Capt. Kelly Calway, 25th Infantry Division analysis control element battle captain, takes part in the Yezidi culture during her visit to the Yezidi temple in Lalish, Iraq, Aug. 2. It's customary to make a wish while tying knots in satin fabric inside the temple. Photo by Spc. Daniel Nelson

Members from Command Post-North, Task Force Lightning, made visits to both the Yezidi temple in Lalish, Iraq, and the Hermos Christian Monastery in Al Qosh, Iraq, Aug. 2.

The group, led by Brig. Gen. Robert Brown, deputy commanding general (support), Multi-National Division-North, first went to the temple in Lalish where they met with Prince Tahsin Ali, prince to all Yezidis in the world.

Brown and the CP-North Soldiers gathered together with Prince Tahsin and his fellow Yezidi religious leaders in a meeting room to visit and share stories with one another. The Soldiers were told about Yezidi customs and rituals and shared in a meal of fruits from the area with the religious leaders.

With a calendar that dates back 6,756 years, Yezidism is claimed to be the oldest religion in the world.

“It was incredible to see such an ancient place with amazing rituals,” said Capt. Kelly Calway, 25th Infantry Division analysis control element battle captain. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Following their time spent sharing in their different cultures, the Soldiers were taken into the Yezidi temple with a guide who explained the Yezidi religion and answered questions from the group. Soldiers even took part in some of the customary Yezidi rituals such as making wishes while tying knots in a satin fabric and tossing a scarf onto a smooth-faced rock three times to have wishes granted.

The tour of the temple ended as some of the Soldiers were taken to Zemzem, a cold-water spring on the lowest level of the temple where the Yezidi people go for baptism and prayer.

“It was such an honor to be able to go there and see just a completely different religion, culture and way of living,” added Calway.

Soldiers from Command Post-North, Task Force Lightning, along with members of the Provincial Reconstruction Team for Ninewa province passed out Nainoa dolls and Beanie Babies to the children of Al Sayda Orphanage in Al Qosh, Iraq, Aug. 2. Photo by Spc. Daniel Nelson

The group left Lalish and headed to the Christian village of Al Qosh where they spent time at the Al Sayda Orphanage and toured the monastery.

While at the orphanage, Brown and the other Soldiers took time to play with the children of the orphanage and handed out Beanie Babies and Nainoa dolls. Brown had the story of the Nainoa doll translated to the priests and children of the orphanage, as it carries a sentimental history behind its existence.

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Nainoa Hoe, a native of Hawaii, was a platoon leader for 2nd Platoon, Company C, 3rd Battalion of the 21st Infantry Regiment who was shot and killed in January 2005 during his deployment to Mosul, Iraq.

Proud of his Hawaiian ancestry, Nainoa graduated from the University of Hawaii with a master’s degree in business administration.

“Hoe would hand out the dolls on missions, and the kids loved them,” said Brown. “The dolls are hand-made by women and young girls in Nainoa’s honor.”

Nainoa’s father and a civilian aide to the secretary of the Army, Allen Hoe, has continued to send the dolls to Iraq in his son’s honor.

Before sending the dolls to Iraq, they are blessed at St. Andrews Priory School in Honolulu where they are made.

The Beanie Babies that were being handed out were donated by Students from the First Presbyterian Weekday School in Granada Hills, Calif., where Brown’s aide-de-camp, Capt. Melissa Lewis’ mother teaches. Each student brought in one Beanie Baby during their last chapel of the year.

“A lot of the parents felt like it was a good lesson for the kids to share with the Iraqi children,” stated Lewis.

With smiles on their faces, the children at the orphanage gathered around Brown and the Soldiers to get their gifts.

“It was really cool to be able to hand out the beanie babies and dolls and see their faces light up,” said Calway. “It was nice to be able to bring some joy into their lives.”

The Soldiers enjoyed their time at the orphanage as they talked with the children, gave them high-fives, and even played ping-pong with some of them. Before leaving and heading to the monastery, the Soldiers gathered all the children together with their Nainoa dolls and Beanie Babies in hand to take a photo.

It’s an incredible honor to be able to continue the small, symbolic gesture in Nainoa’s honor, stated Brown.

Soldiers from Command Post-North, Task Force Lightning, along with members of the Provincial Reconstruction Team for Ninewa province, Iraq, visited Hermos Christian Monastery near Al Qosh, Iraq, Aug. 2. Crosses can be seen on mountain tops from the steps that lead up to the monastery. Photo by Spc. Daniel Nelson

After loading into vehicles, the group started their steep drive up a winding road that ended at Hermos Christian monastery, which is set near the peak of a close by mountain.

Like the temple in Lalish, Hermos monastery is built into the mountainside and opens up to many ancient underground caverns and tunnels, and the Soldiers spent time exploring and taking photos of the crosses that were etched into the rock.

“To see the cross up in Iraq was really cool because you don’t see that around here,” stated Calway.

Before departing back to Forward Operating Base Marez, in Mosul, Iraq, the mayor of Al Qosh invited the Soldiers to his house for a lunch. The presence of the Soldiers drew a gathering of people from the neighborhood as the people were curious to see what was going on.

The Soldiers met with the people and began handing out what was left of the Beanie Babies they had brought with them on their mission. Some of the Soldiers even took time to play soccer in the streets with the children.

DVIDS
Story by Spc. Daniel Nelson

She fidgeted with her black bracelet showing a black and white portrait of a man wearing dark sunglasses inscribed with a date and some words. Underneath her uniform, she wears a cross concealing within it, a vial of ashes. She smiled as she said, “I am a walking memorial of my brother.”

Capt. Linda A. Bass, a support operations resource plans officer for the 3d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), began her deployment hoping to visit Forward Operating Base Marez; where a street was named after her little brother, Sgt. 1st Class Richard Henkes, who died in combat during Operation Iraqi Freedom in Sept. 2006.

“He had just been promoted … and this was his first time being a platoon sergeant, a “platoon daddy” as he liked to call it, and he was very excited about it,” Bass said.

Henkes was assigned to 2nd Battalion,3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Inf. Division, Fort Lewis, Wash., when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations.

Approximately a month later, Henkes’ previous commander e-mailed Bass to tell her a road had been named in her brother’s honor. He also included a photo of the sign.

“I told my dad I’m going to see that sign and going to take a picture in front of it,” said Bass, a Bessemer, Ala., native. “I didn’t know it would actually happen.”

Bass spoke with the support operations officer for the 3d ESC, Col. Cheri A. Provancha, about her wishes to travel to FOB Marez. Provancha knew the commanding general of the 3d ESC Brig. Gen. Michael J. Lally was going on a trip to FOB Marez; she requested Bass accompany him. Lally agreed.

“I was very excited about that,” said Provancha, a San Diego, Calif., native. “The fact that she was able to go up there and get some closure is pretty important.”

“I was just amazed and gratified by their support and their willingness to do that for me, especially since I had just gotten here,” Bass said.

Bass flew by helicopter to Marez with Lally. While riding to the tactical operations center, Bass saw her brother’s road sign. She had a restless night waiting to find it again in the morning.

The next day Bass traveled around the base with her own driver. With his help they found two street signs with her brother’s name and stumbled upon a third. Bass laid a charm in the shape of a shield with the verse Joshua 1:9 inscribed on the back at the base of one of the signs. The verse is, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Bass, armed with photos of her brother on FOB Marez, visited more sights on the post and took photos to match the ones her brother took three years ago.

Her stops included a barrier where her brother’s unit’s art was displayed and the trauma room where he spent his last moments. She made a stop at the coffee shop on base thinking if it was there in 2006, it would have been one of the places he visited. “He was a coffee snob,” Bass laughed.

Before leaving FOB Marez, Bass was given one of the street signs with “HENKES Ln.” painted in bold, white letters slightly dusted by the weather of Iraq.

“Not many people who have lost their loved ones here can say that they’ve had an opportunity to walk where he walked and be where he last lived,” Bass said. “The fact that I get to bring a little piece of that home to share with my family is amazing to me.”

DVIDS
Story by Pfc. Amanda Tucker

More allies can return home victorious.

Two nations with relatively small militaries have made a big impact during their five years of military operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Albania and Moldova have supported coalition operations in Iraq since April and September 2003 respectively, however, their missions here came to a successful end during a ceremony held in each countries honor Dec. 18 at Forward Operating Base Marez.

More than 200, 12th Contingent Albanian Komandos, and 20 Moldovan explosive ordnance disposal soldiers from their country’s sixth contingent were on hand to witness the casing of their nation’s colors.

“These two great nations, Albania and Moldova, are two of the examples of the many nations that have given their sons and daughters to serve the Coalition for five-plus years,” said Lt. Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, commander, Multi-National Corps – Iraq.
Austin was on hand as the guest speaker of the event and wanted to express his sincere gratitude for the service of both great nations.

“To our Albanian and Moldovan partners, thank you for your service to the Iraqi people, he said. “God bless each and every one of you.”

Distinguished guests at the ceremony included representatives from each country, including Albanian Minister of Defense, Gazmend Oketa and Moldovan Col. Lilian Salaru, senior representative, Multi-National Corps – Iraq.

Each expressed heartfelt gratitude to their troops, and took time after the ceremony to personally shake each soldier’s hand and wish them well. The ceremony concluded with the casing of the colors and a thunderous round of applause from all of those in attendance.

The Komandos have been responsible for force protection and security in and outside of FOB Marez, and have suffered five wounded in action since their involvement began.

The Moldovans have safely secured more than half-a-million items of enemy ordnance since 2003, to include 7,300 pieces of unexploded ordnance around FOB Marez.

MNF-I