Photo By Sgt. Trinity Carter | Corina Stahl, an Activity Lead for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops,...... read more read more
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Sacrifice is such a strong word for the public. At times this word can be overlooked and forgotten. However, through Operation Allies Welcome, sacrifice is anything but overlooked. Afghan individuals left cherished personal belongings behind as they fled Afghanistan for a safer life. Famous Afghan painters who burnt their work to women dressing like men to get through Taliban checkpoints, each and every one of these individuals sacrificed so much to become an American.
The same Afghans are now going through the process of adjusting to American culture and beginning a new life from scratch. Organizations partnered together to assist with this unique and complex process. From the United States Department of Defense (DoD) providing safety and security during this operation; to volunteers like Team Rubicon and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) collecting donations and educating Afghan guests about American culture.
Corina Stahl, an Activity Lead for USCCB as part of the Morale Wellness, and Recreation (MWR) program assists in providing English classes, games, and overall wellbeing for the Afghan guests. She works closely with the guests every day, and stories are shared along with cultural differences from both sides.
“Their transition to American life is not only physical, but it is also a change in mindset,” Stahl states. “The guests are learning to gain confidence and knowledge of what freedoms they have as an American.”
Stahl has even seen multiple changes in the guests for the better. One example Stihl notes is a story about a woman that used to be a physical trainer in Afghanistan. She is usually a very passive and serious woman but transforms when teaching Muay Thai classes to the Afghan guest community. Stahl describes her body language shifting into a very confident and happy individual who ‘looks like they are doing what they love’.
Positive changes are not only seen during MWR activities; JoAnne Sukus, a Gender Advisor assigned to United States Transportation Command under DoD, tells many similar stories. The Gender Advisor’s role is to look after women and children during post-crisis events. Sukus shares a similar story of her shock at cultural differences. During a movie night, she asked a group of teen Afghan girls what they wanted to watch, they all agreed on a horror movie. She then asked the males the same question, and to her surprise, the males did not vote on an action or comedy, instead, they all agreed on a family movie. Sukus mentioned that she enjoys seeing the young Afghan women being normal teenagers despite what they have been through.
Overall, the loss is a well-known aspect of these individuals’ lives. However, they have learned how to channel that pain into constructive activities, and are taught methods to manage stress with the help of the DoD and different volunteer organizations. Operation Allies Welcome has helped bring safety, security and hope to over 50,000 Afghan guests who have helped the U.S. during the past 20-year war in Afghanistan. These individuals fled the Taliban and are looking to rebuild their lives and live the American dream. Sacrifice is anything, but a forgotten word in Operation Allies Welcome.
| Date Taken: | 11.04.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 11.10.2021 11:19 |
| Story ID: | 408790 |
| Location: | CAMP ATTERBURY, INDIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 94 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Task Force Atterbury: Coming together during Operation Allies Welcome, by SGT Trinity Carter, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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