By Pfc. Nathaniel Smith
4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Public Affairs
BAGHDAD – The reasons behind somebody raising their right hand and swearing to defend a nation of which they are not a citizen are multi-faceted and compelling. In the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, 12 Soldiers have done just that.
The 4th BCT, out of Fort Riley, Kan., has employed Arabic-speaking U.S. Army linguists to assist units and sections in a variety of ways, from understanding complex cultural differences to simply translating conversations and documents.
These unique Soldiers are just that: Soldiers. They just happen to be able to facilitate communication between Iraqis and coalition forces.
Many of them came from the Middle East or north Africa to the United States seeking a better life. They each have their own stories and their own reasons for joining the Army in a time of war.
In Spc. Nyakeni Shuol's case, she wanted to give something back to the country that gave her and her family a better life.
"When we came to the U.S., I felt like I had something I wanted to give the U.S. back," she said, "for giving me a safe area for my kids and myself."
Shuol, who works with the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4-1 Brigade Special Troops Battalion Interactive Customer Evaluation (ICE) Team, came to the U.S. five years ago from Egypt. She left her homeland of Sudan with her husband, Duoth Chau, and their son, Sebit, who is now 12, to get away from the war there.
In 2005 she started talking to recruiters in Sioux Falls, S.D., where she was studying to become a medical assistant. Already a year-and-a-half into a two year associate degree, she had a decision to make. With strong support from her family, she did enlist, and now she is serving in Iraq.
Shuol said she took satisfaction in serving with the 4th BCT and helping others.
"I'm really excited that I'm doing something that somebody needs to be helped with," she said.
Spc. Ahmed Ahmed, the linguist for the 4th BCT's senior non-commissioned officer, Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Champagne, left Yemen for the United States with his brother in 2000. A little more than a year ago, he was working as a forklift operator.
Being a Soldier had always been a dream of his. In the summer of 2006, with a mixture of support and anxiety from his family, Ahmed enlisted to become an American Soldier.
"I wanted to be in the Army, no matter which one," he said. "I lived in the states and I liked it, so I decided to join the (U.S.) Army."
Now, a little over a year into his Army career, Ahmed says he loves everything about serving, and is already considering re-enlistment.
"I like the Army life, it suits me," he said. "You've been led and later on you lead. That's one of the things I like, too."
Shuol said she feels the same way.
"I like the way of the U.S. Army, and it is my way," the mother of two said. "It's a good job and a good future. I just want to be an example for my kids so I can be something they can look up to."
While Shuol and Ahmed both said they enjoy Army life, it has not all been easy for them. Earlier in this deployment, one of their fellow linguists was wounded when an improvised explosive device struck the vehicle he was in.
For both immigrant Soldiers, the attack landed close to home since the Soldier is Shuol's brother-in-law and was Ahmed's battle buddy throughout basic training and advanced individual training.
"We were all on the same boat together, and he was a close friend to me," Ahmed said. "That made me mad because he is the father of kids. I was mad, I was literally crying outside."
Luckily, he was only injured and is now recuperating.
The 12 linguists in Task Force Dragon have diverse backgrounds, but the bringing together of these people from such different walks of life serve as an example to the citizens of Iraq: people from different cultures and religions can work together to accomplish something worthwhile.
