FORT SILL, Okla., March 30, 2017 -- The International Student Division (ISD) hosted a "Passport to the World" event at Fort Sill's Patriot Club, March 23, showcasing service members from 28 countries training in field artillery and air defense artillery here.
Brenda Moore, ISD field studies program manager, said, "The students love talking about their countries. They're proud of where they come from."
Most are attending the Captains Career Course (CCC), Basic Officer Leader Course, or the NCO Academy, but some are being trained on specific weapons systems purchased by their countries.
Nasser Abdulla al-Zaini, who holds the rank equivalent to chief warrant officer, is learning to use the Patriot surface-to-air missile system his country, Qatar, has purchased.
Diogo Luiz Andrade of Brazil had three stars on his epaulet, so it was natural to assume he might be a general. He laughed. "I'm a captain." He was here for the CCC with his wife, Miriam and their daughter, Celina, 17 months old. Their table had a plate of chocolate candies called brigadeiro, which is also the name for a brigade commander, said Andrade.
1st Lt. Goran Vukovic of Croatia said he wanted to broaden his military training in America so he could learn English and immerse himself in the culture here.
"I want to learn, what do you eat? What do you do for fun?" He said in many respects, their two cultures are similar. "If we are single, we want to hang out with girls," he said, smiling.
He pointed to the display he made with photos of Croatia.
"We are proud of our football (soccer) team," he said.
Most of the display boards featured favorite national foods. Vukovic pointed to the kulen pork sausage he said was delicious. His teammate, 1st Lt. Helena Podrug, agreed. She said it takes months to smoke and cure.
The Saudi Arabian soldiers offered a light roast coffee spiced with cardamom and saffron, an exotic flavor more akin to tea than what Americans see as coffee.
They also offered visitors sweet palm dates.
Moore said many Lawtonians volunteer as sponsors to help the international students navigate American culture and iron out problems. They share holidays and special trips with the students as well, many of whom rent homes off-post.
Students in the CCC visit Washington, D.C., to see government at work, said Moore, and also visit the Comanche County Courthouse to watch an arraignment. Afterward the judge explains to the students the procedures so they learn about the judicial system here. They also do volunteer work at a local food bank as part of their cultural immersion.
Most of the international students take classes side-by-side with their American counterparts. Capt. Ellyn Grosz (an American) said about half the students in her air defense artillery CCC course are international. Her last name is the same as that of a Polish coin, and she said the Polish students frequently give her pennies to tease her.
"The international students offer a dynamic, eye-opening experience," she said. "Most here are unaccompanied, and two or three have their wives here. You become their support network. They are like family, and we've bonded more than in some other classes because of that. I didn't anticipate how deep those bonds would become."
Anyone interested in learning more about sponsoring foreign soldiers, should call Moore at 580-442-3554.
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