By Elaine Sanchez Brooke Army Medical Center
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, April 10,
2018 — An Iraqi humanitarian lauded as a national hero visited here March 26 to
learn how the U.S. military cares for its wounded and injured warriors and
their families.
Aliyah Khalaf Saleh, known as Umm Qusay in Iraq, toured
Brooke Army Medical Center’s Warrior and Family Support Center.
The Warrior and Family Support Center provides coordinated
services to patients, next of kin and extended family members.
As Umm Qusay walked through the center, she expressed her
admiration for its recreational rooms, playgrounds and lush gardens.
“I don’t have enough words to say about this place,” Umm
Qusay said through an interpreter as she settled in her chair, gathering her
black robes trimmed in gold around her. “I’ve never seen this in Iraq before. I
would love to help injured, sick, children who are sleeping in streets, widows
who have nothing.
‘I See Great Courage Here’
“I see such great courage here helping injured soldiers and
taking care of them, providing services,” she added. “I want to learn from you
because of everything being offered here.”
Umm Qusay’s devotion to others came at great cost. The 62
year old was born in the Iraqi province of Salah al-Din, near Tikrit. She was
not afforded the opportunity to attend school and was married at age 13.
In 2014, great tragedy struck her family, at the hands of
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria terrorists.
“ISIS killed my husband, son and my nephew in front of my
eyes,” Umm Qusay said. “They killed children, older people, women.”
On June 12, a group of Iraqi military cadets fleeing ISIS
arrived. Umm Qusay and her family watched as young Iraqi military cadets jumped
into the river to escape. Although still grief-stricken over the loss of her
family, she set her emotions aside and took action.
Taking Action to Rescue Others
Umm Qusay rescued 58 recruits over a period of five months.
She hid them, provided them with identification cards from the local university
to hide their identities, and helped prepare their escape routes, according to
her biography. She also taught the Shiites how to pray as Sunnis to prevent
exposure to ISIS operatives.
“Umm Qusay, a Sunni, believed strongly that each young boy
deserved her care whether Christian, Kurd, Turkmen, Yezidi, Sunni or Shiite,”
according to her biography.
For her actions. Umm Qusay was one of 10 women from around
the world honored with the 2018 Secretary of State’s International Women of
Courage award. Established in 2007, the award honors women “who have
exemplified exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for human rights,
women’s equality and social progress, often at great personal risk,” according
to the State Department’s website.
“It was difficult,” Umm Qusay said. “I sacrificed everything
I had, but I was able to save lives and that was the reason I was given this
honor by God’s grace.”
Caring for Wounded Iraqi Service Members
Four years later, Umm Qusay’s life is still devoted to
others; she cooks for Iraqi soldiers and visits with wounded service members.
When asked why she put her life on the line four years ago,
Umm Qusay said it all came down to family. “I saved 58 young men in order to
return them to their wives, their mothers, their homes,” she said.
“A human being no matter nationality or background --
American, Saudi, Iraqi, Afghanistan -- in all of these religions and human
beings, God created them; God put the breath of life in them,” she said, her
passion evident despite the language barrier. “Any person that wants courage
should trust God and go forward. If it’s to do good and serve others … go
forward without fear. So any good deed a person wants to do will be supported
and cared for by God.”
For Umm Qusay, courage is a simple concept.
“When asked for a robe for cover, give your robe. Courage is
generosity and generosity is courage,” she said.
“We are all created by God,” Umm Qusay said in her
biography. “We are all the same.”
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