Airmen, Soldiers form relationships with Iraqi children

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Russell Wicke
  • 447th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
BAGHDAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Iraq (AFPN) --  With little care for surrounding hostilities, a small Iraqi boy stomped his sandaled foot on Baghdad's dusty ground, and chanted an Arabic nursery rhyme. He clapped his hands to the beat and sung with several other children. All were gathered to watch a tall, muscled Airman dance to their song.

Senior Airman Derrell Hendricks, 447th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron patrolman, made quick work of charming Iraqi children on an Iraqi compound inside the Victory Base Complex here July 29. He and 10 other people from his unit collected items such as school supplies, clothing, candy and soccer balls as gifts for children of Iraqi soldiers.

Once they were gathered and everything was passed out, some of the children and Americans played with the soccer balls, but most watched Airman Hendricks break out in spontaneous dance moves.

This was the second humanitarian mission planned for the Iraqi children confined to the Iraqi base, said Capt. Ryan Abella, Special Operations Iraqi Transition Team logistics officer.

"For safety and security reasons, the kids are forced to stay on the compound, which takes them away from their friends and relatives on the outside," said the captain. "There are no swimming pools, parks [recreation] centers or malls," he said, because they live in a war zone.

The idea to help came from Tech. Sgt. Todd Rajek, 447th ESFS flight sergeant. Earlier in his deployment the Air Force was involved in a medical humanitarian mission with the Army's Civil Military Operations Center here. Sergeant Rajek said he was attracted to the charity aspect of it and solicited family and friends back home to send supplies for the operation.

But the Air Force had to withdraw support because of manpower reduction, said Col. James Balserak, 447th Expeditionary Medical Squadron commander. The colonel also added that CMOC benevolence "can actually work against the plan to encourage the Iraqi government to build within its own infrastructure, capabilities and resources."

After the CMOC mission was abandoned, nearly $2,000 worth of goods arrived from Sergeant Rajek's benefactors, with another $1,000 on the way.

"I had all these supplies, but no way to give them out," he said. The new platform came by way of Maj. Susumu Uchiyama, 447th Air Expeditionary Group Force Protection officer, who put Sergeant Rajek in touch with the  Iraqi transition team and Captain Abella.

"We're just starting and the impact has been profound," said Captain Abella. "One of our missions in Iraq is to foster and strengthen the relationship with Iraqis. These visits ... epitomize what America is all about."

He also said the reactions of the Iraqi soldiers, and especially the children, are proof of the profit. However, the big picture in foreign relations isn't quite what motivates some of the Airmen. They said they do this for a different reason.

"I miss my daughter so much," said Airman Hendricks. "When Sergeant Rajek told me of an opportunity to go play with kids, I couldn't resist." Airman Hendricks won over the Iraqi children with his charisma (and his dancing), but he said he was just being himself.

"I love kids -- doing stuff like this is the only thing that gives me peace of mind out here." He said his daughter is three years old, and she's the best thing in his life. "These babies doesn't compare to what we got from them. They were the givers here. Because they played with me -- that gave me so much."

Sergeant Rajek also said the thought of his own children has motivated him to be involved with the benevolence.

"I have kids," he said. "It's hard for me to see other kids living in poverty -- disadvantaged because of war -- and not do something about it." He added that because these children witness American charity "we will reap their goodwill for our own children's future." 

Sergeant Rajek called Airman Hendricks the "Pied Piper" of the unit because of his charm and ability to connect with people.

"It's my personal interest to be involved with helping people," said Airman Hendricks.

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