Civil Affairs Soldiers Donate WheelChair to Unique Iraqi Artist

Farah Alden, a young Iraqi woman, draws and paints with her feet because she has Polio and is too weak to use her hands. Occasionally, her family attempts to transport her from place to place and they have a tough time because they do not have the necessary equipment for her transport.

The 364th Civil Affairs Brigade caught wind of this and donated a wheelchair to Farah on Christmas. Check it out!

Name of the Game

I would have to name that game, 'Training.' The Iraqi Forces have been blessed with some of the most up to date and premier military and police training there is. 2nd Infantry Division is giving much of this training to Iraqi Troops in the Diyala Province.

"Train The Trainer" is a condensed version of the U.S. Army's Warrior Leadership Course. Non-Commissioned Officers learn the basics of leadership and being proficient at their Soldier tasks and drills. I was fortunate enough to view the Basic Rifle Marksmanship portion of this training. It was interesting watching all of this take place while each of the individuals were attempting to work through the huge language barrier. Thank God for all our interpreters. They're invaluable!

On the flip side, while in Diyala, I got to visit a chicken factory and watch a football game. While I was out at the chicken factory, I was blessed to indulge in a feast prepared by a special Iraqi grandma! The trip wasn't too bad...

Award Time!!!

I don't know what 2010 has in store... I do believe great things lie behind its door though. The military has many award competitions for journalists and multimedia communicators and winning some of these competitions is ideally how I'd like to open the year. I've been M.I.A. for a lil' while because, on top of my regular duties, I'm getting my work together for all these contests. They include the Military Photographer of the Year and Keith L. Ware journalism competition.

In past years I've let my work sit and didn't attempt to compete against other professionals. Everything is a learning experience. Always push for greatness. That's my motto. Here are just a few of the entries.