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Small-Scale Diplomacy

Mar-21-2009 » Filed Under: 56th SBCT

The Patriot News has a nice feature on Sgt. Frank Dubeck of the 56th SBCT.

Sgt. Frank Dubeck is practicing small-scale diplomacy through arm wrestling.

The Penn State student from Harrisburg, who is serving in Iraq with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard's 56th Stryker Brigade, was surprised when he was challenged to an arm-wrestling match by the son of Sheik Nadeem, a local Iraqi leader. At first he thought the Iraqis were pulling his leg. But a group of U.S. soldiers and Iraqis gathered in a circle to watch, cheering and laughing.

After Dubeck won, there were hugs all around, he said.

"I think it was good for our relationships with the Iraqis, and it was a break in the monotony," he said by phone Thursday from Camp Taji, north of Baghdad.


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