Photo By Sgt. Waine Haley | Tasalaotele Siler, American Samoan, performs the Tawalunga dance at the Asian Pacific...... read more read more
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Sgt. Waine D. Haley
133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
TIKRIT, Iraq (Jun 4, 2006) - An American Samoan Airman celebrates his culture by participating in a traditional Samoan dance performance during Asian-Pacific Heritage Month at Contingency Operating Base Speicher.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Sitau Salesa, intelligence analyst, 402nd Civil Affairs Detachment, attached to the 101st Airborne Division, is one of many Asian-Pacific troops stationed here.
"I was interested in working with the different branches of the military," Salesa said. "Working with a joint service is great. I've learned quite a bit about the Army and Navy, as well as being able to share my Air Force experiences with them.
By day Salesa, an Intelligence Analyst, works on gathering information for the 402nd, but when the work day is over, he and his friends gather for a different kind of mission.
Salesa, an American Samoan, is one of about 15 dancers who participated in the Asian-Pacific Heritage Month performances on May 26th and 27th at COB Speicher.
"We get together every night after work ... sure we practice for the dance, but we also get together just to socialize with each other," Salesa said.
The group is comprised of many different nationalities. There are people from Tennessee to Puerto Rico, but for the most part, they are all Asian-Pacific.
"We love everyone," Salesa said "Everyone is welcome. That's how it is back home, so why should we act any different here?"
"Being in the military is a lot different than being home," he added. "When I was back on my island, I was the majority and now being in the military most people don't even know what a Samoan is ... so us meeting up after work is one of the ways we can stay in touch with who we are."
Salesa tells how he lived in a village with approximately 200 people. The island he lived on had only three villages. The high school had 60 total students.
"The military hasn't been that hard to adjust to," Salesa said. "Growing up in a Samoan household we had discipline and we respected our elders so in that aspect the military is no different.
"Working with Army, in the Civil Affairs field, is about helping-out your fellow human ... it's not about where you're from or where you live," Salesa said. "It all comes down to "we are all human and we all want to live a good life.""
| Date Taken: | 06.07.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 06.07.2006 10:30 |
| Story ID: | 6713 |
| Location: | TIKRIT, IQ |
| Web Views: | 289 |
| Downloads: | 22 |
This work, American Samoan Airman Celebrates Culture and Entertains Troops in Iraq, by SGT Waine Haley, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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