WEBVTT 00:05.140 --> 00:07.490 next on the Iron Horse report spending 00:07.490 --> 00:09.601 a day with a commanding general and a 00:09.601 --> 00:11.768 spiritual message arrives in theater . 00:11.768 --> 00:15.250 All this and more IRS report . 00:34.740 --> 00:38.640 Welcome to 00:38.640 --> 00:40.807 the Iron Horse report . I'm specialist 00:40.807 --> 00:42.990 Christopher her from time to time . 00:42.990 --> 00:45.101 Famous people or groups visit Baghdad 00:45.101 --> 00:46.657 through the United Services 00:46.657 --> 00:48.490 organization . To boost morale . 00:48.490 --> 00:50.490 Soldiers , Specialist Daniel Turner 00:50.490 --> 00:52.546 shows us a group that does more than 00:52.546 --> 00:54.546 just play their music . They send a 00:54.546 --> 00:58.440 spiritual message , talk 00:58.440 --> 01:00.551 to any chaplain in the army and their 01:00.551 --> 01:02.551 message for soldiers resounds . The 01:02.551 --> 01:04.662 soldier must be physically , mentally 01:04.662 --> 01:06.740 and spiritually fit . The United 01:06.740 --> 01:08.796 Services organization helps soldiers 01:08.796 --> 01:10.629 with that spiritual fitness . By 01:10.629 --> 01:12.660 bringing out third day the first 01:12.660 --> 01:15.060 christian rock band to perform in Iraq . 01:15.240 --> 01:17.462 3rd day made their way the 4th Infantry 01:17.462 --> 01:19.629 Division's main complex where they met 01:19.629 --> 01:21.518 with some of the I . V . Division 01:21.518 --> 01:23.740 soldiers while they work . It's amazing 01:23.740 --> 01:26.000 honor for us to know that there's so 01:26.000 --> 01:27.833 many people here are serving our 01:27.833 --> 01:30.880 country and serving our families . What 01:30.880 --> 01:33.720 we're experiencing here is such a 01:33.730 --> 01:35.897 confidence in the morale . It makes me 01:35.897 --> 01:37.952 excited about going home and telling 01:37.952 --> 01:39.841 the story . The band says they're 01:39.841 --> 01:41.897 excited to help the troops refocus , 01:41.897 --> 01:44.008 set aside their problems and focus in 01:44.008 --> 01:46.008 on God . The troops participated in 01:46.008 --> 01:48.230 songs dancing and even chanting for an 01:48.230 --> 01:50.380 encore . One group of service members 01:50.390 --> 01:52.612 even had the opportunity to perform one 01:52.612 --> 01:55.710 of their day songs with matt Powell at 01:55.720 --> 01:57.776 the end of the night troops say they 01:57.776 --> 01:59.998 were happy to come together , Reporting 01:59.998 --> 02:01.887 for the 4th Adventure Divisions , 02:01.887 --> 02:04.109 Public Affairs Specialist Daniel Turner 02:04.109 --> 02:05.390 Baghdad . 02:15.640 --> 02:16.640 Yeah 02:19.240 --> 02:22.690 on this week's episode of Baghdad 24 7 . 02:22.700 --> 02:24.700 We have full access to a day in the 02:24.700 --> 02:26.867 life of the commanding general . Multi 02:26.867 --> 02:28.756 national Division Baghdad and the 02:28.756 --> 02:30.978 Fourth Infantry Division Andrew General 02:30.978 --> 02:32.867 Jeff Hammond . Have you asked the 02:32.867 --> 02:34.978 commanding general , you're either in 02:34.978 --> 02:37.033 the stands on the sideline or on the 02:37.033 --> 02:39.160 field . I usually get up wee hours of 02:39.160 --> 02:41.271 the morning to review what's going on 02:41.271 --> 02:44.340 overnight . I don't sleep a lot . I 02:44.350 --> 02:47.310 feel I choose not to sleep a lot . I uh 02:47.320 --> 02:49.320 there's always a lot on my mind . I 02:49.320 --> 02:51.653 think that I was the commanding general . 02:51.653 --> 02:53.764 I am the best intelligence officer in 02:53.764 --> 02:55.830 this tradition because I can get out 02:55.840 --> 02:58.050 five out of seven days a week in the 02:58.050 --> 03:00.217 front with the soldiers . I can choose 03:00.217 --> 03:02.272 where I want to go and I can pick up 03:02.272 --> 03:04.217 information . I can understand the 03:04.217 --> 03:06.439 nature of the enemy and what's going on 03:06.439 --> 03:08.606 our soldiers mind . That's what I do . 03:08.606 --> 03:10.661 We head out early , come back late , 03:10.661 --> 03:12.883 five out of seven days a week . I don't 03:12.883 --> 03:14.883 think that there's any other way to 03:14.883 --> 03:16.883 lead in this environment . Some may 03:16.883 --> 03:16.370 think that with the different 03:16.370 --> 03:18.481 electronic sensors we have , that you 03:18.481 --> 03:20.537 can sit back from a distance and the 03:20.537 --> 03:22.537 headquarters receive and assimilate 03:22.537 --> 03:24.426 information to make decisions . I 03:24.426 --> 03:26.537 disagree . I want to be on the ground 03:26.537 --> 03:28.950 and feel what the soldier feels and do 03:28.950 --> 03:30.950 what the soldier does . That's what 03:30.950 --> 03:33.400 leaders do without that . Leaders can't 03:33.400 --> 03:35.511 understand the nature of the fighting 03:35.511 --> 03:37.733 or the nature of the soldier , which is 03:37.733 --> 03:39.956 our credential in the building block of 03:39.956 --> 03:42.122 trying to get this mission done . They 03:42.122 --> 03:44.011 all get to huddle put around arms 03:44.011 --> 03:46.178 around each other because I want to be 03:46.178 --> 03:48.289 11 and thought one in mind spirit and 03:48.289 --> 03:50.511 body . So we just kind of rock a little 03:50.511 --> 03:52.678 bit to the left , rock a little bit to 03:52.678 --> 03:54.844 the right and I tell them what's going 03:54.844 --> 03:56.900 on I share with them , Everything is 03:56.900 --> 03:58.900 going on the last 25 because I want 03:58.900 --> 04:01.067 them to know what I know , remind them 04:01.067 --> 04:03.011 Of the intelligence situation that 04:03.011 --> 04:05.178 we're going to face as we execute this 04:05.178 --> 04:07.456 combat patrol . Then I leave in prayer , 04:07.860 --> 04:09.971 I'm married , been married . It'll be 04:09.971 --> 04:12.860 25 years here in June from Baghdad , 04:13.180 --> 04:15.180 I've spent most of my anniversary's 04:15.180 --> 04:18.340 deploy . But my wife Diane is the 04:18.350 --> 04:21.090 blessing of my life . She makes me a 04:21.090 --> 04:23.312 better person Each and every day I have 04:23.312 --> 04:25.920 two wonderful Children , uh teenagers , 04:25.930 --> 04:28.290 Michael who's a junior and clean high 04:28.290 --> 04:30.512 school and my little girl , my princess 04:30.512 --> 04:32.530 Megan who's a sophomore Clean high 04:32.530 --> 04:34.710 school as well . And my little family 04:34.710 --> 04:36.599 would be quite honest with you is 04:36.599 --> 04:38.599 everything that I am . Everything I 04:38.599 --> 04:40.821 want to be is at the heart and the soul 04:40.821 --> 04:43.660 of who I am . The people of Iraq . 04:43.660 --> 04:45.604 They're good people , they're kind 04:45.604 --> 04:47.670 people , they've got heart , they're 04:47.670 --> 04:49.892 hardy people , they withstood years and 04:49.892 --> 04:51.948 years of Saddam and they didn't they 04:51.948 --> 04:54.980 didn't fall over remain strong uh , 04:54.990 --> 04:57.212 their comeback type of people that keep 04:57.212 --> 04:59.157 coming back , they live under some 04:59.157 --> 05:01.323 tough harsh conditions both I mean the 05:01.323 --> 05:04.070 average Iraqi in many cases water sewer 05:04.070 --> 05:06.790 electricity as a challenge but they 05:06.790 --> 05:09.012 have Children just like we have back at 05:09.012 --> 05:11.360 home they have a culture that is 05:11.840 --> 05:14.900 timeless , they have much to be proud 05:14.910 --> 05:16.910 and eager to live in the future for 05:16.910 --> 05:19.077 people just like you and I and my wife 05:19.077 --> 05:21.299 my kids are people that want a future , 05:21.300 --> 05:23.356 they want something better than what 05:23.356 --> 05:25.522 they have and they're sacrificing just 05:25.522 --> 05:27.633 like the american soldier an american 05:27.633 --> 05:31.580 family to achieve that I think the loss 05:31.580 --> 05:33.747 the soldier affects everyone . There's 05:33.747 --> 05:37.310 a it's a hole in the world and that 05:37.310 --> 05:39.460 occurs it can never be filled . 05:41.140 --> 05:43.430 Life is forever changed when you lose a 05:43.430 --> 05:46.800 soldier is changed to the family , the 05:46.800 --> 05:48.856 Children and their Children involved 05:48.856 --> 05:50.720 the mother and father for fellow 05:50.720 --> 05:54.030 soldiers the communities it's a loss of 05:54.030 --> 05:56.480 life that because of the nature in the 05:56.480 --> 05:58.650 heart of a soldier down the road would 05:58.650 --> 06:01.090 have meant mentoring goodness to local 06:01.090 --> 06:03.201 communities so when we lose a soldier 06:03.201 --> 06:06.250 everyone loses like I said the families , 06:07.140 --> 06:09.910 fellow soldiers , global communities in 06:09.910 --> 06:12.860 the heart of America these are our 06:12.860 --> 06:15.980 nation's credentials Lose one of these 06:15.990 --> 06:18.180 beautiful young men and women life 06:18.190 --> 06:22.190 changes forever so it's hard you 06:22.190 --> 06:25.560 never forget so we know we must go on 06:26.140 --> 06:28.362 but I know that the spirit continues to 06:28.362 --> 06:30.584 live on through us . I think every time 06:30.584 --> 06:33.330 that we lose a soldier that spirit of 06:33.330 --> 06:35.497 the soldier is whispering in our ear , 06:36.240 --> 06:38.800 you must continue . You must continue , 06:38.930 --> 06:40.930 and that we shall that we will do . 06:44.240 --> 06:46.018 Thanks for watching this week's 06:46.018 --> 06:48.129 Ironhorse reports . You're invited to 06:48.129 --> 06:49.907 check out other Fourth Infantry 06:49.907 --> 06:52.073 Division videos at the 40 homepage and 06:52.073 --> 06:54.129 from all of us here . Multi National 06:54.129 --> 06:56.240 Division Baghdad . Thanks for joining 06:56.240 --> 06:57.962 us and see you next week . I'm 06:57.962 --> 06:57.510 specialist Christopher her .