Courtesy Photo | Soldiers from Company C, Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd...... read more read more
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By Sgt. Richard Andrade
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Soldiers from Company C, Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C., guard the American embassy helicopter landing zone here.
Spc. Thomas Gabala, a multichannel transmission systems operator — maintainer with Company C, Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, provides helicopter landing zone security, which consists of making sure people or wandering animals do not disrupt helicopters from landing or leaving.
"What we are doing is making sure the landing zone is free of any animals, like cows, which on occasion wander into the area but we gently shoo them away," he said.
"A lot of the kids like to hang out at the gate and socialize with us, sometimes even helping us out with our jobs," said Gabala.
When speaking of the mission in Haiti, Gabala said, "I actually wanted to volunteer for the mission before I found out 2nd BCT was going, so I am actually glad I am doing this," said Gabala.
Spc. Anthony Knight, a Company C cable systems installer — maintainer provides communications for the BCT and helps with humanitarian aid missions.
The helicopter landing zone mission is also part of his duties, protecting the helicopters which are flying in and out, two or three times in the five hours that his shift lasts.
When asked about what has affected him the most during his time in Haiti, Knight said, "All of the rubble, and all of the fallen buildings."
"I was at a food distribution point here in Haiti for 14 days, handing out water and bags of rice," he said. "I got a chance to talk to the locals and they said that they are glad that we are here and that they appreciate all that we do."
Knight said his family back home in New Jersey supports him being in Haiti, he said, "they are happy that I am here. They are happy that I get to help out the Haitian people in need."
Knight said, "This mission has made me appreciate things more. I see kids who don't have any parents, and that makes me appreciate my parents."
"I am just happy that I could help the Haitians, and I am glad that I had the opportunity to come here," said Knight.
Spc. Sharina Lumpkin, a Company C information technology specialist, has been in Haiti since Feb. 4 and has been on many humanitarian missions during her time here.
Lumpkin said everything about this mission has affected her.
"Everything that I have seen here so far, really makes you take a second glance at all the things that we have back home that we don't really appreciate."
"I am definitely excited to be part of it," Lumpkin said of Operation Unified Response. "I was a bit nervous and apprehensive about coming to a country that already probably needed some help before the disaster happened, but now that I am here, it is very gratifying to be able to see the things that I have seen, I can take that back home with me knowing that I was there and had a chance to see it, it feels good."
"The little kids," she said of the local youths, which hang out outside the base. "You can really see the gratitude in their eyes when they are given some water or food, they really appreciate it."
Participating in Operation Unified Response has changed Lumpkin.
"I definitely realized that there are a lot of things that I have that I don't really need, and to come and see those that have hardly nothing at all, really changes that way that you view some things back home."
Pfc. Aanjali Anderson, a Company C information technology specialist, has also been personally moved by this mission.
She said, "It makes me want to cry, every time we go out."
"The first night we got here we went out and there were people laying on the street, inches away from out tires because they didn't have anywhere else to sleep," Anderson said, "That made me not want to go out there, but I know we have to, it's sad."
Anderson will always carry her impressions of Haiti with her.
"I've never seen anything like this. It makes me think that we have way too much that we take for granted back in the states," she said.
"It definitely is going to make me rethink everything I am doing back in the states, all the things I don't need and how I can help other people," Anderson said.
As the four soldiers from Company C were gathering their thoughts, a helicopter flew towards the LZ and they quickly put their equipment on and grabbed their rifles. The Haitian security officer opened the gate for the Soldiers and they posted themselves on the four corners of the landing zone.
Making sure that no Haitian child, stray goat or meandering cow wanders into the area, they maintain vigilance. Four helicopters land a few minutes apart. Haitian kids walk towards the Soldiers and stand next to them to watch the helicopters land. They know not to get too close to the helicopters. As the helicopters depart from the LZ and the service members that arrived get into vehicles, the four paratroopers walk back towards the base gate -- another successful landing.
| Date Taken: | 03.01.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 03.01.2010 20:34 |
| Story ID: | 46016 |
| Location: | PORT-AU-PRINCE, HT |
| Web Views: | 319 |
| Downloads: | 276 |
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