The Road to Safwan: The 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry in the 1991 ...

212 The Road to Safwan
soldiers were inclined to help but it was also dangerous. In one
incident a sergeant stopped his HMMWV to pass out candy to
some children. When he stopped, others jumped into the back
and stole two cases of soda. They could have taken more valuable
items or been run over when the truck backed up. Enough
of these incidents took place that senior commanders had to order
soldiers to stop passing out food because of the danger of
theft and injury to the civilians, a tragic but necessary policy.
Still many soldiers chose to continue the practice. 20
The squadron also had encounters with Iraqi soldiers who
were returning to homes after the war. A Troop’s SSG Donald
Wehage had an interesting conversation with one Iraqi who
supposedly had spent fifteen of his thirty years in the army. He
spoke English quite well and claimed to have participated in
the capture of Kuwait, but had run home after the bombing
started since he and his comrades did not want to fight the
Americans. He also claimed to have attended the University of
Michigan, which somehow did not fit into the chronology he
had already constructed. Nevertheless Wehage had a good time
talking politics and even got some fresh tomatoes from the soldier’s
field. As in every war, defeated soldiers tried to come to
grips with their new situation. 21
Finally, a few soldiers began to head back to the United
States and Fort Riley. Most went home because of family problems
that now, after the war was over, could no longer wait.
Others were granted leave as a special recognition for a job well
done. About twelve troopers left in the first increment. The Fort
Riley community and their friends and families welcomed
them with big ceremonies and a great deal of fanfare. After a
few days off, all reported back to work to start getting the unit
billets and facilities ready for the rest of the squadron’s return.
Despite the rumors of impending return, the squadron
learned that they were going to stay in Iraq for awhile. The
corps commander’s policy was first in, first out. A lot of commands
had priority over the 1st Infantry Division on the shipment
home. So after an aerial photograph of the entire
squadron arrayed in the desert, it and the rest of the division
prepared to continue operations, and move to a location deep
in Iraq, Assembly Area Allen.