Published: July 10, 2007
Hawaii-based Soldiers maintain community ties with its "Kamali'i"
by Spc. Mike Alberts
Carl the Camel spends the day traveling through the 325th Brigade Support Battalion's headquarters as well as its distribution, maintenance and medical companies. During his trip, Carl is filmed sipping milk, running on a treadmill, lifting weights, driving a Humvee, handing out candy and flying in a medical evacuation helicopter in the battalion's video for their adopted elementary school on Oahu, Hawaii, Wahiawa Elementary School.
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Carl the Camel starts his day exercising and eating breakfast to stay fit and healthy. Carl and a mechanic then perform safety checks on their vehicle before delivering candy to Iraqi children. Later, Carl visits a doctor at the brigade health clinic, flies in a helicopter and helps install a cab on a heavy equipment transport truck.
So who's Carl the Camel?
Carl's the two-foot stuffed animal who Soldiers of the 325th Brigade Support Battalion bring to life to tell their story to the "kamali'i" of their adopted elementary school on Oahu, Hawaii. One day with Carl and the children of Wahiawa Elementary School have an understanding of the primary support functions of the 325th BSB "Mustangs" of the 25th Infantry Division's 3rd Brigade.
"We wanted to bring deployment home to our families and home to the children of our adopted school," explained Lt. Col. James D. Hess, battalion commander, 325th Brigade Support Battalion. Hess' unit provides flexible and responsive combat service support and combat health support to the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team and establishes support operations to sustain all elements throughout the brigade's area of operation.
After Hess took command of the Mustangs about two years ago his battalion resumed a relationship with Wahiawa Elementary School. Since then, he and his Soldiers have engaged in several outreach projects with the school to include, among other things, basic facility improvements and reading programs.
Carl the Camel spends the day traveling through the 325th Brigade Support Battalion's headquarters as well as its distribution, maintenance and medical companies. During his trip, Carl is filmed sipping milk, running on a treadmill, lifting weights, driving a Humvee, handing out candy and flying in a medical evacuation helicopter in the battalion's video for their adopted elementary school on Oahu, Hawaii, Wahiawa Elementary School.
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Then the unit deployed to Iraq. Hess refused to put the relationship on hold, however, simply because his Soldiers were not physically present on the Island.
"We wanted to figure out a way to explain to the children our mission here in Iraq and the different things this battalion does to support third brigade," said Hess. "So I bought the stuffed animal and named it Carl. We developed a story line and ultimately produced a great 15 minute video of adventure." The Soldier tasked to bring the concept to reality was Capt. Thomas Taylor.
"Basically, we wanted [to show] everyone what it is we do out here," said Taylor, communications officer, 325th BSB. "The biggest challenge was figuring out how to make [Carl] come to life; How to make the camel seem real," he said. "We only had one camera and needed to figure out the different angles for the different scenes in the video."
Taylor edited and planned the story. His Soldiers, Staff Sgt. Jess Pajela and Sgt. Teddy Solomon, were charged with directing and writing it.
"I directed the video, did the filming and handled the special effects," said Staff Sgt. Jess Pajela, communications noncommissioned officer-in-charge, 325th BSB. "On paper, it's kinda boring for kids," admitted Pajela. "The hardest part was showing the Camel doing active things."
In the video, Carl travels through the battalion's headquarters as well as its distribution, maintenance and medical companies. During his trip, Carl is filmed sipping milk, running on a treadmill, lifting weights, driving a Humvee, handing out candy and flying in a medical evacuation helicopter.
"The whole project took about two months," said Pajela. "But it was important. I think the media shows a lot of negative things that happen here in Iraq so I loved the idea of us depicting something positive about the war." Pajela's Soldier and collaborator agreed.
"This project was important to me," said Sgt. Teddy Solomon, communications, 325th BSB. Solomon wrote the script.
"Kids are easily influenced especially by television," said Solomon. "Seeing something that is positive from Soldiers in their community is a good thing and lets us give something back to them," he said. "They've sent us letters and things. This was our little way of saying, 'We're thinking about you too.'"
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