School Opening Sign of Progress
DVIDS
By Spc. Nathaniel Smith
4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Public Affairs
Since 2003, people all over Iraq have been looking for signs of improvement in the establishment of essential services and the security necessary to return to a normal life.
On Feb. 25, they didn’t need to look any further than in Doura, known as the “Heart of Darkness,†where the Bilat primary school opened – thus paving the way for a better future for the children of Baghdad.
The school is an investment with the potential of great return, said Col. Ricky Gibbs, a native of Austin, Texas, and commander of the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad.
“The children are the future of Iraq,†he said. “It’s a symbol of peace that we can get the schools back up.â€
Inside the school are rooms full of new desks, blackboards and other furniture, which has been enhanced with new overhead lighting, freshly painted walls and colorful murals featuring Arabic and English alphabets, which symbolizes how far the institution has come in just a few short months.
The school is located in what was once a war torn area occupied by al-Qaida criminals and once used as a base of operations for the extremist cells there, said Gibbs, who added that it is only one of many projects Task Force Dragon is working on. There are also plans in the works for a mobile generation station in the Kafayat region and to bring stores and essential services back to 60th Street.
The soldiers of Multi-National Division – Baghdad’s 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, part of the 10th Mountain Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team out of Fort Polk, La., and attached to Task Force Dragon, worked closely with the local government to keep projects like the Bilat school going.
“The Iraqis are the ones responsible for this great event,†said Lt. Col. Timothy Watson, a San Diego native, who is the commander of 2-4 Inf., as Iraqi children happily danced and sang nearby. “We’ve seen time and again that when we empower them, they are more than capable of taking that next step and continuing the positive momentum they’ve built here.â€
Task Force Dragon soldiers have already seen significant success in the Doura market, where more than 600 shops have opened since December, 2006, to stimulate the local economy, and the neighborhoods around Airplane Road in East Rashid, which has become a model for other parts of the Iraqi capital to follow.
The opening Bilat school, said Gibbs, and the fact that the building was full of children and teachers, would not have been possible without the improved security provided through the combined efforts of the Iraqi security forces and the Sons of Iraq, who have shown recently that they are capable of performing their duties.
“During the Arba’een march on Route Senators, we had an attempt by some criminals to disrupt that with hand grenades and rifle fire,†said Gibbs.
“They ran off quickly because of the very quick response of the Iraqi security forces and the Sons of Iraq, who came together to stop that violence.
“They were very quick to treat the wounded on the scene. Most were treated and released with very minor injuries. Now there are thousands and thousands of pilgrims celebrating Arba’een.
“That’s a testament to the great security efforts that we have with the Sons of Iraq, the Iraqi security forces, and the people of Iraq, who are tired of the violence.â€
The school opening is another sign, he added, of the improved security in the region.
“If this area wasn’t secure, you wouldn’t see all these children back in school,†he said. “Opening this school today is a proud day for me and for Iraq.â€
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Bilat primary school
