Sneakers and armed searches

We recently stumbled upon an effective method for giving out shoes to locals. We went on patrol one afternoon intending to give out shoe in an open field where we often see children playing. Unfortunately, because of a mild sandstorm, the air was thick with dust and there were very few people out and about. Our Lieutenant called over the radio that we wouldn’t be handing out goodies today and would instead return to base. A sergeant in my truck jokingly said over the radio that we should do some vehicle searches and reward those who don’t have weapons with shoes. An idea was born.

Our job frequently calls for us to search both cars and individuals looking for weapons and/or explosives. Sometimes it can be a fairly benign event in which you calmly ask a driver to get out of his car, shake his hand, and swap small talk while another soldier searches the vehicle. Other times, at 3am after witnessing suspicious behavior, it can be a stressful situation involving lots of yelling and plenty of soldiers with raised weapons. Either way, the locals don’t much care for the intrusion or the inconvenience. But on this particular day that certainly wasn’t the case.

We stopped every vehicle that came our way. During the searches we were all business. We took our time, making sure that it was done safely and that the person didn’t pose a danger. Once the search was over LT had me run to one of the trucks and return with an armload of children’s shoes. You should have seen the reaction. It was like we had handed these people a gold brick or something. Faces that had been hardened and angry broke into giant grins as we handed over shoes for their kids.

Most of the time you leave a search knowing that, even though necessary, you just scared the bejesus out of an innocent person. There is a certain indignity in being treated with suspicion when you have done nothing wrong. Having to stand by as armed men go through your things while your friends and neighbors watch silently. This is a particularly brutal affront in a society where, for men, one’s pride is worth dying for. This isn’t something we feel good about, but we know that it is necessary. Most of the locals understand that we are just doing what it takes to protect both them and us. The nice thing about rewarding them with shoes and clothing is that it reinforces the fact that we do care about them and their families and appreciate their cooperation. Hopefully we’ll continue the practice.