outlying areas. We were able to distribute the last of the donations from an organization headed by Barbara Sanders. She will be going from Florida to California for surgery this week. Thanks for the work, and we're praying for a fast recovery.
July 31, 2125 hours >> Three rockets are heard whizzing over the patrol base. Three impacts are heard and felt as they struck the airfield. Preliminary report has no casualties.
God bless and aloha.
Soldier sees similarities
between Iraqis and Americans
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Carr said that he expected to find an area full of mud huts and small villages.
"Being in a large city, I see a lot of similarities between these people and Americans," Carr said. They do have some strange ways, but all in all they aren't too different.
"I could tell that the people here weren't really sure what to think of us when we first took over. But I think we have gained their trust, so we seem a lot more welcome."
I asked Carr what has been the most stressful part of his deployment. He said: "One night we had to move into an observation post in an area that one of the squads had got into a firefight a few nights before. We decided to use the roof of a house that was under construction. Everything was quiet, but when we were leaving we heard something rustling in the basement."
"For a few seconds I could feel my heart pounding against my ballistic vest. We moved carefully down the stairs and found a stray dog rummaging through some discarded trash."
Asked about the funniest thing he had seen, he replied: "It wasn't what I saw, but what one of the interpreters said. He said that he was talking to some old Iraqi Army guys, and they were talking about U.S. soldiers. They thought we could take a pill that made our body cool so (we) could fight in the heat. He said this because they would shoot at us and we would keep coming after them. He also said that they thought our night vision goggles were X-ray goggles. They wouldn't try to hide any weapons on themselves because they thought they would get caught."
Carr finished his interview by saying "hi" to his mom, Kathryne, stepfather, Jim, brother Josh and wife, Melinda, in West Warwick, father, Jim, in Cranston, R.I., and brother Tom in Lowell, Mass.
"I miss all of you, love you and see you soon," Carr said.