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It was a little after 1 p.m. when the Soldiers walked outside the front gate for a routine foot patrol. It was cold outside and rain was already starting to fall, but the Soldiers were more than happy to begin the patrol — they were looking forward to every minute of it.
Soldiers with Battery A, 1st Field Artillery Regiment, 84th Battalion, 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, conducted a foot patrol in Qeysar to further their progress of helping the people here March 27.
“We went out with the battery commander to visit the village leaders of Qeysar to find out what we could help out with,” said Pfc. Loren G. Gaboni, a San Juan Batista, Calif., native, now a forward observer with Battery A.
The air was dense with mist, and rain was falling intermittently, but it was vital that the Soldiers conducted the patrol as if it were a bright, sunny day, said Gaboni.
“It was cold, everything got soaked. I was freezing,” said Gaboni. “But it was important to go out just to make sure that the people know that no matter what we’re still here to help them.”
While the patrol was routine, the Soldiers saw new evidence of their progress.
Battery A has multiple projects in the works to help the growth of Qeysar, such as planting trees and building playgrounds for the people to enjoy, said Spc. Michael Rabacal, a Manila, Philippines, native, now a signal support systems specialist with Battery A.
“The last time I went out, we saw people digging holes, and this time we came back and those holes had trees planted in them,” said Rabacal. “Right outside the COP people were building the wall for a playground we planned.”
“A lot of the projects that the battery commander has talked about are happening,” said Rabacal. “We’re making progress and showing people that we’re helping.”
The patrol was not only a chance for the Soldiers to see how they were helping Qeysar, but also to survey the area and find new ways that they could contribute, said Rabacal.
“The commander was concerned about an area of water we saw that was just staying around the area,” said Rabacal. “He wanted to fix that, so he’s making a project to get the sewage running to clear it from the area.”
For Soldiers such as Pfc. Patrick L. Spray, a Covington, Tenn., native, now a cannon crewmember with Battery A and Pfc. Eric D. Garcia, a Redding, Calif., native, now a cannon crewmember with Battery A, the patrol was a new experience altogether.
Even though it was cold and wet outside, Spray and Garcia said they were very happy to be able to go out on patrol.
“We usually do mounted patrols,” said Garcia. “It was nice just to get out and not be riding in the trucks.”
“We actually get a chance to look at the people up close,” said Spray. “You get to look at everything up close. The people, the way they act when you’re actually there and not just passing by them in a vehicle.”
Seeing their progress in the town and being able to be around the people of Qeysar made the patrol very rewarding, said Garcia.
“You get to interact with (the people of Qeysar),” said Garcia. “When my sister was deployed, she said one of the things she liked most about deployment was interacting with the kids, and I haven’t been able to do that until today because I’ve been in the truck the whole time. You get to see more. You get a different perspective of things.”
“All the locals, especially the kids, seemed like they were glad we were there,” said Spray. Battery A will continue to conduct patrols to see what else they can do for the people of Qeysar, said Rabacal. Spray and Garcia said that they look forward to doing more foot patrols and continuing their progress in the area.
“The more I get outside the wire, the happier I am,” said Spray. “(When we patrol people can) feel safe. They’ll know that they’re actually protected, that we’re here if it’s raining or not.”
