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Iraq

Messages from Iraq to homefront

An ex-mayor of Indian Rocks Beach is proud of the work his son is doing in a medical regiment.

By SHEILA MULLANE ESTRADA
Published March 23, 2005

INDIAN ROCKS BEACH - Darren Piniero grew up and went to school here, but now is getting, and giving, an education of a very different sort as a medical corpsman stationed with a Marine unit in Iraq.

"I'm very proud of him. There are so many good things going on there that we never hear about," said his father, Ed Piniero, who was both mayor and commissioner of Indian Rocks Beach for many years. "I worry about him every day, but he really likes it. This is what he wants to do."

Although his son previously served in Haiti, where he was shot at almost daily, this is the first time he has served in an official combat zone.

Most recently, Petty Officer 2nd Class Darren Piniero became part of a military effort to build a better relationship with residents in the Fallujah area by providing routine medical assistance to Iraqi families. "The humanitarian aid mission gave us an opportunity to show the more gentle side of the military," said Piniero in an article on the Marine Corps Web site.

His unit, Battalion Aid Station of the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, visited the town of Al Karmah in February and treated dozens of men, women, children and babies.

Piniero first had to reassure his patients before they would let him perform routine medical exams and give out medicines that included antacids and anti-inflammatories to treat respiratory infections, colds and sore joints.

"We showed them what we are going to do on ourselves first before we do it to them," Pinero said. "A lot of medical problems were beyond our capabilities, but it was still good to provide what we could for what we knew."

The unit used interpreters to make sure their patients knew how to properly use the medicines they were given. During the exams, other Marines handed out candy, jerseys and stuffed animals to children.

"He always wanted to do things for people," said his father, who says Darren is hoping to make a career in the Navy.

Pinero, 27, joined the Navy seven years ago after graduating from Largo High School and attending St. Petersburg College. He is continuing his education in the service, and hopes to eventually become a doctor or physician's assistant, according to his father.

"At first it was a bit of a shock. He came home one day and said, "I'm in the Navy, Dad,' " Piniero recalled. "He was dead set on joining the military. I have mixed emotions about it, but this country needs people who feel this way."

Since the Marines do not have their own medical corps, Piniero was assigned to serve two tours with a Marine unit based at Camp Lejeune, N.C. His wife, Tabitha, also in the Navy, is now serving a three-month tour at sea on the USS Eisenhower. Their two young daughters, Hailey and Chloie, split their time with their two sets of grandparents.

"They are coming down for Easter and again for the summer," said Ed Piniero, who added that Darren is scheduled to leave Iraq in the fall. The elder Piniero looks forward to his son and family returning to Florida permanently.

[Last modified March 23, 2005, 00:55:18]