VIDEO: American volunteer tells of motivation to aid Peshmerga

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – An American volunteer on Saturday said he was motivated to provide relief supplies to the Kurdistan Region and civilians settling in the area after seeing wounded Peshmerga soldiers without proper medical treatment on the battlefield.

Tom Kelly, a 66-year-old former American-football coach, had visited Kurdistan eight times in the past few years.

He established field hospitals to treat Mosul civilians and Peshmerga soldiers who were fighting the so-called Islamic State (IS) extremists for over two years.

Moreover, he financed and outfitted a small mobile home that could function as a mobile field hospital for the Peshmerga.

Kelly said he plans to deliver the unit to Peshmerga forces at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon in Erbil.

“When I saw the TV reports about the Peshmerga teaming up with the Syrian Kurds to fight [IS] in the city of Kobane in 2014, I decided I had to get involved to help the Kurds,” he told Kurdistan24. 

Kelly used his money to send several shipping containers with tents, beds, and medical supplies to create field hospitals.

Three of them are in use, but more are needed, a Peshmerga commander told Kurdish journalists last week.

“When I came to Iraq the first time in 2014, I accompanied Gen. Muhsin to the war front for an engagement southwest of Kirkuk,” Kelly said.

“[I] was grieved to observe three wounded Peshmerga sent to a hospital without proper tourniquets or special medical bandages for their wounds,” he continued.

“That is when I knew I had to help Americans get involved with helping defeat the terrorists,” Kelly added. “The Peshmerga are incredibly brave, and skilled fighters and they deserve better care.”

According to him, medical gear was sent to the Peshmerga after he discovered Kurds were not receiving their fair share of military equipment and medical supplies from the federal government of Iraq.

“I believe the President-elect will get behind the most reliable ally the United States has in the Middle East – [the Kurds],” the volunteer added, stating the Kurdistan Region was “surrounded by wolves.”

Kelly teamed up with Christian nonprofits in Tennessee to ship medical equipment to the Peshmerga as well as clothing for internally displaced civilians.

The 66-year-old said he considered his effort a tribute to the humanitarian work of his late mother, Rosie Kelly, and named his field hospitals “Rosie units” in her memory.

Before helping the Peshmerga, Kelly traveled over 40 countries to teach the basics of American football and to provide donated football equipment from American high schools.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany