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June 06, 2004
Camp Blue Diamond update
Civilian casualties are an unfortuate aspect of any war, but this one had a happier ending than most. A few weeks ago, Marines and enemy forces were engaged in hostilities near a Ramadi farm. The family cow got caught in the crossfire and was killed - a bad situation made worse since the farmer was a on a special dairy diet and the cow kept him alive by providing milk and cheese. In most cases, the military compensates civilians for damages caused, but this case was a bit different. The farmer needed a new cow instead of cash, but there are rules against direct buying of goods. However, the Marines came though - with a bit of help from Jim Hake at Spirit of America.
Lt. Col. Alan G. Burghard Sr., the commander of 1MARDIV Government Services Team knew that Spirit of America had donated school, dental, and medical supplies as part of nation building activities. And the Marines are good at asking for what they need. But they'd never asked for a cow.
“I related the story to Jim and I got a one-sentence response,” explained Burghard. “He said, ‘Buy the cow.’"
So, the farmer now has a cow that provides the dairy products he needs. Extra milk and cheese can be traded or bartered. The cow may be the start of a small herd.
“What we’re doing isn’t just building bridges,” Burghard added. “It’s building bridges between people. Creative solutions are being found by units.”
Posted by Deb at June 6, 2004 07:41 AM
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