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Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Guard members sign on for more
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Curtis Compton/AJCSpc. John Wilkerson, 34, of Hinesville (right) raises his right hand along with fellow members of the 48th Brigade during a re-enlistment ceremony inside Saddam Hussein’s former Al Faw Palace at Camp Liberty in Baghdad.
The soldiers took turns raising their right hands and solemnly swearing their allegiance to President George W. Bush, Gov. Sonny Perdue and their military superiors.
The only thing unusual about this recent re-enlistment ceremony for 10 members of the Georgia Army National Guard’s 48th Brigade Combat Team was the location. They were standing in the ornate, marble corridors of the Al Faw palace, a massive cement and stone residence near Baghdad International Airport where Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein used to reside.
Each soldier re-upped for at least six years, and each will receive a $15,000 tax-free bonus for their willingness to stay on. Will there be more year-long deployments to combat zones? It’s impossible to tell. But the soldiers know exactly what they’ll do with the cash.
“I’m going to buy a house in Georgia,” said Spc. Tashana Luz, 23, of Columbus, a former shoe store manager. “I’m not sure where in Georgia. But the bonus will help with a down payment.”
Before and after the 20-minute ceremony, soldiers posed for pictures under a massive crystal chandelier hanging from the 100-foot domed ceiling, standing on spiral staircases or sitting on a gold-trimmed, throne-like chair in a waiting room.
The palace was built after the first Gulf War, but Arabic slogans on the walls recalled an earlier conflict, the 1980-88 war against Iran: “Victory and glory to the warriors who freed the city from the enemy — the Persians,” an inscription read.
As grand as the building appears on the outside, the workers who know it best say it has plenty of flaws.
Mustafa Bulbul, 50, a Jordanian electrician who spent the morning replacing light bulbs, said the “quality of the construction is not so good.”
“It was built in a hurry,” he said. “There are many problems that are hidden.”
The building now houses U.S., British and Iraqi military administrators who fill the hallways with cubicles.
Capt. Mike Lipper, 45, a Bibb County teacher in civilian life, came to the palace to administer the oath for some of his soldiers. He said they deserve major financial rewards for rejoining the military in a time of war and uncertainty.
“You never know what the Army has in story for you,” Lipper said. “But this is a just reward for their efforts. They deserve every bit of their bonuses.”
