IraqihumanitarianeffortsearnmemberBronzeStarMedal
By DEBORAH A. MILES werecapturedattemptingtogainaccessto
PEFmemberMichaelDrzonscwasnot theOceanCliff’scomplexwhichhoused
athisjobinAlbanyJune2008toMarch Drzonsc’scenter.
2009asaseniorinvestigatorforthestate “WedroveinGMCvehicleswitharmor
DepartmentofMotorVehicles.Instead,he platingforprotectionagainstroad-side
wasworkingasthedirectorfortheNational bombsandsmall-armsfire,”Drzonscsaid.
IraqiAssistanceCenterinBaghdad,Iraq. “OurofficewaslocatednexttotheIraqi
ANavyReservecommander,Drzonsc Parliament,andattheveryendofthe
earnedaBronzeStarMedalforproviding greenzone—aprotectiveareawithaccess
humanitarianaidandguidancetoIraqi toIraqipeopleworkingfortheU.S.
civilians.Hewascalledbacktoactiveduty, government.
justpriortohisretirement,toleadthe “Mycomplexwasactuallyaconverted
assistancecenteroperatedbytheArmy’s
304thCivilAffairsBrigade.
PHOTOOP—GeneralDavid
parkinggarage,andallourofficeswere
“Iwasveryhonoredandsurprisedto
PetraeuscongratulatesCommander
trailersplacedinsidethegarage.Itwas
receivethemedal,”Drzonscsaid.“Ialways
MichaelDrzonscforhiseffortsin
fairlywellfortifiedwithconcrete.Wewerea
assumeditwasgivenwhenyousaved
leadingtheNationalIraqi
thousandyardsfromtheredzone,or
someone’slifeunderdirectfire.”
AssistanceCenterinBaghdad.
unprotectedarea.Wehadsecurity.Itwas
likeanintelligencegroupthatwoulddo
Drzonsc,a29-yearreservist,actually supportedandthat’sagreatthing biometricsandotherformsofbackground
savedalotoflivesbygivinghopeand tosee,”Drzonscsaid. checksonthesepeoplebeforetheywould
directionbacktothelocalpeople.He Thecommandersaidhewasimpressed issueanaccessbadge.Oftenterrorists
providedtheguidanceneededfromhis withDMVCommissionerDavidSwartswho wouldtrytogetinusingdifferent
stafftowintheheartsandmindsofmore calledtowishhimwellbeforehis identifications.Duringtheprocess,they
than7,000Iraqicitizenswhovisitedthe deployment,thecarepackagesfromhisco- wouldbecaught.Somecaptureswere
assistancecenterduringhisOperation workers,andtheinvaluableassistance peaceful,othersresisted.
IraqiFreedomcommand. fromDMVDirectorofPersonnelTina “Afterawhileyougotusedtoit.It
Heledadiversifiedteamof26Iraqi Zandriandherstaff. happenedonalmostadailybasis.”
nationals,fivebi-lingual/bi-cultural “I’malsogratefulforthebenefitsfor Drzonscsaidhiscomplexalsohoused
advisorsandthreecoalitionforcemembers. militarypersonnelnegotiatedbyPEFinthe theCombinedPressInformationCenter
Despiteseverereductionsinfundingand PS&TAgreement,”hesaid. (CPIC).VIPssuchasGeneralDavid
manpower,theteamhelpedthelocalswith PetraeusandformerU.S.SecretaryofState
training,employmentplacement,locator Lifeneartheredzone CondoleezzaRicewouldholdpress
assistanceofdetaineesforfamilies,claims TheBronzeStarMedalisaccompanied conferencesattheCPIC.
andcompensationfordamagescausedby byanarrative.ItstatedDrzonscdisplayed “Securitywasamajorthing,”Drzonsc
U.S.forces,andmedicalassistancefor theleadershiptomaintainahighlevelof said.
Iraqichildren. moraleandsafetyattheassistancecenter ButforthisNavycommander,thebest
Drzonsc’seffortswereakeyfactorinthe whileexposedtoconstantterroristthreats securityisbeingbackhomewithhisfamily
BaghdadEyeBankwhichwillgreatly tohisIraqistafffromsuicidebombers’ andfriends,andbackonthejobatDMV.
enhancetheIraqihealthcaresystem.Itwill attacks.Morethan50knownterrorists
providefreecorneatransplantsto
hundredsofIraqicitizenswithprojected
careworthmillionsofdollarsoverthenext
10years.
“Idealtwiththepublicquiteabitona
dailybasis,”Drzonscsaid.“Theywereall
lookingforhelp.Theywantedustobe
there.Theywereafraidofgoingbacktothe
oldsystem.Thereisstillalotofcorruption
intheirgovernmentsystem.It’sgradually
beingweededout,butit’shardtogetthe
corruptionoutquickly.”
Supportmeanseverything
“OneofthebiggestthingsIrecallisthe
hugeamountofsupportfrommyfamily,
friendsandtheAmericanpeople.During
theVietnamera,themilitaryreceivedalot
ofdisrespect.It’s180degreesoutfromthe
wayitisnow.TheAmericanpeopleare IRAQIASSISTANCECENTER—CommanderMichaelDrzonscposeswithanIraqi
puttingasidetheirviewsonwhyweare family. Shireen,thechildinthestretcher,sufferedburnsover50percentofherbody
thereorwhetherweshouldbethereornot. fromanaccidentalin-homekerosenefire.Thecenterarrangedtravelandtreatmentfor
Youhavesailors,soldiersandairmenthat heratBoston’sShriner’sHospital.Twoweeksafterthephotowastaken,herfather,an
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15
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