Task Force Baghdad Soldier hurdles language barrier

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Raymond Piper | Pfc. Daniel Nasereddine speaks with the 21st Georgian Infantry Battalion commander, Capt. Nick Nemsitsveridze, in Russian. Nasereddine helped his platoon and the 13th Georgian Infantry Battalion communicate on missions.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

12.05.2005

Courtesy Story

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Staff Sgt. Raymond Piper
4th Brigade Combat Team PAO

BAGHDAD -- When 1st Battalion, 76th Field Artillery Regiment began riding with the 13th Georgian Infantry Battalion on missions in Baghdad, language was a huge barrier for the two units.

"We would get two or three Georgians with us on missions, but unfortunately they wouldn't have an interpreter so we wouldn't be able to communicate properly," said Capt. Ryan Avila, a former platoon leader with 1st Bn., 76th FA.

Then along came Pfc. Daniel Nasereddine, who was one of Avila's platoon members. Nasereddine emigrated from the Ukraine and spoke Russian, giving him the ability to communicate with the Georgians.

"With Nasereddine, I was able to find out how long they had been in the military and what kind of the training they had," Avila said.

With his Soldier's help, he was able to find out that many of the Georgians have combat experience and training specific to Iraq.

"Once I knew this, I could focus on helping them to learn the routes in Baghdad," Avila said.

Nasereddine was exposed to many different languages as a child because he lived in many different parts of the world.

His father is Lebanese and his mother is Ukrainian so he lived in both the Ukraine and Lebanon. Instead of trying to master a number of languages, he decided to stick with English.

"Since I was a baby, I have been exposed to English, but it wasn't until I went to college that I learned the writing and grammar part," Nasereddine said.

After his parents divorced, his father immigrated to America. His son followed him years later.

"After I finished college, I decided to move to the United States because the work environment is better there, even though I love the Ukraine."

After coming to America, he came to the realization that he needed more self-discipline and began to think about joining the U.S. Army.

"My decision to join the Army was probably the best thing I've ever done," Nasereddine said. "The main part is I like it and I always wanted to be in the Army. In my mind, it's part of the process of becoming a man."

He said one of the reasons he joined the Army was because he wants to work with languages with the National Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation or a similar organization.

Once he receives his citizenship, one of his goals is to go to Officer Candidate School and try for military intelligence where he can apply his knowledge of languages.

"This deployment was a really good experience," he said. "It's a really great life experience. The way I am now can't even be compared to how I was at the beginning of the deployment."

• Date Taken: 12.05.2005
• Date Posted: 12.05.2005 17:16
• Story ID: 3953
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ