First Lt. Matthew Dean from Richmond, Ohio, 1st Lt. Di’Anna Newton from Hallettsville, Texas, and 1st Lt. Theresa Ockrassa from Austin, Texas, explore the tomb of King Shulgi, the king of Ur who originally built the Ziggurat of Ur. The Ziggurat is one of Iraq’s many historical sites and is located just north of Camp Adder near Nasiriyah. All three soldiers are assigned to Company G, 3rd Bn., 29th FA Reg., 3rd AAB, 4th Inf. Div. (Army photo/1st Lt. Theresa Ockrassa)

The soldiers of Maintenance Platoon, Company G, visit the historical Ziggurat of Ur. The Ziggurat is one of Iraq’s many historical sites and is located just north of Camp Adder near Nasiriyah. Company G is assigned to 3rd Bn., 29th FA Reg., 3rd AAB, 4th Inf. Div. (Army photo/1st Lt. Theresa Ockrassa)

The soldiers of Company G, 3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Infantry Division took a break from their support operations to experience some of the culture and history of Iraq.

The Ziggurat of Ur stands proudly outside Camp Adder and is believed to be 4,000 years old. While originally a temple to the moon god, it has become a symbol of honor for Iraqi ingenuity and culture, as well as being the birth place of the prophet Abraham.

Over the course of three weeks, the entire Company ventured out to the Ziggurat and met with the local tour guide Dhiaf Mahsen, who willingly shared his knowledge of Iraq as well as the historical site. The trip started with a trek to the top of the Ziggurat where Dhiaf discussed the history of the people of Ur, the significance of the Ziggurat and the temple that used to stand on top of it.

“It was really cool to stand on top of the Ziggurat and see the whole area we have been working in for months. It gave me a new perspective,” said Pvt. Dante Tate, of St. Louis, Mo.

While learning about the historical city of Ur, as well as the structural specifications of the Ziggurat, Soldiers also learned a few interesting bits of trivia from Dhiaf. They learned that the city of Ur had the first written law under king Ur-namu and that it predated the Code of Hammurabi by almost 300 years. Dhiaf shared that the first wheel had been built in the area and that despite its lasting impact on human society and technology, it was originally designed as a child’s toy.

“The wealth of knowledge we got from our guide was amazing. This guy knows his history,” said Spc. Dorian Johnson of Stoudsburg, Pa.

After the view from the top of the Ziggurat, the Ghost Riders headed down into the ruins of the Ur-namu Shugli Palace near the base. Despite being over 4000 years old, the Ghost Riders were able to see the original foundations and got to walk into the excavated royal tombs.

Within the tombs, many of the ancient technology fascinated the Ghost Riders. The door hinges made of wood tied to a door in a stone base and the ancient written language of cuneiform were particular favorites.

“It was amazing to be around all the old artifacts and structures,” said Spc. Cody Bryan of Dayton, Ohio. “The most interesting part was the three original bricks still engraved with cuneiform.”

The Ziggurat stands by the remains of the biblical prophet Abraham’s birth home and many soldiers were excited to see this portion of religious history in person. The house had fallen to its foundations over time, but was rebuilt in 1999.

“Actually seeing Abraham’s house and knowing an actual prophet lived there was really awesome and a once in a lifetime experience,” said Spc. David Adkins of Harker Heights, Texas.

The time at the Ziggurat and the surrounding historical sites was beneficial for the Ghost Riders and helped them understand a portion of Iraq’s history in a way they had not understood before.

“It was interesting to see something from so long ago still standing and show the ingenuity and progress of mankind,” said Johnson. “The trip was enlightening.”

The soldiers returned from their adventures feeling inspired and more connected to the history of the country they have been working to support.

DVIDS
By 1st Lt. Theresa Ockrassa

She grew up a girl next door. Outgoing, athletic, snowboards and cheerleading. She joined the Army to pay for college.

Then someone taught her to jump out of perfectly good airplanes.

Sgt. Rebecca Hobson is currently serving in Iraq with Company C, 307th BSB, 1 BCT, 82nd Airborne Division. She’s a paratrooper and a combat medic.

This is her second tour in combat. She spent a year in Afghanistan in 2005-2006.

Afghanistan consisted of combat patrols and humanitarian assistance missions. She was one of three females in her unit. A female went on every patrol, to search Afghan women and to interact with them as male soldiers could not.

During this tour, Hobson rides with supply convoys headed north from Camp Adder. She drives an up armored HumVee, or M-1151. To date, she has not been in a convoy which was attack although convoys ahead or behind hers have been. Her skills on the road have been used at traffic accidents, such a HumVee rollover.

She has undergone egress training for such incidents, in a Humvee Egress Assistance Trainer, or HEAT.

In the next couple of weeks, Sgt. Hobson will be participating in her first humanitarian assistance mission of this tour. She describes much of the country that she has seen as barren, with the people living in mud huts or in tents.

In contrast, she was amazed by the beauty of the Al Faw palace when she visited it. She talked about the intricate carvings, the marble, and the other beautiful things.

I spoke with her grandfather, Marvin Fischer. He served in the United States Army and was first sergeant of his artillery unit. I asked him how he felt about having a granddaughter who was a paratrooper. “Thrilled!” was his reply. He described her as an outgoing and independent person, able to handle herself fine in the service.

Sgt. Hobson would encourage anyone to join the military, whether for a career or not. She highlighted the leadership skills learned and the friends you make as two important benefits of enlisting.

As for the future, Sgt. Hobson is scheduled to redeploy to the United States and back to Fort Bragg in September 2008. She has not decided if she will make the Army a career but is considering it. If she does, she would like to try to go to school to become a physician’s assistant.

Hobson is married, and her husband serves with her. They work out together and work together in the base hospital sometimes. They do not go out in the same convoys.

Her advice to those who will follow her in Iraq: “Stay focused.”

Part 1 of the interview

Part 2 of the interview

You will note that I speak with a lisp, a lateral lisp to be exact. It is one of the few souvenirs I have of the many surgeries in my youth to correct a birth defect. Please do not allow my poor speaking to detract in any way from the wonderful interview by Sgt. Hobson.