Artist begins production: Artist visits CAB Soldiers on Taji, LSA Anaconda to take pictures, gather ideas for commemorative print

Courtesy Photo | James Dietz (center), an award-winning military and aviation artist, poses with 12th Combat Aviation Brigade Soldiers who helped set up the scenes for his photographs. (U.S. Army photo/Sgt. 1st Class Eric Rienhardt, Task Force 49 Public Affairs)  

TAJI, IRAQ

01.22.2008

Courtesy Story

Multi-National Division Baghdad

By Sgt. Brandon Little
Task Force XII Public Affairs Office

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – For hundreds of years, paintings have immortalized different aspects of war, from the ferocity of combat to the bond formed between Soldiers who live and die together.

The process of immortalizing the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade's impact on the future of aviation began with a visit from James Dietz, Jan. 13.

Dietz, a world-famous military and aviation artist, decided to visit 12th CAB Soldiers, and at Logistics Support Area Anaconda, to begin developing an outline for a 12th CAB commemorative print.

"A picture speaks louder than words," said Dietz, a historical artist. "My job is to (understand a unit's history) and translate it into picture form."

His detailed images have graced the walls of numerous offices and conference rooms throughout the Army.

"It's amazing and gratifying to me to see how many places my work turns up," he said. "The Army, in spite of being a large organization, is actually like a small family; so the chances of someone owning something you've done, or having seen it are higher than I'd expect."

Before his vision can begin to take shape on canvas, Dietz says, he must arrange all the pieces into a scene in real life.

"The easiest way to say it without being overly descriptive is that you create a scene from a movie," said Dietz. "It's as if you set up a scene that is the most important part of many other scenes, and you set that one up, and have the people you're working with cooperating with that vision."

"He had me helping a Soldier onto a UH-60 Black Hawk; (he was) showing us getting ready to go out on a mission," said Honolulu, Hawaii native, Spc. Justin Duh, an aircraft maintainer in Company B, 412th Aviation Support Battalion and model for the print. "He does a very good job showing the Soldiers in action and the hard work we do out here."

"This print is a good way to show all of the great things we have been doing on this deployment," said Sgt. Brett Babin, a UH-60 Black Hawk maintainer in Company A, 3rd Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment and also a model for the print.

Dietz took dozens of photographs, here and at LSA Anaconda, to develop an idea of how the print should be designed.

"After a long discussion, outlining the pros and cons, the general consensus was to go with a flight line scene that involved a more personal look at the troopers who fly in (these aircraft) and the support personnel who make it possible for these operations to take place," he said.

"I'm definitely going to get (a print) because we're all part of one big team and that's a good thing to remember," said Babin.

After taking enough photographs to have a solid grasp on how to begin his art project, Dietz thanked everyone for their help and participated in a group picture for his own personal memories.

"My wife once asked me if coming to Iraq made a difference in the painting, instead of having someone else shoot pictures and try to make them fit; whether it made the paintings intrinsically deeper that I was here," said Dietz. "I have to say of course it does. And if it helps with the end result, then the unit who brings me here is better for it too."

• Date Taken: 01.22.2008
• Date Posted: 01.22.2008 19:55
• Story ID: 15696
• Location: TAJI, IQ