Guilderland native had key role in rebuilding war-torn nations

Sometimes, Major Edmund Luzine of the U.S. Army Reserves is amazed by the "sheer amount of money wasted" during the reign of Iraq's Saddam Hussein.

"He could have built the powerhouse country of the Middle East -- and he didn't," said the Guilderland native. "All this oil wealth, two major river systems running right through the middle of the country, land that has produced food for centuries. He really blew it."

Major Luzine's comments are based on first-hand knowledge. For the past two years, he has worked for the U.S. Army Civil Affairs Unit on reconstruction projects following the American military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.

As a civilian, he manages an investment partnership in Rensselaer; as an active reservist, he worked in Kuwait, Afghanistan, Qatar and Iraq, securing funds for the rehabilitation of institutions and infrastructure.

Called to duty

Ten years ago, Major Luzine was finishing up his education and owed eight years of service to the Army Reserve in exchange for sponsoring his college scholarship. He joined an intelligence unit in the early 1990s and then transferred into the New York City Civil Affairs Unit.

"And then 9/11 hit," he said. "I thought, 'The odds of me being asked to do something are 100 percent.'"

In early 2002, after the U.S. campaign in Afghanistan, he was on active duty in Kuwait.

Rebuilding a nation

In Afghanistan, the Civil Affairs teams worked from up to 14 locations around the country, taking stock of the damage and talking with local leaders about their needs.

Teams of engineers assessed damage to the hospitals, medical clinics, bridges, schools, roads and irrigation systems that was caused by battles between American allies and Taliban fighters, as well as properties neglected under Taliban rule.

In Kuwait, Major Luzine set up funding for the projects. Later, he continued that work from Afghanistan itself. Potential funding sources included Pentagon appropriations, other U.S. government funds, monies from allied and donor nations, private ventures, and non-governmental organizations.

Changes seen

In the two years since the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan, Major Luzine noted, "a large part of the educational system has been rebuilt" by American and Middle Eastern contractors. Schooling there now allows for secular education, and the inclusion of women and girls.

Another example of improvement, he said, is a major highway that runs around the perimeter of the country.

"Afghanistan is awesome -- a medieval country coming out of the Dark Ages," he said.

Stationed in Iraq

While stationed in Iraq, Major Luzine worked on similar projects before being transferred to a new position -- briefing a general in Baghdad on the reconstruction.

One of his largest undertakings was the overhaul of a looted food warehouse in Basra, in southern Iraq, where military rations were once issued by Saddam Hussein's government.

"At one time, Basra had this massive, wonderful port," he said. "Now, the rail network, warehouses, huge gantry cranes, the large dock -- all have been left alone. A dozen ships are sunk and sitting in the channel, clogging up the place."

Progress in Iraq

Despite the ongoing violence, Major Luzine said that he saw progress in Iraq:

* banned under Saddam, satellite dishes featuring both Middle Eastern and Western channels are the new "hot item" on Baghdad's streets;

* taxes on goods and services have been suspended to "facilitate the type of environment that will foster employment overall"; and

* 60 million new textbooks for Iraq's seven million students were printed in other Middle Eastern countries and shipped for redistribution in Iraqi schools.

More to do

More remains to be done, Major Luzine told The Evangelist, such as the rehabilitation of the oil pipeline system, improvements to irrigation systems, the overhaul of road and rail lines to Syria, and improvements to water treatment plants, sanitation systems, airports and the country's electricity grid.

"These things are not going to be repaired overnight," he said. "For people to expect us to do that is unrealistic. I hope there will be a renaissance. I hope there will be a growth that will generate something other than violence."

Major Luzine, who is a member of Christ the King parish in Westmere, said that "going to Mass with a gun is...interesting." He attended Mass in Qatar, Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq. In Baghdad, the Prayer of the Faithful often involved "prayers for the souls of lost comrades."

(12/11/03) [[In-content Ad]]