Gen. Cone says goodbye to Iraqi friends
June 11th, 2007, 6:42 pm · Post a Comment · posted by Aaron
What didn’t make the front page
On Friday, Brig. Gen. Robert Cone tromped around the box on last time to say goodbye to the Iraqi-American men and women who live in Fort Irwin’s simulated Iraqi villages. They were added to the Fort Irwin’s training regiment under Cone’s watch to further increase the realism. They speak Arabic, cook authentic food and carry out their days much like they would in Iraq.
Cone has repeatedly called them true patriots for their sacrifice in the box. The living quarters are a far stretch from comfortable, and many leave their families behind when they do a stint in the desert.
John Wagstaffe, the public information officer at Fort Irwin, said every single Iraqi-American wanted a photo with Cone when he met with them.
When President George Bush visited Fort Irwin in April, Cone made sure some of the actors and actresses met the Commander in Chief. Bassam “Sam” Kalasho, who plays the deputy mayor of the fictional town of Wasl, said meeting Bush was “a dream come true.” Before the president landed, Kalasho said he planned to walk the president through the village and explain how he helps people learn about the Iraqi culture and language.
Cone relinquished command of Fort Irwin and the National Training Center on Monday morning. He will take over command of the Combined Security Transition Command in Kabul, Afghanistan, at the end of June. He will oversee the training of Afghan police and security forces.
Cone’s replacement, Gen. Dana Pittard, will assume command at Fort Irwin in August. Pittard is currently commanding troops in Iraq.
Cannons fire in honor of Gen. Robert Cone who relinquished command of Fort Irwin on Monday.
— Aaron Aupperlee, staff writer
