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May 17, 2004

Spirit of America at work in Camp Zadan

Operation: No Better Friend is winning hearts in Camp Zadan, Iraq with the help of the Spirit of America Foundation . . . and a few good Marines.

Before his Marines deployed last February, LtCol Giles Kyser, commanding officer of 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, wrote this, in a letter to the families of his men:

The Battalion is returning to Iraq to help its good people build a future full of the same promise that we have been blessed with as Americans. This will be a difficult and dangerous mission and your Marines are very aware of the challenges that face them. Your Marines are also ready! The demanding training they completed during the past three months prepared them exceptionally well to meet those challenges head-on, and I am supremely confident in their ability to execute the broad range of tasks before them.

Your Warlord will be conducting what has become known as ?SASO? of Stability and Security Operations. He will conduct offensive and defensive operations as well as civil affairs and humanitarian operations designed to create the conditions for the people of Iraq to get back on their feet. You should be extremely proud of your Marine or Sailor because the mission they will accomplish is a noble one? in the finest traditions of our nation. Through his efforts, your Warlord will be writing yet another chapter in the magnificent legacy of the Naval Service. Those who would challenge us have underestimated the capability and resolve of the Warlords. They do not know what you know?that these men are of the same stock that won at places like Belleau Wood, Tarawa, Iwo Jima, the Chosin Reservoir, Dai Do, Grenada, Kuwait and Al Kut. Our enemies will also come to recognize, that these men are also fathers, sons, brothers and husbands whose capability as warriors is exceeded only by their compassion for humanity.

Here's a demonstration of that compassion:

2/2 Marines distribute school supplies donated by Spirit of America to kids in Zadan.
	LtCol Kyser chats with a young girl as part of an outreach to let the locals know the Marines are there to help.
Lt Col Kyser hands out coloring books to the local kids.

Besides winning over the children, the Marines demonstrated how they plan to help the rest of the town. Here's some information from Cpl Rhodes:

Even though the battalion was only in the camp for a few days, the message of the Coalition's intent of helping the Iraqi people got out. Marines passed out leaflets offering phone numbers for Iraqis to seek help for getting clean water.

"An ongoing project is helping the local water treatment plant," Dubois said.

Clean water is scarce in many rural areas of Iraq. Water treatment became a project where Marines quickly became involved.

"We've found a lack of good drinking water to be the number one complaint," said Maj. Mark P. DeVito, a Civil Affairs Group leader from San Diego. "We're putting $50,000 into the water plant. Because the people want to see immediate effects, we're giving 50,000-gallon water bladders to different towns so they have a way to get water immediately."

DeVito explained that Iraqis in the area were pro-Coalition at one time, but without seeing their surroundings improve, their minds changed. The Marines plan to leverage their assistance to gain back trust through upgrading conditions.

In addition to the water plant, CAG is also working to organize a street cleanup. Hiring people to go through the town and pick up trash not only cleans up the area but also creates jobs.

"Because we're out there in the towns every day, we see what needs to get done," DeVito said. "We become familiar to the people and they give us information about insurgents or weapons caches."

When my son was in Najaf last year, he spent many hours providing street security and standing post. He said that Iraqis would come up to his guard station and report where ammunition was stored or that attacks were planned. From May through October last year, no Marines were lost to hostile action, largely due to the level of trust and cooperation achieved by all levels of leadership. Handing out a pack of school supplies, or hiring an unemployed Iraqi to clean up his city is a small thing in isolation. The cumulative effect can be great. And, if you haven't donated already, consider giving to Spirit of America. It's money well spent.

Posted by Deb at May 17, 2004 12:38 AM

Comments

Thank you for this thoughtful and well written article. :)

Posted by: Steve at May 17, 2004 02:19 AM