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Red Cross Worker Reflects on Middle East Assignment
Deborah MacSwain, Special to RedCross.org
Tuesday, October 07, 2003 — Early in January 2003, Ken Romero, the American Red Cross Station Manager at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo., was enjoying the third day of his honeymoon in nearby Estes Park. That is, until he received a call from his supervisor advising him to check his email - Ken was being deployed to the Persian Gulf with the first group of Red Cross staff in support of the men and women of the U.S. military.
Ken Romero (right) and Sgt. Moses at Baghdad International Airport (Iraq) on Easter Sunday 2003
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Days later, Ken found himself at the American Red Cross National Headquarters in Washington, D.C., on January 13 with 24 of his Armed Forces Emergency Services colleagues. Together, the group began a life-altering, six-month assignment
Before departing for the Middle East, there was a great deal to be learned though, and the group endured hours of gas mask training and briefings on military security and health concern. Soon thereafter, they traveled from Washington D.C. to Ft. Benning, Ga., to Camp Doha, Kuwait.
They did not know what to expect, but they did know their jobs…providing casework services and emergency messages for the thousands of U.S. military members being deployed to the Persian Gulf area.
“We landed at Camp Doha in the middle of the night,” Ken recalled. “It was very dark – just a lot of concrete and military gear everywhere. You are aware of the danger but you don't concentrate on it. You just want to get the job done. You are there for the mission, everyone is going through the same experiences you are so you are not alone."
Feeling somewhat lost, and anxious to get some sleep, the group was bused to the next stop where they waited for their gear to arrive. There, Ken was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division with fellow AFES workers Terry Hitchcock and Jana Zehner.
They set up the Red Cross office in the 3rd Infantry Division’s Emergency Operations Center and worked shift hours. Ken took the graveyard shift from midnight to 10:00 am. Initially, the casework was fairly easy to accomplish. They had the use of cell phones and email and were able to make several runs to outlying units to meet military personnel and distribute quality of life items, such as snacks, toiletries and sunglasses, donated by American Red Cross chapters back in the United States.
The easy life ended March 19, the day the conflict started. With increased troop strength (15,000 to 30,000) their casework increased greatly and the team soon found themselves delivering more than 400 messages a week.
Just over one month later, Ken again was on the move – this time to the heart of the battle. On April 22, Ken and two AFES staff, Dee Martin and Mark Hooper, flew into Baghdad and were taken to the Third Infantry Division at Camp Dogwood.
Living and working beside the military they slept in tents, abandoned warehouses and office buildings. The team squeezed into a small office with the Inspector General and shared one desk. Sleep was hard to come by working 16-20 hours a day non-stop and outside temperatures were rising.
While most emergency communication cases concern death and very serious illness, birth announcements were the most joyful to give. When they could, Ken and his team took pictures of the servicemen receiving the good news to be sent wives back home.
On July 3, Ken received his own birth announcement but was fortunate enough to receive the news from doctors firsthand. A few weeks prior, Ken returned to Colorado Springs to be present at the birth of this son.
Months later, as he reflected on his time in Kuwait and Iraq, Ken remembered the experience fondly, despite the hardships associated with the assignment.
“The personal relationships and teamwork make or break the assignment. I was on a great team,” he said. “We always felt part of the military, part of the team. They watched out for us and they knew we watched out for them and their families back home.”
The American Red Cross is not a government agency. We rely on the assistance of caring supporters like you to deliver our critical services. You can support U.S. military members and their families through the American Red Cross as we provide assistance and comfort. Your gift will support the nationally coordinated Red Cross services provided to military families across the country and to American service men and women located throughout the world. Please make a financial donation to Service to Armed Forces by calling 1-800-RED CROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions may be sent to the American Red Cross Service to Armed Forces, P.O. Box 91820, Washington, DC 20090. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.
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