The End is Really the Beginning of the Next Chapter
Posted Monday, April 5, 2010 at 1:37 PM by Melissa Hunsberger
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Tags: Age
Posted Thursday, March 18, 2010 at 10:34 AM by Melissa Hunsberger
In school, among friends, at most jobs, and in most groups that I am a part of, I am normally by far the youngest. The most significant age difference was as an AmeriCorps member with the American Red Cross. Not only was I the youngest of my group, but on disaster deployments, the average age of volunteers was at least 40. It often becomes an issue being considered the “kid.” Military life is a very different story, and now that I am noticing it, I am realizing a lot.
The Election
Posted Monday, March 8, 2010 at 12:24 PM by Melissa Hunsberger
The election did not go as smoothly as I would have hoped. Although nothing traumatic happened directly towards us, I still heard the sounds and felt the fear of the Iraqi people outside the gates. I was trying to sleep Sunday morning when I woke up to a large explosion. The booms continued, changing in sound and distance. I decided it was important to get up and make sure I was safe. I checked outside and it did not seem like anyone was running for cover. I went into the bathroom, and my lovely cleaning lady explained that the noises were car bombs in the distance. I tried going back to sleep and must say it was like counting sheep. I literally was counting the explosions until I fell back to sleep. It turns out that the sounds were combinations of things, and the final total of these small explosions is insane.
In addition to the election, it is also March which means it's Red Cross Month. Our team linked up with a unit on base, and we organized a 10K run and 5K walk on Saturday. It was a huge success, and more than 400 people showed up - everyone with Red Cross pride at six in the morning on a chilly Saturday. I ran the 10K and did great, which made me really happy. I have never run a 10K before, and I did it in 54 minutes, much better than I expected. I guess running and working out like I do here is paying off. I also designed the T-shirts for the event, and they were a huge hit. Everyone was upset when we ran out of our T-shirts. It really was great to see how many people support what we are doing here. I also designed a poster explaining what the Red Cross does worldwide. I was shocked to see how many people took the time to read it and learn about the organization that I am so passionate about.
All in all, the weekend was a huge success on so many levels. And as a side note, I learned that it can rain during a sandstorm, which means the rain is falling through clouds of dust. Therefore, the final result is falling mud, droplets of think brown water. Since all this occurred at night, I did not realize it until I woke up and found that everything I was wearing was brown and gross. The countdown continues and I will be leaving in 2 weeks, but I am sure I will have some more interesting stories to share.
An Eye Opening Approach at the End
Posted Wednesday, March 3, 2010 at 12:16 PM by Melissa Hunsberger
Free Time
Posted Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at 12:44 PM by Melissa Hunsberger
Nothing Ordinary
Posted Friday, February 12, 2010 at 11:00 AM by Melissa Hunsberger
Laura Hahn is a former Americorps Member with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Red Cross who will be spending the next four months in Baghdad, Iraq. She will share her experiences on this blog.
The topic for this blog was originally really easy to come up with. This week was very eventful: It started out with me lying on the hospital floor, and it was supposed to end with me crossing the finish line of another race. The race did not happen because, once again, it rained and turned the base into a giant mud pit. However, I have plenty more excitement to share. I do apologize ahead of time for the randomness of this blog, but some stories are too good not to post.
Starting with the hospital. I am much better now, and I do thank everyone for all of the 'get well' emails. I have spoken before of the restaurants on base that are not Army run. They are the only places we can go to get away from the everyday food, but they do have signs that say “Eat at your own risk.” This may have been wise to read beforehand, although it most likely would not have stopped me. Anyway, long story short, my dinner was great until I woke up the next morning really sick. Within 24 hours, I was so sick I could not take it anymore. At 4am, I stumbled to work and got rushed to the TMC, which is the 24 hour clinic. A few minutes later, I ended up passing out on the floor of the hospital. The next thing I remember, I was waking up on the trauma bed with tons of people around. I must say, the whole thing was like a movie. It turned out that I had severe food poisoning and was very dehydrated. They drugged me really well so it is all pretty foggy, but an Army hospital in Iraq is nothing like home. The trauma bed was a battle stretcher (like a net). It was cold, and the air was flowing right through, making me shiver so hard. Plus, they don’t heat the IV fluid, and I remember telling the doctor how cold I was repeatedly while my teeth were chattering.
Another interesting difference is that they don’t have a bathroom in the clinic. This means that I needed to go to the trailer outside. And that was no easy task since I was unable to walk, had an IV inserted, and had no idea what was really going on. When I needed to go to the bathroom, they had to put me in a wheelchair, but since outside the clinic is all rocks and dirt, the wheelchair needed to be dragged by two nurses like a heavy wheelbarrow on a farm. To make things even more complicated, the bathroom is a trailer that is off the ground. So, once again, I had to be lifted to the bathroom. Needless to say, that whole thing was a mess and an experience I will make every effort to avoid. I am finally 100% better and will only be eating at the DFAC (cafeteria) until I come home.
Totally changing topics here, I had a few interesting encounters this week, which were eye opening and are important to share. The first was with the lovely Filipino cleaning lady I always talk about. She is so nice to me, and I try very hard to talk to her when I can. Well,we got to talking the other day and she said she has been here for six years and just signed up for another two years. Not once going on vacation or ever going home. This really made me sad. I know she does this job to support her family. She believes the Iraqi government won’t let her back if she goes home to visit, and, according to her, this is the best job she can get. Nothing at home would compare. At first, this made me mad, thinking that being away from her family so long is the only way. After thinking about it and seeing how she is never angry or bitter, I realized that it’s really great that America can provide this opportunity for her. She is treated just like me with all the food, benefits and living situation, and she is able to provide for her family in a way she never could otherwise.
Also on base are many guards that are from Africa. Similar to the Filipino staff, they get all the same benefits but are treated a little more strictly because they carry weapons. Well, this encounter was both comical and eye opening. I was running on the treadmill, and one of the guards got on the one next to me. At first, he looked kind of funny, holding on to the side bar really tight and fighting with the computer options. Then, the next thing I know, he let go and went flying off the back. A soldier ran over and gave him 20 minutes of instructions on how to use a treadmill. A lot of the African guards have not experienced many things provided on base that would be considered basic comforts to us. All the food options to them are something totally new, and, at the gym, they are always like a little kid walking in for the first time.
These encounters have added more to my cultural experiences than I ever could have expected to have on this trip. These encounters keep me traveling all over the world in search of something different, something that makes me think twice about things that we would never think about. Maybe I was just more aware of the little stuff this week since I was out of it for days and just glad to be back on my feet. I often come across many different cultural encounters throughout my daily routine, and it’s these experiences that keep me searching for new places to go.
A Day in the Life
Posted Monday, February 1, 2010 at 12:58 PM by Melissa Hunsberger
Laura Hahn is a former Americorps Member with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Red Cross who will be spending the next four months in Baghdad, Iraq. She will share her experiences on this blog.
Once again I had another great blog request. I never thought about how an average day here is very different than back home. I’ve gotten into a routine and it just seems normal. I hope my daily routine is something interesting to read about.
1000 - 1200 Hours - Wake up: As you are all just going to bed, I am waking up for another productive day here in Baghdad. It is normally a good day when I wake up to my own alarm clock and no outside noises, if you get my drift. Since most of my emails come in while I sleep, the morning is spent trying catch up with replies, organizing donations, and following up with tons of random connections to the outside world, all by email in bed. This morning was even better because it was the first day all week that it was finally warm again, which put me in a great mood.
1200 - 1400 Hours - Gym: Working out here on base is much more of daily routine for everyone than it is at home. It is common to exercise 6 to 7 times a week, because physical fitness is really important in the military. Everyone who is deployed must maintain a certain BMI (Body Mass Index). So, since they feed us really well, the gym is very important. Besides, the gym is like a social thing on base for people that work night shifts, because there is not much else to do during the day. The gym is a funny place, because it is really rare for two females to be at my gym at the same time. So, needless to say, I get a lot of unwanted attention. I have gotten use to it and have started to run outside (instead of in the gym) whenever I get the chance. I should really try to write down all the pickup lines I get while I am working out. It was hard to get used to the weapons at the gym, and it is still odd to watch a guy bench press with a gun strapped to his leg or a knife on his belt.
1400 - 1430 Hours - Getting Ready: It has finally become normal to get ready in a trailer that I need to hike to from my room, all while my favorite cleaning lady continues to talk to me while I shower.
1430 – 1600 Hours - Hospital Visit: On base, we have a CSH, which is a small hospital. It is used to treat emergencies, minor operations like appendectomies, and to treat patients who are waiting to be sent for more advanced care in Europe or back in the States. Today we met with two soldiers who had minor injuries and a contractor who looked really sick and who had the worst hiccups. But he was very excited as I had a crossword puzzle book. We also visited a little Iraqi girl who had burns all over her body. It was really sad, because you could see the pain in her eyes. Unfortunately, since she didn’t speak any English, I could not really sit and talk with her. Since they don't have coloring books or anything, they have been getting her to draw on the walls to help her move around. The hospital does the best they can with what they have, but it’s not a lot. It makes me sad some days when we eat great meals at the DFAC, but the patients in the hospital don't even have a change of clothing or a toothbrush. Luckily, the Red Cross has started a new program that has allowed us to provide many needed supplies to the hospital, which will be very helpful long after our team leaves.
1600 – 1800 Hours - Work: At this point in the day, my case load at work is really low, because it is still early in the States. Therefore, the first few hours of my shift are spent on organizing activities. We are trying to have a Red Cross run in March, so today I worked on getting information together and creating a T-shirt design. Races are a really big deal here, and top finishers get a shirt. It becomes a big deal to have the best and the most shirts. All week, I have been working really hard at making a great design.
1800 - 1930 Hours - Temple: Fridays are my favorite time of the week mainly because temple is the highlight. It is the one thing I can do with the troops that is entirely on a personal level and not Red Cross related. Plus, we all have a bond and we've formed a great little community. They all have such great stories, and I have learned so much from each one of them. It’s interesting when we take time to talk about each week’s pasha and relate it to our deployed lives.
Today was really special because I got up in front of the group and said the prayer over the candles alone in Hebrew. It was very much an honor to even be invited up, and it was great to be able to contribute a little extra. After the service, I grabbed dinner to-go and raced back to the office, since at this point, most of the world is now awake and my day gets a lot crazier.
1930 - 0000 Hours - Work: I got back to work and had a ton of cases. I like when it’s busy, because it’s easier to be more productive with no lag time between cases. For a Friday, it was really busy. In any shift, I always have a mix of situations including illnesses, deaths, leave extensions, births, and always something random and crazy. Today, I had a high number of deaths, which can start to get to me after some time. However, I normally deliver messages to the same group of service members on the other end of the phone, and when delivering bad news, it helps take the edge off of the tough ones.
0030 Hours - Bed: Now, I am back in bed, ending my day like it started - on my computer, but now writing about my day. I have developed a routine here, which is important in order to keep going. Every day is unique in some way. Every day there are always new stories, adventures, and encounters. I love hearing the all the questions and comments, so please keep the blog ideas coming.
Inside These Walls
Posted Monday, January 25, 2010 at 12:53 PM by Melissa Hunsberger
Laura Hahn is a former Americorps Member with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Red Cross who will be spending the next four months in Baghdad, Iraq. She will share her experiences on this blog.
As my deployment is now half over, sometimes I struggle to come up with a good topic. I have been making many requests for questions or topics and recently received a great one about the restrictions of being confined to a military base.
The most important rule I must follow here is: For no reason should I ever leave the base. At first I did not think this would be a big deal, especially since the base is large. But I have a lot of trouble staying in any one place too long. I am always in search of an adventure, and when I know many amazing things are outside these walls, it is easy to feel trapped. When I go for a jog, I can sometimes see a little over the wall, and the city looks so alive. Sometimes I can hear the sounds of the city like roosters or prayers being broadcasted on speakers for the whole city to hear. It’s strange knowing a whole world exists outside of the base, but that I can’t see it. Yet, watching the convoys prepare for missions and seeing the fear in the faces of the soldiers every time they leave makes the walls a little more comforting and less confining.
Coming to Iraq, I expected it would be an American bubble in a strange land, but a lot of things on base allow me truly experience the culture. For one, the food. (Though I have no reason to ever buy any since the DFAC has most everything you could want.) However, there are still a few restaurants and a convenience store on base that supply a lot of stuff you can’t find at the DFAC. For example, the convenience store looks like a bad gas station, but has fresh veggies and homemade bread, grape leaves, hummus, cheese, Turkish coffee (my favorite), and all the Cuban cigars you could ever want.
The Turkish and Mediterranean restaurant on base provides an opportunity to sit outside on the only grass field on base, enjoy good coffee, some unique food, and smoke a hookah which is very traditional in this area. Also on base are a lot of important sights, tons of lakes, palaces, and buildings that have a lot of history. Next week we are planning on taking informative tours of the structures, but it’s crazy how these buildings were once significant icons and are now office buildings and such.
I also did not expect to interact with as many locals as I have done so far. Many Iraqis on base run the little DVD shops and do a bunch of other stuff, but it’s great interacting with them all and hearing the stories they each have. Sometimes they bring me homemade food or introduce me to something I have never tried. This one guy that I have become friends with used to be a teacher, but now works here. Whenever he comes back from visits home he brings me gifts from his family to send to mine back in the States. It’s funny because he loves American coffee and I love Iraqi coffee so he asked me to teach him how to use a coffee machine, and he was totally fascinated by it. A few week later, he returned with a whole set of Iraqi coffee cups and all types of coffee.
The ability to bridge the gap between cultures is my favorite part of traveling to a new place. Being able to do that while still within these walls makes the experience amazing on many levels. Being able to experience two very different worlds while here and being able to share the different aspects of them is a unique experience.
Water Balloons and Paint Ball
Posted Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 5:50 PM by Melissa Hunsberger
Laura Hahn is a former Americorps Member with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Red Cross who will be spending the next four months in Baghdad, Iraq. She will share her experiences on this blog.
In the wake of disaster, I feel this topic is necessary. I have always been drawn to humanitarian work because of my overbearing desire to help people at their worst. Watching the horror unfolding in Haiti from a television here in Iraq is a very eye-opening experience that has made me think a lot about what is going on around me.
I spend every day trying to help these soldiers and their families through long deployments, tragedies, and everyday fears. As much as my stories of all the activities that go on here make it seem more of a summer camp than a danger zone, I think I need to clarify that in order to make my point. I hope this is not taken the wrong way, but I am reminded daily that I am truly in the middle of a war. Some days are much scarier than others, and a lot of it I can’t talk about. But regardless of how hard I may try, it’s difficult to shake off some of the things that can wake me up or even interrupt daily activity. Survivor guilt is something I never experienced before this deployment. And it is strange, but more than once I have been faced with the realization that I could have easily been in the wrong place at the very wrong time. I have learned quickly what to avoid, although a lot of it is luck. I personally can’t really go many places except the limited area where I am allowed on base, and still I am faced with these fears. Those soldiers that are outside the base have to deal with much more stress and fear for their safety.
Explaining this brings me back to the tragedy of natural disasters. These disasters can’t be avoided, and the devastation is mind blowing. The fact that hundreds of thousands of people must suffer because of something they have no control over is unfathomable to me. Then I look around and realize I am surrounded by people inflicting the same type of fear on one another. I believe in why we are here and that what we are doing is right. I am honored that I see firsthand all the good that we do here for this country, and I can’t wait to come home and share the stories. I do everything in my power to support this war for freedom, but I just don’t understand how people could want to hurt other people on purpose, how people try to create disaster, or how people try to inflict pain and suffering on one another. I know peace is something that would take a miracle, but why can’t we get rid of all the rockets, weapons, and bombs and replace them with water balloons and paint balls? Why can’t the world’s problems be solved without inflicting pain?
As the week has gone by, I have become more proud to be part of the Red Cross, an organization that is always there when disaster strikes and when people are truly in need. It has been great seeing all the news headlines reflect the work the Red Cross is doing. And, most of all, it has been personally rewarding to get so many emails from friends, family, and others that read my blog and ask how they can get more involved with the Red Cross.
P.S. I have attached a picture from the finish line of the 5K I did today. I just wanted to share a picture I am very proud of with everyone.
Merry Christmas from Iraq
Posted Monday, December 28, 2009 at 10:39 AM by Melissa Hunsberger
Laura Hahn is a former Americorps Member with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Red Cross who will be spending the next four months in Baghdad, Iraq. She will share her experiences on this blog.
I must first explain that I am writing this entry while in bed trying to recover from an amazing Christmas lunch. It is midday on Christmas, and I thought writing now would give me a great opportunity to share some good stories and feelings about celebrating Christmas in Iraq.
I woke up early this morning for what I think I can say is my first traditional Christmas morning: Presents under a tree with hot chocolate and cookies. I stumbled out of bed when I woke up, and as soon as I walked in the door, a very cheerful cleaning women ran up to hug me and say Merry Christmas. I see her a lot and smile, but I never get to really talk to her. It turns out she has been here six years in order to help support her family so they can build a house in the Philippines. She was very excited for Christmas, and she shared about how she and her friends would be cooking Philippine food today. I came back a little bit later with a gift for her, and I must say I have never seen someone so excited. It really started the day off on a great and happy note.
For many of you who are reading this via email, I hope you get to see it on Christmas morning. Over the past few weeks we have all talked about what we each want for Christmas. I have put a lot of thought into this because the common answer is to be home with family. Although that would be great, I think there is more to it. I wish that I wasn’t needed here and that we had peace on earth - no need for war and no need for all the families of soldiers to be separated.
But unfortunately world peace is something we can only hope for in the future. With that being said, my wish is for everyone who is free to dream, to believe in whatever they want, and, most important, to spend this day surrounded by loves ones. I also wish for everyone to be thankful for that freedom. Thankful for the soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, and their families who have given up holidays like today to be here fighting for us and working hard every day.
I have been hearing stories from guys missing their new babies’ first Christmas. I'm also having to pass some emergency messages to service members that make it even harder to be here on a day they should be with family. Tragedies happen every day - holidays are no exception. So if you are reading this on Christmas, please do me one favor: At dinner tonight, share with everyone around the table how thankful you are for the troops all over the world supporting us. Be thankful for being able to have this day off, to not have to worry about anything, and to know that when you wake up tomorrow you will have the right to be anything you want.
I spent a lot of today handing out presents to the troops. I stood outside the DFACT when people were leaving lunch and handed each one of them gifts and cards. It was amazing to be able to actually give them something that they can unwrap and enjoy on Christmas. To be able to personally say thank you for everything they do. The best part of it was knowing that every gift was donated to the Red Cross by people back home. I want to thank all my family and friends who mailed me so many packages filled with great things. Every item was given to very grateful soldiers, and each gift truly made their Christmas much better.
Happy Holidays to everyone from Iraq, and thank you for your continued support.
