GALLERY: Giving a second chance with Operation Allies Welcome
When Soldiers from 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment were given orders for Operation Allies Welcome, they were not sure what to expect. Assisting Afghan evacuees in going through a new immigration process to get them into the United States is something none of them ever expected to do. These Soldiers are more than happy to step up and help in any way they can.
“Operation Allies Welcome is us Americans keeping the promise of helping the Afghans who’ve helped us the last 20 years,” said Pfc. Trenton Baker, a Soldier from 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment. “We’re fulfilling that promise, getting them out of danger and showing them what America is like. My role is assisting in all the processes they are going through. We get them through medical, to their appointments, to the places they need, and we’re interacting with the children.”
Every day provides new challenges as each Afghan has a unique situation. They could have concerns or questions about everything from housing, clothing, food, initial process, or the resettlement process.
“When we were coming here I knew it was going to be a lot of work,” said Baker. “I knew there was going to be a lot of people coming and a lot of things going on. But so far it’s been smooth. They pretty much have a good schedule going down, they’ve figured out all the details and it’s working pretty well. They want to get their process done and do everything they can to help.”
Spending every day with Afghan evacuees allows the Soldiers to grow close to them and they have gotten to know them. Playing with the children, talking with the adults, and the stories they have heard is something these Soldiers said they will always remember.
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“A lot of them talk about the things that they’ve seen, the atrocities they’ve seen back in Afghanistan,” said Sgt. Joseph Couture, a Soldier from 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment. “It’s a low point because for some of them, their families are still back there and they’re worried about them. But at the same time, I am glad they are out of that situation and in the United States.”
Being able to escape that life and to have this opportunity in the United States, the Afghan evacuees have expressed their generosity in many ways to the Soldiers.
“They will give you the shirt off their backs, they will offer anything they have,” said Baker. “People who came here with nothing yet willing to give you everything is just so shocking to me. Just how willing they are to interact with us. How much the (children) love American Soldiers and how much of an influence we are having on them. How much they love playing soccer with us and things like that. The generosity of these people is mind-blowing.”
The amount of generosity the Afghan evacuees have given is something these Soldiers weren’t expecting, but it is something they have also repaid by fulfilling their duty as U.S. Army Soldiers.
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“It’s not about me,” said Pfc. Kostadinos Kalogeropoulos, a Soldier from 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment. “It’s about the guests and I need to help them. I have to give them 110 percent, actually 200 percent. I have to give them everything because this is my job. So I’m doing my part and I’m doing it gladly. I will throw life and limb for these people.”
The Soldiers came to Fort McCoy not knowing what to expect but they are gaining a sense of gratitude and respect for the Afghan personnel.
“I didn’t think they would be so welcoming because they just lost everything,” said Kalogeropoulos. “When somebody usually loses everything sometimes they close themselves off from the world. To come in and see so many smiling faces, so many (children) having fun, wanting to play with you, and all that it feels like I’m doing my job. I’m making a difference. This moment right here, definitely historic.”
