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One of Athens’ newest police officers, Bobby Hand, saw the war against terrorism on two fronts –– Afghanistan and Iraq.
Hand said last week that he can laugh about some occurrences during his time as a sergeant with the 82nd Airborne Division, Parachute Infantry Regiment, but much of the time was “horrible.”
Hand served in Afghanistan in 2005-2006 and in Iraq in 2007-2008. He said the regiment lost one man in each of the countries.
As the U.S. pulls out of Iraq after 7 1/2 years, Hand said much of his time in both of the war-torn countries was spent training local police and military to take over for the eventual pullout of U.S. forces.
“We mostly tried to help the people,” said Hand. “All most people see is the bad stuff on the news, but there was a lot more going on.”
Hand said his regiment took over from the Australians in Naseria, Iraq.
“They tried to mortar us and there were some I.E.D. (Improvised Explosive Devices), but mostly we spent our time getting good relationships and overseeing the Iraqi soldiers so they could take care of themselves.
Matter of trust
“Some you could trust, but there were many in the Iraqi police that you couldn’t trust. It was a lot different from Afghanistan. The terrain in Iraq is a lot different and the country is a lot more civilized and more organized. Afghanistan is out in the middle of nowhere and there are a lot of mountains. There was a lot of walking and patrolling.
“We would go sometimes almost three weeks without a shower –– we would have to use Baby Wipes. We were attacked more in Afghanistan –– more things would happen to us and others. We worked with the Special Forces out of Ft. Bragg. Some of the things I can’t talk about still.
Rules of engagement
“We were right on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan. We could look over and see them, but we couldn’t do anything because of the rules of engagement.”
Hand said there was always the feeling of “being watched.”
“People would be going around wearing everyday clothes and you wouldn’t know if they were the bad guys or not,” he said. “But at night, they might be the ones who were attacking you. They could have been farmers or anything else, much like it was in Vietnam.”
Hand said that in Afghanistan he dealt with the army more than the police and developed a “good relationship” with them.
“We worked side-by-side, but not that much with the Iraqi police,” he said.
Iraq ready to take over?
“Honestly, I hope so,” said Hand of the Iraqis’ ability to maintain peace in that country. “But you know, anywhere we go in the world, we have an enemy. The Iraqis should step up and take charge. Our forces should be on to Afghanistan.
“I’m glad our guys are coming back from Iraq.”
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