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Iraqis ready to rebuild, brothers say

Sep-22-2004 » Filed Under: 3/2 SBCT

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By MIKE STARK

There are two American flags outside the Gifford house. The one that's a little more tattered was put out when 21-year-old Justin left for Iraq last fall. The other is for Chris, 20, who's been in Iraq since May.

The flags won't come down until both of Bryan and Ruth Gifford's sons are home safely.

Both soldiers, who serve in the Army in separate units and separate locations, were home in Billings briefly this month - a scheduling feat that their father Bryan chalks up to a higher power.[...]

Since last fall, Justin has served as a combat medic with the Third Stryker Brigade, a high-speed infantry group that specializes in urban warfare. Before each mission, his supervisors warn that there will probably be a high number of casualties.

"That gets your adrenaline going," he said. Once the action starts, though, there isn't much time to dwell on the danger. "Your training kicks in and it's almost like second nature."

Although he's seen plenty of firefights, most of the wounds he has had to treat have been minor.

"We haven't seen many casualties," Justin said.

He recalled a mission working with the Iraqi National Guard when the early morning darkness exploded with gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades. Justin was in an armored Humvee and remembers seeing the RPGs flying past only a few feet away.

"In my mind I wanted to scream but luckily no one was hurt," he said.

There are times for a few light moments, too, like the time Justin accidentally gave himself a shot of morphine when he was trying to treat a wounded Iraqi's shoulder on a darkened street in Samarra. He still gets teased about it.

Justin said it's not unusual for American medics to treat Iraqi soldiers, but most of the time they try to steer the wounded toward local hospitals, which have been improving lately.

He hasn't had much time to talk with Iraqi adults, but the local kids run up to American soldiers and offer hugs, he said.

"We usually give them candy or pencils or something like that," he said. "Most of the time they're happy to see us." [...]


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