Securing soccer: Grad helps bring peace to Iraq with soccer tourney

When Joe Dumas was majoring in history at UW-Green Bay at the start of the decade, he probably never thought he’d ever help organize a soccer tournament halfway around the world in a war zone.

But the class of 2003 alum did just that.

Capt. Dumas (photo above, center) — currently an assistant operations officer for the U.S. Army’s 2nd Squadron (Strykehorse), 14th U.S. Calvary, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry — put together a security plan so American troops could play Iraqi citizens in a soccer tournament organized by Staff Sgt. James “Jimmy” Pepoon of Rhode Island.

“As I began to work with Staff Sgt. Pepoon on a daily basis, I learned of his efforts and desire to execute the soccer tournament,” Dumas said in an e-mail to UW-Green Bay. “I thought it was a great idea and signed off to help him ‘sell’ it to our squadron commander.”

Pepoon was instrumental in organizing the tournament and spurring a stateside donation drive so troops and Iraqis could have equipment to play with.

By the end of the tournament, participants and spectators not only had armloads of donated soccer gear to take home with them, they had experienced peace, partnership and friendship once again.

The tournament, which took place in Taji (an area north of Baghdad), featured three Iraqi teams and a squad of American soldiers playing inside a stadium once used by a garrison of Saddam Hussein’s Fedayeen forces, Dumas said. It showed that a sense of normalcy was returning to the once war-torn area.

Sunni and Shia Iraqis played together on the same teams. Children could laugh and play nearby. U.S. soldiers took off their camouflage body armor and donned colorful jerseys.

“We even had the former coach and players of the old Iraqi National Team in attendance. This would not have been possible in Taji about a year ago,” Dumas said. “Taji has seen a drastic change in the past year. Taji was once an area of heavy sectarian fighting.”

Dumas planned for outside security, controlled entry, crowd control, on-field security, even an aerial over watch.

“Overall, event security was my major concern,” Dumas said. “I wanted to ensure, through planning, that spectators and our troopers would remain safe through the entire operation.

“I was nervous before the event because I personally had not been involved in developing such a detailed operation up until this point in my deployment.”

The event went off without a major hitch, and within the last few weeks Iraqi leaders have sought to organize another tournament, Dumas said.

“I’d have to say it was the most rewarding operation I’ve participated in during two deployments in Iraq,” Dumas said. “The troopers were able to interact with the Iraqis, doing something all parties enjoy, rather than our soldiers patrolling or providing security.

“Many local leaders were impressed by our soldiers’ playing ability. We were impressed, as well, considering most soldiers have not had time to work out on a regular basis in the past year.”

To read a further account of the tournament and its preparations by Staff Sgt. Pepoon, click here.