The bands played for U.S. and Iraqi Soldiers who were celebrating 6 years of working together to bring security and stability to Iraq. The troops spent the day facing off in soccer matches, games of three-on- three basketball, volleyball, and long-hit golf over the Tigris River.
For lunch Soldiers sat underneath palm trees, eating barbeque and listening to SGT Jennifer Winston's soulful rendition of Summertime from the American folk opera Porgy and Bess.
The setting was enough to make onlookers think they were in small southern town in America. Composer George Gershwin would have been proud.
Its a very good feeling when a song youre singing makes someone smile, when its that moving to them, said Winston, of Fredricksburg, Va., adding band members work to please their audience. Its great for us to be able to do what we love.
Partnership Day is the brainchild of Maj. Gen. Salahadeen, division commander, 4th Iraqi Army, and Military Integration Team commander COL Gary David. They wanted to do something to honor the work their troops were doing and a celebration seemed to sum it up best.
Salahadeen said the day exemplifies the true partnership that exists between the Iraqi and American Forces. He should know. He and David served on opposite sides of the Persian Gulf War and now their troops are collocated at FOB Dagger in northern Iraq.
Its truly one team and that's our goal, said Salahadeen. We don't have two separate headquarters. We meet together in each others gyms, eat together in each others chow halls, play sports together and go out on missions together. That's how it is everyday.
David agreed. We have our business side, of course, but we have our personal side as well.
Later, as SANDSTORM! began warming up, whatever dividing lines were left disappeared and Soldiers from the two countries gathered in close.
SGT Ben Hoshko, of Schenectady, NY, belted out Play That Funky Music and when the son of an Iraqi interpreter joined him on stage, Hoshko picked him up and kept on going. The audience jumped up and clapped their hands to the beat.
SGT Donald Scales, of Lebanon, Va., on keyboard said he started out the session just doing his usual performance but as he saw the crowd get into the music, he had a change of heart.
When I saw everyone clapping, I thought, given the history of this country, this is really cool! I think not only are we are having a positive impact on the Iraqis and but they're having a positive impact on us. And then when the kid got up there--that was it for me.
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