This type of handover was designed to familiarize incoming Soldiers with their new surroundings and learn from Soldiers who have been doing the same jobs. Furthermore, this essential phase gave the newly arrived Soldiers a chance to meet with the local leaders and discuss how, with their help, 2nd Bn. 29th FA Regt. can make their province and country a little better.
1st Lt. Jed Fisher, Battery B, came to this region with a working knowledge of the local history.
“This area was once known as the Fertile Crescent. Saddam decided to divert the mighty Tigris River in an attempt to dry out the fertile marsh here,” Fisher said.
He expanded on the region’s significance saying, “This land is almost purely Shiite, the born enemy to the Ba’ath party.”
In 1991, there was a Shiite uprising against Saddam Hussein that was crushed by his loyalist. Many Shiites were killed and the marshes in Maysan were drained resulting in an ecological catastrophe.
This basic understanding of the local population’s history aids Soldiers in connecting with the Iraqi populace. The addition of an Iraqi interpreter embedded in Fisher’s platoon enhances his unit’s capabilities to understand the local population even more. Upon meeting his interpreter, a man known as “Blade,” Fisher recalled, “He is your average Iraqi male. He speaks with elegance and grace and is, in general, very brave.”
According to Fisher, Blade’s background is believed to have been a teacher and headmaster of a school.
1st Lt. Fisher has developed a relationship of mutual respect with Blade in the short time they’ve been working together. He has been encouraged to learn the language and acknowledges, “Blade mentors me nearly as much as my senior (noncommissioned officers). It is not very hard to see a teacher-student relationship forming. Without a doubt this friendship will prove to be extremely fruitful in such a desolate place,” Fisher said.
In their encounters with the local population Blade has been encouraging Fisher to speak the language as best as he can. Blade’s lesson for the 3rd Platoon’s leader is one of cultural respect, which is a building block to stability in the Maysan province and a shining example of effective leadership. It is learning points like this which will enable long-term success in a region rich in history.
