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Friends, Family, & Supporters of C/96th CA Bn (Airborne) and their ongoing operations in Iraq,
After many requests, we have started this fotolog to showcase in a visual format some of the activities that make up the typical days of a Civil Affairs unit in Iraq. The intent is to give everyone a tiny picture of what these dedicated soldiers experience and endure on a daily basis as well as a snapshot of the Iraqi people themselves whom we are here to support.
For those who are not acquainted with us already, C/96th CA (Airborne) is unique organization within the United States Army’s Special Operations Command (USASOC.) Part of the only active duty Civil Affairs Battalion in the Army (almost 97% of all Civil Affairs are found in the Army Reserve), it is organized into several, highly trained, four man tactical teams who act as the link between coalition forces and the civilian population. With a combination of seasoned Team Leaders and professional non-commissioned officers; including Special Forces and special operations trained medics and engineers; our CAT-A’s (Civil Affairs Team – Alpha), bring a mature, culturally aware, and linguistic expertise to an uncertain and often insecure environment.
I won’t attempt to talk about anything political here. Whether you supported or not the decision to come to Iraq is irrelevant to those of us who have to carry out the decisions of our elected leaders. Those of us who have chosen to serve our country are all volunteers and intend to do the best job we can regardless of the conditions. I see it every day in the reports and pictures from my teams who work tirelessly in the goal of bringing security and a basic standard of living to people who have suffered for so many years. There is so much positive going on and you never hear about it. The old standard “if it bleeds, it leads” is going stronger than ever. Everything else is ignored or minimized.
If you know of other individuals or organizations that would like to contribute to our efforts, we will gladly accept and take responsibility for distributing what they send. Everything we get makes our job a little easier. If you prefer something in particular go to a soldier, please indicate so.
Our most critical/popular needs are:
Sports equipment
Soccer & Volleyballs (deflated)
Air pumps & needles
Soccer shirts (youth sizes)
Toys & school supplies
(We tend to get mobbed so smaller is better so we can give everyone something)
Party favor toys
Bags of assorted figures
Coloring Books
Colored Pencils & Sharpeners (crayons melt!)
Dolls (again smaller is better)
#2 pencils
Notebook Folders
Pens
Health & Welfare
New hairbrushes & combs
Bags of individually wrapped hard candy is best (nothing meltable)
Bottom line, we will take whatever we can get and appreciate it.
You can send any donations or letters of support to:
Commander
C/96th Civil Affairs (Airborne)
APO AE 09347
You can E-mail us at Lzxray14@yahoo.com
All pictures have been taken by members of the unit and are the sole property of the same. |
