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Clinic gives boost to civilians, troops

NAF AL-BEZIR, Iraq — Within minutes, the Al-Badoun elementary school's transformation — from a place of learning to one of healing — was complete.

Stretchers on stands, boxes of medicine, stethoscopes, blood pressure gauges. Soldiers of the Georgia National Guard's 48th Brigade Combat Team carried the supplies in quickly and with the same precision they march into combat.

For the rest of the morning and well into the afternoon, medics from Charlie Company of the 148th Support Battalion examined patients. The line was long, snaking from the school's front gate around the dusty yard adjoining it. The Iraqis waited patiently, amid a howling dust storm, for a rare chance at a good examination and proper medication.

It was the first time since the arrival in Iraq last June of the 48th Brigade medics that they were able to treat Iraqi civilians on their turf.

"It's very rewarding, " said 1st Lt. Anna Talerico, a physician's assistant from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. "I'm having a good time, though, as you can see, it's somewhat limiting."

Limiting because the clinics were set up in stark classrooms that had no electricity. The cold crept in through cracked windows and doors that did not close all the way.

Limiting also because the medics did not have access to all the equipment and drugs they needed.

Seizing the opportunity

In this village just outside Nasiriyah in southeastern Iraq, there is just one clinic to serve the people, most of whom belong to the al-Badoun tribe. The Georgia soldiers saw an opportunity to help here without fear of roadside bombs, suicide bombers or snipers.

During their six-month stay in the Baghdad area last year, these soldiers did not attempt such a mission because insurgent activity made the soldiers too vulnerable to attack.

"We couldn't do this in our old sector," Talerico said. "It was just too dangerous."

But in Nasiriyah, there has not been much violence since March 2003, when invading U.S. forces fought fierce battles with Saddam Hussein's army. In one battle, a convoy was ambushed leaving 11 soldiers dead and seven others, including Pfc. Jessica Lynch, as prisoners.

Nasiriyah lies in the heart of heavily Shiite territory. The holy cities of Najaf and Karbala are a short ride up the main north-south highway the U.S. military calls Main Supply Route Tampa.

"There are no terrorists here," said Ahmed Abar Fahad, 30, son of one of the community leaders. "It is safe here. We do not allow outsiders.

"The problem in Baghdad is the public. My people will not help the terrorists."

Lt. Col. Scott Carter the brigade's civil affairs officer, said it also helps that villages and towns in southern Iraq have functioning governments. And that Army officers do not have to meet with local leaders clandestinely.

"In our old sector, I couldn't go to meet a local leader at his office," said Carter, a senior project manager at a graphics packaging company in Warner Robins. "It always had to be a secret location. Today, I expect local sheiks to thank us openly. They would never do that in Baghdad. "

Carter said Guard soldiers are well-suited for such missions because they are citizen-soldiers accustomed to working in the civilian world.

Treatment appreciated

Shiites, who form a majority in Iraq, were persecuted under Saddam and, for the most part, residents in this area were happy to see advancing U.S. troops during the march to Baghdad.

"Now it's so much better," Fahad said. "The control over us is no longer there."

But life's everyday routines and rhythms along the banks of the Euphrates River have changed little since Saddam's ouster. Loyalty to clan and tribe remain strong. Tribal leaders command great respect.

The 48th Brigade has been working with some of these leaders since it arrived in southern Iraq in late October.

"We need Americans to stay in Iraq to help us rebuild our country," said Fahad, who often gets U.S. contracts for projects in the Nasiriyah area.

Despite the relative calm, the problems of Iraq are as persistent here as elsewhere, if not more so. The Shiites, downtrodden for so many years, live in some of Iraq's poorest areas. It was obvious on the faces of the those who came to the clinic. Their clothes were ragged and socks were darned repeatedly, their skin cracked from years of work in the sun.

They scooped up chips, cookies, cartons of cereal and candy for their children.

Sarah Adel came in to see Talerico with her 3-year-old grandson, Murtada. The little boy was suffering from a cold. Upper respiratory diseases and stomach problems are common in Iraq. She complained of pain in her ribs and a burning sensation in her stomach.

"I think she has arthritis muscle pain and a little bit of acid reflux," Talerico said.

Rewards twofold

Sgt. Angela Gowen, a nurse from Tifton, Ga., shuttled into another room to sort through drugs lined up on a table. She returned with Tylenol and some Indian-manufactured pills to treat the stomach acidity.

"It takes a lot of talking to find out whether the child has any allergies or other problems," Gowen said. "The language barrier is a pain."

A patient interpreter sorted through a litany of problems. Many of the women complained of back and shoulder pain from carrying heavy loads in the nearby farmlands.

The Georgia soldiers treated about 60 families on this day. Many were turned away because the soldiers had to return to Base Camp Adder before dark.

Maj. Ray Polk, commander of Charlie Company, said his soldiers welcomed the opportunity to practice their medical skills.

"They saw too many bad things," said Polk, a physician's assistant from Dahlonega, Ga., referring to his medics' roles in combat trauma situations. "I was worried they would never get to do this; that they would only see the combat side of it."

Polk said his medics have dealt with more than 20 deaths and treated over 100 wounded soldiers in the brigade since last June. They have even treated insurgents who were detained by the brigade. But, until this trip, never had an opportunity to see ordinary Iraqis who needed medical attention.

The soldiers left Naf al-Bezir as the dust storm swallowed the village feeling that this, perhaps, was their most rewarding mission yet.

Moni Basu writes for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. E-mail: mbasu AT ajc.com