By Sgt. 1st Class Darren D. Heusel
KABUL, Afghanistan - The U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan is trained to fight, but as the mission evolves from one of ousting the hard-line Islamic Taliban regime to reconstruction and reconciliation, they also find themselves on the front lines of another war that doesn't always make the headlines.
This other "war" is making life better for those who have little or nothing and is often referred to as the "battle of winning hearts and minds," or the "non-lethal fight."
A number of coalition members are going above and beyond the call of duty every day by volunteering to improve the lives of a forgotten group of Afghan refugees in the barren mountain range just outside Pol-e-charki on the outskirts of the capital city of Kabul.
Tucked away behind the hills near Pol-e-charki, some members of the 1st Battalion, 151st Infantry based out of New Albany, Ind., happened upon the small village of refugees recently while on a routine reconnaissance mission.
The village consists of about 200 people, mostly children living in tiny tents
with walls of plastic and makeshift doors. What happened next, and continues to happen today, was a remarkable exchange of friendship, bonding and nation building.
"This is one of those really feel-good missions," said Maj. Chris Lee, of Evansville, Ind., who volunteered to help provide basic medical care to the refugees at what his Soldiers have come to affectionately refer to as Camp Warhawk.
In Afghanistan, a large percentage of the population live nomadic lifestyles, roaming the countryside and eking out an existence wherever they can.
On Nov. 12, about 50 Soldiers from the 76th Infantry Brigade and other members of the coalition visited the small village to deliver some much needed medical supplies, food and blankets to the villagers who live there.
Also making the trip this day were some Defense Department civilians from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The contingent has been coming to the village for the past three months, and each time they bring a wealth of supplies, smiles, handshakes and hugs.
"I became involved with the refugee camp when my colleague and I went to sick call one day at Camp Blackhorse," said Claudia Hixson, a quality assurance representative for the Corps of Engineers at Pol-e-charki. "The staff had a few pictures of kids getting looked at on the walls, and we asked about them," added Hixson, a civilian from Eastford, Conn.
"When they explained about the monthly trip to check the health of these people, we asked what we could do to help." Hixson said she was initially struck by the sheer beauty of the children, especially the girls.
"What went through my mind as a human being was sadness that the children and their parents had to line up for our aid," she said. "It has to affect their sense of dignity to do so.
"Then, of course, the helpless feeling as a mother that I couldn't deliver to these kids a fraction of the security, food and comfort my own children enjoy." Hixson said she's not talking about Sponge Bob pajamas and gymnastics classes, but basic day-to-day stuff like waking up clean and going to school with a full tummy.
"It was good to see the typical free happiness of children as they frisked around, and I hope they will remember us as a nation that cares about them," she said.
Capt. Jim Gruber, one of the doctors with the 1/151 who helped treat the refugees, has been coming to Camp Warhawk since the 76th took over the mission of training the Afghan National Army about three months ago.
"When we first came out, they didn't have any care," he said. "Now, we can at least provide basic health care for such conditions as skin rashes, coughs and colds."
Some of the patients have more serious ailments, like one infant boy with a heart condition who the brigade is trying to fly to the states for surgery.
"If we don't get him some help soon, he probably won't live through the winter," Gruber said. Gruber said Riley Children's Hospital in Indiana has agreed to accept the boy, but right now the delay appears to be in getting him and his parents" passports.
"I'm just glad to be able to help," Gruber said. "Sometimes it's just Band-Aid help, but it's better than what they were getting before." Sgt. Scott Hughes has made seven trips to the refugee camp and said his unit has delivered about 6,000 pounds of rice, 500 cans of fruit, 150 pounds of peanut butter and jelly, and 300 blankets.
"I think it's great to be able to help the kids by providing them with some basic medical treatment, some basic nutrition and helping to keep them warm for the winter," he said.
Lt. Col. Paul Grube, security forces commander for Task Force Phoenix who patrols the area, said he first found out about the refugees by one of his
commanders.
He said he went out to perform an assessment and determined there was a tremendous need.
"After I told the Soldiers what the need was, we raised over $1,000 that first night," Grube said. "That money purchased enough food to sustain them for a three-week period."
He said he witnessed a similar outpouring of generosity on a previous deployment to Bosnia and is constantly amazed at the human spirit of American Soldiers and their families. Grube teaches sixth grade at Floyd Knobs Elementary in Floyd Knobs, Ind., and said the quality of life the children have back in the states is completely different than that of the Afghan children.
He said he recorded a video and sent it home to some of the Soldiers" families and the response for donations was overwhelming.
Fortunately, Grube said, "If the folks back home continue to push goods, we'll do our best to see that these people live through the winter. I'm extremely happy with the progress we've made so far, but we've still got a long way to go."
| Date Taken: | 11.23.2004 |
| Date Posted: | 11.23.2004 15:41 |
| Story ID: | 648 |
| Location: | KABUL, AF |
| Web Views: | 63 |
| Downloads: | 24 |
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