Reconstructivist Published May 25, 2007 By Senior Master Sgt. Sandi Michon 439th Airlift Wing Public Affairs WESTOVER AIR RESERVE BASE, Mass. -- Col. Paul T. Babin Jr. brings his concern for the Iraqi people directly to the heart of Baghdad. As a Facility Sector Lead, Gulf Region deployed to Baghdad since early February, the former 439th Civil Engineering Squadron commander works directly with 13 different Iraqi Ministries to build or repair badly-needed resources throughout Iraq. Gen. David Petraeus, commander of coalition forces, appointed the colonel to be the liaison officer for the Ministry of Construction and Housing. In the past two years, Colonel Babin's section has built 142 clinics, 811 schools, renovated 20 hospitals and 98 railway stations, repaired bombed bridges and roads, built security and police structures, and upgraded deteriorating utilities. They have also built prisons and are nearly done with a consolidated "Rule of Law" facility for courts, a police academy, witness protection and a place to hold prisoners and process detainees. "It's hard to explain if you're not here, but these people need help," he said. "It's encouraging to see progress." All the accomplishments come with a cost beyond the $2.2 billion Iraqi Reconstruction Relief Fund. Duty days run 12 to 14 hours, seven days a week with occasional Friday mornings off. Temperatures hover around 100 degrees each day - not counting the added layers of body armor. Living quarters are two to a flatbed-trailer "conex box" - the width spans his outstretched arms. The 27-year military veteran battled a bad cold and sounded understandably tired during the Sunday interview in early May at 10 p.m., his time. There is the inevitable danger of working in a war zone. Most projects are "outside the wire" meaning they are not in securelyprotected zones. "If you start getting too comfortable, something happens to remind you of the danger," he said. "A couple of weeks ago, insurgents blew up a clinic that was almost done. All that was left was a pile of rubble," he said, adding that four others had been bombed around the country. "It feels pretty crappy. But, when a clinic opens and 300 people show up at a clinic designed for 100, it motivates you to keep working hard. "You know the risks. You can't be afraid or you wouldn't be able to do your job." Doing the job is no simple task considering the complexity of the cast. The Air Force colonel works under the Army Corps of Engineers (with Navy and Marines), with the Iraqi government and multinational coalitions. He supervises a sector with 60 people who supervise thousands below them. "You have to build relationships before getting any business done. Trust is important," he said. "It takes time to learn customs, diplomacy and protocol - and working through the chains of command." According to the colonel, the last five percent of projects are the most difficult. The new facilities are staffed entirely by Iraqis, so the finishing touches are staffing, equipment delivery and training. He said the Iraqi Ministry of Health is very grateful for the new clinics. A highly-anticipated health facility is the Basra Children's Hospital in southern Iraq which will provide cancer research, teaching, and treatment to an area with one of the highest cancer mortality rates in children. Colonel Babin spoke of his own son Gregory whose eighth birthday he missed in April. His absence was also poignant for his wife, Master Sgt. Kimberly Babin because it was their anniversary too. As Family Readiness NCOIC, Sergeant Babin has long been helping Westover's military families cope with deployments. Now, she intimately understands the challenges as she and their children try to bridge distance and time. Her husband previously served a four-month deployment to Florida, but the Iraq trip has unique challenges. During a phone conversation a few days in-country, an alarm sounded and he ran out in full battle gear, ending the conversation. "Oh, my God! He just got there!" said Sergeant Babin staring at the silent phone. Everything was okay, but she and her kids don't watch the news and that helps them cope with Dad's danger. Colonel Babin hopes to be home by the end of summer to his role as Individual Mobilization Augmentee with the 439th Mission Support Group. As he counts down his time left in Bagdad, he also works to minimize the U.S. role in Iraq. "Over half our staff is now Iraqi nationals and we are morphing into increased funding and project execution from the Iraqi people," he said. The civilian electrical engineer began his Iraqi tour as a last-minute substitute for an active-duty officer, but working with the Iraqis has given the colonel one clear objective: to help them to be successful. "We've got a million things going on, but our one goal is to help the Iraqi people to do it on their own."