2010020407

Life In Haiti Is No Vacation For Troops

By R.Gregg, The Raleigh Telegram

Thursday, February 4, 2010

PORT AU PRINCE, HAITI -When you think of an island in the Caribbean, you usually think of a tropical climate, pristine sandy beaches, and beautiful sunsets enjoyed while sipping a pina colada.

Although Haiti certainly has some beautiful sunsets, the US Airborne troops stationed there have to deal with a little more than just trying to decide what they’re going to wear to dinner.

As they help out the Haitian people by delivering humanitarian aid in the wake of the earthquake that took place in January, the US troops have to make sure they do not fall victim to the tough sanitary and health conditions seen in the country, the poorest in the Western hemisphere.

Due to the rapid nature of their emergency deployment and the priority on putting food and water on airplanes ahead of equipment, the 82nd Airborne had to leave some supplies behind at Fort Bragg.

As a result, some troops have been sleeping out in the open on cots, when they have them and underneath makeshift tents craftily constructed of wooden palettes and cardboard to keep out the sun and mosquitoes.

When this reporter was leaving the country last week, troops said that more supplies were arriving by ship so they should have more items such as cots, tents, and mosquito nets soon if they hadn’t already received them.

Along with those personnel needs, important supply items such as gasoline and diesel fuel were in short supply in the first days after the earthquake as the Airborne’s delivery trucks used several thousand gallons a day to get food out to the Haitian population. Eventually, a contract with a Dominican Republic company established that supply line for fuel.

Army leaders on the scene said that the complications resulting from the rapid deployment that was performed in a matter of just days on a short notice was a chance to learn from the situation logistically.

Haiti Disease Issues

Mosquito nets and bug spray with a high percentage of DEET over 30% are an important item for soldiers in a country that has a malaria and typhoid fever problem that is spread by the insects.

Soldiers were issued anti-malarial pills before they arrived and they’re supposed to be taking them on a daily basis to ward off those diseases.

Mosquito nets are also an important component in the battle against malaria in this country, but the small mosquitoes here in Haiti seem to somehow find a way inside of them. One soldier who slept without a net had what looked like the measles across his forehead, but they were actually mosquito bites.

Although paratroopers are usually the first soldiers into a combat zone and are trained to put up with such tough conditions, Airborne leaders are wary of the issues being faced by soldiers.

Unlike Iraq, this is a country where a violent threat from the indigent population is minimal but the health threat from disease is a real concern.

Lieutenant Colonel Matt Shatzkin, the Commander of the 407th Brigade Support Battalion in the Airborne Division stationed at Port au Prince, said that they need to “keep an eye on basic hygiene.”

“The real issue is not riots or gangs, but the envrionmental threat,” said the colonel. “We’re challenged with malaria, hot weather, sunburn.”

Colonel Shatzkin said that as an example of what they need to watch for, during a two week exercise near Fort Bragg out in the woods, there were problems with soldiers being removed from active duty due to disease even though they never left North Carolina.

“We lost as many [from active duty] to disease as to injury or combat conditions,” said the colonel.

Protection Out In The Field

Almost all of the soldiers that we were embedded with out in the field in Haiti were wearing some sort of gloves when they were interacting directly with large numbers of people.

With a lack of a sewer system and typhoid fever and dysentery rampant in the city after the earthquake, it’s not an insult for the soldiers to avoid direct contact with the local people, just common sense.

“Skin on skin contact is something I try to avoid,” said one soldier who said he wears gloves anytime he goes off base.

Further, in this heat, a small cut or scar could quickly become infected, resulting in a medical issue that would need to be addressed immediately.

After walking in streets where people not only throw their trash but dispose of their grey water and human waste, airborne fecal matter is a concern as well. As such, most soldiers use hand sanitizer whenever possible on their hands, gloves, and even boots.

Dust And Smoke

One thing that surprised this reporter after arriving in Haiti was the almost constant presence of smoke and dust in the air.

Often when taking pictures at night time using a flash, the particulate matter in the air would reflect light back to the camera (see photo at right) showing just how much material was floating around.

In a city where most of the side roads are not paved and there is not a lot of grass to contain the topsoil, dust is a constant companion and driving Humvees down gravel roads stirs up clouds of dirt into the air.

In addition, there seems to be no citywide trash pickup, so the Port au Prince citizens burn trash at night time. It’s not uncommon to be driving at night and see fires burning on the side of the road. As a result, there is often a smoky smell in the air after dark.

Better Than Iraq

Despite the similarities to Iraq and Afghanistan in terms of third world conditions, most of the soldiers that we spoke with said they preferred being assigned to Haiti than to Iraq.

Unlike Iraq, the soldiers here don’t have to worry about IED’s or improvised explosive devices set up in the roadway or along streets and sidewalks.

In fact, more than one soldier said it took a conscious effort to readapt to the conditions in Haiti as opposed to being Iraq.

For example, when driving in a convoy in Iraq, soldiers said they absolutely positively do not stop for anyone and keep going through intersections and traffic.

If they stop in Iraq, even for a minute or two, they could become a target for snipers, a rocket-propelled grenade, or other form of attack said the soldiers.

In Haiti, some of the Airborne soldiers we were embedded with during our stay said it took a little time to get used to waiting at stoplights or being directed by United Nations peacekeepers at intersections to get through traffic.

“[Before Haiti], I don’t think I ever used the turn signal on a Humvee,” joked one soldier who had been stationed in Iraq.

With fewer security concerns in Haiti, soldiers also don’t have to worry about driving with their doors or covers on the rear of vehicles all of the time.

In a country where it can be in above 90 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter time, the resulting breeze while driving is also a welcome change as well.

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