Posted on 02/09/2008 7:31:16 AM PST by SandRat
CAMP STRIKER — Soldiers from 3rd Platoon, Company C, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and their Iraqi Army counterparts arranged for a veterinarian to visit a local sheik’s house in Yusufiyah, Feb. 5.
Mohel Abdella Mohammed, a local female veterinarian, treated more than 120 cows and sheep with the Soldiers’ help. Mohel vaccinated the animals for Clostridium chauvoei, commonly known as Blackleg, a fatal bacterial infection common in cows and sheep here.
Mohel completed her degree at Baghdad University in 1988 and has practiced veterinary medicine for more than 20 years. She said she was excited about working with Soldiers to vaccinate animals in her town and hopes to conduct more of these visits to offer medical treatment to other farming communities.
Sheik Khudaur, who hosted the visit, talked with Mohel about the health of his tribe’s animals and said he was pleased to hear that they were all generally healthy.
“We try to tailor our missions to the needs of the tribe. The Abu Alush tribe depends on agriculture and farming,” said 1st Lt. Casey Zimmerman, from Santa Barbara, Calif., platoon leader for 3rd Platoon. Keeping animals healthy boosts their production value and enhances the farming industry’s role in tribal economics.
Pittsburgh native Capt. Michael Starz, commander of Company C, said the vet visit was particularly beneficial because they were able to employ a local professional. The event also had a positive impact on the economy because the vaccinations were locally purchased.
Pfc. Andrew Finney, from Philadelphia, Company C, said events like this vet visit are very useful because they strengthen bonds between the local populace and Coalition forces.
Following the vaccinations, the Soldiers joined sheik Khudaur at his home. Finney said the sheik is a good leader who cares about the well-being of his tribe and is always helpful and hospitable to Soldiers.
“This, just sitting here, is the most beneficial thing we do. Just sitting and talking breeds a mutual respect,” Finney said. “The more we learn about their culture, the more we respect them and the more they respect us for learning about them.”
“This, just sitting here, is the most beneficial thing we do. Just sitting and talking breeds a mutual respect,” Finney said. “The more we learn about their culture, the more we respect them and the more they respect us for learning about them.”
Quite an articulate and intelligent PFC.
LOL, yeh, I have seen the PAOs at work. What actually comes out of the Marine/soldier’s mouth is more like:
“This is bull*&^%! They need to check those sheep for STDs, cause I know that bearded freak over there was probably getting with them earlier”
What gets to the paper is:
“The more we learn about their culture, the more we respect them and the more they respect us for learning about them.”
The funny thing of it is, what actually comes out of their mouth is way more accurate and thoughtful, while less PC.
I have to say, this is starting to look more like an episode of Dr. Quinn Medicine woman and less like an episode of Tour of Duty if you know what I mean. If this is all they can find for the men to do over there, maybe some of them can come on home now. I’m not against us being over there, but this does not sound like what the most powerful military in the world should be doing, trimming goats hoofs. Sounds more like the peace corps to me.
Actually, that isnt a bad idea. The military won the war, lets let the peace corps win the peace.
Unfortunately the reality is that if the troops were pulled out and actions such as this were turned over to the “LIB Peace Corps,” the situation would almost instantly revert to what was and the “LIB Peace Corps” would be out of there faster than the U.N. All to the accompaniment of unending BlameStream Media bleatings of how the troops had failed to achieve victory and secure it.
I really need a nap or something. I thought the headline read “vacations for farm animals” and had half a second of wondering what kind of vacation a farm animal needs.
It’s been a long day.
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