Provider Soldiers see a different side of Iraq

Courtesy Photo | Sgt. Lux Beltran, a nuclear, biological and chemical specialist assigned to Company B, 210th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), crouches atop a building in order to get better photos of the surrounding area during a tour. Sgt. Beltran is a native of Yigo, Guam. (U.S. Army photo by Chaplain (Capt.) Daniel Kang, 210th BSB, 2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI))  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

02.15.2007

Courtesy Story

2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Public Affairs

By Capt. Amanda Nalls
210th Brigade Support Battalion

CAMP STRIKER, Iraq — While many Soldiers walk away from a year-long deployment to Iraq with photos of dust, dirt and more dust, some have the opportunity to see a little more.

Once a month, Soldiers from the 210th Brigade Support Battalion "Providers," 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) are given the opportunity to see a different side of Iraq – they are able to take home photos of presidential palaces and get a better understanding of Iraq's rich history.

Each month, the 210th BSB chaplain, Capt. Daniel Kang, a native of Seoul, South Korea, escorts a group of Soldiers on a tour of the palaces located on the Baghdad International Airport Complex. The highlight of the trip is the stop at the Al-Faw Palace, one of the eight presidential palaces used for hunting and recreation by Saddam Hussein and his family as well as other Baath Party members.

While there, Soldiers learn about the building's construction and are able to take photos of the large fish – called "Saddam bass" - that fill the lake surrounding the palace. Other stops on the tour include "Bedrock," a large play area, now located on Camp Slayer, that was built for Saddam's grandchildren, who reportedly enjoyed watching "The Flintstones" in their spare time.

The Perfume Palace, a former Baathist government amusement complex, located on the present day Camp Slayer, is no longer open to the public. However, Soldiers are able to take photos of the blue-domed building and receive a short history lesson on the military murals, hot tubs, and domed ballroom that grace the interior.

"It's an amazing opportunity to be able to see these buildings," said Sgt.1st Class Mayrineth Campbell, a food-service noncommissioned officer with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 210th BSB and a native of Allentown, Pa. "It gives you a different perspective on the lives of some of the former Iraqi leaders. It's interesting to think of Saddam Hussein as someone who took the time to build a play area for his grandchildren."

"The tours are an opportunity to teach our Soldiers about Iraq's history and its culture," Kang said. "A better understanding of the country's culture will allow our Soldiers to better identify with the Iraqi people that they are here to help."

"I definitely enjoyed the trip," said Spc. Deon Williams, also a member of HHC, 210th BSB and a native of Lynchburg, Va.. "It was something I'll always remember and appreciate."

• Date Taken: 02.15.2007
• Date Posted: 02.15.2007 11:39
• Story ID: 9151
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ