Sgt. Cheryl Hamilton, a food service specialist with 4-3 Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, greets service members and civilians as they enter the Camp Ramadi dining facility for dinner, Friday, Jan. 21, 2011. Hamilton is well known for her upbeat personality and greeting each person that comes into the dining facility with a smile. Photo by Staff Sgt. Tanya Thomas

Hundreds of deployed troops – plus civilian contractors and local national employees – swarm the dining facility at Camp Ramadi, Iraq, every evening, eager to fill their stomachs with a hot meal. But regardless of what’s featured on the night’s menu, one Army cook is ensuring that these troops are first fed a healthy smile.

“You just never know what someone may be going through,” said Sgt. Cheryl Hamilton, a food service specialist assigned to the Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, as she greeted every person who entered dining facility on the camp.

Hamilton is responsible for collecting an accurate head-count at dinner and midnight meals, but said it is equally important that she includes a warm welcoming with her daily duties.

“I greet everyone, even though I don’t have to, because sometimes a simple ‘Good evening’ may be all that someone needs to help brighten up their day,” she said.

This is Hamilton’s third deployment to Iraq, but this time around she isn’t cooking.

“It’s a little bit different from what I am used to,” she said, “but now, instead of preparing food in the back, I get to see everyone’s face and watch them enjoy their meals.

Hamiliton also said that now, as a non-commissioned officer, her job also means taking care of her soldiers.

One such soldier is Spc. Ebony Hall who said that Hamilton is not only serving up smiles to fellow soldiers, but she is also a trusted source of strength for many troops who may encounter a lot of stress.

“She’s basically helped me to get through this deployment,” Hall said of her NCO, adding that Hamilton was there for her when her grandmother passed away a year ago. “She’s helped me to get through a lot of things and has taught me how to trust and be more patient.”

Hamilton said she credits her ability to console others to her strong religious beliefs, and added that it is that same faith that helped her to overcome her own life struggles.

“There’s been a time when I seriously struggled,” she said. “I was even homeless at one point [and] I even experienced racial prejudice in my own house. But you just have to keep moving forward, and work for what you want to achieve.”

Hamilton said those hard times are now in her past and that she has known many more successes since joining the Army. That’s also one reason why she greets everyone with a smile.

“There’s nothing like with service with a smile,” she said.

DVIDS
Story by Staff Sgt. Tanya Thomas

Children enjoy their new playground following an opening ceremony attended by the U.S. Soldiers, Iraqi government and police officials who spearheaded the project in Taba, near Kirkuk, Iraq, Aug. 17, 2010. Photo by Spc. J. Luhrs

U.S. Soldiers joined local government and police officials near here recently in the village of Taba to officially open a new playground for local children.

The $49,000 playground, which took less than a month to complete, is made up of three slides, a large play tower, monkey bars, a field for soccer and multiple picnic tables for the more than 100 families who live in the area.

The idea for the playground originated from multiple meetings between local Iraqi Security Forces and Fort Stewart, Ga., Soldiers with Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, according to Capt. John Cornthwaite, battalion engineer for 1/30th Inf., who coordinated the project with local contractors.

“We wanted to demonstrate our commitment to the citizens of Kirkuk and show them we do more than advise the police,” said the Savannah, Ga., native. “What better way than to build a playground for the community?”

Cornthwaite added that his unit and their Iraqi counterparts pushed for this project to better instill a sense of family in the area.

“Kirkuk’s culture is very family-oriented, so by providing a venue where families can come together allows them to embrace family-ties and associates us as an extended family,” he said.

The Iraqi contractor for the project feels they have made the community a better place.

“The playground is a place where children and adults can come together in hope for a better future,” he said. “This playground may seem like something small but it will make a very big impact on the community.”

U.S. Forces – Iraq
Written by Spc. Jessica Luhrs,
1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team,
1st Armored Division

Staff Sgt. Happiness Aghedo. Photo by Spc. Ben Hutto

Staff Sgt. Happiness Aghedo never dreamed about joining the United States Army as a child.

Growing up in Lagos, Nigeria, Aghedo, a logistician assigned to Headquarters Company, 203rd Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, said she had all she ever wanted in her birth country. One of twelve children, Aghedo grew up in a loving family that placed education as a high priority.

Aghedo was pursuing her degree in International Studies at Ambrose Ally University in Ekpomo, Nigeria, when she received jarring news.

She had the chance to go to America.

“Every year, Nigeria has a lottery for visas to the U.S.,” she said. “My uncle always played for me. When my number came up, my family was very excited, but I didn’t want to go.”

Aghedo had planned to finish her degree and work in her brother’s law firm. She never wanted to leave for America, but her family was insistent.

“They wanted me to go to America,” she said. “They said I would go to America to go to school and come back home.”

Aghedo moved to New York to live with her aunt, who immediately told her to get a job, and for six months, she worked at a fast food establishment.

“My aunt thought it would be good for me,” Aghedo said. “It gave me a chance to learn the currency and the culture. In two to three months, I had become a shift manager and made lots of friends.”

It was during her time at the restaurant that she met an Army recruiter and her life would be changed.

As she was about to enroll in college, he convinced her to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery.

“I tried to fail it,” she said. “He told me I had to join the Army; that it was too good an opportunity for me.”

She prepared to come into the Army, but kept it from her family until after she signed the papers.

“My aunt was not happy,” Aghedo said. “She didn’t speak to me for a month. All hell broke loose when I told my parents. My mom was worried. They kept telling me that they did not send me to America to join the Army. They sent me to America to go to school.”

Never the less, Aghedo joined the Army in March 2003 and headed to Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., for basic training.

“It went well, but there was a lot of screaming,” she said. “I was the first one to get called for everything. It was crazy. I had to wear glasses and I didn’t talk much. A lot of the people thought because I was African that I was dumb. I understood everything. I was just scared.”

From a shy immigrant recruit, Aghedo’s military career has taken off. She graduated from Advanced Individual Training as an honor graduate, and accumulated rank rapidly and is scheduled to be promoted to sergeant first class after only seven years in the Army.

One of her biggest accomplishments, however, was earning her American citizenship in 2005.

“It felt really good to do it,” she said. “It felt like I had accomplished something.”

As an Army logistician, Aghedo is responsible for getting supplies to the Soldiers that need them.

“I love my job,” she said. “It involves a lot of headaches and a lot of stress, but I love it. I enjoy finding parts for the unit. I like getting into the system and locating what we need.

“At the end of the day, it makes you feel like you really accomplished something and helped people.”

During the 3rd HBCT’s current deployment to Iraq, Aghedo was asked to leave her comfort zone and work as a section sergeant in the 203rd BSB’s Support Operations.

“We took her out of the warehouse and placed her with our maintenance section, and she is doing exceptional,” said 1st Sgt. Demetrius Brown, Headquarters Company, 203rd BSB. “The products she is producing are being used at Fort Lee, Va., to train Soldiers. She is doing that well working outside of her job.”

Aghedo has worked so hard at learning her new role she often needs to be forced by Brown to go get lunch and dinner.

“It has been very challenging, but it has been good,” Aghedo said about her current job. “I had to learn about vehicles and vehicle maintenance. I feel the experience has made me a lot more well-rounded.”

Brown never doubted that Aghedo would be successful with her new post.

“She is the best staff sergeant I have seen in 21 years,” he said. “Her work ethic is what sets her apart. She is totally committed to the mission. I give her multiple things to do, and she gets results. I hate to do it, but she is my go to person.”

Spc. Tiffany Thompson, a logistician assigned to Headquarters Company, 203rd BSB, enjoys working under Aghedo and is impressed with her leadership qualities.

“She taught me about being a professional,” said Thompson, a native of Buena Park, Calif. “She has taught me to exceed the standards and the importance of trying to learn as much as you can professionally. She can be very tough on me, but she is also very caring.”

Brown said Thompson isn’t the only person in his unit that feels that way about Aghedo.
“She is very humble and that is part of what draws leaders’ attention to her,” he said. “You couldn’t tell the level of her professionalism just looking at her. She isn’t someone that likes to draw attention to herself, but when you look at what she does she stands out. She is flexible and can handle anything that is given to her.”

Aghedo is looking forward to serving as an Army recruiter after her current deployment. “I enjoy being an NCO [non-commissioned officer],” she said. “I like taking care of people. I’ve always tried to prove myself. If you decide to be the best, you will be. I’m sure being a recruiter will be good.”

Aghedo’s military career is looking bright. She is looking forward to helping Soldiers achieve their goals and better their careers.

“For the last eight years I have been pushing myself,” she said. “My Soldiers think I work so hard because I’m African. I always say that has nothing to do with it. You get rewards from effort. I always ask, ‘What makes you think you can’t do it?’ You have to always try,no matter what.”

DVIDS

Soldiers at Contingency Operating Base Marez, Iraq celebrate a Catholic Easter vigil mass on April 3 at St. Elijah Monastery. (Photo by: Staff Sgt. Russell Lee Klika)

Soldiers at Contingency Operating Base Marez, Iraq celebrate a Catholic Easter vigil mass on April 3 at St. Elijah Monastery. (Photo by: Sgt. Shannon R. Gregory)

More than 250 service members and civilians celebrated Easter with a candlelit mass Saturday at St. Elijah Monastery, the oldest Christian monastery in Iraq.

The mass was one of three Christian services scheduled at the monastery for Easter weekend.

“This is the second time we’ve done this,” said Capt. Patrick Van Durme, the battalion chaplain with the 1-19th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division and a Dansville, N.Y., native.

Van Durme said turnout for the event was large and included civilian workers from around the world and from the Mosul area, which has the largest Christian population in Iraq.

“It’s an amazing thing for them,” he said.

First Lt. Geoffrey Whitaker, the garrison chaplain at Contingency Operating Base Marez, Iraq, with the Regimental Fires Squadron, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), said he was honored to be part of the services at the 1,700-year-old monastery.

“To get to celebrate Easter in the oldest Christian monastery in Iraq … it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Whitaker, a Murphy, N.C., native.

Whitaker said he expected more than 1,000 Soldiers and civilians to attend the three services.

Van Durme said the monastery has held great historical relevance throughout the ages.

Local traditional suggests the monastery was first built in the year 350 AD and the current structure was probably added 1,000 years later, he said.

In 1743, the monks and orphans at the monastery were killed by a Persian leader for refusing to convert to Islam, and Christians in the area have been persecuted since, said Van Durme.

“If you go back 50 years, you’ll find 1,000′s of Christian families in Mosul. You’ll now find maybe 100,” Van Durme said. “You have to wonder what it’s future will be.”

Whitaker said the chaplains are working with the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Mosul to preserve the monastery and repair structural damage that has occurred in the years since the U.S. came to Iraq.

“The Department of the Army has signed on to do some restoration,” said Whitaker. “The plan is still ongoing.”

DVIDS
Story by Sgt. Keith VanKlompenberg

Singer Kaya Jones performs for the Soldiers assigned to Contingency Operating Station Endeavor, Iraq, Feb. 24. Jones, a former member of the Pussycat Dolls, signed autographs and posed for pictures after her performance. Photo by Spc. Ben Hutto

Kaya Jones is presented with a combat shirt following her performance for the Soldiers assigned to Contingency Operating Station Endeavor, Iraq, Feb. 24. Photo by Spc. Ben Hutto

Former Pussycat Doll Kaya Jones sings. Photo by Spc. Ben Hutto

Former Pussycat Doll, Kaya Jones entertained the Soldiers assigned to Contingency Operating Station Endeavor, Iraq, Feb. 24.

Jones and her dance team danced and sang for an appreciative audience for over an hour, before signing autographs and posing for pictures with their audience.

“We love you,” said Jones. “We miss you back home. We thank you for what you are doing out here.”

Jones also gave away free music from her new album and spent time interacting with the troops at the COS Endeavor dining facility during lunch.

“It was a pleasure to perform for all of you guys,” said Jones.

Soldiers cheered throughout the show, encouraging the singer and talking her into an encore.

“It was fun to get a break, hang out and cut loose a little bit,” said Spc. Dillon Fisher, Company C, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division. “She was very talented.”

Fisher was one of three Soldiers who got to compete in a dance-off on stage with Jones’s dance team.

“Even though I didn’t win, I think everyone knows who was the best dancer up there,” said Fisher with a smile. “I’m not saying I was robbed, but I have no idea how I didn’t win.”

DVIDS
Story by Spc. Ben Hutto

Children rush toward a new school building before a school opening ceremony, March 2, in the village of Al Khanik, Iraq. Photo by Pfc. Cassandra Monroe

After joint efforts from both U.S. Army and Iraqi officials, a new school officially opened during a ceremony, March 2, in the village of Al Khanik, Iraq.

The school, which has been under construction for four months, was built with the village’s future in mind and to house the students in the growing community.

“The old school had only three classrooms, said Arif Jabbar Mutar, the chairman of Tikrit City Council. “It’s not enough to absorb all students from the village.”

With six classrooms, working latrines and two rooms for the teachers, this school will pave the way toward education. The new school has enough room to house 200, 6-to-12-year-old students and their teachers.

“We are so happy because we’re going to lead these kids to their right future,” said Khaled Hamad Yassin, the school’s headmaster. “We have to build their future. Education is very important for every single student over here. They have to understand, they have to learn, and they have to read. At this school, we can provide a better education and better future for the students. The success will have a higher percentage here than the old school.”

The ceremony included U.S. Army guests Lt. Col. Nora Marcos and Command Sgt. Maj. Byron Loyd, the Division Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division commander and command sergeant major.

The ceremony began with a formal ribbon cutting, signaling the school’s grand opening, which was eagerly met with joyous applause. Guests then moved back to their seats and listened as the 3ID Band played Iraq’s national anthem, while school children raised the Iraqi flag.

Following the raising of the flag, children performed various forms of entertainment, such as poems, songs and religious prayers, all met with great applause from the crowd.

Yassin, the headmaster, stood in front of the crowd and spoke words of encouragement for a brighter future for the children and for Iraq.

“The future will be very bright,” he said. “If the kids can have an education, the country will be very educated and have a much better future.”

Marcos echoed the headmaster.

“I just want to say what an honor it is to be here with you at the opening of this school,” she said. “Congratulations to the engineers and builders, who created this wonderful place, and I thank the provincial government for their support in this project.”

After the ceremony, Marcos took some time to make her way around the courtyard, speaking to guests and school children. Along with a crowd of eager children, she made her way around the new school to see the new classrooms. As soon as the children saw their new desks, coloring books and crayons they rushed toward them. Taking their seats for the first time in their new classrooms, Marcos joined the children at their desks and posed for a few photos.

“As the inspectors came during the building process, they said they’ve never seen something built so well, so quickly,” said Marcos.

The last stop on the tour included a room where some of the women and their children congregated.

“It really bridges a gap with these kids to see Soldiers here, giving and being a part of this,” she said. “It’s these ladies, who are teachers, seeing Soldiers helping and seeing a female involved … makes a difference.”

For Marcos though, this ceremony is a revisit to a book, she read when she first arrived here in Iraq.

“It’s about a guy who helped build schools in Pakistan and how the construction of schools and the education of children bridged cultural and religious gaps,” she said. She relates the book to the current situation here in Iraq and at the ceremony.

“That’s what we did here and will continue to do with every project and most importantly, every partnering opportunity we have with the Iraqis. We’re allowing the Iraqis to take the lead and develop some answers to their issues and put them forward where they should be.”

DVIDS
Story by Pfc. Cassandra Monroe

Soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, are redeploying back to Fort Stewart, Ga., this month.

The 2nd BCT deployed in May 2007 as the fifth surge brigade. Its mission was to block accelerants from entering Baghdad, protect the local population, defeat sectarian violence, continue to increase the capacity of the Iraqi Security Forces, foster local governance and economic systems, and to set the conditions for long-term self-reliance.

The 2nd Brigade, as part of Multi-National Division Center, primarily conducted operations southeast of Baghdad, which included population centers in Abu Waitha, Hawr Rajab, Adwaniyah, Madhariyah and Sayafiyah.

“The security environment created by the 2nd BCT operations and our efforts in enabling an increased Iraqi Army role in the area set the conditions for the local citizens to step up and begin to take control of their future,” said Col. Terry Ferrell, 2nd Brigade Commander, during a June 19 Pentagon Press Conference. “Over this past year, we’ve helped create city councils in each of our population areas. Neighborhood councils now give our communities a direct voice to the government.”

Since May 2007, six agricultural unions were formed and linked to the Ministry of Agriculture. In addition, specific industries such as row crops, poultry, fish and beef farming businesses were reinvigorated by the development of the agriculture unions and their ability to reach out to and work with the local ministries.

“Improved security trends since the inception of the surge helped create an environment where criminals are degraded and the Iraqi people have retaken control of their future, without the fear of intimidation and violence,” said Brig. Gen. Daniel B. Allyn, Chief of Staff, Multi-National Corps – Iraq.

“The surge accomplished many things for which the 2nd Brigade Combat Team and our Coalition Team can be very proud, said Allyn. “The safe and secure environment created through hard work by Iraq’s citizens, Iraqi Security Forces and our Coaltion provides opportunity and a brighter future for Iraq. The Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team did a tremendous job and we send them home to their families with the pride and gratitude of the Iraqi citizens and their Coalition teammates for their extraordinary contributions to the long-term security for the people of Iraq.”

MNF-I

The last of the five Army brigades to deploy with the “troop surge” in Iraq will return in July after a 13-month deployment, during which soldiers detained more than 800 terrorist suspects and helped foster Iraqi self-governance.

he 3rd Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team has operated in the Arab Jabour area of southeastern Baghdad, where the number of attacks plummeted from about 30 a week when they arrived in May 2007 to about one a week now.

“All in all, it’s been a very successful operation for us,” Army Col. Terry Ferrell, 2nd Brigade Combat Team commander, told reporters at the Pentagon today via video teleconference from Forward Operating Base Kalsu, in Baghdad.

President Bush announced the temporary 33,000-troop surge in January 2007 to tamp down violence in Iraq and help prepare Iraq’s national security forces to maintain security. The first surge brigade went home in March, and the final redeployment next month will reduce the number of brigades in Iraq to 15.

During their tour, 2nd Brigade soldiers’ main duties have included blocking weapons from entering the Iraqi capital, protecting the local population and quashing sectarian violence. The soldiers also have focused on making Iraqi security forces more capable, fostering the local governance and economy, and setting up Iraqis for long-term self-reliance.

The primary enemies, Ferrell said, have been al-Qaida and Sunni extremists who had created a sanctuary in Arab Jabour, where terrorists controlled the population through fear and intimidation. Insurgents used homes, farms and commercial properties as bases of operation and bomb-making factories, devastating the region’s economy.

Without a sustained security presence in the area, local residents often were bereft of basic necessities such as clean water, electricity, health care and education, the colonel added.

But over the course of the year, 2nd Brigade helped establish 11 patrol bases in Arab Jabour. The centers are manned by coalition and Iraqi security forces who work and live together and coordinate efforts of some 5,000 citizen security group members known as “Sons of Iraq.”

Coalition and Iraqi security forces, along with the Sons of Iraq, achieved significant gains through three division-focused operations: Marne Torch I, Marne Torch II and Marne Thunderbolt.

“The combined efforts of these operations resulted in over 800 suspects detained, over 600 weapons caches found and over 500 [homemade bombs] safely destroyed, and nearly 6,000-plus houses cleared so that we could continue to move through the area of operations, providing for a safe, secure environment,” Ferrell said.

The colonel added that, in addition to these operations, an increased Iraqi army role in the area allowed local citizens to enlarge their presence.

“Over this past year, we’ve helped create city councils in each of our population areas,” he said. “Neighborhood councils now give our communities a direct voice to the government.”

Moreover, in the wake of security gains, the local agriculture and economy have flourished. In addition, private clinics continue to open, electricity and water are flowing easily into the area, and the community has established 25 new or refurbished schools.

“As we prepare to redeploy as the last of the five surge brigades,” Ferrell said, “it’s clear that the government of Iraq has begun to shoulder a larger responsibility for the citizens in the area that we have operated.

“Furthermore, the capacity and capabilities of the Iraqi army has improved tremendously throughout our time here and the operations we have conducted jointly throughout the operation,” he added. “All these vehicles of change combined to generate momentum towards prosperity, security and self-reliance.”

DoD
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

Welcome to Andrew Sullivan’s readers. A “war widow” could be the result of the 11 year war with Iran, the first Gulf War or the current conflict. Please don’t make the assumption that all war widows are recent.

When Capt. Shawn Carbone first took a good look at the south Baghdad area economy, he found it similar to his studies of America during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

“Most of the historically strong businesses were gone, said Carbone, economics team leader for the Baghdad-7 embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team. “The owners had left; packed up. The businesses were shut down and there was mass unemployment across the board.”

There were many reasons for the economic troubles of Iraqis in the area which 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, took control of in June 2007. The basic lack of security forces left a gap which al-Qaida terrorists filled, using the area as a base. Farms and businesses were damaged and violence caused many to flee – some of whom have yet to return. Sectarian strife heated up following the 2005 elections, which left many in the area without a voice in government. Basic service needs, such as electricity and water, went largely unmet. Until security was restored, citizens felt isolated.

Carbone saw an opportunity to help turn things around. His training in economics at Niagara University, in his hometown of Niagara, N.Y., prepared him for the task of helping the citizens of south Baghdad province.

“It’s rewarding because it’s an experiment in economics,” Carbone said. “This is from the ground up. It’s much like our depression-era economics. I’ve actually sent e-mails to my professors, asking them their opinions on some of these things, and researched books on depression-era economics.”

After security was established, the biggest obstacle to economic recovery, said Carbone, was the centralized nature of the economy in the past. Local industries such as a chicken hatchery, a poultry processing plant and a meat processing facility, for example, received inputs from and sold their goods to the Iraqi government at set prices.

“Cooperation is the biggest thing. From where I sit, these businesses are complimentary,” Carbone said. “But they never had a capitalist society, which is all about bringing down costs.”

Now the government is in a state of transition and moving toward free trade.

“Everyone is going through the change,” Carbone said. “Some of the government systems are not yet in place, but that’s where we’re heading.”

Micro Grants

In an effort to revive the local economy, the Baghdad-7 ePRT worked in conjunction with 2nd BCT Civil Affairs, using money as their main tool. Armed with U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development funds, Soldiers and civilians on the Baghdad-7 ePRT looked for projects which would benefit the community as a whole. Civil affairs Soldiers used their battalion’s bulk funds to stimulate individual small businesses through a series of $2,500 microgrants. Though most of the projects focused on agriculture, which dominates the local economy and employs the largest percentage of people, other avenues were explored as well.

Major Douglas Betts, commander of Company A, 415th Civil Affairs Battalion, said Soldiers on the ground identified who could best use the grants.

“The troop commanders and company commanders are all very smart guys,” Betts said. “They know what they’re doing, and they know what’s best for their areas.”

Microgrants were given to businesses ranging from chicken farms to internet cafes. Most recently, a women’s beauty parlor opened up in Arab Jabour, something that would have been impossible in that area until recently.

Women’s Sewing Co-ops

Betts said Soldiers have found other creative ways to involve women in business. One example he gave was women’s sewing cooperatives, which grew out of women’s committees looking for ways to employ themselves and raise revenue for their causes.

“Capt. (Trista) Mustaine in the ePRT did a great job with sewing co-ops. That’s a new one to me,” Betts said.

“One (co-op) that I know is basically made up of war widows,” Betts said. “These ladies want to do something for orphans and school children. They are actually making clothes and selling them. I thought that was pretty original.”

The only condition that comes attached to the microgrants is that business owners attend business training and meetings of their local business associations, Betts said. The formation of local business associations has been vital in helping citizens to help themselves, he said. The focus now is in getting business owners weaned off of coalition force funding and to get them working with their own government.

Basil Razzak, a bilingual, bicultural adviser with the Baghdad-7 ePRT, said that it took some adjusting for local farmers and businessmen to get used to the new economic model.

“Up until now, it was all supervised by the government. Everybody belonged to the government,” Razzak said.

“I remember at one business association meeting, the chairman said, (to Carbone) ‘You are our boss.’ He said, ‘I’m not your boss. I’m here to help you and support you, but it’s your organization and you can conduct your meeting as you like,’” Razzak said.

Razzak, a Canadian citizen who grew up in Baghdad and holds a degree in administration and economics from the University of Baghdad, said the capitalist spirit is slowly but surely taking hold here.

“They are open to new ideas, Razzak said. “They realize the era of state-owned business is gone. They are willing to work and cooperate.”

Carbone said the stimulus coalition forces provided to the local economy has already produced unexpected results. As more businesses reopen and new ones appear, local entrepreneurs have taken it as a sign that it’s okay to open shop again.

“When they start to see these places opening with the help of coalition forces, some of the people have come back and opened up on their own,” Carbone said. “That’s something we didn’t expect.”

One business owner who received significant coalition help has been encouraged to invest even further in his business. The owner of a meat-processing plant in Arab Jabour received a grant to get his facility running again after shutting down operation in 2006. Prior to that, the factory employed more than 90 people.

“Even though we gave the kupa factory a grant, the owner pitched in $200,000 of his own money. The money is out there,” Carbone said. “The biggest thing was that when the owner came back to the area and saw that the security situation had changed progressively, he was more willing to re-invest and start over,” he said.

Betts sees signs that businesses have returned to stay in the area.

“I’ve noticed it in the short time that I’ve been here,” Betts said. “When we first went out, there were some shops, but there weren’t that many. But I’ve noticed in the past several months, in Sayafiyah especially, a lot more of those businesses. They look better and they’re repainted. People are repairing their shops and restocking supplies.”

Betts said the greatest benefit of the renewed prosperity was a population that was employed and able to meet their needs.

“That’s the key to security. People that are able to take care of themselves and their families are not out there planting bombs and killing people for money,” Betts said. “I want to see a strong economy, because that’s the cornerstone of stability.”

DVIDS
By Sgt David Turner
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division

A mix of force, good governance and economic stimuli has resulted in a turnaround for an area in Iraq that once was a hotbed of Sunni and Shiite insurgents.
The 3rd Infantry Division’s 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team is completing a 15-month tour as part of Multinational Division Center, and the unit commander, Army Col. Wayne W. Grigsby Jr., spoke to Pentagon reporters yesterday about the deployment.

The “Sledgehammer” brigade arrived in February 2007 as part of the surge of additional forces into Iraq. Violent crime was out of control, Grigsby said, and al-Qaida in Iraq intimidated Sunni portions of the area, allowing the terrorist group to use them as safe havens.

“In our time here, murders have declined by greater than 50 percent, from 631 in ’06 to 253 in ’07,” Grigsby said in a video hook-up from Baghdad. “Shop owners are selling their goods in revitalized markets, and we are now down to maybe one attack every other day.”

The heavy brigade accomplished this by conducting counterinsurgency operations. “We wanted to bloody the nose of the enemy and make them fear us,” he said. “We did bloody the nose of the enemy, and the enemy does fear us, both coalition forces and Iraqi security forces. We never forgot what a U.S. Army heavy brigade combat team is built to do: to close with and destroy the enemy.”

Brigade soldiers killed 160 enemy combatants and detained more than 500 suspected criminals. “We cleared every enemy sanctuary that existed prior to our arrival,” the colonel said.

This has not been without cost. Twenty-nine brigade soldiers have been killed, and 162 were wounded. But the level of violence went from four to five attacks per day to an average of an attack every two days.

In and around Salman Pak — a majority Sunni area — al-Qaida and other Sunni extremist groups have been decimated.

“We estimate there are three Sunni extremist groups of no more than 10 personnel per group in our battle space, disrupted and not able to synchronize operations,” Grigsby said. “We killed or captured their leaders, denied them use of safe houses and support zones, and with our ‘Sons of Iraq’ allies we are sitting in the former supply lines, holding the terrain, not letting the extremists come back in.”

The Sons of Iraq are local citizens who assist with security efforts in their neighborhoods.

Though their operations brought security to the region, the soldiers of the brigade weren’t solely about force. They worked to build relationships with the various ethnic groups, tribes and sheikhs.

“Since we worked out of eight patrol bases and four joint security sites in the middle of population centers, we never commuted to work,” Grigsby said. “When a combat patrol began each day, Sledgehammer soldiers were already among their neighbors, living with them.”

They also lived with Iraqi security forces. Grigsby said the unit worked with an outstanding Iraqi national police brigade and very capable Iraqi army units. U.S. soldiers will continue to work with local police to improve their community policing, the colonel said.

Security was the bedrock of the progress. The Americans and Iraqis gave the residents their communities back, Grigsby told reporters.

“By taking extremists and criminals off the streets in Jisr Diyala, Wahida, Salman Pak and Nahrawan, we emboldened the good people to step back into the traditional roles of leadership — leadership by the tribal leaders, leadership by local governmental officials — rather than leadership by fear, where individuals use murder [and] intimidation to control the masses,” he said.

Markets, water distribution systems, sewage treatment plants, schools and health clinics all followed. The unit even helped Iraqis build a soccer stadium. Employment also has followed. The Narwan brick factory in the region now employs 15,000 Iraqis, up from 3,000 a year ago.

Money, too, has followed. In 2007, the Iraqi government spent about $1 million in the region. In 2008, the government already has spent $86.1 million for projects and improvements.

The unit’s soldiers head back to Fort Benning, Ga., knowing they have made a difference, Grigsby said.

“We have seen a significant reduction in violence,” he said. “We have seen the economy spring back to life. We have seen the local governance structure continue to mature and progress. We most definitely have momentum, and we have made gains.”

The brigade is one of the most deployed units in the Army. It was part of the original thrust to Baghdad in 2003, was back again in 2005, and is completing its current mission now. Some 60 percent of the soldiers in the brigade are combat veterans from previous deployments. They are passing along their hard lessons to the 1st Armored Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team, home-based in Germany.

Grigsby said 2nd Brigade will continue the momentum his brigade began, because the gains in the region remain tenuous. To ensure stability, coalition and Iraqi forces must continue “to hunt the enemy where he sleeps, and we will continue to assist our Iraqi partners where they look to make improvements.”

DoD
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Have you read this in your paper? Nope. The third of five surge brigades will be coming home in the next several weeks. Umm… misson accomplished!

Approximately, 3,500 Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division are redeploying to Fort Benning, Georgia, in the next several weeks.

The 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team deployed in March 2007 to secure the Mada’in Qada in Baghdad Province east of the Diyala River.

The brigade was one of five units deployed in support of the surge.

The 3rd HBCT’s operations in Mada’in Qada helped improve the safety and quality of life for approximately 120,000 people living there. Its contributions over the last 14 months have led to improvements in security and the capture of more than 600 criminals, numerous cache finds, and a remarkably lower number of attacks in the area.

The improvements in security enabled merchants to reopen shops, and the local government to establish rule of law and employment through programs such as the Sons of Iraq.

“The 3rd HBCT, 3rd Infantry Division inherited battle space with a history of sparse security force presence prior to 2004,” said Brig. Gen. Dan Allyn, chief of staff, Multi-National Corps – Iraq. “Their aggressive efforts in partnership with the Iraqi Security Forces and comprehensive initiatives like the Sons of Iraq, successfully reduced sectarian violence and attacks against Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces, producing economic growth and restoration of essential services in Mada’in Qada.

“We are extremely proud of the Sledgehammer Brigade Soldiers, and their success in creating a safe and secure environment while instilling hope for the future within the people of Mada’in Qada,” Allyn said.

Many of the leaders in 3rd HBCT attribute their success to veterans of the Brigade. Nearly 65 percent of the Brigade’s Soldiers are serving their second or third deployment in Iraq.

“The mission given to us by Corps and Division was to interdict lethal accelerants coming into Baghdad,” said Col. Wayne W. Grigsby Jr. of Prince George County, Md., the commander of the 3rd HBCT. “I’d say we achieved mission success.”

Grigsby also feels his veterans’ professionalism was as important as their experience, bringing mentorship and confidence to newer Soldiers. This is the 3rd Brigade’s third tour in Iraq since January 2003.

The 3rd HBCT is the third of the surge Brigades to redeploy.

The remaining two brigades will redeploy by the end of July.

“The continued drawdown of surge Brigades demonstrates continued progress in Iraq. After July, commanders will assess our security posture for about 45 days and determine future force requirements based on these conditions-based assessments,” said Allyn.

MNF-I

Sgt. Joshua Seymour, with Co. A, 411th CA, points to fish surfacing for food as he conducts an assessment of a fish farm in Qarghuli Village April 9. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Tony M. Lindback, 3rd BCT, 101st Abn. Div. (AASLT))

In Babil Province, fish farms have begun to thrive as Task Force Marne Soldiers take on a critical role in rebuilding this vital industry.

Thanks to the vision of Col. Thomas James, commander of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, and Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, commander of Multi-National Division – Center, along with help from Soldiers of the 4th BCT, 3rd Inf. Div., residents in the region are benefiting from this massive undertaking.

“After securing our area of operations in MND-C, our goal is achieving sustainable security for the people of our towns and villages,” James said. “One important means of accomplishing this is by providing jobs – including those at the fish farms of Babil Province, where several thousand jobs will be available.”

James went on to describe how creating jobs not only provides employment and income opportunities, but also establishes a positive alternative to joining extremist groups.

The new fish farms have potential to add at least 5,000 direct and indirect local employment opportunities to the region. In al-Hillah, the Euphrates Fish Farm alone will employ at least 500 people.

The start up or renovation costs for running fish farms are relatively low, especially for farmers using existing ponds or marshland pools. Nonetheless, the expense can be prohibitive in this local economy, devastated by years of war.

To provide farms with the necessary initial support, Maj. Gen. Lynch authorized the distribution of microgrants, using Commander’s Emergency Reconstruction Program funds. The CERP funds provide commanders with economic resources to distribute among businesses and projects that need assistance the most.

To date, MND-C has allocated more than $100,000 for fish farms in their AO. In the 4th BCT battle space, 65 fish farmers have received more than $59,000 in Quick Reaction Funds microgrants to help jumpstart the industry.

Fish farming is hardly a new concept in Babil. Thousands of fish farms once existed in Iraq, but the war reduced that figure to a few hundred. However, as the industry’s capacity expands, fish farming is becoming increasingly important to the Iraqi economy.

Brig. Gen. Edward Cardon, deputy commander for support for MND-C, pointed out that “aqua-culture development is the perfect agri-business for MND-C. It has an established record of success in this region dating back generations. Each of our brigade combat teams successfully developed fish farm associations to exchange ideas on the cultivation and sustainability of fish crops. They empower entire communities to join together toward business success.”

Local fish farmers will not be the only beneficiaries of this project. As part of the “Buy Iraq” initiative, all farmers will purchase feed from a local Iraqi mill. Ideally, that mill will be equipped with an extruder to pelletize the feed, allowing it to float in the fish farm ponds.

On May 1, 15 live haul fish transport tanks will arrive, specially designed and manufactured at the Iskandariyah Industrial Complex. Farmers will procure more of these tanks to haul fish to markets, where local merchants will also profit by selling them to families and restaurants.

The Babil fish farming initiative exemplifies the interagency cooperation that has been effectively rebuilding the Iraqi economy and infrastructure. The project harnesses the resources of TF Marne Soldiers, local institutions, U.S. Agency for International Development – Inma and embedded Provincial Reconstruction Teams.

These partners combined efforts to refurbish the Euphrates Fish Farm Pumping Station at Hillah, at a cost of more than $600,000. They successfully completed construction in time for the spring hatch season in March.

Additionally, these institutions worked together to clean and repair the canals that bring water to the fish farms.

USAID-Inma project director Duane Stone explained, “The inlet from the Euphrates River has been dredged sufficiently to allow water to pass through the pump station and on to the canals irrigating the Euphrates Fish Farms and scores of farms in the area that are returning to production.”

Similar projects are in the works throughout Babil Province for Iskandariyah, Haswah, and Hillah, along canal systems fed by the Euphrates. In addition to fish farms, many of these same canals also provide irrigation for croplands, benefiting many throughout the region.

Task Force Marne

Bronze Star with V device

Pvt. Erick Rodriguez, a medic in Company B, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, attached to 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, receives a Bronze Star with Valor, from Lt. Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander of Multi-National Corps – Iraq, March 20, on Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq. Without regard for his own injuries or safety, Rodriguez provided medical care to injured Soldiers after an improvised explosive device hit his vehicle, Dec. 12. Photographer: Pfc. Amanda Mcbride, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

Capt. Matthew J. Martinson (foreground), of Jacksonville, Ark., mortar platoon leader, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, re-enlists Sgt. Guyarry Noel Russ, of Augusta, Ga., an infantryman with Company A, both of the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, at Observation Post Gator in southern Arab Jabour March 20. (Photo/Sgt. Luis Delgadillo)

Here’s another story that’s far more important than Obama and Hillary.

The 3rd Infantry Division, headquartered at Fort Stewart, Ga., completed its fiscal year 2008 retention goal in less than six months, which most view as a phenomenal act.

This is unprecedented according to the division’s retention sergeant major. “I’ve been in this career field for 16 years, and I’ve never known of a division to meet its goal in such a short time,” said Sgt. Maj. Kelvin Raibon, the 3rd Infantry Division Retention sergeant major.

This is the division’s third deployment to Iraq since 2003, but its high operational tempo did not stop 4,000 Soldiers from re-enlisting. Even more troops will follow their lead, and by the end of March one battalion with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, out of Fort Benning, Ga., will have met its retention goal twice.

The 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment is four Soldiers away from retaining 200 percent of its goal.

These Soldiers are working together to defend their nation. This is why they joined and why they re-enlisted, said Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Olson, 3rd BCT senior career counselor.

The 3rd Infantry Division, which is currently the headquarters for Multi-National Division – Center in southwest Baghdad, arrived in theater as part of the surge. Its Soldiers are serving a 15-month deployment with the combat mission to stop insurgents from bringing bomb-making materials into Baghdad. Within the year, Soldiers have secured most areas, and have begun working closely with the Iraqi security forces and tribal leaders to build the economy and make life better for its citizens.

The reason Soldiers are able to focus on helping the Iraq people is because of the support they receive from their Families and friends back home. Letters, e-mails and care packages from loved ones and strangers strengthen Soldiers’ resolve and lift their spirits.

There’s no one reason why Soldiers re-enlist, but for one Nashville, Tn., native, it was about love for his family and his country.

Spc. Cody Wilkins, a tank mechanic with 2nd Brigade Combat Team, admitted that he wasn’t prepared to end his military career and advice from his supervisor convinced him to stay in the Army.

“She worries about me,” Wilkins said about his wife Melissa, “but she supports me and enjoys the structured life that the military provides for her and my kids. She’s pleased with the decision I made.”

Wilkins, who has a daughter, age 5, and a 2-year-old son said he also renewed his commitment to the Army because he loves his country.

“Soldiers want to do more for their country – I know I do,” said Wilkins. “We re-enlist because of our patriotism.”

Leaders who take the time to listen to Soldiers’ wishes and circumstances make the biggest difference on retaining quality Soldiers, said Sgt. 1st Class Treyton Lock, the battalion career counselor with 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd BCT. People want to feel like they’re being taken care of and their concerns matter, he added.

The 3rd Infantry Division has conducted more than 12 mass re-enlistment ceremonies with visits from senior military leadership. All say that they know it’s not the monetary bonuses that retain Soldiers, but their leaders and the support from their families.

DVIDS

American Senators, no less. Our Congress critters were in Iraq to see for themselves the progress. Task Force Marne showed them the town of Iskandariyah, where, as late as six months ago, you couldn’t have walked without a combined arms backup.

And the fruit looks delicious.

A congressional delegation consisting of Senators John McCain, of Arizona; Joseph Lieberman, of Connecticut; and Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, visited Iskandariyah, Iraq, March 17 where they discussed the security, governance and economic progress of the city with Coalition forces.
Maj Gen. Rick Lynch, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, accompanied the delegation from Baghdad. The group began their visit at the Iskandariyah Joint Security Station, where Lynch and Col. Thomas James, commander of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Inf. Div., briefed the senators, giving them an overview of the area of operations surrounding Iskandariyah and the current status of the developing community.

James briefed the delegates on the brigade’s current focus: securing the population, defeating sectarian violence, interdicting accelerants into Baghdad and increasing the capacity of the Iraqi Security Forces, Government of Iraq and the Iraqi economy.

Lynch stressed to the senators that the focus for Iskandariyah and other communities at similar stages of development was no longer security but stability, adding that Multi-National Division – Center is focused on capacity-building. He referred to money as a “munition,” saying that it was “more important than bullets” in MND-C’s efforts to assist the Iraqis in increasing stability.

Lynch also said that provincial elections are a necessary first step to further stabilization of the region.

Following the briefing, the group walked through the Iskandariyah market. The senators stopped to interact with local citizens before arriving at the nahia council building. There, the senators asked members of the council for their perspectives on community issues such as schools and local services. Council Chair Sabah Kafaji emphasized that Iraqis have only one choice right now – to move forward and not backward.

During the visit, Lynch stressed to the senators the importance of the Sons of Iraq programs in both providing employment and helping make the region safer for its citizens, ISF and Coalition forces.

Lynch said Coalition forces have al-Qaeda “on the ropes” and the ISF are beginning to wage a more aggressive fight against criminal elements.

In response to a question from Lieberman about the level of support the GoI has given the Sunni population, James said that it recently funded several projects in the province, including a street-paving project in nearby Jurf as Sakhr, a primarily Sunni community. Getchell said Iskandariyah’s population is currently about 60 percent Shia and 40 percent Sunni.

James also emphasized to the senators that ISF leaders do not consider themselves Sunni or Shia, but Iraqi.

Also present at the visit were Lt. Col. Michael Getchell, commander of 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, attached to 4th BCT, 3rd Inf. Div.; Capt. Mike Penney, Company A, 2-502nd Inf. Regt.; Col. Ali, Iskandariyah Iraqi Police chief; and Lt. Col. Sa’eed, commander of 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 8th Iraqi Army Division.

MNF-I