1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

Story by Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp

By Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp
1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

HOR AL BOSH, Iraq -- Troops from 3rd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division (Mechanized), led a combined operation with Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment to bring medical care to the people living in Hor Al Bosh, Iraq, July 15.

During the event, more than 400 local citizens were treated at a local school for, primarily, minor ailments. Iraqi army medics, an Iraqi army doctor from the 4th Brigade, 9th IA Div., several medics and physician's assistants from both 2nd Bn., 8th Cav. Regt. and Charlie Medical Company, 115th Brigade Support Battalion treated everything from patients with minor burns to colds, ear infections, headaches and cuts.

Occasionally patients arrived with major injuries or ailments such as major heart conditions as well as child who had a severe form of spina bifida, a genetic neurological disorder.

"What we're doing here is basically like a sick call for local residents and for anything beyond those capabilities there's a system by which we can refer them to hospitals," said Maj. James Rice, physician assistant for the 2-8 Cavalry, who hails from San Antonio, explaining that there is a program for treatment sponsored by the Iraqi Ministry of Health. "(For major illnesses) they can fill out an information sheet through which they are enrolled in a consultation program, referring them to a larger hospital in Iraq or outside Iraq to a neighboring country.

"Obviously there's an overall contribution to our mission by doing things like (the joint medical effort) to help build relations with the locals and it lets them know that we're not about violence, but rather about helping people," said Rice. "One of the most important things that we've been doing has been working closely with the IA medics and the IA doctor here, and this is an important step towards handing over this mission to them so they can transition-- and the only way for that to happen is for them to take the lead, and get out here and do these types of things."

After the patients had been seen and picked up their medication they were taken to a room where Iraqi and U.S. Soldiers gave them gifts such as blankets and toys and candy for their children.

"I love helping the people, especially the children, more than anything," said Spc. Samuel Lochabay, a medic with Headquarters Company, 2-8 Cav., who hails from Conroe, Texas.

"Helping kids is great, since I have four of my own. So I really don't mind doing this, because the majority of people we see are children," said Sgt. Mark Avila, medic, HHC, 2-8 Cavalry, and a native of Las Vegas. "It's nice to see how much the people here appreciate what we're doing to help them. An 80-year old Iraqi woman gave me a hug and thanked me. It really lets you see how much our sacrifices really mean."

Working with Iraqi army medical personnel has also been an experience that the U.S. Soldiers said they have enjoyed.

"They're really a lot of fun to work with, we've built a lot of camaraderie with them, joking with them and they're coming along really well," said Lochabay. "They're a lot better trained than when we first began working with them, and soon they'll be able to take over for themselves. They're also showing a lot of enthusiasm for their jobs."

"It's been really good getting the experience of doing this with the IA medics," said Avila. "(Having) the Iraqi people actually seeing their own people take the lead in providing health care is another positive step forward for the Iraqi army."

As Iraqi army and U.S. Soldiers worked to help heal physical ailments, Capt. Scott Hequembourg, commander, Company A, 2-8 Cavalry, said his Soldiers and the IA troops who patrol together in Hor Al Bosh every day have also been working to help heal societal rifts caused by sectarian violence by helping to take terrorists off the streets and building relationships with villagers. Hequembourg's troops and their IA counterparts aided medical personnel with the joint medical effort.

"Some of the positives here are that the locals have become a lot more friendly to us and we've been working with the people here to get shops opened back up again," said Hequembourg, who hails from Jefferson City, Mo. "We're also working several projects to improve situations with power and water."

These humanitarian efforts don't just help the Iraqis, the company commander added.

"For our Soldiers, it gives them the opportunity to see the human side of Iraqis—that not all the people here are bad or are insurgents," said Hequembourg. They're seeing more and more that there are mainly good people here who just need help to get their country back on its feet. The Soldiers understand that what they're accomplishing here really is helping the people."

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