Posted on 02/23/2008 10:44:12 AM PST by SandRat
FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER — Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery delivered wheelchairs to several disabled Iraqi citizens Feb. 20, in villages along Butler Range Road, near FOB Hammer. Chief Warrant Officer Chad Barrett, from Hookstown, Pa., targeting and plans officer for the 1-10 FA, said members of the Nissan advisory council had for several weeks asked for Coalition forces’ assistance in providing wheelchairs to some of the area’s disabled citizens.
Soldiers from Battery A, 1-10 FA assembled five wheelchairs they received from Soldiers of the 489th Civil Affairs Battalion, from Knoxville, Tenn., currently attached to the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment.
“I had a great time constructing the chairs,” said Sgt. Nigiel Handy, Newhope, Va., Battery A, 1-10th FA. “The best part is … to see the looks on the faces of those that we gave the chairs to.”
When the wheelchairs were assembled, Battery A Soldiers, accompanied by local Iraqi leaders and members of the Sons of Iraq (SoI), traveled to five different villages along Butler Range Road. They delivered the wheelchairs to five deserving citizens, previously identified by members of the sheik council along with Capt. Chas Cannon, from Moultrie, Ga, commander of Battery A.
“It’s great and rewarding to help those less fortunate,” said Spc. Johnny Shelton, from Asheboro, N.C., a radio operator for 1-10 FA.
Barrett said the event was a great demonstration of cooperation between the local council, the SoI and 1-10th FA.
“All of the individuals were very appreciative of the joint efforts,” he said. “This event further displayed the effectiveness of local leaders and their ability to assist their villages with essential services. It also displayed the increased cooperation and trust between the local Iraqis along Butler Range Road and the 1-10 FA.”
The 1-10th FA is assigned to the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, from Fort Benning, Ga., and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March.
When you look at all the things our Military does around the wrold, it is surprising to realization that the most effective world wide humanitarian organization in the world is the US Military.
How wonderful!! God bless our troops!
Thanks, Sandrat.
A friend of ours is a young medic and just returned. She said most of the folks she treated were civilians with day to day things. Some of them were injuries related to trying to retrieve the scrap metal from old mines, etc. (Not quite sure I would buy their lines of “well I found this landmine and it was in the back of my truck when.....”)
Better by about a factor of a billion.
The irony is the Left hates the Military yet the US Miltary does the best job of acctually accomplishing the things the Left claims it cares most about.
Thank you SandRat!!
Our son is a part of that effort, he’s in a sister unit (2-69 3BCT) located in FOB Lion’s Den, West of Baghdad. They have been delivering food, supplies and wheelchairs, targeting large needy families and individuals in their AO. They have a benefactor (whom they won’t say who it is because he/she wishes to remain anonymous) who makes sure they get the wheelchairs when they need them.
I would like to emphasize that most of this kind of effort was begun by the soldiers (and their unit leaders) themselves, quietly and effectively, no fanfare.
God bless ‘em all! They do our nation proud, the hand-wringers, whiners and defeatists are not part of this and we will remind them every chance we get.
Agreed. The Left hates the Military because the Military is efficient and gets producible results based on action.
The Left expects to get results by simply flapping their gums and emotional feelings.
GOD Bless and Keep Safe your son and all his unit battle buddies.
Boy you just nailed it there.
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