When the soldiers with Montana's 1-163 Infantry Battalion set off on a snatch-and-grab mission or scout for improvised explosive devices, chances are good that combat medic Staff Sgt. Dean Sowers is at their side. Sowers arrived in Iraq with the National Guard battalion in November, establishing camp at a forward operating base dubbed McHenry, located in an active region linked by Tikrit, Ramadi and Kirkuk.

The closest town is Hawijah -- a community of roughly 80,000 people. The base, Sowers said, sits in a farmer's field, leased by the U.S. government.

Sowers, who lives in Helena with his wife, National Guard medic Sgt. Denise Sowers, has adjusted to life in Iraq these past six months. In that time, he's watched distrust give way to a new vision of democracy.

But it wasn't always that way, Sowers explained. When the 1-163rd arrived, its predecessors -- members of the 25th Division -- spent three weeks bringing the battalion up to speed, pointing out hidden dangers, including IEDs hidden by piles of dirt or bumps in the road.

"They showed us what's normal so we could learn what's not normal," Sowers said Thursday, enjoying two weeks of R&R in Helena. "It was winter so it rained a lot, and action around the FOB was in a lull. We had a great opportunity to get familiar with what we were doing and where we were going."

Outside the base, however, the locals were tense. Elections loomed and the mix of Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds proved volatile. The citizens of Hawijah, Sunni by majority, had concerns.

"They were leery about the elections because they were afraid the Shiites and Kurds would gain seats in the new government and take over," Sowers said. "At the city council meetings, talking to the city elders, they expressed concern that the Shiites and Kurds would seek revenge."

The days that followed were difficult, Sowers said. U.S. troops worked to ease anxieties, trying to build confidence among the citizenry by discussing the concept of a free election. Two days prior to that election, members of Montana's battalion sent out security elements to keep the peace.

"I went to Zaab," Sowers said. "There were strict orders about what we could and couldn't do. We brought the ballots to the polling stations, but no American could touch the ballot box. The control was very stringent so the Iraqis could see that we were only there to help them vote."

The determination among Iraqis to vote was strong, even as resistance picked up. In one nearby city, Sowers said, a sniper shot and killed three children waiting in line with their parents. Even so, he added, not a single person left the voting line.

Sowers called the elections a turning point, giving way to a feeling of Iraqi freedom and cooperation. American troops gave out candy and stuffed animals while medical teams entered villages to treat the locals for their ailments.

Those ailments included scabies, a parasitic skin infection, and impetigo, a bacterial infection linked to poor sanitation. While American forces powered up a large generator to supply electricity to the region, engineers, Sowers said, are still working to improve the water supply.

"The populace is becoming more friendly as we move through their area," Sowers said. "The people are starting to bring their children to be seen. They know we're there to help them."

With help from Sgt. Jerry Davis of Great Falls, and Sgt. Wayne Hard of Livingston, Sowers has begun training Iraqi soldiers in the art of combat medicine. Currently, he said, 64 medics, including members of Iraq's Oil Securities Battalion, the Iraqi army, and the nation's police force, are enrolled in the program.

"I was skeptical at first, but we discovered that they wanted to be there, and that they were interested in the techniques and procedures of being a medic," Sowers said. "They're very fun-loving people, they like to joke, and they're very respectful. In all my years, I've never seen such enthusiasm to learn. They're the vanguard of what the future of the Iraqi army is."

The day Sowers left to come home, 22 new Iraqi medics graduated from the program. When he returns next week, the newly trained medics will join U.S. patrols, demonstrating growing trust and cooperation. More than once, Iraqi soldiers have alerted Montana troops to hidden roadside bombs.

To date, Sowers added, the 1-163rd has been credited for landing five wanted leaders of the resistance.

"We're there to help the Iraqis become self-sufficient, not to occupy," Sowers said. "They're becoming more and more open to the fact that we're not there as invaders."

Montana's battalion left the state in July and is expected home around Christmas. Morale remains high, Sowers said, thanks in part to the support coming from home. Cards adorn the battalion aide station and letters arrive regularly. Sowers gave special thanks to Karen Frasier of Rossiter School.

"She sent me pictures of my children in the Christmas play," he said. "Sometimes, getting that two minutes' time to look at your kids is pretty cool."

Sowers' wife, Denise, has kept busy holding down the home front while performing her own duties as a medic -- duties that include conducting Combat Lifesaver Training around the state.

"Being a medic myself, I want to know what's going on over there," she said. "But I have my mission here. I'm happy to stay home with the kids. But when he comes back, it's my turn to go on vacation."

Reporter Martin Kidston can be reached at 447-4086, or at mkidston@helenair.com