Flatbread and football unites Marines, Iraqi soldiers
CAMP HABBANIYAH, Iraq – A sense of camaraderie and trust is essential to any team. These traits are even more vital in a military team, as the members must trust each other with their lives. The bonds of brotherhood must be forged long before the bullets start flying. They are made suffering through training together, eating together and enjoying simple things together.
Story by Lance Cpl. Christopher Zahn
02/01/2007
For the Marines of Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, a brief stop at one of the firm bases was an opportunity to make that fraternal connection with the Iraqi soldiers who are co-located with the Marines there.
With some free time before they had to go out on patrol again, the Marines began asking the Iraqi soldiers if they could try some of the flatbread that is cooked at the firm bases. This bread can be somewhat of a delicacy after a day of eating military rations.
“It's a tasty treat, I would probably snack on it at home,” said Cpl. Wade A. Retherford, 20, from Hamilton, Ohio. “Of course, if I was at home I would throw some butter or deli meat on it. It does fill you up though.”
With their appetites appeased, the Marines looked for some other way to pass the time before they headed back out on patrol. One Marine noticed a football lying around. Within the secure walls of the firm base, he picked it up and began tossing it to another Marine. Before long the Iraqi’s joined in a short but spirited game of catch.
“It was my idea to throw the football around,” said Lance Cpl. Thomas E. Beck, 20, from Monongahela, Penn. “It was funny watching them throw it because they toss it all weird and underhand. It gets them to warm up to us, to trust us, when they see us interacting with them like that.”
The Marines know that it is the little things like this positive interaction that will go a long way towards improving the relations between the different cultures. This is the start of building bonds with the Iraqi Army necessary for the teaching, mentoring, and transitioning that will take place over the next six months in the battalion’s area of operations.
“Little things like this are pretty important,” Retherford added. “If we treat them like we treat each other then we’ll all get along better; they'll listen to us and want to interact with us.”
With a shared burden of combat operations in Al Anbar Province, the two groups know they must trust and respect each other.
“I know when I first got to the battalion I felt like I was a little guy, like I didn't matter,” Retherford said. “Once I met some of the senior guys they made me feel like I was part of the platoon. I tried to do it the same way with my new guys and it’s the same with the Iraqis.”
The short period of relaxation soon ended and the two groups prepared to head out on the next of what will be many combined patrols, but this time, with a little more camaraderie, and bolstered sense of mutual trust and respect.