Amidst the mid-day Caribbean heat and with anguished pleas for food, water and shelter resonating in his ears, U.S. Army Maj. Rob Schultz’s dusty boots tread the steep roads of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, like they have for the past twenty-some days.

SFC Arier Santiago and Major Dan Castro take part in a prayer session at a church in Port Au Prince. (DoD Photo)

Amidst the mid-day Caribbean heat and with anguished pleas for food, water and shelter resonating in his ears, U.S. Army Maj. Rob Schultz’s dusty boots tread the steep roads of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, like they have for the past twenty-some days.

As Joint Task Force-Haiti Information Operations Chief, he was accustomed to filtering into the local community, assessing the needs of the Haitian people after the Jan. 12 earthquake that nearly leveled the already destitute city.

Despite the ascending mercury, the continuous cries and lengthy days, Major Shultz continued on his mission.

This day, he and his two teammates -- Maj. Dan Castro and Sergeant First Class Arier Santiago, found themselves assisting at a food distribution point, helping the Haitian women carry the allotted 55-pound bags of rice. While interacting with the local populace, he spotted a group of men working in a lot on the hill above-- a cash-for-work program initiated by USAID. Major Schultz saw this as an opportunity to observe the effectiveness of the newly established program.

As he proceeded upward, the sharp, high-pitched clash of shovel and sledgehammer against stone grew louder. The acrid stench of decomposing flesh and gangrene lay heavy in the air. Scanning the scene, past the cracked stained glass and broken remains of the adjacent church, his eyes fell upon a row of small bodies aligning the rock wall corner. Looking back to the thin, tired Haitian men, and then again to the tiny body bags, the situation became clear. This was not a cash-for-work program.

The bodies were children and the men working were trying to bury their young.

“There had been 100-plus children who perished,” Maj. Schultz said. “Around the schoolhouse were families, trying to dig out the remains of their children to be put to rest. At the time I showed up, the fathers had just entered a classroom that was crushed to the first floor and were removing the remains of seven children.”

The sights and sounds made for an experience he and this teammate would never forget.

“We’ve all had our own experiences with death and destruction throughout our careers, but I know that I have never experienced anything like that before,” said Sergeant Arier Santiago “The fact that these were children, on top of an already overwhelming incident, made it even more of a tragedy.”

The soldiers did the only thing they could do: they prayed with the mourning families. But, along with the crushing and inconsolable sadness felt by those who have lost a child, a ray of resiliency and hope shown through.

“I spoke with a Haitian grandmother who’d been there every day over the past month, hoping to find the remains of her three grandchildren,” Maj. Schultz said. “She took a moment out of her pain and suffering to come over to me, to give a hug and to thank me -- to thank the United States for being there with her and to say ‘God bless America.’

“There’s just no survey, no inner review, nothing more powerful than those words to inspire you as to why the United States is here. It’s why we’re doing what we’re doing here and why we need to continue this effort.”

And in a way only a dedicated soldier can, Major Schultz continued to do what he needed to do as a military leader --following the widely-held Army credo-- he put the mission first and people always.

“I’ve got four combat tours -- two in Iraq, two in Afghanistan,” said Major Schultz. “I’ve seen more suffering and destruction here in Haiti than in all four combat tours combined. But, what I’ve also seen is an incredibly durable people in Haitians. Knowing this, seeing this, we’ll continue with the task at hand. We’ll help to reinstate the hope, faith and the solidarity that makes Haitians such proud people and makes Haiti such a resilient nation.”