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INJUREDPage 3
Photos by Spc. J. Princeville Lawrence
Saving Mahdi: Soldiers from COB Basra help injured Iraqi boy
By Spc. J. Princeville Lawrence34th Red Bull Infantry Division PAO
Saleh and his 4-year-old son, Mahdi, wait at the gates of COB Basra Nov. 18, for word on whether American troops will help them. Mahdi was injured when an insurgent mortar attack struck his house. After an evaluation, Soldiers at COB Basra were able to schedule consultations with a neurosurgeon and an ophthalmologist.
The Soldiers the 34th MP Co. helped Mahdi, a 4-year-old Iraqi boy injured when an insurgent mortar attack struck his house, by gathering food and resources for him. “He’s a cute little boy, very shy,” said an MP who requested not to be named. “He can walk around but he’s very shy around the Soldiers. He doesn’t smile; he doesn’t really look at you. He hides behind his father a lot. But when you get him to sit in your lap to look at his wounds, the kid’s just absolutely adorable.”
“He’s an innocent child caught in
a war that he’s no part of.”
Maj. Diane GreenPope Basrah PRT health advisor
COB BASRA – The four-year old boy sits in his father’s lap and eats from a bowl of Froot Loops. It is the fi rst time he has ever eaten Froot Loops, or any kind of cereal for that matt er.
His father whispers something in his ear, and the normally timid boy breaks into an impish grin. “I told him I’m going to get him a bicycle,” the fa-ther said.
It’s warm day, and a fl y buzzes around the boy, eventually nestling into the grisly open hole where the boy’s right eye once was.
The boy’s name is Mahdi. He is the victim of an insurgent mortar att ack that destroyed his home and injured his
grandmother, his aunt and his cousin. As a result of that att ack, his right
eye is gone, and he has shrapnel in his back, in his chest and in his brain. With-out corrective action, there is a chance that the shrapnel and bone fragments lodged in his brain will eventually kill him.
Since the July 30 att ack that changed their lives forever, Mahdi and his fa-
ther, Saleh, have been coming to the gate at Contingency Operating Base Basra almost every Monday morning, searching for someone who can help.
“They tell me to come here,” Saleh said. “And the American soldier, they gonna give you the help.”
Saleh said he still remembers the night that the mortar came down, the explosion and the burning and the sight of neighbors pulling his family out of the burning house.
“I know my son is hurt,” he said. “They take him to the hospital. He was very bad. The doctor said, ‘if your son is still like this, he’s going to be para-lyzed.’ I go to a lot of doctors, and I didn’t get any right answer so I come to here.”
Forensic reports from the hospital in Basrah indicate that Madhi showed a distorted orientation, unstable vital signs and was vulnerable for compli-
cations. The doctors treated Madhi to the best of their abilities, but they could not save his right eye, and they could not remove the shrapnel in his brain.
Mahdi is still a playful child, but since his injury he is more skitt ish, withdrawn, shy.
“He was good, he never needed anything, but then this incident hap-pened to him,” Saleh said. “He now can’t sleep in the night. He feels pain every day.”
And so Saleh and Mahdi wait by the gates of COB Basra, hoping that some-one inside can help them.
February 1, 2010 Page 2The Red Bull Report
17th Fires Brigade
4th BCT, 1st Armored Division
12th Combat Aviation Brigade
3rd BCT, 3rd Infantry Division
367th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Media Queries please contact 34th Inf. Div. Public Affairs Offi ce at [email protected]
The Red Bull Report is an authorized publication for members of USD-S. Contents of The Red Bull Report are not necessarily offi cial views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, Department of the Army or the 34th Infantry Division. All editorial content of The Red Bull Report is prepared, edited provided and approved by the 34th Infantry Division Public Affairs Offi ce.
34th Inf. Div. PAO: Lt. Col. Kevin OlsonOIC, Command Information: 1st Lt. Shamika HillNCOIC, Command Information: 1st Sgt. David BennettNCOIC: Staff Sgt. Chris CarneyManaging Editor: Sgt. Ben Kibbey Graphics Designer: Sgt. Francis HortonLayout/Design: Spc. Samantha JohnsonStaff Writers: Sgt. Francis Horton, Spc. Sam Soza, Spc. Samantha Johnson, Pfc. J. Princeville Lawrence
1st Lt Shamika Hill367th MPAD PAO
Photos by Sgt. Benjamin R. Kibbey
An SUV pulls out of the USD-S headquarters at COB Basra, one of the busiest intersections on the COB, Jan. 29. The intersection, which is used by both foot and vehicular traffi c throughout the day, has stop signs in Arabic and English, as well as fl ashing yellow lights, to help keep the COB a little bit safer.
Red Bulls lead the way in safetyCOB BASRA – In the military, safety is a major concern. Whether on a convoy or just the placing a ladder to hang a sign for a birthday party, safety must be at the forefront of everyone’s minds, from the lowest private to the commanding general.
The 34th Infantry Division Safety Program has met with notable success at Contingency Operating Base Basra and they have led the way in the nine Iraqi provinces they command in Unit-ed States Division-South.
Lt. Col. James Tovsen, from Prior Lake, Minn., along with Sgt. 1st Class Jeff ery Kohn and Chief Warrant Offi cer Daniel Gerads, created the safety pro-gram in USD-S from scratch.
With only six weeks of training, Tovsen and his team managed to make the safety program the success it has been.
During their tour in Iraq, they en-hanced COB Basra with such improve-ments as stop signs, fl ashing yellow lights and light poles, greatly increas-ing the overall safety for vehicular and foot traffi c around base.
Tovsen has also nominated a unit, the 121st Brigade Support Batt alion, and an individual, Sgt. Tammy Gra-ham, for safety awards.
Lt. Col David Wilson, commander of the 121st BSB and Chief Warrant Offi -cer 4 Mark Assumpcao, brigade main-
For more of 1Lt. Hill’s stories visit:www.TheRedBulls.org/hill
tenance offi cer, created pre-accident planning and an all-encompassing safety program that focused on re-ducing risk across their area of opera-tions.
Their approaches have lessened ac-
cidents, prevented injury and possibly saved lives.
Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles now have glint tape in high-visibility areas, making them more vis-ible at night. A simple combination of PVC pipe and 550-cord has also helped to protect turret gunners and sensitive antennae from overhead wire traps.
They are testing new equipment de-signed to foil improvised explosive de-vices in support of the Joint IED Defeat Organization. The Army is currently funding and conducting further tests.
They also conduct monthly safety meetings to evaluate any rising safety concerns from the subordinate units. They look at the reports prepared by the subordinate units and review the controls to determine which ones were most eff ective.
This allows units to adapt their safe-ty procedures to the constantly chang-ing environment they face.
The 121st BSB has done so well with safety that some of their ideas were ad-opted by USD-S.
February 1, 2010 Page 3The Red Bull Report
INJUREDPage 1
“I just want the help,” said Saleh. “If they can send him to a hospital or they can send him some money. I know they’re going to help.”
The gate where Mahdi and his father wait is a busy one. Many local Iraqis, some of whom have come a great dis-tance, sit and wait in the heat until the Soldiers of the 34th Military Police Company, who provide security, can let them in. While many pass through the gate, Mahdi, in particular, has captured the hearts of the Red Bull MPs.
One of the MP’s, a burly old guy who asked not to be named, hands Mahdi a stuff ed animal.
“He’s a cute litt le boy, very shy,” the MP said. “He can walk around but he’s very shy around the Soldiers. He doesn’t smile; he doesn’t really look at you. He hides behind his father a lot. But when you get him to sit in your lap to look at his wounds, the kid’s just absolutely adorable.”
The MPs gathered what food they could fi nd for Mahdi and his father: Froot Loops, bread and Gatrorade. The burly, in particular, has made it a per-sonal mission to get word of Mahdi’s condition to everyone he knows.
He seeks out church groups, fellow Soldiers, medics and offi cials, looking for assistance, any kind of assistance, for Madhi.
“I just want to make it aware that this child needs help,” he said.
Soon, help comes from outside. Ev-ery week as Saleh has been telling his story through interpreters at the gate, the local national workers waiting to get into the base have been listening.
“Aft er hearing this story and seeing this child for themselves, they’ve actu-ally started a collection drive, where they’ve been raising money on their own,” said the anonymous MP. “So far, we’re up to 700,000 dinar, which is equivalent to about 900 dollars, that these locals, who made very litt le mon-ey themselves, have donated to give to his child.”
“One of the American Soldiers showed up here with pictures on his camera, and we looked at those pic-tures,” said one local contractor. “We just want to help. First of all, he is a son
For more of Spc. Lawrence’s stories, visit: www.TheRedBulls.org/Lawrence
Photos by Spc. J. Princeville LawrenceSaleh and his son, Mahdi, wait at the gates of COB Basra for word on whether American troops can help them. Mahdi was injured when an insurgent mortar attack struck his house. After an evaluation, Soldiers at COB Basra were able to schedule consultations with a neurosurgeon and an ophthalmologist for the boy.
of our country. We should help him because he is from our country.”
Finally, aft er two months, there came a breakthrough. Through the burly old MP’s eff orts, a civil aff airs operator with the Provincial Recon-struction Team had overheard Mah-di’s story and wanted to help.
Aft er contacting the MP, Staff Sgt. Alexis Feliciano of the 308th Civil Aff airs Brigade, cleared the mat-ter though the PRT, who cleared it through the 17th Fires Brigade, who cleared it with the 34th Inf. Div. Three days later, Mahdi was brought in for an evaluation, said Feliciano.
“They gave him soccer balls and candy at the hospital, and he was just like a normal boy,” Feliciano said.
Over the coming weeks, Mahdi would receive more gift s: clothes, piz-za, and even a litt le wooden bicycle.
Most importantly, Mahdi received a prognosis.
“What we did was we hooked up with the [non-governmental organi-zation] Mercy Corps,” said Maj. Diane GreenPope, Basrah PRT health advisor and Military Support Element team leader. “Mercy Corps is currently in the process of gett ing passports, visa, transportation issues squared away so that the litt le fella could travel to, po-tentially, Germany.”
GreenPope said that once they re-ceive paperwork from the Basrah hospital where Mahdi was originally treated, Mercy Corps, could send Ma-
dhi to a pediatric hospital in Germany, where he could receive a reconstruction of his eye socket, a protective prosthesis and protective glass to protect his re-maining eye.
“You never promise anything,” said GreenPope, a nurse in the civilian world, “but we will defi nitely, defi nite-ly do every thing we can.”
“He’s an innocent. He’s an innocent child caught in a war that he’s no part of,” said GreenPope, her hands clutched close to her chest, “and if we can make it bett er for him, I’m all for that.”
Throughout this whole ordeal, Saleh had remained persistent, patient, hope-ful, and once he knew that his son was going to be helped, Saleh was thankful, Feliciano recalls, thankful “to the point that there were tears coming out of his eyes.”
Saleh was so thankful that he came back to the gates one week specifi cally to thank the Soldiers who had helped him –the MPs, Feliciano and GreenPope and the PRT, and all the other Soldiers and civilians from all over the base.
A litt le boy, his litt le boy, was going to be helped, and aft er weeks of gloom and worry, Saleh’s world, so struck from its axis, had fi nally regained a litt le bit of its former stability and brightness.
“He said,” the anonymous MP re-called, “’for the fi rst time, I can see hope again.”
February 1, 2010 Page 4The Red Bull Report
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February 1, 2010 Page 6The Red Bull Report
Around the world in 34 secondsLONDON - Former British prime minister Tony Blair said on Friday he had no regrets about the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, saying Saddam Hussein was a threat to the world who had to be disarmed or removed. Blair said the Sept. 11 al Qaeda attacks on the United States meant rogue states had to be dealt with to prevent weapons of mass destruction (WMD) falling into the wrong hands, risking even greater carnage. Facing the fi rst offi cial public grilling on why he sent 45,000 British troops to war in Iraq, he
repeatedly said he was concerned that such a risk remained today, referring to fears over Iran's disputed nuclear program. "Responsibility, but not a regret for removing Saddam Hussein," he said, when asked if he had misgivings about taking military action. He said a majority of Iraqis would say they were better off now than under the former dictator. The decision to go to war was the most controversial episode of Blair's 10-year premiership, provoking huge protests, divisions within his Labour Party and accusations he had deceived the public about the reasons for invasion.
KANSAS CITY - An anti-abortion activist who admitted he gunned down one of America's few late-term abortion providers was convicted of fi rst-degree murder on Friday after he testifi ed he had to stop the doctor from performing more abortions. Scott Roeder, 51, was convicted of fi rst-degree murder and aggravated assault by a Wichita, Kansas, jury that deliberated for just over 30 minutes. The case attracted anti-abortion protesters from around the nation to support Roeder. Abortion has been one of America's
most contentious and divisive issues for decades, affecting everything from local and national elections to the selection of U.S. Supreme Court justices. Roeder admitted he stalked and shot to death Dr. George Tiller, 67, on May 31 last year as Tiller attended church in Wichita, Kansas. He argued in court his actions were necessary to protect unborn babies.
TEMPE, Arizona - Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner retired on Friday after a 12-year NFL career that yielded a Super Bowl championship and established him as one of the game's elite players. "There is something to be said, I think, to being able to leave on your own terms and playing at the level you want to play at," he told a news conference. "I don't think I could've handled playing at a lesser level, I think that would've frustrated me." Warner, a former player in the Arena Football League, made a name
for himself with the St. Louis Rams during the 1999 NFL season when he was named the starter and led the franchise to its fi rst Super Bowl victory. The 38-year-old made it to the Super Bowl twice more, once each with the Rams and Cardinals, and retires at the top of his game with one year left on his contract.
LONDON - Elizabethan theater-goers chomped on an exotic array of foods while enjoying the latest plays of the day, new evidence found at the sites of Shakespearean playhouses in London suggests. Archaeologists say choice Tudor snacks included oysters by the cartload, crab and other shellfi sh like mussels, whelks and periwinkles. Dried raisins and fi gs, hazelnuts, plums, cherries and peaches were also consumed in great quantities, according to experts who excavated The Rose and The Globe theatres on the south
bank of the River Thames. Baked blackberry and elderberry pies and sturgeon, common in British waters at the time, were also popular with the masses who packed the playhouses.
