Feb 3, 2004

San Jose Army reservist back in Iraq

By Carol Rosen
Editor

When Kurt Brader, a captain in the Army Reserve’s 381st Military Police Detachment, is not on active duty he spends part of his time working at Hilltop Manor in Willow Glen. He spends the rest of his time doing freelance writing and research or confirming research that others already have done.

However, since last April, Brader has spent most of his time in Iraq. He prepared for his deployment last February and March at Fort Lewis Washington, where the Army holds extra training for missions going overseas.

“My first deployment was in Iraq and I was there from April 18, 2003 until Jan.5. I came home for a couple of weeks and on Jan. 23 I will return to Kuwait and on to Iraq on Feb. 1,” he said. Brader joined the Army Reserves in May of 1987 after he’d finished junior college. He plans to continue serving his country for at least five more years.

Brader’s unit is part of the Military Police. That includes medicine and logistical issues such as engineering missions, transportation missions and accessing supplies. “Our work includes transporting people by helicopter and air, organizing engineering missions to make roads and smoothing obstacles.”

On his first trip to Iraq, he was stationed at Camp Ashraf, about 50 miles from the Iranian border where he and his fellow soldiers were processing an international group of displaced persons. It’s a 25-square mile complex containing nearly 4,000 displaced people. He also assisted his major who runs logistics for the camp.

Upon his return to Iraq, he will likely be stationed in Baghdad at Abu Gheryb a notorious prison. “I’ll be leaving Iraq for Kuwait at the end of March. Then I spend two weeks in Kuwait before I return to Ft. Lewis, Wash. and back to California in early May,” Brader said. He will return to his job at Hilltop Manor by the second week of May.

“I try to help out the Iraqi people as much as I can. There were about 200 people in the village near Camp Ashraf. They have no running water. But we’ve brought in portable generators and are trying to work on satellite dishes. I’ve met about 200 Iraqis, they are all positive and constructive. They want a better future and are definitely opportunistic. They also are cooperative and hoping for a better future.”

Brader isn’t too worried about the terrorists. “At Camp Ashraf there was virtually no [terrorist] activity. Most of that is near Baghdad, which gets more attention. You have to be mindful that the terrorists don’t deter our missions. We have to patrol and we have to be disciplined. There are a lot of international terrorists coming in. Part of everyday, we hear information about injuries and death, but it doesn’t alter our behavior.”

In the larger cities, he added, the Iraqi people are positive and constructive. There are gas lines, four to five blocks long, he said, but the children appear to be just like American children, and they are back in school.
His job at Hilltop Manor is being kept open for him. The food service technician helps prepare and serve food at Hilltop Manor. Sometimes he even delivers to people’s apartments, as part of his part time job and he really enjoys it.

“I love my job,” said Brader. “Hilltop Manor is like a community within itself. I know a majority of the people there and there’s a great camaraderie where we share jokes, stories and friendship. The community has been really great sending me letters, packages and emails.”

If you’d like to communicate with Brader, contact him at kurt.a.brader@us.army.mil. He will be glad to hear from you.