WEBVTT 00:00.140 --> 00:02.307 alright . An opportunity to speak with 00:02.307 --> 00:04.196 one of our very own low countries 00:04.196 --> 00:06.307 soldiers serving in the Middle East . 00:06.307 --> 00:08.196 Lieutenant Colonel john Walters . 00:08.196 --> 00:10.084 Welcome Lieutenant Colonel . Good 00:10.084 --> 00:12.140 afternoon to you . I know it's uh an 00:12.140 --> 00:14.362 afternoon over there right now . Um I'm 00:14.362 --> 00:16.584 just gonna start off a little bit about 00:16.584 --> 00:16.340 the Civil Affairs Battalion , which 00:16.340 --> 00:18.507 your partner , what are you guys doing 00:18.507 --> 00:20.562 over there ? All right . I'm I'm the 00:20.562 --> 00:22.729 battalion commander for the four first 00:22.729 --> 00:24.784 Civil Affairs Battalion and uh we're 00:24.784 --> 00:27.360 here uh we're here basically our job is 00:27.370 --> 00:29.970 the work on the economics and uh 00:29.980 --> 00:33.050 governance sectors and rebuilding the 00:33.060 --> 00:35.640 economy in the country . So uh we've 00:35.640 --> 00:37.807 got a lot of guys out there doing good 00:37.807 --> 00:39.862 work . And as the security situation 00:39.862 --> 00:42.380 has stabilized , we uh you know , our 00:42.380 --> 00:44.920 job becomes more important and uh 00:44.930 --> 00:47.041 obviously with the surge that came in 00:47.041 --> 00:48.986 last year , uh security has gotten 00:48.986 --> 00:51.800 gotten a lot better in Iraq , the 00:51.810 --> 00:54.032 situation stabilized . Now we're trying 00:54.032 --> 00:56.490 to get the economy jumpstarted , try 00:56.490 --> 00:59.000 and get people back to work and help 00:59.000 --> 01:01.111 get the government back to where they 01:01.111 --> 01:04.970 can function and uh in a uh 01:04.980 --> 01:07.202 and provide the support that the people 01:07.202 --> 01:09.900 people need replacing us . Uh for too 01:09.900 --> 01:12.370 long , the U . S . Military has been 01:12.380 --> 01:14.547 the de facto government here . And now 01:14.547 --> 01:16.547 the government of Iraq is trying to 01:16.547 --> 01:18.713 starting to get their feet and they're 01:18.713 --> 01:20.991 starting to take over . And as they do , 01:20.991 --> 01:23.047 we're trying to we're trying to help 01:23.047 --> 01:22.740 them along the way , helped build 01:22.740 --> 01:24.740 capacity , help help teach them the 01:24.740 --> 01:27.450 things they need to know to go into a a 01:27.460 --> 01:29.850 free governance type uh democracy type 01:29.850 --> 01:32.410 situation which is somewhat foreign to 01:32.410 --> 01:34.650 them after the years of Saddam 01:34.660 --> 01:37.960 Hussein's rule . So uh we've got a lot 01:37.960 --> 01:40.016 of guys out there who are working on 01:40.016 --> 01:41.904 different projects , we've got an 01:41.904 --> 01:44.071 industrial complex that are that we've 01:44.071 --> 01:46.293 got a team that's we've been working on 01:46.293 --> 01:48.349 and we've got guys who are out there 01:48.349 --> 01:50.571 working trying to get poultry farms and 01:50.571 --> 01:52.793 fish farms up and running , we're doing 01:52.793 --> 01:54.904 things trying to get agriculture back 01:54.904 --> 01:57.016 going as far as the irrigation canals 01:57.016 --> 01:59.016 and getting that working again . Uh 01:59.016 --> 02:00.904 We're helping , we're helping the 02:00.904 --> 02:02.738 government to actually get water 02:02.738 --> 02:04.627 treatment plants , water uh water 02:04.627 --> 02:06.571 treatment plants and sewage plants 02:06.571 --> 02:08.627 running again . We're helping to get 02:08.627 --> 02:11.420 the electricity running again uh after 02:11.420 --> 02:13.630 the war after in 2000 and three we 02:13.630 --> 02:15.297 actually got a base amount of 02:15.297 --> 02:17.297 electricity and we've been building 02:17.297 --> 02:19.463 over the years now , we're starting to 02:19.463 --> 02:21.574 make , trying to make greater strides 02:21.574 --> 02:23.630 and electricity and uh and all these 02:23.630 --> 02:25.686 things uh work to help get factories 02:25.686 --> 02:27.741 running so that people can have jobs 02:27.741 --> 02:29.963 because the way we look at a guy with a 02:29.963 --> 02:32.130 with a job doesn't have the time to go 02:32.130 --> 02:35.630 out and plan the roadside bomb . Uh 02:35.640 --> 02:37.807 This is your first time in Iraq . This 02:37.807 --> 02:39.807 is your second deployment in Iraq , 02:39.807 --> 02:41.918 which changes the first time you were 02:41.918 --> 02:45.820 there to this deployment . Uh Lots 02:45.820 --> 02:47.950 changed . Uh my first deployment , 02:47.950 --> 02:50.061 everybody was looking at a short term 02:50.061 --> 02:52.117 window of getting out and now people 02:52.117 --> 02:54.283 are , you know , we've uh we've looked 02:54.290 --> 02:58.250 we're looking more uh we see our way of 02:58.250 --> 03:00.580 getting out of Iraq as getting the 03:00.580 --> 03:03.190 Iraqis back in uh back running things . 03:03.200 --> 03:06.530 So this time we've got we've got a lot 03:06.540 --> 03:08.707 of , instead of pulling back into base 03:08.707 --> 03:10.873 camp , were pushing out building a lot 03:10.873 --> 03:12.929 of patrol basis and getting out with 03:12.929 --> 03:15.151 the people and being out , living among 03:15.151 --> 03:17.262 the people , builds that confidence . 03:17.262 --> 03:18.984 Uh with the Iraqis , they feel 03:18.984 --> 03:20.984 confident that they will be here to 03:20.984 --> 03:23.207 help them along until they can stand on 03:23.207 --> 03:25.373 their own two ft before they were they 03:25.373 --> 03:27.318 weren't sure we were gonna be here 03:27.318 --> 03:29.540 three weeks from them . So they weren't 03:29.540 --> 03:31.651 real anxious to give us tips on where 03:31.651 --> 03:33.818 the where the insurgents were and help 03:33.818 --> 03:35.873 us to help them help them with their 03:35.873 --> 03:38.990 security because they were uh they were 03:38.990 --> 03:41.268 scared . Okay , if I tell the bad guys , 03:41.268 --> 03:43.490 uh if I tell the americans were the bad 03:43.490 --> 03:45.601 guys are uh and they pull out the bad 03:45.601 --> 03:47.657 guys are gonna come walk me over the 03:47.657 --> 03:49.712 head , you know , the next week . So 03:49.712 --> 03:51.490 but now that we're out in their 03:51.490 --> 03:50.720 communities , were building 03:50.720 --> 03:52.831 relationships with them and they feel 03:52.831 --> 03:54.942 comfortable that we are going to help 03:54.942 --> 03:56.998 them through this thing . Uh the the 03:56.998 --> 03:58.998 Iraqis are coming forward , they're 03:58.998 --> 04:00.831 giving us more tips on where the 04:00.831 --> 04:03.053 insurgents are , we're rooting them out 04:03.053 --> 04:04.998 and it starts to snowball effect , 04:04.998 --> 04:07.164 where security gets better because the 04:07.164 --> 04:09.053 Iraqis help us , which causes the 04:09.053 --> 04:11.276 Iraqis to put more confident and giving 04:11.276 --> 04:13.760 us more tips . So it just kind of 04:13.760 --> 04:15.704 snowballs and that that's what the 04:15.704 --> 04:17.871 effect we've been seeing over the last 04:17.871 --> 04:19.871 year with the surge is . They got a 04:19.871 --> 04:21.927 they got a little more little better 04:21.927 --> 04:23.760 comfort level with us that we're 04:23.760 --> 04:25.982 actually gonna help them through this . 04:25.982 --> 04:27.982 Okay , now back home , we're in the 04:27.982 --> 04:29.760 grips of political season , the 04:29.760 --> 04:31.871 presidential race coming up . Are you 04:31.871 --> 04:33.816 not following the race in Iraq and 04:33.816 --> 04:35.982 you'll get home ? I think in october , 04:35.982 --> 04:35.650 just in time to vote for president , 04:35.660 --> 04:37.438 What are you looking for in the 04:37.438 --> 04:41.190 Commander in Chief ? Well , um 04:41.200 --> 04:43.422 everybody here follows the presidential 04:43.422 --> 04:45.570 elections to some extent , but we've 04:45.570 --> 04:47.681 got a lot of , lot of other things in 04:47.681 --> 04:49.681 our minds that we're having to work 04:49.681 --> 04:51.403 towards . Uh but as far as the 04:51.403 --> 04:53.403 Commander in Chief , each and every 04:53.403 --> 04:55.514 soldier has different , has different 04:55.514 --> 04:57.792 things they look for . Uh as far as me . 04:57.792 --> 04:59.792 I uh I kind of like a guy with some 04:59.792 --> 05:01.903 military experience , if that doesn't 05:01.903 --> 05:03.959 tip my hand on who I like . But uh I 05:03.959 --> 05:07.020 think I think someone who has has 05:07.020 --> 05:08.909 military experience is definitely 05:08.909 --> 05:10.964 helpful with what we've got going on 05:10.964 --> 05:13.187 the world right now , not only here but 05:13.187 --> 05:15.298 in Afghanistan and beyond there , but 05:15.298 --> 05:18.150 also I think someone who who has uh 05:18.160 --> 05:21.490 experience in foreign policy whose some 05:21.500 --> 05:24.030 someone who's uh you know , obviously 05:24.040 --> 05:26.207 all three of them been in the Senate , 05:26.207 --> 05:28.207 all three of the candidates and all 05:28.207 --> 05:30.207 three have , you know , have a good 05:30.207 --> 05:32.640 experience there . But uh , I myself , 05:32.640 --> 05:34.696 I like to see somebody in office who 05:34.696 --> 05:36.807 has had some military experience . So 05:36.807 --> 05:39.029 that when their , when their staffs are 05:39.029 --> 05:41.084 briefing them on , what's going on , 05:41.084 --> 05:43.307 they at least have some understanding . 05:43.307 --> 05:45.510 Uh , we do have an opportunity now to 05:45.520 --> 05:48.220 uh kind of act as a go between between 05:48.220 --> 05:50.387 you and someone special in your life . 05:50.387 --> 05:52.331 You got your wife here with this . 05:52.331 --> 05:54.553 Catherine is joining us and Catherine , 05:54.553 --> 05:53.620 you know , that's the first time you're 05:53.620 --> 05:55.731 seeing your husband sent his deploy . 05:55.731 --> 05:58.830 What you have to say to him . Just 05:58.830 --> 06:01.150 going to say , hi , you look good . How 06:01.150 --> 06:05.060 are you doing ? You get in the military . 06:06.720 --> 06:09.260 You guys met in the military ? Yes . We 06:09.260 --> 06:11.800 met at fort Stewart Georgia on a war 06:11.800 --> 06:15.770 exercise and got engaged in Iraq on 06:15.770 --> 06:17.992 our first deployment there . I'm in the 06:17.992 --> 06:20.214 army reserve . What do you want to tell 06:20.214 --> 06:22.214 him ? As he gets ready to come home 06:22.214 --> 06:24.437 soon ? Just stay safe every step of the 06:24.437 --> 06:27.060 way . Make sure you come home . You 06:27.060 --> 06:30.970 know , I always do johnny 06:30.970 --> 06:33.270 message any message to Catherine from 06:33.280 --> 06:35.470 from the home friday from Iraq . 06:36.900 --> 06:39.067 Cathy . Just good to hear your voice . 06:39.067 --> 06:41.289 I'm looking forward to getting home and 06:41.289 --> 06:44.510 I love you a lot . I love you too . 06:45.790 --> 06:47.790 All right , thanks for joining us . 06:47.790 --> 06:49.957 Lieutenant corporal joined john waters 06:49.957 --> 06:52.123 from the isle of palms . We appreciate 06:52.123 --> 06:54.123 it . Stay safe . We'll see you back 06:54.123 --> 06:56.520 soon here in the low country . Thanks . 06:56.530 --> 06:59.280 Thank you for everybody for supporting 06:59.280 --> 06:59.540 us .