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Taking pains to make friends in Iraq

May-31-2004 » Filed Under: Iraq News

[Link to Full Article]
By Charlie Coon, Stars and Stripes

MUSHADA, Iraq — The convoy of trucks and armored Humvees kicked up dirt as it rumbled down the one-lane road into the village.

“Sometimes you wonder what they think,” said Maj. Karen Ryan. “Can you imagine rolling in like this to the place where you lived?”

It turned out the residents of Mushada were thinking good thoughts. They’d been scouted and deemed coalition-friendly and worthy of a MEDCAP, or medical civil affairs project. [...]

“At first no one wanted to come out,” said Sgt. 1st Class Steven Vigil of Pueblo, Colo., and the 2nd Battalion, 7th Regiment, attached to the 39th Brigade Combat Team. “Once we started to bring out the candy, footballs, water and T-shirts, they started coming out of nowhere.”

Dozens of children swarmed the troops as they handed out the free goods. Women were personally invited by the loudspeakers to see “female doctors.” They lined up for help. Old men sought relief for their sore feet and arthritis.

The only people busier than the two physician’s assistants were the two translators as they hurried to translate symptoms and treatments.


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