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Back in the good old U.S. of A

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The KSB

The KSB

4-4-11/11-5-11
I just got back a few days ago from a 15 month deployment to Camp Bucca, Iraq. I had one of the most unusual missions possible. I was the XO for a unit doing detainee operations. We started out running a compound with 1,000 extremist detainees. 500 on one side were Takfiri, and 500 on another side were Jaish al Mahdi. We did that for a few months and then were re-missioned to take over a school for the detainees. We taught them how to read and write in basic English and Arabic. You wouldn't believe the moderating effect just teaching basic reading skills had on the detainees. Many of them commented on how the inability to read lead them to the insurgency. Someone would show them a newspaper and tell them that there was a story about Americans executing children or other nonsense and they would believe it and want to exact revenge. Other things they were taught were art, agriculture and carpentry skills to help them find employment upon their eventual release. In addition to the school we were tasked to open up the first ever detainee manned brick factory. The detainees were taught by Iraqis all of the fundamentals of brick making. It was back breaking work. Work that I personally would not want to do. But we had detainees of all backgrounds volunteering o work there. We never had a bad incident the entire time we ran it. We had Sunnis working along side Shi'as and never saw so much as a cross word between them. These were people who recently had blood fueds between each other.

Anyways, I'm might write some more details later, but my experience was much different this time from my last time in Iraq. I'm just happy to be home now. Until later. O H
 
The KSB;1498864; said:
I just got back a few days ago from a 15 month deployment to Camp Bucca, Iraq. I had one of the most unusual missions possible. I was the XO for a unit doing detainee operations. We started out running a compound with 1,000 extremist detainees. 500 on one side were Takfiri, and 500 on another side were Jaish al Mahdi. We did that for a few months and then were re-missioned to take over a school for the detainees. We taught them how to read and write in basic English and Arabic. You wouldn't believe the moderating effect just teaching basic reading skills had on the detainees. Many of them commented on how the inability to read lead them to the insurgency. Someone would show them a newspaper and tell them that there was a story about Americans executing children or other nonsense and they would believe it and want to exact revenge. Other things they were taught were art, agriculture and carpentry skills to help them find employment upon their eventual release. In addition to the school we were tasked to open up the first ever detainee manned brick factory. The detainees were taught by Iraqis all of the fundamentals of brick making. It was back breaking work. Work that I personally would not want to do. But we had detainees of all backgrounds volunteering o work there. We never had a bad incident the entire time we ran it. We had Sunnis working along side Shi'as and never saw so much as a cross word between them. These were people who recently had blood fueds between each other.

Anyways, I'm might write some more details later, but my experience was much different this time from my last time in Iraq. I'm just happy to be home now. Until later. O H
Click to expand...

Amazing, man...you make me proud to be an American! We can make differences not just with guns...and that's so heartening to hear! Welcome back...enjoy your first beer!

:io:
 
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Great stuff, KSB! You might be interested in reading Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. He established a good number of schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Like you, he talks about how educating these people has done wonders for helping to alleviate extremism.

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Three-Cups-Tea-Mission-Promote/dp/0143038257/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247689380&sr=8-1]Amazon.com: Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time: Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin: Books[/ame]
 
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Thanks for sharing, KSB. It's great to hear some positive news about Iraq. And thanks for serving your country so well. I have tremendous respect for all you guys, and the sacrifices you make for the rest of us. Welcome home!

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYP-fpUtdqU]YouTube - Chuck Berry - Back in the USA[/ame]
 
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