Photo By Spc. Ben Washburn | Pvt. Joshua Haggard, from Homestad Falls, Ohio, checks the blood pressure of an Iraqi...... read more read more
By Spc. Ben Washburn
4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Public Affairs
BAGHDAD – Since the start of the war, many Iraqis have not received quality healthcare because of security concerns. Soldiers from the 2nd "Tomahawk" Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, attached to the 4th Brigade, 1st Inf. Div. at Forward Operating Base Falcon in the south side of the city, conducted a mission to provide free health check-ups to Iraqi citizens in the Mahmudiyah neighborhood of Baghdad.
Despite the triple-digit temperature, Iraqis were lined up outside waiting to be seen. While inside the house, it was even hotter with all the medics, patients and doctors crowding inside.
"The hardest challenge was dealing with the heat. Not having central air, or fans, or something to try and help cool down not just us, but the patients. We had a lot of kids and a lot of older folks and their body temperature doesn't regulate as easily as ours," said Staff Sgt. Tamika Eaddy, a senior medic with Company C, 610th Brigade Support Battalion.
Iraqi doctors came on their own, without American escort or protection to work for free to help the people of their community. One medic said the role they played was crucial.
"We had cooperation from the Iraqi doctors that came to assist us," said Sgt. Naomi Sankitts, a medic from "Charlie Med."
"It went smooth because we need some interpreters, but with medical knowledge. By them being there, it helped us to assist the Iraqis even better," said the native of Lakeland, Fla.
The doctors and medics saw well over 100 patients during the day. They treated everything from dehydration, stomach pain, and respiratory problems, to name just a few cases. For Memphis native Staff Sgt. Anthony Chaney, the treatment non-commissioned officer for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2-23rd Infantry, the mission was rewarding in two ways.
"Personally, it makes me feel good to give something back to someone who has less," he said. "As a Soldier, it just felt good to do my job."
Anyone that goes outside the wire knows about Iraqi children. Most missions aren't focused on helping them, but the mission today was different. Being able to help the children of Iraq is a gratifying experience for 1st Lt. Brian Coaker, the medic platoon leader from New Boston, Mich., for HHC, 2-23rd Infantry.
"Hanging out with the kids, seeing the smiles on their faces, passing out toys, and then seeing the gratitude of the parents for getting their kids taken care of, I think that was the biggest reward," he said.
The 2-23rd knew that many Iraqi women would show up. "Charlie Med" stepped up to support the mission, providing two female medics.
"As a female and a senior medic, I was in charge of helping with seeing the female patients, making sure there was a female in the room, a chaperone, or someone they felt very comfortable with and not just all males," said Eaddy, a Florence, S.C., native.
The mission was long, the temperatures high, and the patients were numerous. But the mission also went off without a hitch Coaker said.
"I think overall the mission was a success. We were able to bring two local doctors in to help with the treatment. We saw about 130 patients in a four-hour period. I think overall it went pretty well," the platoon leader said.
Eaddy said the mission showed a desire for a peaceful future for Iraq by all sides.
"This mission made a big difference to me," she said. "Once I got there and saw how appreciative the people were, and that they weren't all malicious people, it kind of helped me get a perspective on 'not everybody's a bad person in Iraq.' I know bad things do happen, but when you do things like this it helps them realize that not everybody in America is a bad person either."
| Date Taken: | 08.06.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 08.06.2007 13:53 |
| Story ID: | 11659 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 372 |
| Downloads: | 326 |
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