Local resident proud to serve his country

Ali Tanveer has been in the U.S. Army since 2003

BY DAN NEWMAN Staff Writer

Spend just five minutes in conversation with Ali Tanveer, and it becomes obvious that he is far from the average person. For one thing, he has the luxury of sleeping until about 10:30 each morning and doesn’t have to be at work until most of us are halfway through our own workdays.

Spc. Ali Tanveer of the United States Army is an Edison resident currently stationed in Diyala, Iraq. His permanent return to the U.S. is slated for March 2011. PHOTO COURTESY OF JENNIFER PALMERI Spc. Ali Tanveer of the United States Army is an Edison resident currently stationed in Diyala, Iraq. His permanent return to the U.S. is slated for March 2011. PHOTO COURTESY OF JENNIFER PALMERI Factor in that he spends his downtime playing video games and reading books, and it really does sounds like the Edison resident is living the good life.

Then again, his downtime is also spent listening for rockets being launched into the sky, some of which could be directed at him and his co-workers, and contemplating if he will make it through each workday in one piece.

Tanveer is a specialist in the U.S. Army and is based in Diyala, Iraq, about 35 miles northeast of Baghdad. He enlisted in 2003 and works as a combat medic in the trauma room. He says that although his current work schedule has only been in effect for about a month, he has quickly gotten used to it.

“The most important thing for me is to catch up on rest whenever possible,” Tanveer said by phone from Diyala recently. “When you’re awake as long as we are sometimes, the key is to try and somehow stay fresh. Otherwise, I really just try and stay occupied by running in order to stay in shape, and staying in contact with family as much as possible.”

Whereas most of us could only imagine how grueling and stressful being involved in an overseas war could be, Tanveer says, “Jobwise, it’s really not difficult,” and that being away from home is the toughest part.

He says he hasn’t seen his wife, Aisha, in over six months, but the comforts of home are still evident all around his base, since he and his fellow troops do have Internet access and televisions at their disposal.

“It’s tough for my family and friends, I’m sure. They’re used to having me around, and I was the same way as well,” Tanveer said. “I was getting ready for my deployment for a while, so really, it wasn’t a total surprise for me when I got the call, and my family really just learned to accept it. I was prepared to do my part for my country.”

Tanveer graduated from Edison High School in 2001 and joined the Army two years later. At the present time, he refers to himself as a foreman, making sure there is enough fuel for the generators and being in charge of one gate and two towers that are on his base.

“I have six people under me. This is my job until I go on leave at some point next month. I’ll be home for two weeks and then I come back here. I really am looking forward to spending time with my family. That is truly the most

important thing to me.”

But before that can happen, Tanveer and the others in Diyala will be on the lookout for anything that may cause a problem: namely, bombs, gunshots and anything else that may come their way — which, so far, has not happened.

“On a daily basis, we definitely hear gunshots. It’s impossible not to,” Tanveer said, “but it never comes our way. But we know that it exists every single day out here. Our superiors speak to us about it all the time, but we feel like it won’t happen. But still, we always need to be ready for anything.”

And just like with any workplace situation, co-workers may not get along 100 percent of the time.

“There is actually quite a bit of tension among the soldiers. People being away from home for long periods of time is not the easiest thing,” Tanveer explained. “As a team, when we’re at work, things are fine and we all know we have a job to do. But otherwise, sometimes it is tough.”

Tanveer said he will have completed his commitment to the Army in March of next year. He already has his sights set on what he wants to achieve after that.

“I definitely want to come back to Edison and start a business,” Tanveer said. “I like living there, and that’s where I want to be.”