Navy Reserve doctor insists U.S. was right in liberating Iraq

[darrels joy]

Serving a Larger Purpose

Navy Reserve doctor insists U.S. was right in liberating Iraq

By KEITH ROGERS
REVIEW-JOURNAL


Gesturing as if he has his pistol in his hand, Dr. Jeff Brookman talks Thursday in his Las Vegas home about his experience as a Navy Reserve captain assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines during the war in Iraq. "As I saw this gunfire, I said, 'OK, everybody. God protect us,' and I had my hand on the weapon," he said.
Photo by John Gurzinski.


Navy Reserve Capt. Jeff Brookman stands behind his Humvee this spring on his way to Baghdad, Iraq.
SPECIAL TO THE REVIEW-JOURNAL





When Dr. Jeff Brookman heard about the second terrorist bombing in as many months at the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, he felt agony for not being able to help the wounded.

"The knife just gets dug in deeper," he said at his Las Vegas home, where his wife, Monterey, had prayed for his safe return when he was in Iraq this spring, in that very building, the converted Canal Hotel.

"When you've been in those footsteps and been in those hallways and on that ground, and now you see that a bomb destroyed it and people were killed there, it's very personal," Brookman said.

The 50-year-old Navy Reserve captain was the battalion surgeon for the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines during major combat in Iraq. He said his heart sank when he saw televised footage of the first bombing of the U.N. compound on Aug. 19. It happened less than two weeks after he was discharged at Camp Pendleton near San Diego.

"I looked at that building and I said, `Oh my goodness.' I told Monterey, `I know that office where he was killed,' " Brookman said, referring to Sergio Vieira de Mello, the chief U.N. representative, who died along with 22 others in the attack.

He said he immediately called U.S. military officials and offered to go back, but "they said it's not going to happen."

The second attack, a suicide car-bombing Monday at a checkpoint near the U.N. compound, killed at least two people and injured eight others.

"You know it's wrong. There's no reason for it. ... There is nothing you can tell me that can justify this murder. There's no rationale, no reasons for these bombings," he said.

Despite the daily attacks against innocent people and U.S. troops, Brookman said he is convinced that good will prevail over the remnants of the regime of ousted dictator Saddam Hussein.

He compared the situation to that in Somalia, where he was assigned to a Marine unit in the early 1990s and provided medical care for sick and starving people during Operation Restore Hope.

"Most of the people there are wanting us to be there," he said last week about Iraq. "Unfortunately, like when I was in Somalia, you have a small percentage of the bad guys who are in control."

Brookman said the mission, like the one in the Somali capital of Mogadishu serves a larger purpose.

"For the good we did, there will never be a price tag on it.

"I believe the same is true in Iraq. You met good people over there who would go, `Bush, good. Saddam, dog.' "

When the 23rd Marines were deployed to Kuwait in February, Brookman said the spirit of his comrades was high and they were focused on their mission: to fight their way to Baghdad and take control of the Iraqi capital.

"Our people were so motivated to be a part of this because it was the right thing to do, to liberate this country. And, we did it in a record amount of time," he said, noting how honored he was to be a part of the invasion.

"To be the tip of the spear, actually a small number get that opportunity," he said.

Armed with a 9 mm pistol, he rode in a Humvee with a red cross on the back. It was about midnight March 20 when it set in that "this was the real McCoy. I had Marines come up to me and give me a hug and say, `Sir, thank you for being here.' " But it was me thanking them. It was a privilege being there."

Rotating drivers on sleepless days and nights while wearing chemical suits around the clock and struggling through sandstorms, the first casualties came at Nasiriyah.

"That was where we saw people getting injured, hurt, killed," he said. "When we got to An Nasiriyah, it was evident this was urban warfare. This was going to be street-to-street fighting with the enemy on the rooftop shooting at you."

The convoy stretched for several miles, and medical vehicles apparently were targets.

"I could see the gunfire coming from the berms. ... I had a round in the chamber and the corpsman in the back had an M-16.

"As I saw the flash of the weapons, I knew from the get-go that God was not going to let me die in Iraq. I wasn't afraid, but I was angry," he said. "I knew what our mission was, to liberate Iraq from this madman, and we were doing the right thing. As I saw this gunfire, I said, `OK, everybody. God protect us,' and I had my hand on the weapon."

In Baghdad, Brookman said he was impressed with how quickly air support arrived to transport wounded that he and his team had treated.

"We had wonderful medivac for getting people out of a hot area in quick time. Many times, in 10 to 15 minutes, you had a CH-46 (helicopter) there in a hot area," he said.

In April, in the neighborhood around the U.N. compound, "there was still a lot of shooting going on. It was combat. No question about it."

Despite the firefights and the attacks from mortars and rocket-propelled grenades, the Marines managed to restore electricity, water and communication lines to the U.N. headquarters. Later on there was some time for humanitarian work.

"On the way up, I'd go over there and treat babies and children with severe dysentery. In Baghdad, we would go into the inner city and go into clinics and you knew you were wanted."

Looking back, he said the U.S. military planted the seeds of democracy.

"Yes, I think it's working. Most of the people over there do want some type of democracy. ... We're doing the right thing. Democracy will work there," he said about his personal viewpoint.

"It might not be the same. You're talking a different culture, a different part of the world. It's going to take some time and obviously it's going to take some type of commitment, money. ... My feeling is if we don't deal with this terrorism over there, we're going to have to deal with it here, and I don't want to wake up to another 9-11 situation."
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[Jerry D]

God Bless Dr. Jeff Brookman and all the good work he did as a Naval Reserve captain in Iraq. Welcome Home Doc

[BLUEHAWK]

What Jerry said...welcome home.

Coming from his experience, no doubt that is how things are there...

What I cannot help thinking though has to do with the history of anglo interventions in the middle east, over the past several hundred years... what the British politicians, for example, did to Lawrence... we'll just have to see what time alone produces... my hunch is it will go fairly well IF the coalition gets out of the way and ASAP Iraq is "allowed" to form ITS OWN kind of democracy, no matter what that looks like.