Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Elizabeth Houx | Indiana Army National Guard Spc. Andrew Isfalt, a Task Force 38 health care...... read more read more
JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq - While mobilized here, Task Force 38 Soldiers visited the Multi-National Force — Iraq headquarters, and learned about a piece of Iraq history.
In doing so, Spc. Andrew Isfalt and Spc. Joshua Drake, task force health care specialists, took their first UH-60 Black Hawk flight over Iraq and visited the famous Al-Faw palace, Saddam Hussein's former retreat center and one of many palaces built by the former dictator.
"It was nice to get out and go to a different place for a few hours," said Isfalt. "The trip there was a lot smoother than I thought it would be."
Once they arrived at Camp Victory, Iraq, the two Soldiers met with a Maj. Michael Minnick, a Task Force 38 liaison officer stationed there, who assisted them to the palace and around the military base.
"Personally as an LNO it's a responsibility to help Soldiers get to where they are going and act as an area expert," said Minnick. "I enjoy doing it and helping other people."
On their first trip the medics were happy to have a familiar face to help them in an unknown area.
"It was great an LNO was able to help us; otherwise we would have been stuck at the helicopter pad," said Isfalt. "It was also good to have someone familiar there to ensure we had a fun visit."
When they first walked into Al-Faw, a large U.S. flag, spanning from the ceiling to the floor, greeted the Soldiers.
"It was kind of cool to walk in to the palace and see the behemoth American flag hanging behind Saddam's big chandelier," said Isfalt.
The former palace was also decorated with Arabic writings from the Quran and writings about Hussein above each large wooden door, hand painted ceilings, marble floors and walls, elaborate chandeliers and Hussein's old throne.
During their visit to the palace, the medics took a guided tour offered by a Soldier stationed at Camp Victory and learned several facts about the elegantly marble-covered interior of the building, which was converted into offices for Multi-National Force - Iraq and all operational aspects of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"It looked nice on the inside, but after the tour details, it wasn't as nice as I thought it would be," said Isfalt. "The ceiling was made of plaster and the chandeliers were gold-painted aluminum and plastic instead of gold and crystal."
The tour also revealed that the exterior of the palace was filled with foam packing, and the palace was sinking into its watery surroundings that once signified power.
"The palace was stupidly large," said Drake. "The construction seemed rushed and the palace was sinking because the earth was never compacted before it was built.
After taking the tour and getting pictures in Hussein's former throne, both Task Force 38 Soldiers agreed their favorite part of their palace visit was sitting on one of the private balconies overlooking the lake that surrounds the palace.
"It was nice sitting outside on the balcony, listening to quiet with no obligations," said Drake.
Although the extravagancies of the palace proved to be nothing more than cheap materials and labor by Hussein's old prisoners, Drake said the trip was worthwhile and other Task Force 38 Soldiers should experience it.
"I would recommend this trip to other Soldiers," said Drake. "It's a good release to take a day trip and the palace is a good piece of history of the war and Iraq."
| Date Taken: | 10.15.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 11.08.2009 11:52 |
| Story ID: | 41267 |
| Location: | BALAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 590 |
| Downloads: | 103 |
This work, Task Force 38 Soldiers experience day of firsts, by SFC Elizabeth Houx, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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