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Diyala, Iraq- Yesterday we went to a village several miles off the main roads. The children came out to meet us with the biggest smiles you have ever seen. The ground in that area was dry and as hard as concrete with sharp jagged rocks scattered all over. Sheep and goats were in the rusty chain linked pens that were connected to the front door and side walls of most of the dwellings scattered about the village, in no geometrical order. Keeping the animals close at night protects them from the wild predators that roam the flats.

Chickens and lambs strut in and out of the dirt floor homes as if they were the keepers and not the kept. Farming is the only life these Iraqi families know.

Wires are strung loosely along crooked concrete poles that lead out into the desert and to parts unknown. What is known is that no power flows through those wires to the small single light bubs in each of the homes, that have the lines connected to them.

We are greeted by the village elder with a smile and a hand shake and touch of his hand over his heart which was sign of respect in his language. He welcomed us as if we were a long lost brother or son that has just returned. The children barefoot, excitedly run over those sharp stones and hard ground as if it were carpet.

The Troopers of the First Squadron 278th Regimental Combat Team of the Tennessee Army National Guard opened the back of a medical vehicle and pulled from it several boxes of children’s shoes that were donated by a shoe company back home in the United States. The troopers were handing candy to the children to the point that their little hands could hold no more, as they stood in line to hold their tiny foot up to the bottoms of a new pair of shoes to see if they fit.

One little boy about 3 years old put down his candy and while putting on his new blue Power Ranger Velcro shoes, a small goat grabbed a piece of candy and ran off, with several others chasing after him. The little boy did not seem to mind the candy thief and as he fastened the Velcro. He began stepping around the troopers lifting his feet as high as he could. Almost falling, it looked as if he was tiring to kiss them as he walked.

“The Department of Electricity came a few days ago and took our electrical transformer”, the elder told us. “It had not worked for several months. We hope they will bring it back soon”, he said. The patrol leader told him that we would check on that when we returned to our base.

He pointed to a construction project going on a few hundred yards from their village and when complete, will produce concrete and employ most of the young men of the village. He was happy for that.

Iraq has problems in a lot of areas and in this area there were problems in the months following the fall of Saddam, however, the solders have not gone away. They come back to the villages again and again and each time they make the children happy with clothes, books, candy or a new soccer ball. When their children are smiling how can anyone ever be mad at the soldiers?

The troopers do what they say they are going to do. They take things into their own hands to get done that what needs to be done. The elders of the village are surprised at this and the young are learning from the soldiers to do the same. But, it takes time to learn to take the initiative and to do things for yourself when all your life, you have not been allowed to do that. The troopers here are setting an example and it’s spreading across Iraq.

Soon other parts of Iraq are going to evolve and the people are also going to be surprised at the works of the US Troops, but I think it will be the World that gets the biggest surprise of all. A safe and free Iraq.

After visiting five villages that day, the convoy pulls back onto the base and the Non-commissioned officer in charge, asked the command center at the gate, if anyone had the phone number or e-mail address to the Department of Electricity.

CPT Rick Walters
US Cavalry
278th Regimental Combat Team
Diyala, Iraq