Baghdad is the capital of the Republic of Iraq and boasts a population of 7.2 million people. The city has faced turmoil since the American withdrawal in 2011 and before.
In 1990, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion and occupation of neighboring Kuwait. Operation Desert Storm commenced in January of 1991. Iraqi forces in Kuwait surrendered or left the country by the February 28 cease fire. The Iraqi war began in 2003.
Escaping the sectarian violence, the on-again, off-again electricity and the assassination of an uncle was reason enough for Iraqis like Theo Shakir to flee Baghdad, and that’s what he did in 2005. His grandfather urged Shakir’s family to leave, but stayed behind himself.
In the spring of 2003, Shakir could hear the gunfire from the nearby Baghdad Airport, as coalition forces took control.
“I lived my entire life in Baghdad [and] left because my uncle got assassinated and it became too dangerous,” Shakir remembers. “Only a few countries were allowing Iraqis to come; one of them was Jordan. If you bought a house in Jordan, you can get a permanent residency just like a green card.”
“That’s what my family did. Jordan, [in] 2006, is where I got into my first English school. My stepdad, at the time, was already working in Kuwait and got my mom a visa, so she left half way through the year. They worked that entire time until I finished my school year and through the summer vacation of my 7th grade. They met a person from the royal family, who heard my story, and got me a visa. (It is very hard for Iraqis to get residency in Kuwait since [the] 1990 war). I lived in Kuwait until 2008, with a couple of trips in between, for fun and vacation with family,” Shakir says.
Shakir eventually landed in Greenwood, Arkansas, for six months, getting a green card in the process. He left Arkansas and returned to Kuwait to finish school and get a GCSE diploma; the high school diploma under the British system.
“In 2009, my stepdad quit his job in Kuwait and moved to [the] states six months prior to my mother and I following him. In June 2010, I made it to Grand Rapids, Michigan, which is where I consider my home in the states,” he says.
Shakir received his high school diploma in the U.S.
“That is where I visited my first recruiter and signed up; after a few more trips, and moving around, I shipped out to basic military training in Greenville, South Carolina,” he adds.
That’s right, the young man who saw so much and experienced different education systems was now in the U.S. military; the Air Force to be exact.
An American Career
Today, his official title is Airman 1st Class Shakir, 375th Medical Support Squadron, Biomedical Equipment Technician at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. It’s been a long road from those days nervously watching the nearby battles.
But, how did he choose to become an HTM professional?
“It caught my interest because I love cars and it was a way for me to get better at working on advanced electronics, which is where I think the automotive industry is going, without actually having to limit myself to just being a mechanic,” he says.
“I also loved hospitals, although I never knew anything about being a biomedical equipment technician. I get this feeling that I am the reason the hospital runs. I know it’s false and everyone has an equal part, but it’s nice seeing my work in the hands of doctors all around the hospital,” Shakir says.
An uncle in Iraq performed similar work and Shakir had decided the job that he wanted to do in the Air Force by his junior year in high school.
“I have taken on the project of making sure all the overnight refrigerators are properly monitored and have the proper security system. This project had a total value of around $3 million and I was grateful that my shop entrusted this responsibility to me,” he says.
Shakir says that the project isn’t particularly difficult, but if power should go out, the vaccines and medicine in the refrigerators have a high value and the task reminds him of how important his job is.
In terms of specialization, Shakir has gained some expertise in air evacuation equipment.
“I like the equipment because of the vast variety of options, but most importantly, they are absolutely crucial to saving someone’s life,” he says.
It’s Not All Work
Away from work, Shakir has other family members in the U.S. and likes to kick a white and black ball between goal posts.
“I am probably the biggest soccer fan on this base, or maybe Illinois,” he says. “I am very lucky to be on the base team with a great group of friends.”
“My parents live in South Carolina and the rest of my family lives in New York. I try to see them as often as possible and they come visit every chance they get,” he adds.
Shakir became a U.S. citizen last year. Working on medical equipment in Illinois is a world removed from listening to the sounds of artillery fire in Baghdad. He has learned a very American principle during his time in the U.S. He has also learned that becoming an HTM professional was the right move.
“I would like readers to know that I didn’t know a lot about this job when I first signed up, but I quick
