Soldiers with the latest, most ver-satile protective gear it has tooffer.

From head-to-toe, the brigadecombat fielded 27 different itemssuch as the Advanced CombatHelmet to the new mountain com-bat boots.

One item that is vital to theSoldier is the Soldier Plate CarrierSystem (SPCS), which providesgreater protection to the Soldier.

The SPCS is a lightweight vestthat provides ballistic protectionequal to or greater than that of theImproved Outer Tactical Vest thatis currently used in Iraq, whilereducing the Soldier’s load,enhancing comfort, and optimiz-ing mobility.

It has a unique feature thatincorporates a quick-release sys-tem for removing the armor platesto tend to Soldiers wounds orother rapid response situations.

“It’s impressive,” said Spc.Andrew McElmeel, a resident ofIowa City, Iowa. “It’s just awe-some how all this can just fallapart for a quick escape. It’sincredible to see all the engineer-ing that goes into this.”

“We’re giving the Soldierseverything they need,” saidMaster Sgt. Cedrick Harris, whoworks for the PEO SoldierProtection and IndividualEquipment section of PEO

Soldier. “They can tailor their out-fit to the mission they’re going outon.”

Among the new, more ruggeditems in the Soldiers fielding exer-cise are the mountain combatboots.

With numerous requests fromAfghanistan for tougher boots, theArmy provided Soldiers withDanner mountain hiking boots.These boots provide better anklesupport and have a tougher solethan the standard combat boot.

“We think the mountain boot isgoing to pass everyone’s expecta-tions,” said Maj. John Bryan,assistant product manager of ColdWeather Clothing Systems. “Thenew boot design which sports ahigher heel than the current com-bat boots being worn, allowsSoldiers to maintain better footingwhile taking on Afghanistan’s ter-rain.”

Tougher pants were on invento-ry for the Soldiers.

After seven years of combat, theArmy has developed pants thatdon’t rip out the bottoms whenSoldiers might have to slide downa hill.

“Among the small changes theyhave added buttons to the cargopocket,” said Harris. He said thatthe change came from complaintsfrom Soldiers that the Velcro onthe Army Combat Uniform tendsto wear out on the cargo pocket.

Mountain gear such as the medi-um rucksack was offered to theSoldiers.

An Army pack of about 3400cubic inches with a load capacityof about 60 pounds can now beused during missions. Soldierscomplained that the small ruck-sack was too small and the largerrucksack was too large for a 24 to72 hour mission.

“When you stop makingchanges, that’s when you run therisk of being outdated,” saidPreston. “I think it’s phenomenal

what we’re doing in a short periodof time.”

In November, the Army plans tofield units that are already servingin Afghanistan with the newequipment.

However, only units with 120days or more remaining inAfghanistan will receive it. Thissystem will allow the Army toequip the highest number ofSoldiers in the shortest amount of

time to have all Soldiers outfittedin the gear.

The 2nd BCT 34th InfantryDivision will spend nearly amonth and a half at Camp ShelbyJoint Forces Training Center fortheir mobilization training beforedeploying to Afghanistan in sup-port of the Overseas ContingencyOperation.

They are expected to deploy forapproximately one year.

THREADSContinued from Page 1

August 19, 2010 Page 3REVEILLE (CS)

Sgt. Scott Tynes/Camp Shelby Public AffairsSOLDIER FEEDBACK... Sergeant Major of the Army Kenneth Preston, right, and Command Sgt. Maj. Steve Waymon, ofthe 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division of the Iowa Army National Guard, receive input on the new OperationEnduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern uniform from Staff Sgt. William Haley, left, of the 2/34th, at a round table discussionof the uniform at Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center.

Sgt. Scott Tynes/Camp Shelby Public AffairsNEW THREADS... Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division of the Iowa ArmyNational Guard inspect the new Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern uniform during RapidFielding Initiative issue at Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center Aug. 10. The unit is the first of itssize in the Army, and the first unit in the National Guard, to receive the new equipment designed exclu-sively for use in Afghanistan.

By 1ST LT. TINA PENICK3-346th Regiment Public Affairs

The first nine years of Sgt.Salim’s life was spent in sheltersand underground bunkers trying toevade the fighting between thePalestinians, Phalangists, Syriansand Israelis in Lebanon.

Born in the midst of theLebanese Civil War, he knows theconsequences of war betweenclashing ideals all too well.

The Lebanese Civil War wasignited in Beirut on April 13, 1975,when gunmen killed fourPhalangists during an assassinationattempt on Pierre Jumayyil, thefounder of the Phalange Party.

It was presumed that his assassi-nation was carried out by thePalestinians, and the Phalangistsretaliated, killing 26 occupants of abus passing through a Christianneighborhood.

Fighting ensued and finally, inOctober 1976 a formal end to theLebanese Civil War occurred fol-lowing the Riyadh Conference.Despite the end of full-scale war-

fare, underlying tensions continuedto plague the region.

Due to those tensions, Salim leftLebanon for a new life in theUnited States in December 1998.

“The situation in Lebanon washectic,” he said. “There were nojobs, no money and chaos ruled allindustries.”

The political corruption infestedevery aspect of civilian life, he said.

Salim, who recently demobilizedfrom the 3rd Battalion 346thRegiment, 177th Armored Brigade,knew a better life existed for him.

“I could not accept being con-trolled and ruled by unjust and bar-baric rulers,” Salim said.

Acquiring a Visa would requiretraveling to Syria, so he packed hisbags and started his journey. Twoweeks later he arrived in NewJersey and remembers standing inthe airport in awe as if he were in amovie.

“Initially, I lived in a car garagefor about six months,” he recount-ed.

He worked at a restaurant to saveup money in hopes of moving to

Massachusetts to be closer to hissister.

His hopes came true after Salimmoved to Taunton, Mass., wherehe’d be near his sister and his newlife would begin.

His journey was not withoutchallenges and he arrived inthe U.S. without the abilityto speak English.

But Salim pressed on,determined to leavebehind the oppression heleft in Lebanon. Heimproved his Englishby attending Coyleand Cassidy HighSchool in Taunton,and in six months,graduated withthe senior class,holding honors in calculus and psy-chology. He learned to speakEnglish fluently and, surprisingly,eliminated all traces of his accent.

“To be a part of what I consid-ered a perfect American society,losing my Lebanese accent waspart of my complete immersion inthe American culture that I admired

all my life,” Salim stated proudly.Following high school, Salim

joined the Army as a linguist andcultural advisor and was deployed

to Iraq within twoweeks.

While deployed, hewas responsible forfacilitating the com-munication process

and translating for theprisoners of Saddam’s

former regime. From there, he worked

with a support group in the vil-lages interpreting for interroga-

tors and worked with a detaineetransport team flying on a dailybasis to Baghdad.

“It was a long dream of mine tojoin the Army – to be part of some-thing bigger than myself,” he said.“I want to make a difference in theworld and in my kids’ lives.”

Salim was mobilized at CampShelby following his deploymentand taught mobilized SoldiersArabic and Pashto.

When he joined the ArmyReserve, he said it was the best

option at the time. Being aReservist was a balance betweencivilian and military lifestyles.

Now, when asked about hiscareer, his answer is completelydifferent.

“My job helps train Soldiers tobridge the gap between two cul-tures,” he said. “I am in the busi-ness of helping Soldiers understandthe language, culture, social habitsand psychology of the enemy andfriendly troops in the area of opera-tions.”

He is proud to help, bringing twoclashing cultures together to findcommon ground to live peacefully.

Salim continues to support hisfellow service members when notmobilized. He volunteers as anambassador for Freedom TeamSalute.

“It was great to honor veteransand Family members of troops thatserved overseas,” he said about theexperience.

Ever the peacemaker, Salimhopes to run for public office toclose the gap of misunderstandingbetween societies.

Army linguist, Lebanon native connects cultures