Courtesy Photo | Sgt. 1st Class William Schwenke and Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy Chang, Company A, 3rd...... read more read more
CAMP VICTORY, Iraq -- Infantry Soldiers from the Alaskan Army National Guard have a defined mission, which is providing force protection in the Baghdad area, but their mission involves much more than patrols and Baghdad community oversight.
During their days patrolling the streets or waiting to be called for emergency action, they interact with local families, handing out stuffed animals and candy to the hordes of children who chase after their vehicles and to patients at a local hospital.
"Our main mission is force protection â?¦ but our guys like working with the local people too," said Capt. Wayne Mitchell, executive officer, Company A, 3rd Battalion, 297th Infantry Brigade.
The Alaskan Soldiers work 12-hour days, which sometimes turns into even longer days for them, depending on what their mission is, Mitchell said.
Outer-perimeter patrols take up much of the Soldiers" time. They drive around the outer boundaries of the Baghdad Coalition compounds and through towns, such as Al Furat and Iraqi Family Village while patrolling, they stop suspicious vehicles and search them for any illegal or out-of-the-ordinary items. They learn the areas while scanning the road edges for probable improvised explosive devices.
"We detect and deter possible enemies," said Mitchell, a native of Juneau, Alaska.
The Alaskan Soldiers also support a quick reaction force on Camp Victory, a team of troops who are always geared up and ready to respond to an emergency outside of the compound.
The unit also observes the progress of the water systems, sewer systems, school projects, electrical projects and community trash clean-up projects.
The troops aren't there to do the work, only supervise the progress and make sure the contracts are being fulfilled by the Iraqi people, Mitchell said.
"Since we have gotten here, there are areas that have had great improvement," said Sgt. 1st Class William Schwenke, Co. A, 3rd Bn., 297th Inf. Bde., a native of Nikiski, Alaska.
Schwenke pointed at an area outside of Camp Victory as his team was on a patrol where the local people were dumping their household trash. The field he pointed to is now a clean area with vegetation growing in it.
Both of these missions have great importance, but the troops enjoy interacting with the people in the local communities too, Mitchelle said.
"The guys love to help out," said 1st Sgt. Dan Randall, company first sergeant, Co. A, 3rd Bn., 297th Inf. Bde.
The unit gets donations from families, friends and churches in Alaska that they give to the towns they patrol, Randall said. The Alaskan troops support a hospital and a home where many impoverished children reside, which they call the orphanage even though it isn't state subsidized.
"They feel good when they get to help out," added Randall, who is also a native of Juneau.
While providing humanitarian assistance to the locals isn't part of their defined mission, it is a mission the 129 Alaskan troops are happy to take on as infantry Soldiers. However, the job isn't all fun it the sun.
The Alaskan troops work long, hot days fulfilling their duties, and the weather can take its toll.
"The heat is a big obstacle for the troops, as it is for all the troops in Iraq," Mitchell said. "They are doing well though; we've had no heat casualties."
The unit had some time to acclimate themselves during their three months of training at Fort Bliss, Texas. They arrived in Iraq in January, which helped them get used to the heat slowly, he added.
"It wasn't like we were just thrown into the heat," Mitchell said. "But with the long, hot days, they can get burned out."
Although, the heat has been an obstacle, for the Soldiers who rarely see temperatures more than 90 degrees, at their home station, they will go home with an understanding of the dessert heat.
High temperatures are not the only thing Alaskan's Army National Guard Soldiers rarely encounter. According to Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the Alaskan Army National Guard has not been mobilized since World War II.
"One of the advantages for the (Army National Guard) guys is that they have learned what the Army is about," Mitchell said. "If they decide to stay in the Army they will have a good amount of experience to take with them."
Many of the Alaskan Soldiers are already dreaming about cooler weather, since they are already more than half way through their deployment in the sands of Iraq, and will be heading back to "The Last Frontier" in the coming months to stand guard for their state once again.
| Date Taken: | 08.06.2005 |
| Date Posted: | 08.16.2005 12:31 |
| Story ID: | 2741 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 223 |
| Downloads: | 18 |
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