Sweeton says U.S. efforts paying off
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“You feel like a rock star,” said Sweeton. “Everywhere Americans go, children come running out. Crowds of people come up and want to be near you. It really is amazing.”
Sweeton made those comments earlier last week from the comfort of his own neighborhood. He was home to see his new daughter, Loralie, who was born last month. His wife, Jean, had to give birth without her husband in the same country.
Sweeton is back in Iraq following a two-week leave. He said traveling to a nation filled with violence and unrest isn’t easy, but it’s the people at home, like his wife, who really have to suffer.
“I have it easy,” said Sweeton. “I take orders and I’m told what to do every day. It’s the people left behind who have a much tougher job. They’re left to run their lives by themselves.”
While Sweeton has missed his own family during deployment, he says helping the people of Iraq, most notably the children, is what makes it all worthwhile.
“This will have the most impact on the Iraqi children, the 6- and 7-year-olds,” said Sweeton. “Just like our children are the future of our country, the Iraqi children are the future there. They’re the ones who really stand to benefit from democracy.”
Sweeton is upbeat about his mission in Iraq and spoke with confidence the U.S. invasion is paying off. He pointed to the elections in January as proof of that.
“The election turnout, especially where we were, was outstanding,” said Sweeton. “And it was men and women alike who voted, and that’s a big deal. If this works, you can see how this can be a model for democracy in the Middle East. I heard that after the elections in Iraq, Iranian women are anxious to vote.”
Still, he admitted establishing democracy has endured its share of difficulties.
“It’s a painful process to learn how to be a free person if you’ve never been free before,” said Sweeton. “These people were raised in a society where there was one man and he told you what to do.”
The main mission for American soldiers is to train Iraqis so they can eventually support themselves. As for day-to-day duties, Sweeton frequently does traffic control where he must stop vehicles and ask for proper ID. He also must patrol along the Iraq-Iran border, and said there is still deep-rooted hatred between the two countries.
For protection, Sweeton carries an M-4, which is a newer version of the M-16. The M-4 has a shorter barrel and is also equipped with a grenade launcher.
The major threats to his safety, and the safety of all Americans, are suicide bombers and improvised explosive devices. The improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are most commonly packed into vehicles.
“Going head to head against us, the insurgents don’t have much of a chance,” said Sweeton. “We have so much better equipment and better training. Their best chance is with suicide bombs and IEDs.”
Sweeton said in addition to everything being done to help the Iraqi army and Iraqi police stabilize the area, Americans are doing a variety of other tasks. They are repairing infrastructure, resupplying schools, and providing medical care, just to name a few.
“Those are the things that don’t always get reported,” said Sweeton. “You always hear about how many people were killed by a suicide bomb.”
Sweeton says Warren County residents he frequently sees in Iraq are: Manny Lewis, Matt Larson, Michael Reep, Patrick Marlin, George Reed and Waylon Boren.