Special Reports

BASRA, Iraq (WCCO) ― WCCO-TV anchor Don Shelby, along with photojournalist Tom Aviles, is embedded with the 34th Infantry Division from the Minnesota National Guard known as the Red Bulls.

The Red Bulls are in control of the southern half of Iraq and tasked with the responsibility of making sure Iraq's new army can hold the peace. But, just as important, to help the Iraqi people.

Improvised Explosive Devices, the delay IEDs of this war and Afghanistan, are much less of a problem today than a year ago. However, every convoy Shelby and Aviles joined, they were told how many IEDs have exploded recently near that route. Thus, Shelby and Aviles are required to wear heavily armored flack vests and Kevlar helmets.

On Monday, they headed into the city of Basra, the country's second largest city. Once known as the Venice of the East, the ravages of war have taken a toll. Basra also suffered under Saddam Hussein who deprived the city's Shia population.

But this visit to Basra is part of the Minnesota National Guard's mission. The 34th Red Bulls Chief Surgeon wants to help the medical school here. Col. Michael Rath is a Minnesota doctor who has served 27 months away from home in the last four years.

While infantry troops guard against attack outside, Rath moves inside an old lecture hall at the medical school. Half the students are women. One of them tells him:

"I'm not coming from that I want to leave my country or to leave my people behind. It's just I want to be better, to improve the lifestyle they have," said the young woman.

Rath said the University of Minnesota can help these medical students by sending doctors here to teach.

"We have buy-in from the regents before we ever went on this tour, as the division headquarters. And my contacts with Dr. Beilman, who's the professor of surgery at the University of Minnesota, have been nothing but positive. The university has been proceeding systematically," he said.

The Iraqi medical school could use the help. The eager future doctors in this lecture hall are being tempted away from their country. Iraqi Dr. Derham Alzebaildy calls it a "brain drain."

"When you build a pyramid you start from the base, and that's the base of Iraq. It's the humans, the brains they have, the willing and the knowledge they want to acquire through interfacing with their colleagues from overseas," said Alzebaildy.

The meeting over, the promise of hope pledged by Minnesotans to Iraqis complete, the team is hustled back into the Humvees for the uncertain ride home. The drivers hate to stop because attacks are common when that happens, but Rath wants to see what the Iraqi's themselves have accomplished -- the building of a new medical school.

If the Colonel has his way, Minnesotans will stand side by side with Iraqi physicians teaching the new generation of physicians.

"Inshalla," said Alzebaildy.

It means, "God willing."

The mission of the Minnesota-based Red Bulls of the 34th Infantry Division has a multifaceted mission. And these soldiers, from the commanding 2-star General to the enlisted men and women, are our neighbors. They are citizen soldiers, with families and careers and communities they must leave behind when duty calls.

In 26 months, the U.S. troops pull out and our Minnesota neighbors will come home safe until duty calls them again.

As they say, "Inshallah."

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