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Mission in Iraq
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| H&N photo by Andrew Mariman The Bunch family from left, Mary Liz, Ali, 14, Faison, 12, Pierce, 10, and Dan sit talk in the family’s Klamath Falls home talking about Dan’s upcoming assignment in Iraq. Bunch will spend a brief training period at Fort Dix in New Jersey before his a six-month mission in the Middle East. |
May 13, 2007
Dan Bunch had the feeling he needed to check his e-mail.
The 42-year-old from Klamath Falls was in San Francisco in late March with his wife, Mary Liz Bunch and their three children after a trip to Hawaii.
Unable to get any of the hotel Internet kiosks to access his account, he approached a bellhop using a computer and asked if he could use it to check his e-mail. Permission granted, he opened his account and saw the e-mail congratulating him on his assignment to Iraq.
“I didn't tell Mary Liz so we could enjoy our vacation,” he said.
Dan left Thursday for Fort Dix in New Jersey for training before departing for a six-month nation-building mission in Iraq.
As legal counsel to the Klamath County Board of Commissioners and a judge advocate general, or JAG, with the Oregon Air Guard unit at Kingsley Field, he could have declined the mission, but its importance and his sense of duty led him to accept the post.
Dan said on the mission, he would work with about 15 other JAGS to begin establishing a civil justice system in Iraq. He could not talk about specific details.
The mission is a high priority item as conflicts between Sunni and Shiite Muslims can lead Iraqis to not trust law enforcement and judges. It's also one that no one has attempted yet, as the official military orders indicate that Dan and those working with him will be the first team to do so.
Military officials had difficulty recruiting personnel for the mission, more out of a scarcity of qualified individuals than anyone's refusal to go, Dan said. Only the most senior JAGS and those with similar designations in the Air Guard were considered and not many are available.
Dan said he knew he was being considered, and when he received notice of the mission, he realized he had two choices: accept or resign his commission. To be offered a mission and not go would defeat the purpose of his military service.
“It was apparent to me that there was a genuine need,” he said.
That's not to say Dan didn't consider what he would leave behind with his decision. County commissioners granted him a leave of absence, and former county counsel and Air Force pilot Rod Davis will serve as a temporary part-time replacement.
The Bunch family also is supportive.
Yet the three Bunch children admitted feeling sad and perhaps some anger when they heard about the mission.
Ali, 14, said her father told her the news before she left for school one day, and she thought about it all day.
Ultimately, Faison, 12, said his sadness was balanced by pride in what his father was leaving to do. His siblings agreed. And the seriousness of the affair didn't stop them from asking for a favor or two while their father was away.
“Actually, his first question was whether I could bring an M-16 home,” Dan said, referring to son Pierce, age 10.
Dan said he was excited for his mission to begin and to see the activity in Iraq first hand. He expected to see both good and bad things happening in the Middle Eastern nation and said it would likely be a sobering experience.
Both Dan and Mary Liz have done their best to preserve normalcy in the family's life by not turning the deployment into a major event.
They saw the movie “Spiderman 3” two days before Dan left for Fort Dix, and they will get to spend the Memorial Day weekend with their dad at Union Creek for a few days.
- Ty Beaver
Dan Bunch had the feeling he needed to check his e-mail.
The 42-year-old from Klamath Falls was in San Francisco in late March with his wife, Mary Liz Bunch and their three children after a trip to Hawaii.
Unable to get any of the hotel Internet kiosks to access his account, he approached a bellhop using a computer and asked if he could use it to check his e-mail. Permission granted, he opened his account and saw the e-mail congratulating him on his assignment to Iraq.
“I didn't tell Mary Liz so we could enjoy our vacation,” he said.
Dan left Thursday for Fort Dix in New Jersey for training before departing for a six-month nation-building mission in Iraq.
As legal counsel to the Klamath County Board of Commissioners and a judge advocate general, or JAG, with the Oregon Air Guard unit at Kingsley Field, he could have declined the mission, but its importance and his sense of duty led him to accept the post.
Dan said on the mission, he would work with about 15 other JAGS to begin establishing a civil justice system in Iraq. He could not talk about specific details.
The mission is a high priority item as conflicts between Sunni and Shiite Muslims can lead Iraqis to not trust law enforcement and judges. It's also one that no one has attempted yet, as the official military orders indicate that Dan and those working with him will be the first team to do so.
Military officials had difficulty recruiting personnel for the mission, more out of a scarcity of qualified individuals than anyone's refusal to go, Dan said. Only the most senior JAGS and those with similar designations in the Air Guard were considered and not many are available.
Dan said he knew he was being considered, and when he received notice of the mission, he realized he had two choices: accept or resign his commission. To be offered a mission and not go would defeat the purpose of his military service.
“It was apparent to me that there was a genuine need,” he said.
That's not to say Dan didn't consider what he would leave behind with his decision. County commissioners granted him a leave of absence, and former county counsel and Air Force pilot Rod Davis will serve as a temporary part-time replacement.
The Bunch family also is supportive.
Yet the three Bunch children admitted feeling sad and perhaps some anger when they heard about the mission.
Ali, 14, said her father told her the news before she left for school one day, and she thought about it all day.
Ultimately, Faison, 12, said his sadness was balanced by pride in what his father was leaving to do. His siblings agreed. And the seriousness of the affair didn't stop them from asking for a favor or two while their father was away.
“Actually, his first question was whether I could bring an M-16 home,” Dan said, referring to son Pierce, age 10.
Dan said he was excited for his mission to begin and to see the activity in Iraq first hand. He expected to see both good and bad things happening in the Middle Eastern nation and said it would likely be a sobering experience.
Both Dan and Mary Liz have done their best to preserve normalcy in the family's life by not turning the deployment into a major event.
They saw the movie “Spiderman 3” two days before Dan left for Fort Dix, and they will get to spend the Memorial Day weekend with their dad at Union Creek for a few days.
- Ty Beaver
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Stephanie Patterson Southwell wrote on Oct 4, 2008 6:19 PM:
" I came across this article and find it very interesting. My grandad was the "Southwell" in Southwell & Stilwell :) My dad and uncles were raised in Klamath Falls until they moved to the Portland area. "
Margaret wrote on Apr 29, 2008 11:19 AM:
" It appears the two negative reader comments are associated with the wrong article, as they do not seem to relate. It's unfortunate they are appearing after reading such a nice article about this concert. "
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