Army Staff Sgt. Pamela Bleuel, a high school math teacher and mother of three from Kentucky, joined the Army Reserve in 2000. Now, at 43, she is a military police officer and a drill sergeant individually deployed to Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq.

Why would a 34-year-old mother of three — a high school teacher with two master’s degrees — join the Army Reserve? Just ask Staff Sgt. Pamela Bleuel.

Bleuel, who is assigned here with the 167th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, said she always felt she would do well in the military, but didn’t give it much thought until one day in August 2000. She was leaving the gym near her home in Frankfurt, Ky., when she noticed two soldiers hanging a banner outside a recruiting office. The banner said the Army would repay student loans.

Bleuel, a high school math teacher, decided to speak to them about repaying the loans on her three college degrees. “I spoke to the recruiter and everything sounded like what I needed to do,” she said.

While Bleuel was set on her new path, her family was set against it. “I went home to talk to my husband about it, but he wasn’t very enthusiastic.

“Everyone was saying, ‘You can’t do that’ and ‘How could you do that to your girls?’” she said, “That was my true motivator. Since nobody thought I could do it, it just made me want to do it that much more.”

She decided she was joining the Army, no matter what.

Bleuel is one of a growing number of U.S. soldiers who are making the decision to join the Army later in life.

“I joined the Army 19 days before my 35th birthday,” she said, explaining that, even though she worked out regularly, no one from her husband to her best friend had any faith in her ability to make it through basic training.

At the time she joined, the cut-off age for entering the Army was 35. In 2006, Congress raised the maximum age for entering all services to 42, but the Defense Department allows each of the services to set their own age limits up to 42.

“I don’t think I had a friend or family member that supported the idea,” she said. “My drill sergeant asked me if I thought I would be able to handle it. I said, ‘I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I could.’”

She eliminated any doubt when she completed her first physical fitness evaluation. “I ran a seven-minute mile and he shut up.”

The combined military police training was 18 weeks and would extend into the school year for Bleuel. “I went to my school to try to visit with the principal to work out a schedule,” she said. Although some told her she would lose her teaching job, “the principal had a meeting with someone from the Army shortly after that and I still work there.”

Army Staff Sgt. Pamela Bleuel

Since she was with the reserves, she expected to only have to work one weekend a month and two weeks a year.

“My husband says I messed that up,” she said with a smile. “I was going through my ‘Rites of Passage’ as an MP when Sept. 11 [2001] happened. We didn’t find out about it until that night.”

Her reserve service hasn’t turned out to be quite how it was explained to her.

“Once I got in, I loved it,” she explained. “I love the structure and the camaraderie.”

Originally, Bleuel said, she looked for the shortest advanced individual training she could find. She ended up choosing military police “because of the cool DVD,” she laughed. “One of the first things that happened when I got to AIT was they handed me a set of keys to a [Humvee]. I didn’t know that much about preventive maintenance, checks and services, but I learned.”

Since arriving in Iraq, Bleuel has become a mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle driver and has been a convoy commander more than once. She has been in the Army Reserve for eight years now as an MP and became a drill sergeant in 2004, which she does during her summer breaks from teaching.

“I sometimes think about what would my life have been like if I had joined when I was 18. Then I think, I wouldn’t trade my life. I have a wonderful husband and three wonderful kids,” she said. “My girls are my biggest cheerleaders!”

Bleuel is used to being in the middle of the action, training soldiers and getting sweaty, she said. “The last thing I wanted to do was be behind a desk.”

Some cultural issues exist in regard to having female soldiers train Iraqi soldiers, but Bleuel hopes to extend for a time when she transfers to the 36th Sustainment Support Battalion.

“I haven’t been in [an MP] slot most of the time I’ve been here, so I haven’t been able to wear my MP patch, but I’m in an MP slot now,” she said.

“I love the Army,” she said. “You are responsible for your actions in the Army. I like that. There are very few loopholes.”

DoD
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Mullett

The Ziggurat of Ur towers of Contingency Operating Base Adder during a flyover of Dhi Qar province in southern Iraq, Sept. 19. The flight in an AH-60 Blackhawk helicopter was scheduled to provide Iraqi reporters with an opportunity to get aerial shots of the province. Photo by Spc. Gavriel Bar-Tzur

Click on the photo for a larger image.

Spc. Amanda Cleveland, a medic in the 28th Combat Aviation Brigade, shows Sgt. Seth Cantler, a force protection sergeant, how to hold the needle while he sticks his fellow soldier, Spc. Christopher Leonard, during combat lifesaver training at Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq. Cleveland regularly conducts first aid refresher courses for her fellow Task Force Keystone soldiers. Photo by Sgt. James Waltz

Spc. Amanda Cleveland describes herself as “a simple girl who is not into drama.” As an Army medic, sometimes she can’t avoid being in dramatic situations, but it is the ability to consistently help and aid people, not the drama, that drives this native of Williamsport, Pa., to excel at her job.

Cleveland graduated from Williamsport High School in 2007 and, at age 17, immediately set off for basic combat training and Combat Medical School.

“I really wanted to go into the medical field and wasn’t sure how I was going to do it,” said Cleveland. “A recruiter was able to get me into the health care field and give me a $20,000 bonus on top of it.”

Cleveland was 18-years-old when her six months of rigorous medical training began and she became very nervous. “It was the longest time I had ever been away from my family,” she said. “I don’t know if I could have graduated if it had not been for a few older friends I had made who shared their previous experiences with me.”

While at training, Cleveland learned the ins-and-outs of emergency medicine and basic medical skills in general. She recalled one particular exercise, which she called “blood lanes.”

“We went through these blood lanes where we had to treat mock casualties in a stressful environment,” she said. “It was fast-paced training and we had to deal with them screaming, among other things.”

She went through similar training at the regional medical training site at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa., in preparation for deployment.

Cleveland is currently serving with Task Force Keystone during her unit’s nine-month deployment to Iraq. Leading up to the three-month pre-deployment mobilization, Cleveland was one of several medics tasked with training the Soldiers of the 28th Combat Aviation Brigade in basic combat medical skills. This allows each Soldier to act as a bridge during the time between an emergency and the arrival of a medic. This time is often the most critical in ensuring a patient’s survival, according to Cleveland.

Spc. Amanda Cleveland, a medic in the 28th Combat Aviation Brigade, described the importance of pressure in stopping blood loss, during first aid training at Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq. Cleveland has trained nearly 1,000 soldiers in Task Force Keystone leading up to and during her nine-month deployment to Iraq. Photo by Sgt. James Waltz

Her supervisor, Sgt. 1st Class Collin Bowser of Indiana, Pa., said Cleveland is extremely proficient at medical training. “She has done an excellent job teaching several hundred Soldiers the basics of first aid,” said Bowser. “And these are mostly Soldiers who are novices at this stuff and have minimal medical experience.”

Cleveland is humble about her teaching ability, but is quick to acknowledge the importance of the subject matter.”I really enjoy teaching, but it’s not always easy keeping a student’s attention, because I’m not a dominating person,” said Cleveland. “I just keep reminding myself that what I am teaching these Soldiers will not only affect them, but also the people they may have to save. I may be helping my students save a life!”

Cleveland is the primary instructor of the 28th CAB’s First Aid Refresher Course at Contingency Operating Base Adder which is taught monthly to a rotation of Soldiers. When she is not training, she is receiving clinical experience in her unit’s medical clinic. She takes vital signs, screens patients, performs asthma treatments and even stitches sutures.

During her 12-hour shifts, she uses downtime to write home. Many Soldiers here use e-mail, but Cleveland prefers to put pen to paper. “I like to physically write letters for two reasons. First, some of my family members are technologically impaired,” she joked. “But really it just feels more personal. It feels good to have that letter in your hand, knowing there was more time and energy put into it.”

This is certainly one Soldier who thrives on putting time and energy into aiding others.

DVIDS
Story by Sgt. James Waltz

If you are ever given the opportunity to see the beginning of civilization, the great Ziggurat, a royal palace and tombs from 2600 B.C., and the boyhood home of the prophet Abraham, you should say, “Book me on the next flight!”

Tallil, Iraq, the home of Contingency Operating Base Adder, surrounds several of Iraq’s most historical treasures.

Up until 2004, visits to this archeologist’s dream were limited. Now, any service member can take an hour and half tour to learn of Iraq’s vast history.

UR OF THE CHALDEES
“Ur of the Chaldeans, one of the capital cities of Samaria, is the oldest known civilization,” said Dhaif Muhsen Naies, the area’s curator. Naies’ maternal grandfather was one of the first to work with Sir Charles Leonard Woolley during the 1922 to 1934 excavations.

The earliest excavations uncovered iconographics, evidence of the earliest forms of writing. The next oldest form of writing, cuneiform, is found etched in the stones throughout the site. Hieroglyphic writing from Egypt was found much later, said Naies.

The great Ziggurat was built between 2113 and 2048 B.C., during the times of two kings, Ur-Nammu and Shulgi. The pyramid-shaped stone architecture was built as a place of worship to the moon god, Nanna. The original construction was four levels with the bottom three levels being solid. The top level had rooms and was a place of sacrifice.

The Ziggurat stands 17 meters today, but is estimated to have stood 26 meters when built. The holes on the side serve as drainage, moisture protection, and allow for expansion; building construction techniques still used today.

The Ziggurat’s presence is commanding, but the surrounding areas hold intrigue as well. A small building that was once a storage area, turned temple, has the world’s oldest known standing archway.

PALACES AND TOMBS
Just a few meters away is a temple built in 2047 B.C., which may have been the first museum. “Excavators found royal objects from different kings housed in one room,” said Naies.

Beyond the temple are the remains of a royal palace and royal tombs. The tour group entered both the royal tomb and the tomb of servants and guards. On the walls are cuneiform writings depicting the achievements of King Shulgi.

Many of the royal tombs date back to around 2600 B.C. The tomb of Queen Puabi was found with 59 other bodies of servants and guards. It was a common practice when royalty died, servants would take poison and be buried with their queen or king as a form of sacrifice.

The Euphrates River once ran about 2 kilometers north of the city. Today the river is 1500 kilometers further north, having shifted sometime around 500 B.C., said Chaplain (Capt.) Damon Saxon, Battalion Chaplain, 7th Brigade Special Troops Battalion.

Walking in the dried river bed, which looks like nothing more than the desert landscape, one can find small sea shells as evidence of a body of water. It is not hard to imagine the servants of the Prophet Abraham’s mother doing laundry in this river.

ABRAHAM’S BOYHOOD HOME
The boyhood home of the Prophet Abraham, the patriarch of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, rests further from the Ziggurat. Archeologists found a stone inscribed with the words “Terah” and “Abram” among the ruins, said Saxon. Terah, Abram’s father, was an idol maker for the city. Abram’s name was changed, by God, to Abraham in the Bible at Genesis 17:5: “No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.”

The home was reconstructed in the 1990’s using the original foundation. It has no roof, so visitors can walk up stairs to see the entire structure as well as a panoramic view of the area, to include the great Ziggurat.

The houses adjacent to Abraham’s house remain in ruins and stand, on average, about three feet high.

Shards of pottery from the different periods lay scattered throughout the grounds, making it difficult to avoid stepping on a piece.

Between the Ziggurat and Abraham’s home is a large excavation pit showing evidence of the great flood of Noah’s time. “Abraham lived during the last 50 years of Noah’s life,” said Chaplain (Maj.) Yvette C. Hudson, 7th Sustainment Brigade Chaplain.

This would have allowed Abraham to receive a third hand account of the history of Cain, Abel, and the fall from Noah. Noah would have received a second hand account from Methuselah, the oldest person recorded in the Bible, said Hudson.

TOURING
The Soldiers, Sailors, and third country nationals who took the tour remained respectful of the site and observed Iraq’s national treasures in silenced awe, occasionally punctuated with exclamations of surprise and appreciation.

“It was a great privilege to be taken through the site by the gentleman who is the third generation custodian of the site and to stand in a place where Abraham talked with God. Personally, spiritually, it was almost like a miniature pilgrimage being able to go back to the place where Christianity originates,” said Maj. Bryan E. Canter, Assistant S-3 Fielding, 402nd Army Field Support Brigade.

There are some mounds of dirt that show signs of ruins waiting to be discovered. The entire area is dotted with such mounds and one wonders what treasures they hold.

“After the tour, a Christian and a Jew and an agnostic were standing around talking about how amazing [the tour] was. I think it’s great that something like this can transcend all religious bounds and be a treasure to everyone,” said Staff Sgt. Jacob Hanson, 1st Sustainment Brigade liaison team non-commissioned officer.

Eventually the borders of COB Adder will pull back, allowing the Iraq ministry of tourism to assume control of the Ziggurat and the surrounding archeological area. This step will be one of many moving the Iraqi government closer to self sustainment.

In the meantime, servicemembers of COB Adder keep many of Iraq’s national treasures safe within their border. The site remains sacred to Jews, Muslims and Christians, alike.

I look forward to coming back with my family, sometime in the near future, to see the completion of the excavation of thousands of years of treasures still buried in the sands of Tallil.

DVIDS
By Capt. Penny Zamora
215th Movile Public Affairs Detachment

Romanian Soldiers from the 151st Infantry Battalion “Black Wolves” participate in the transfer-of-authority ceremony with the 341st Inf. Bn. “White Sharks” at Contingency Operating Base Adder, Aug. 21, 2008.

Romanian, Iraqi and U.S. military leaders and several local Iraqi leaders gathered for the Romanian Army’s 341st Infantry Battalion, “White Sharks,” assumption of authority from the 151st Infantry Battalion, “Black Wolves,” at Camp Dracula, Aug. 21, 2008.

“The Black Wolves have set a very high standard, one we will maintain and of course, try to better,” said Lt. Col. Vreme, the incoming commander of the 341st Inf. Bn. “We will be great partners and the relations between us will prove that we are a team that can accomplish any kind of mission.”

The 151st Inf. Bn. completed a six-month deployment in Iraq, which began in February. The “White Sharks” battalion is also scheduled for a six-month rotation.

“You had many great accomplishments over the last six months and made huge positive impacts both for the Iraqi people and toward the success of the Coalition Forces,” said Col. Philip Battaglia, commander of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division and native of Stoney Point, N.Y.

“Simply put, this is a great day for Romania, a great day for the Iraqi security forces in Southern Iraq and a great day for the Iraqi people.”

Located on Contingency Operating Base Adder near Nasiriyah, the 341st Inf. Bn. will conduct missions in the Dhi Qar province working with the 4th BCT, 1st Cav. Div., often referred to as the Long Knife Brigade. The 341st Inf. Bn. will conduct similar missions to those performed by the 151st Inf. Bn., to include convoy and key infrastructure security.

DVIDS
By Maj. Chad Carroll
4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division

Members of the 542nd Support Maintenance Company work with local Iraqis to help sustain the flow of water into Contingency Operating Base Adder and Camp Cedar. Serving under the 7th Sustainment Brigade, the 542nd fuels and services generators located at nearby homes off base. Locals are hired to monitor water pumps and canals that run into the Euphrates River, so the team also practices community relations. Their efforts provide a steady water supply to the thousands of service members on COB Adder and Camp Cedar.

The 542nd, a unit from Ft. Lewis, Washington, travels four or five times a week to visit the three sites. They routinely check pipes for leaks, annotate if a centrifugal pump is not working correctly, and make sure no one is stealing fuel from the generators.

They also get a report of any physical activity from the Iraqi monitors. Monitors generally watch for debris and small animals like fish in the pipes. Curious children would seem to be a concern, but one Iraqi monitor said there have been no real problems.

“The kids normally don’t bother the area,” said an Iraqi who has worked with the military since 2005. “The kids come over when the soldiers visit but only to get stuff [like candy and clothes].”

Sgt. Kevin Tamberg, the team’s non-commissioned officer in charge, said the local sheiks keep a tight guard on the area. Anything out of the ordinary is reported to the sheiks. The sheiks pass the info to a local post’s garrison command through an interpreter.

Tamberg, a Hattiesburg, Mississippi native, said the sheiks are highly respected and the locals normally have no issues with the military.

“We have a tight bond and it begins from working with the locals,” he said.

During these reports, it’s common for the team to get requests from the monitors. At the first stop, Tamberg meets with water monitor ‘Hani’. After giving his report, ‘Hani’ leads the group inside his hut and points out the condition of his bed. Constructed of cardboard slats and thin bed rails, ‘Hani’ said his wife has continually complained about its condition and said he should ask the Coalition Forces to bring a new one. Tamberg takes down the information, thanks ‘Hani’ for his time and moves to the next station.

Furniture requests was not an action team members expected to do when they got orders to deploy to Iraq. Tamberg said when the unit arrived in Iraq, some soldiers were nervous.

“They were worried about being shot at and blown up,” Tamberg said. “Once [the soldiers] realized we were working with the locals and how important their efforts were to the leadership, they were motivated.”

Tamberg said his soldiers don’t feel like they’re wasting time.

“They’re motivated because every time they go out, they know they were making a true difference.”

“We’ve connected emotionally with these people,” said Tamberg. “They don’t want anything to happen to us because we offer them more jobs, more chances to learn a trade. They may have a skill or trade they learned in the past and now can apply it – not only for us but their own people.”

Children show up from near and far when the 542nd arrives on site. They come from neighboring homes, even rowing their boats across the Euphrates to spend time with the visiting soldiers. The kids have an unrelenting enthusiasm for the visitors, asking for candy, water, anything of value. The requests rarely cease even when the soldiers finish their duties and return to their humvees.

Responding professionally to the requests of the locals can be taxing. 2nd Lt. Jaclyn Adams, the convoy commander for the water canal pump team, said the job has been ‘really difficult, but very rewarding’ for her soldiers.

“We’re seeing people who are not like us,” said Adams. “It’s a mixing of cultures . . . we interact, bring them food, water, clothes. Soldiers have been writing people at home so they can send stuff.”

Tamberg said the children’s attitude is infectious.

“Seeing little boys and girls open up with a smile opens up the soldiers even more,” Tamberg said, “so even when we have to get up at early morning hours to do long days, it’s made better by the time we spend with the kids.”

Tamberg, an Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran since 2003, said the reversal of policy by coalition forces has created a different mindset for the Iraqis he meets.

“Compared to now, I rarely had any contact with local nationals (on my first tour),” said Tamberg. “Some would come on my base to do small jobs . . . some would shy from us, some would be open-minded.”

Tamberg said he didn’t really see many children except for those who would come to the side of the road near convoys asking for stuff. By entering their neighborhoods, the kids’ curiosity toward soldiers emerged.

“They’re always asking us questions, trying to learn more English,” Tamberg said. “Instead of asking us for something, some will ask us to join them for supper or to kick the soccer ball around.”

Private first-class Brian Lawrence said he regularly plays with the kids. It makes them feel comfortable [with us],” said Lawrence, who has two children. “Doing that makes it easier when other convoys come; (the children) won’t get nervous and start throwing stuff to hurt the soldiers.”

Lawrence said, however, that it was important for soldiers not to lose their professionalism.

“If someone’s not being professional at a time they need to be, BOOM! . . . there goes your truck.”

The team is predominantly made of young people; 12 of 20 people are under the age of 25. Adams, who is 23, said fighting complacency is a big issue with the team.

“Guys are so young,” she explained, “It’s hard to keep them on their toes, from being complacent. We make sure we cover that (concern) all the time, preaching safety.” “We don’t want [the soldiers] to be comfortable outside the wire, with the local nationals,” Adams said. “There’s a line that you cannot cross.”

Adams said they have a good relationship with the locals but added there will always be potential issues with locals, so the team’s fate is partially in the Iraqis’ hands.

“We’re on their land,” said Adams, “If they have a problem with us, you never know what’s going to happen.” “[We] have to make sure they like us,” she laughs.

DVIDS
Story by Spc. Anthony Hooker