William Bennett

2006 was arguably the most intense year of the insurgency. Iraq was on the precipice of all-out civil war and the Iraqi-American relationship was strained near the breaking point.

That spring, many of us spent off-duty time volunteering at a community medical operations center, which provided free outpatient care for Iraqi women and children. Each day it was open, hundreds of Iraqis visited the center to receive basic medical/dental care, medications, basic supply kits and toiletries, and other incidentals.

My time was often spent playing and interacting with the kids, which was the best part of my tour. Coaxing these shy kids out of their shell and seeing them laughing and playing is an achievement you have to experience to understand. Often times they would come with no shoes or a decent shirt so we’d work to find something that fit them.

The look of relief and gratitude on their faces is an image I’ll carry with me forever. In a very direct and personal way, the Iraqi people experienced the giving and nurturing side of American’s, dispelling their negative perceptions. My unit saw a very significant improvement in our overall security because of the development work we did to improve the lives of the Iraqis. I truly believe that my humanitarian work was probably my greatest contribution to the war effort.

-William Bennett