Shaffer
03-14-07, 12:25 PM
Civilians were senselessly killed and a hundred more injured on a peaceful Saturday afternoon in Iraq when a massive suicide truck bomb exploded as they were leaving a mosque in Habbaniyah.
After the blast, Marines and Iraqi Security Forces immediately responded to the scene to provide relief efforts. They assisted pulling survivors from the debris, triaged patients and evacuated the seriously wounded to medical facilities. The combined efforts undoubtedly saved the lives of many Iraqis.
Three days after the blast the market area remained an empty shell as Iraqi Security Forces spearheaded an effort to bring more assistance to the people. The Iraqi Army led a medical team of Iraqi medics and sailors from the 1st Iraqi Army Division and 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment to a location near the site to provide medical care to the local Iraqis. In a show of unity and reflecting the joint environment of the Iraqi Security Forces, Iraqi Police provided the outer cordon and site security.
“It was an Iraqi lead mission, coalition forces were just there to assist them with basic medical supplies and advice—the Iraqi Army and Police provided all the security and developed the plan along with the transition team advisors,” said Maj C. P. Preston IV, the battalion executive officer. “The Iraqi leadership targeted the area because it was the site of a deliberate and despicable act of terrorism that left hundreds wounded and in need of medical care that exceeded local capacity.”
A crowd of people surrounded the building where the combined medical engagement was taking place. People who had been injured lined up to have their wounds looked at, bandages changed, and receive medication. The majority of the civilians were treated by their fellow Iraqis, but corpsmen from the battalion aid station were asked to look at some. One such patient, a four-year-old child, was brought to the caring hands of HM2 Manuel Olivares.
“When the blast went off a piece of shrapnel hit him and scraped his ear,” said Olivares, 25, from Sacramento, Calif. “He had a laceration in his ear and some bruising.”
Olivares tenderly peeled off the old bandages covering the wound and cleaned it. As he did this he exchanged jokes and smiles with the child’s older brother, who was watching protectively.
“I felt happy that he could trust me, that he felt safe,” Olivares added. “After we were done he gave me a big smile.”
The mayor of Habbaniyah, the local police chief, the Iraqi Army commander and several sheiks talked to the people while the corpsmen and medics worked hard to treat the wounded civilians. The importance of the Iraqi people seeing that it was their own government and religious leaders taking care of them was immeasurable.
According to Maj Preston the people were shaken up, but were very thankful that they had someone to turn to. They were upset with the whole situation, and initially they blamed the police for letting the truck through several checkpoints. After the mayor and the sheiks talked with them they realized that the security problem is everyone’s problem, not just the police or the army. It is easy to blame the police or the army, because the people see them; it is more difficult for civilians to place blame on the elusive insurgent that strikes anonymously, and then blends in to the local population. This isn’t just an Iraqi Police fight or an Iraqi Army fight; everyone must be involved in the process. The people are starting to understand that this war can only be won with their help.
“The combined medical team saw over 200 hundred civilians ranging from infants to the elderly, many with horrific injuries from the blast,” said Maj Preston, “The medical staffs saw a tremendous number of patients in a very short period of time. We had a couple of local sheiks come as well as the mayor of Habbaniyah. The idea is to show the people that the Iraqi government cares about their plight.”
Ultimately, however, the Iraqi government in Baghdad or Ramadi would not come out to the devastated site, a fact that left some civilians still disgruntled with their new government’s priorities.
With so many civilians seeking aid in the wake of a tragic accident, along with the coalition and Iraqi Security Forces, the schoolhouse acting as a makeshift medical clinic was a tempting target. Midway through the mission, the distinct “thuuump! thuuump! thuuump!” of outgoing mortar rounds was heard in the distance. Initially, the Iraqi and coalition security forces continued to work diligently on patients without missing a beat; indirect fire is a constant threat for Coalition and Iraqi forces in the Habbaniyah region. However, when the local nationals began to scurry for cover, Marines, sailors, and Iraqis quickly moved to cover as well as the rounds whistled in. The rounds missed their target by just 100 meters, but once again, innocent civilians were injured. The sirens of police vehicles shrieked through the air as they sped to the impact site. Within moments, the police were back at the schoolhouse carrying several wounded people, including two children, struck again by a faceless, nameless enemy of the people. Luckily, no one was seriously injured. However, the people who had recently been through so much carnage began to leave the schoolhouse, turning away from assistance and fearful of another attack.
“The insurgents prevented the good people from getting all the medical attention we could provide,” said Preston. “However, we did show the locals that at least the Iraqi Security Forces are not afraid to put their lives on the line to provide immediate support, and the Coalition Forces are here to stand beside the Iraqis until the mission is complete. The people must understand that the Iraqi security forces are the long-term future of Habbaniyah and Iraq. If we waiver in our support, we lose, and more importantly, the Iraqi people lose.”
This was a successful mission, despite the mortar attack that scared people away. These war weary people were able to receive medical care and witness their government in action. It let them know there is a government that is trying to improve the lives of the people of Habbaniyah, Al Anbar Province, and Iraq.
After the blast, Marines and Iraqi Security Forces immediately responded to the scene to provide relief efforts. They assisted pulling survivors from the debris, triaged patients and evacuated the seriously wounded to medical facilities. The combined efforts undoubtedly saved the lives of many Iraqis.
Three days after the blast the market area remained an empty shell as Iraqi Security Forces spearheaded an effort to bring more assistance to the people. The Iraqi Army led a medical team of Iraqi medics and sailors from the 1st Iraqi Army Division and 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment to a location near the site to provide medical care to the local Iraqis. In a show of unity and reflecting the joint environment of the Iraqi Security Forces, Iraqi Police provided the outer cordon and site security.
“It was an Iraqi lead mission, coalition forces were just there to assist them with basic medical supplies and advice—the Iraqi Army and Police provided all the security and developed the plan along with the transition team advisors,” said Maj C. P. Preston IV, the battalion executive officer. “The Iraqi leadership targeted the area because it was the site of a deliberate and despicable act of terrorism that left hundreds wounded and in need of medical care that exceeded local capacity.”
A crowd of people surrounded the building where the combined medical engagement was taking place. People who had been injured lined up to have their wounds looked at, bandages changed, and receive medication. The majority of the civilians were treated by their fellow Iraqis, but corpsmen from the battalion aid station were asked to look at some. One such patient, a four-year-old child, was brought to the caring hands of HM2 Manuel Olivares.
“When the blast went off a piece of shrapnel hit him and scraped his ear,” said Olivares, 25, from Sacramento, Calif. “He had a laceration in his ear and some bruising.”
Olivares tenderly peeled off the old bandages covering the wound and cleaned it. As he did this he exchanged jokes and smiles with the child’s older brother, who was watching protectively.
“I felt happy that he could trust me, that he felt safe,” Olivares added. “After we were done he gave me a big smile.”
The mayor of Habbaniyah, the local police chief, the Iraqi Army commander and several sheiks talked to the people while the corpsmen and medics worked hard to treat the wounded civilians. The importance of the Iraqi people seeing that it was their own government and religious leaders taking care of them was immeasurable.
According to Maj Preston the people were shaken up, but were very thankful that they had someone to turn to. They were upset with the whole situation, and initially they blamed the police for letting the truck through several checkpoints. After the mayor and the sheiks talked with them they realized that the security problem is everyone’s problem, not just the police or the army. It is easy to blame the police or the army, because the people see them; it is more difficult for civilians to place blame on the elusive insurgent that strikes anonymously, and then blends in to the local population. This isn’t just an Iraqi Police fight or an Iraqi Army fight; everyone must be involved in the process. The people are starting to understand that this war can only be won with their help.
“The combined medical team saw over 200 hundred civilians ranging from infants to the elderly, many with horrific injuries from the blast,” said Maj Preston, “The medical staffs saw a tremendous number of patients in a very short period of time. We had a couple of local sheiks come as well as the mayor of Habbaniyah. The idea is to show the people that the Iraqi government cares about their plight.”
Ultimately, however, the Iraqi government in Baghdad or Ramadi would not come out to the devastated site, a fact that left some civilians still disgruntled with their new government’s priorities.
With so many civilians seeking aid in the wake of a tragic accident, along with the coalition and Iraqi Security Forces, the schoolhouse acting as a makeshift medical clinic was a tempting target. Midway through the mission, the distinct “thuuump! thuuump! thuuump!” of outgoing mortar rounds was heard in the distance. Initially, the Iraqi and coalition security forces continued to work diligently on patients without missing a beat; indirect fire is a constant threat for Coalition and Iraqi forces in the Habbaniyah region. However, when the local nationals began to scurry for cover, Marines, sailors, and Iraqis quickly moved to cover as well as the rounds whistled in. The rounds missed their target by just 100 meters, but once again, innocent civilians were injured. The sirens of police vehicles shrieked through the air as they sped to the impact site. Within moments, the police were back at the schoolhouse carrying several wounded people, including two children, struck again by a faceless, nameless enemy of the people. Luckily, no one was seriously injured. However, the people who had recently been through so much carnage began to leave the schoolhouse, turning away from assistance and fearful of another attack.
“The insurgents prevented the good people from getting all the medical attention we could provide,” said Preston. “However, we did show the locals that at least the Iraqi Security Forces are not afraid to put their lives on the line to provide immediate support, and the Coalition Forces are here to stand beside the Iraqis until the mission is complete. The people must understand that the Iraqi security forces are the long-term future of Habbaniyah and Iraq. If we waiver in our support, we lose, and more importantly, the Iraqi people lose.”
This was a successful mission, despite the mortar attack that scared people away. These war weary people were able to receive medical care and witness their government in action. It let them know there is a government that is trying to improve the lives of the people of Habbaniyah, Al Anbar Province, and Iraq.