Photo By Sgt. Robert Yde | Spc. Roosevelt Geeslin, a medic with 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd...... read more read more
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By Sgt. Robert Yde
2nd BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs
BAGHDAD – Since arriving in Iraq nearly seven months ago, the Soldiers of 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment have performed numerous missions; however, few of them have involved anything traditionally associated with a field artillery battalion.
While the "Red Dragons," part of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, maintain a small contingent of Soldiers at Forward Operating Base Falcon who do perform fire missions, which are known as "hot guns," the majority of the battalion has found itself performing duties such as conducting patrols usually associated with infantry Soldiers.
"I think field artillery is kind of getting to be a utility Soldier," explained Capt. Donald Cherry, the commander of Battery A, 3-82nd FA. "We can do the hot gun piece and shoot the indirect fire, and we're getting better and better everyday at doing the mounted operations, too."
Cherry's Soldiers continued to demonstrate their versatility by assisting Soldiers with the 97th Civil Affairs Battalion, out of Fort Bragg, N.C., with a humanitarian mission in Baghdad's Qadisiyah neighborhood May 15.
While the majority of Qadisiyah is relatively well off compared to other areas of Baghdad, the area that was targeted for this particular mission was extremely impoverished.
"We've been looking at that area. It's where a lot of our displaced families are living right now," Cherry explained. "These people kind of moved in after the war - these displaced squatters - and today we're just trying to build a rapport with them."
Shortly after the Soldiers' arrival to the neighborhood, people quickly flocked from their mud huts and makeshift homes and gathered around the Soldiers as they prepared to begin the distribution of hygiene products.
As they entered the distribution area, medics were on-hand to discuss any medical issues that anyone may have been experiencing.
"Today we were seeing mainly allergies and some old, reoccurring injuries that were flaring up – just mainly basic 'sick call' stuff is what we're seeing," said Spc. Roosevelt Geeslin, a medic with 3-82nd FA.
Geeslin, a native of Galveston Island, Texas, said that while the medics were handing out some basic medial supplies, their mission was mainly to just see what kind of medical issues are affecting the people in this area of Qadisiyah.
"We're trying to get a feel for what's out here, so that we can bring meds to assist with that and whatever else we can help with," he explained.
After visiting with the medics, the locals filed through to another line where items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, lotion, baby wipes and miscellaneous school supplies were handed out.
All of the items were donated to Maj. Gary Spivey, a member of one of the 1st Infantry Division's National Police Training Teams, from the post chapel at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. He said that after receiving the items, he coordinated with the Civil Affairs team at FOB Union III to set up a humanitarian drop.
"We can't help them with everything, but if we can help them with one small thing just to make their lives a little bit better then that's good," Spivey said, explaining his motivation for wanting to see these donated items go to some of Baghdad's neediest residents.
"I enjoy just seeing a smile on their faces," he added. "Giving them something as simple as a bottle of water, soap, socks or toothpaste – it brings a smile to their faces and that makes it worth it."
Most of the Soldiers who took part in the mission agreed, saying that just knowing that they are making a difference is a huge reward.
"I'm all for it," said Pfc. Brian Stoller, a mechanic with 3-82nd FA. "Compared to America, we're in the third world here and I'm more than happy to help these people out as much as I can. I'm all about the mission."
Stoller said that while he enjoys being able to get out into the city and interact with the people, it is not what he imagined he would be doing before he left Fort Hood, Texas.
"It's completely different. In garrison, I worked on vehicles in a maintenance bay, and here I'm on the ground doing pretty much (infantry) work," the LaCrosse, Ind. native explained. "I like this; I like doing this job, though. I don't want to be stuck in the FOB working on vehicles the whole deployment. I didn't come here to do that."
Stoller noted that he has gained a great deal of experience that will help him throughout his military career, and Cherry said that it's this is the kind of attitude that most of his Soldiers have demonstrated and it is because of this that their deployment has been successful.
"A lot of the younger guys – especially the E-5's and below – this is all they've really known in the artillery," Cherry explained. "The whole time that they've been in (the Army) we've been in OIF. So a lot of them, they're pretty good whether we're doing a mounted infantry mission or the artillery mission.
"They're starting to build those relationships with the people," he added, "and the people are starting to recognize them when they come out into sector. I think they're starting to like that."
| Date Taken: | 05.21.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 05.21.2007 09:30 |
| Story ID: | 10459 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 466 |
| Downloads: | 422 |
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