Some 6,000 tons of metal scrap once littered the property near the Hamden Hotel in Basra, Iraq. U.S. forces, the U.S. State Department's Basra Provincial Reconstruction Team, and the Iraqi government partnered to clean up the site, which involved the removal of all of the scrap metal in only 20 days.

Iraqi and U.S. officials welcomed Iraqi media to view a surprising sight, April 1: an empty lot. Until recently, the lot in Basra, Iraq, had been the site of a huge pile of scrap metal as tall as surrounding buildings.

“The project here at Hamden Hotel involved the removal of 6,000 tons of scrap metal and took 20 days of around-the-clock work to accomplish,” said Jerry Mallory, acting team leader of the U.S. State Department’s Basra Provincial Reconstruction Team.

As part of a larger plan to remove solid waste from areas in and around Basra, this project is the result of a continuing partnership between U.S. forces, the PRT and the local government.

Mallory was on-hand to mark the occasion, along with Col. Steven L. Bullimore, commander, 17th Fires Brigade, and Basra Governor Sheltagh Aboud. The three men explained the details of the project and answered questions from local media on the property that was, until just recently, piled high with twisted metal.

“It was initiated in response to a request for assistance by the governor’s office to clean up this location,” said Mallory.

Working together, the 17th FiB, the provincial government and the PRT ironed-out the details.

Units with the 17th FiB performed site surveys, soil analysis for contaminants, and checked for the presence of unexploded ordinance.

“Both the Iraqis and my Soldiers did independent radiological tests before, during and after the removal of this, to ensure that there was nothing that would hurt any of the workers or the local population as they removed the scrap metal,” Bullimore said. “They found nothing harmful, but all the precautions were taken.”

A local contractor was hired to remove the metal and truck it off to a processing plant where it was set aside to be recycled.

It took 250 truckloads to remove the 3,000 square meters of metal located near the hotel.

Yet, this is just one of many scrap removal projects.

“We’ve done 18 to date, throughout the city and six greater locations. This, by far, was the largest one,” Bullimore said.

The city of Basra has been at the center of conflicts since the early 1980s, and the scrap metal at this and other locations has accumulated over many years from different sources.

“Cleanup of scrap metal helps rid the citizens of Basra of the physical reminders of an unfortunate past.” Bullimore said. “This cleanup is about a new beginning and about getting Basra back on its feet following decades of war.”

“It is proof that we see our partnership as essential to Basra reaching its goals for the future. We are helping our Iraqi partners to a bright, prosperous future, one of peace,” he added.

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Story by Staff Sgt. Christopher Carney

Students line up to receive school supplies, toys and treats from U.S. Soldiers during an October 2009 supply delivery to the St. Efram Elementary School in Basrah. Photo by Spc. Stephanie Cassinos

U.S. Soldiers here recently visited students in a unique, multi-cultural learning environment to drop off school supplies, treats and even guitars.

The students of St. Efram Elementary School, eager to make the Soldiers feel at home, performed a couple of classics in English, including “Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” and the English alphabet.

Bishop Imad Al Banna, the acting bishop of Basrah, explained that St. Efram is one of two kindergartens in the country sponsored by the Chaldean Church to combine children of mixed religions in one learning environment.

“They are the future and hope of Iraq,” Banna said of the children. “It’s very important that they grow together with peace, love and good ideas.”

By learning together, children of mixed religions and backgrounds set the groundwork for a generation that is more accepting of its own cultural differences, the bishop explained.

“When you teach children together, they learn to become one nation,” he said. “They learn more about their country and culture and become united. They learn to love and serve by love and not war.”

As Iraq continues to develop and progress in spite of decades of oppression, violence and religious conflict, Banna noted, there is more to building a nation than material endeavors.

“We now understand how to build bridges and hospitals,” he said. “Now, we need to understand how to build the human.”

St. Efram accomplishes this by introducing its culturally diverse students to a variety of subjects, including art, math, science, music, English, Arabic and other languages. The mixed-gender classes include children from Muslim, Christian and Sabean families. Many former students have gone on to pursue college-educated careers, such as medicine and engineering, and now their children are following in their footsteps.

“When they get out, they always have higher grades, because they begin their education early,” Banna said.

Although enrollment is high, St. Efram lacks the classrooms and staff to accommodate all who apply. This year, 250 families wanted to register their children, but the school could admit only 165 students. The other school, Albeshera, has 190 students.

Many impoverished families live in the area and cannot afford to pay tuition, but because some families are able to pay more, the community and church can provide needy children with the opportunity for an early education.

“In the future, when these children know someone cared for them, they will care for others,” Banna said. “It will build the love.”

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By Army Spc. Stephanie Cassinos, Multi-National Division – South

U.S. Soldiers with the 606th Forward Support Company, 1-377th Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Fires Brigade, conduct civil reconnaissance of the Hartha Water Treatment Plant in Basrah, Aug. 19. Photo courtesy of 17th Fires Brigade.

Some citizens of Basrah lived without clean, running water for cooking and hygiene. Following a recent inspection of the Hartha Water Treatment Plant here, the 17th Fires Brigade aimed to change that.

The plant, located 12 miles north of Basrah, was working at 30 percent capacity and considered almost non-operational by the time the U.S. contracted the Farden Group to renovate the plant for $420,000.

“That’s a small amount of money considering the amount of water that they have gained from this facility,” said Maj. Peter D. Hesford, 1314 Civil Affairs Company, Civil Liaison Team, 17th Fires Brigade project manager.

Hesford said the funding for such projects comes from the Commanders’ Emergency Response Program (CERP), an allocation of funds granted to deployed U.S. military commanders to initiate short-duration projects designed to alleviate urgent humanitarian need.

Hesford said the Hartha project fits such a need.

“We’ve just increased their water production by 15 percent with this water treatment plant alone and this is just the first of more to come,” he said.

Producing more than 100 million liters of treated water daily, this is the second largest plant in Basrah province and services the entire region’s population of almost 2 million.

“U.S. forces in partnership with the Government of Iraq are committed to providing the people of Iraq with treated water,” Hesford said. “With the refurbishment of this plant, we’ve provided the citizens of Basrah with more than forty million liters of water. That’s approximately 12 additional liters of water for each person in the city of Basrah.”

The completion of this water treatment plant marks only the beginning of the purification process for Basrah province.

Hesford said there are currently three water treatment plant refurbishment projects underway in the southern region of Iraq. They’re slated to begin in six weeks, and include the regions of Bradia, Jubalia and Ribbat, with the construction of a new plant set to begin at Zubayr.

“The 17th Fires Brigade is poised to leave Iraq in the hands of the local and federal governance and we’re increasing our efforts in the area of mentorship, while taking a harder look at how we apply our CERP dollars,” he said.

Through partnership with the U.S. State Department Provincial Reconstruction Team and local Iraqi leadership, Hesford said the 17th FB’s objective is not only to appropriately apply CERP resources but ensure each project’s sustainability through coming generations long after the departure of U.S. forces.

“These projects serve as an example of our commitment to assist and advise and to leave Iraq secure, safe and prepared for future economic expansion,” he said.

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By Spc. Maurice Galloway, 17th Fires Brigade

Shatt Al Arab Sports Club, Basra, Iraq

Ten years ago, Shatt Al Arab sports club in Al Tanoma city in east Basra was an old building.

“Shatt Al Arab sports club was a really unusable building, all the walls and ceilings were in very bad condition, but now everything looks new thanks to the U.S. Army Engineers efforts,” said Lateef Khalf, the sports club administrator.

The Gulf Region Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Iraq, invested $300,000 to reconstruct the four-decade-old facility.

Khalf said the renovated facility provides a place for about 750 members – providing an opportunity for neighborhood residents of different ages to work out and enjoy an array of sports training.

“It’s great to see all these young Iraqis spend part of their time in sport activities and develop their sports abilities through this sports club,” said Khalf. “We hope to make this club training grounds for many Iraqi Olympians in the future.”

James Mills, the Basra Area Office resident engineer who oversaw the project for the Gulf Region South district, said the renovated sports club offers many amenities.

“The rehabilitation work included a new rubberized outdoor surface, new bleachers, new stadium lights, sun shade, new locker rooms, showers and two restrooms,” said Mills.

Mills also said the facility provides the citizens of Basra a modern stadium to host and watch sporting events like football (soccer), basketball, volleyball and Tae Kwon Do, as well as other sports.

The project renovation began in September 2008, and was completed in April.

At the peak of construction, the project renovation provided jobs for about 50 local workers a day.

The Basra Area Office is currently managing an additional 19 projects worth approximately $110 million.

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By A. Al Bahrani
Gulf Region South

Capt. Michelle Szczenpanek, physician assistant, Company C, 204th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, demonstrates how to put a breathing tube down an infant's throat to doctors from the Basra Women's and Children's Hospital during neonatal resuscitation training at Contingency Operating Base Basra, June 10. Szczenpanek comes from Orlando, Fla. Photo by Sgt. Rodney Foliente

The doctors and medical staff of the Warhorse Brigade conducted neonatal resuscitation training at Contingency Operating Base Basra for local doctors June 10-11.

The 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, offered the training and introduced new procedures and equipment that can help save infant lives and reduce the risk of babies suffering from cerebral palsy and mental retardation.

“Iraq has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world,” said Maj. Roger Brockbank, 2nd BCT surgeon, 4th Inf. Div. Recent studies also show that many instances of cerebral palsy and mental retardation may have been avoided with proper resuscitation training.

“The first few minutes of an infant’s life are critical, as the infant makes the transition from the womb to breathing in the outside world. A lot of times, simple interventions and techniques can help the infants in need of assistance, to make that transition and lead healthy lives,” continued Brockbank, who calls Colorado Springs, Colo., home.

In addition to the training, the brigade has provided training aids and equipment donated from American non-government organizations. The donated equipment and training aids included infant-sized mannequins with simulated lungs, and tools to perform a variety of resuscitation measures. The mouths, throats and lungs of the mannequins are also realistically formed, allowing staff members to train on emergencies procedures, such as inserting breathing tubes.

The training program was coordinated with the provincial government and the directors of the Basra Women’s and Children’s Hospital, said Capt. Will Smith, 2nd BCT medical operations officer, 4th Inf. Div.

“It was exciting to see the local doctors take the lead as they establish an ongoing neonatal resuscitation training program, which will result in improving their provincial healthcare capacity. I was inspired by their enthusiasm and I feel confident in the ability of the Iraqi doctors and the ministry of Health to care for their people,” said Smith, who also calls Colorado Springs home.

“We wanted to provide a training program for physicians in Basra so they can in turn, train other physicians, nurses and midwives in neonatal resuscitation techniques,” said Brockbank. “It’s been very rewarding, being able to provide a program that can continue when we move on. It will be very beneficial to the people, especially the infants born in Basra.”

The train-the-trainer program can continue to progress and escalate until the Basra Women’s and Children’s Hospital becomes a center of training for medical staff members from other hospitals as well. In Diwaniya, where the Warhorse Brigade was headquartered during the first half of its deployment, the neonatal resuscitation training program has grown and continues to meet with success, explained Brockbank.

The initial course will now help the doctors and residents to train the rest of the pediatric staff at the hospital before expanding it further, said Dr. Ghufran, a female pediatrician. She said she is optimistic that the training will lead to a healthier start for a greater number of children: her country’s future.

“This training will benefit our whole pediatric staff, so they know better how to assist the doctors and care for the babies in [case of] complications. The babies don’t depend only on the doctors for survival; they depend on the whole [medical] staff,” emphasized Ghufran.

“I became a doctor to help people and save lives. In Iraq, we have many complications in post-deliveries. Many babies end up [having] cerebral palsy, are paralyzed or die because of birth asphyxia,” said Dr. Ayssar, a pediatric resident in Basra. “This training will help us prevent these things from happening; to help [ensure] healthier futures [and] save the lives of infants.”

DVIDS
Story by Sgt. Rodney Foliente

For the last year, the country’s second largest city has been experiencing something it hasn’t known since the war began… safer streets.

Prior to January 2008, Basrah was known for being a dangerous city to live in; corruption and fear had been an everyday part of life for its citizens.

During an operation early last year, the 6th Regional Commando Battalion, along with the aid of coalition forces, took action to make Basrah a safer place.

“The city had become so bad that almost everyone except the RCB had given up on fighting the enemy,” the 6th RCB commander said. “The 6th RCB continually pushed forward and did missions to clear the streets in order to control the city.”

According to the commander, one of the biggest milestones in the operation was when the battalion was able to take control by going after the main leader of the terrorist activities in the area.

The leader of the terrorist movements acted as a warlord, said the commander. Everything from gang-related activities to attacks on Iraqi Security and Coalition forces were linked back to him, he added.

“He was responsible for killing people that opposed him, as well as… intellectuals like doctors and professors,” the commander explained.

However, the commander said things in the city slowly became better after the 6th RCB went in and arrested the insurgent leader.

“Things progressively went back to order in the city,” said the commander. “Government employees were able to go back to work and people were able to go about the city without fear of being attacked.

“Before, when all the attacks were at their highest, people were afraid to be on the streets at 3 p.m. Now people are free to be out at night and travel around the city.”

Now that the city has become a safer place, it is important for the 6th RCB to continue to train and be ready for whatever they might face in the future, said the commander.

He explained that two of the most important things to be trained on are weapons maintenance and operation.

“The use of weapons like the .50 [caliber] and the 240 [automatic rifle] have been extremely important,” said an Iraqi officer in the battalion. “We use those weapons in battle and it’s important [for the Soldiers] to be well trained in their [use].

“Training in general is important because proficiency doesn’t come when you do something just once or twice, but over long periods of training.”

Soldiers in the 6th RCB train constantly in different areas of combat to be prepared for anything, the Iraqi officer added.

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Story by Spc. William Hatton

A major bridge crossing the Shatt al-Arab river in Basra has been repaired by soldiers from 35 Engineer Regiment in a two-night operation.

The Royal Engineers, from 29 Armoured Engineer Squadron, part of 35 Engineer Regiment, worked tirelessly to repair wear-and-tear damage, which had been caused by constant use, to some of the steel plates that make up the bridge over the weekend, 10 and 11 January 2009.

The Sappers worked during the night in order to cause as little disruption as possible to the local community, who had been warned of the overnight bridge closures by radio message, and the successful repair work means that the Basrawis’ transport infrastructure remains fully functional.

The operation required close liaison with the Iraqi Security Forces to ensure a security cordon was placed around the bridge during the repair phase.

The troop commander in charge of the operation, Lieutenant Angela Laycock, from 29 Armoured Engineer Squadron, Royal Engineers, said:

“The troops were very grateful to carry out this task as they knew the bridge repair was so vital to the locals. They worked really hard during the night and there was good interaction with the Iraqi Police and Army who helped to man the outer cordon. They were really positive about the bridge being repaired too.

“As soon as the bridge was reopened at 0600 in the morning a moped, donkey and a truck full of sand crossed the bridge without having to dodge the broken panels that were there the night before.”

The Mabey-Johnson Logistic Support Bridge spans Cigar Island in the north-west of the city and links Basra to the Qaryat Ar Ramlah region. It was built during Op Telic 4 (2004) by members of 22 Engineer Regiment.

Troops from 35 Engineer Regiment deployed to Iraq from their base in Paderborn, Germany, in September 2008 to take part in Operation Telic 13 and form part of 20 Armoured Brigade which took over the command of UK forces from early December 2008.

Copyright Ministry of Defence

Operation Sawlat al-Fursan, or Charge of the Knights, lead by the 1st Iraqi Army Division, a battalion from the 14th IA Division, and two Iraqi National Police battalions, continued searching and clearing operations in Abu Al Khasib of Basra, Iraq May 31.

The Iraqi Army led the sweep from early May 31 to early June 1. Two Iraqi National police battalions followed as a support component searching for criminal elements and weapons caches.

The National IP detained one suspect and discovered a cache of 52 AK-47 assault rifles and one sub-machine gun.

Coalition Forces from the U.S. Marine Corps and United Kingdom Military Transition Teams remain with the IA in a supporting role to enable assets, if necessary.

The operation, which began March 25 in Basra, continues to bring the surrounding area to normalcy with infrastructure support missions focusing on canal clearing operations, substation repair and construction, and road repairs.

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More than 400 Coalition Soldiers and Marines paid their respect to a fallen Marine at Basra Air Base, Iraq, May 23. Marine 1st Lt. Matthew R. Vandegrift, was honored in a memorial plaque dedication service. Lieutenant Vandegrift was killed while conducting combat operations in Basra, Iraq. He was assigned to the Military Transition Team in support of the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division.

The service was presided over by Marine Maj. Gen. George J. Flynn, the deputy commanding general of Multi-National Corps – Iraq, and Reverend Padre Mark Christian, the chaplain to the forces at Multi-National Division — South East.

Lieutenant Vandegrift was killed while conducting combat operations in Basra, Iraq. He was assigned to the Military Transition Team in support of the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division.

A plaque commemorating the selfless service of Lieutenant Vandegrift was placed on the memorial wall in front of Multi-National Division Southeast Headquarters honoring British and Coalition forces killed in Southern Iraq.

The gravity of the ceremony was all the more reflected in the eyes of the Marines as Memorial weekend approaches.

“It is heartening to know that, back in the States, there will be that moment in time where people get together and reflect on the sacrifices made by those who have gone before us,” said Marine Maj. Andrew S. Burchfield, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force Liaison Officer to 1st Iraqi Army Division Military Transition Team.

Lieutenant Vandegrift was laid to rest with full military honors at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver, April 28.

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