Photo By Master Sgt. John Laughter | Side-by-side with their Airborne counterparts from the Brazilian Battalion in Haiti,...... read more read more
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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Maroon berets of the U.S. Army Airborne and the sky blue berets of Brazilian army paratroopers working for the United Nations filled the courtyard at the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti compound in Port-au-Prince.
The crisp report of bugle calls and the voices of Paratroopers lifted in celebration of the accomplishments of the Airborne Soldier, marked the opening of a ceremony held to highlight the unprecedented event of Paratroopers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, "Falcons," 82nd Airborne Division and the Brazilian Airborne Infantry Brigade working together to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and disaster relief in Haiti.
Lt. Gen. P.K. (Ken) Keen, commander, Joint Task Force Haiti, put it best when he remarked during his speech to the assembled Paratroopers, "As I look across the field and I see the sun shining. I see in front of me the flag of the great nation of Brazil, the flag of the United States of America, side by side, and I see in front of me the best warriors of our nations."
The Brazilian Airborne Infantry Brigade invited the 2BCT Paratroopers to join them in a ceremony and dinner honoring Airborne heritage at the MINUSTAH compound on Mar. 13.
The evening began with the arrival of the VIPs to include Keen, Maj. Gen. Floriano Peixoto Viera Neto, MINUSTAH force commander, Maj. Gen. Simeon Trombitas, deputy commanding general, JTF Haiti, and Brig. Gen. Nicolas Matern, deputy commanding general of operations, JTF Haiti. To start the ceremony, the commanders of troops, Col. Ajax Porto Pinheiro, commander, Brazilian Battalion, Haiti, and Col. Tim McAteer, commander, 2BCT, presented their commands.
Following the presentation, each Airborne unit sang a thunderous rendition of their respective Airborne Songs. The Brazilian Paratroopers sang "Eternal Hero" and the Falcons sang the 82nd Airborne Division's "All American Soldier." As the echoes faded across the compound the commanders of the formation formally exchanged their unit insignias. Pinheiro was given an 82nd Airborne Division Flag and McAteer was given a Brazilian Airborne Crest.
With the exchange of Airborne heraldry complete, both Keen and Peixoto delivered speeches in which they praised the long history of the Paratrooper, the men and women in front of them, and the combined efforts of the forces in Haiti. "It is important that everyone here understands that we are building the history of friendship between the Brazilian and American Army," Peixoto said. He continued by saying that he was extremely satisfied to see the Brazilian army working with the American Paratroopers in the same operations with the same commitment to helping the Haitian people.
Keen seconded Peixoto's remarks, adding, "From World War II to today, our militaries have trained, have fought, and have died together on the field of battle. This generation of will carry this legacy forward."
Only subtle differences stood out as the Paratroopers passed in review in front of the reviewing stand. While there were differences in uniform color and style of march, it was clear that both units possessed the rigid discipline and espirit de corps that is the hallmark of Airborne forces.
The Paratroopers marched straight from the parade field to a dining area decorated with airborne paraphernalia that included suspended parachutes. The Brazilians hosted a dinner for the Falcons that featured ice cold drinks and a traditional Brazilian meal that included hot french fries in a welcome nod to the American guests.
Intermingling at numerous tables, the conversation at first was stunted by the language barrier, but it only took a few minutes for the laughter and smiles to begin. Using English, French, Portuguese, or Spanish, the Paratroopers started the conversation asking what patches on uniforms meant and progressing to Airborne stories. Soon, American soldiers were sporting Brazilian Commando patches and Airborne wings, while the Brazilian paratroopers received the famed All American patch of the 82nd.
The gift exchange continued as the Brazilians presented each paratrooper with a shirt with both units' insignia and a shoulder bag made from true parachute silk. "It was an experience I'll never forget," claimed Master Sgt. Rosetta Pratt, S1 non-commissioned officer in charge, HHC, 2BCT. "It was an honor sitting side by side with them and knowing they had just as much pride in their Airborne heritage as we do."
The evening was capped off with three, loud and boisterous songs complete with the Paratroopers banging their fists on the table and shouting. Though the American Paratroopers didn't know the words to the songs, they were able to follow along with a pamphlet provided by the Brazilians. "I didn't need to understand the words," said Staff Sgt. Derek Chambers, assistant operations NCO, 2BCT. "We are Paratroopers and it didn't matter what we were saying, I knew we were brothers."
As the Falcons boarded their transportation to take them back to their camps scattered across Port-au-Prince, their faces, worn by two months in Haiti, were lit with huge grins. Maj. Eric Saulsbury, fire support officer, HHC, 2BCT, summed it all up saying, "This was a night of incredible camaraderie and Airborne brotherhood. It was the best night in Haiti."
| Date Taken: | 03.13.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 03.15.2010 19:54 |
| Story ID: | 46705 |
| Location: | PORT-AU-PRINCE, HT |
| Web Views: | 843 |
| Downloads: | 719 |
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