Deep purple eggplant glisten in the sun while stacks of fresh watermelon rest on display safely under cover from the mid-day, 115-degree weather as Striker Brigade Soldiers walk the street admiring the produce and assessing needs of this popular Fish Market in the Suleikh neighborhood of the Adhamiyah District of Baghdad, July 24.

The patrol was part of a continued effort by the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad to build on the economic success the unit has seen in Adhamiyah.

“The Fish Market is a great example of what improved security can mean in the lives of Iraqis,” said Maj. Byron Sarchet, information operations officer for 3rd BCT, 4th Inf. Div. “This piece of Baghdad has seen little U.S. or Iraqi army presence lately. Security is being provided by the Sons of Iraq, currently, and the market is thriving.”

With the limited U.S. presence that success provided, comes dangers. Sarchet said often simple problems with simple solutions can easily become big problems for U.S. and Iraqi forces if left unattended. Just driving by the fish market it’s easy to assume a flourishing market with no troubles in sight, but a cursory walk through the streets uncovers a problem.

Abdul al Setar, an Iraqi business owner, runs into the street to greet the U.S. Soldiers. Through an interpreter he gives an animated report that his home and shop have power for only an hour a day. “It is too hot. This is not good for my wife and family,” Setar tells the Soldiers hoping they can bring welcomed relief.

After a round of chai from a street vendor, the Soldiers begin their search for the generator meant to provide power to the street. They don’t look far before an Iraqi woman approaches with the same concern as Setar’s.

The patrol soon finds two generators in the market in similar degrees of disrepair. Sarchet said the first thought might be to contract for repair or replacement of the generators, but that doesn’t help the Iraqis solve the problem for themselves.

“We can’t let the Fish Market flounder,” Sarchet gibed, “It’s important to find a local guy with a vested interest in the market and the economy to help provide power to the neighborhood.”

Another walk around and the patrol stumbles on a small store with a healthy generator powering about 60 shops along the busy street. Mustafa Abud Aller is happy to invite the Soldiers in to see his shop and he proudly shows off the generator that he and his brother-in-law maintain.

“Can you fix the generators in the market,” Sarchet asks Mustafa, who answered enthusiastically that he could, but it would cost money.

“Sure this guy is taking advantage of the situation,” Sarchet said, “but that’s business. If we can quickly get him 3,000 dollars and he becomes the power company for the neighborhood, that’s business.”

Less than two years ago, Adhamiyah was wrought with violence and sectarian strife. Now markets are flourishing all over the district where Iraqis sell fresh produce, clothes, electronics, auto parts and other wares bringing normalcy to the area and stimulating the economy. But Sarchet warns that peace is fragile without continued interaction and communication with the people.

“The market here is thriving because the people have had a taste of how good it can be. We just have to keep progressing forward,” Sarchet said.

DVIDS
By Maj. Mike Humphreys
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

The local citizens who use the medical clinic in the Hateen apartments will now have 24-hour power thanks to the assistance of coalition forces.

Soldiers repaired the 30K generator that powers the clinic. It runs approximately 20 hours a day to augment the limited electricity available in the area, said 1st Lt. Jonathan Akers, a medical officer at the aid station for the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment.

The unit, which is attached to 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, did a clinic assessment in February and learned of the inoperable generator. The faulty generator and limited electrical power to the clinic kept the clinic from properly refrigerating vaccines, which affected the staff’s ability to care for patients.

“Since they had no power they were not able to keep the vaccines cold so they were not able to vaccinate the people,” Akers said. “They were losing vaccines, which is a big cost to the medical infrastructure. So it basically shut down their whole vaccination program, which basically paralyzed the clinic.”

The clinic receives rationed vaccines from the Ministry of Health on a monthly basis; spoiled vaccines could not be replaced. Ice was used as a contingency plan, but freezers were nearly as unusable as the generator.

The battalion enlisted the help of Sgt. Lauro Flores, a ground support equipment noncommissioned officer, and Spc. Daniel Vicena, a generator mechanic, both with Company F, 2-502nd Inf. Regt., to help alleviate this problem.

“When we went out there for our initial assessment, they had a bunch of parts stripped off the generator, the fuel tank was messed up, and the fuel pump wasn’t working right,” said Vicena, a native of Cincinnati.

The clinic has its own generator mechanic who actually lives there, but he was extremely limited in what he could do, said Akers. He didn’t have the resources, money or tools; he basically didn’t have anything to get the job done.

The Soldiers made numerous trips to the clinic in the next six months. In addition to getting parts that were available through military supply channels, the Soldiers also had to fabricate one unavailable part.

“When we went out there the first time they gave us the oil filter, the fuel filter and the fuel-water separator,” said Flores, a native of Milton, Fla. “I got lucky with the oil and fuel filters, but the fuel-water separator was badly damaged, and I couldn’t find a replacement. So I had to figure out the concept of the fuel-water separator, and we had to fabricate one.”

Now, the clinic is able to serve its population, which includes approximately 25,000 local citizens.

“It feels good knowing that we made a difference for these local citizens,” Flores said. “This is my first time of doing this type of civil affairs/public service type of mission.”

Prior to this, the clinic had to divert some of its patients because it was unable to keep the vaccines cold.

“These two did a phenomenal job of networking, resourcing, gathering all this stuff, and fabricating the part,” said Akers, a native of Indianapolis.

“The end state is the clinic reinstated their vaccination program so the people in the area no longer have to go way outside their neighborhood to receive normal vaccines,” he said. “So it’s got their vaccination program going, and it saved probably thousands of dollars worth of vaccines that they were losing when their power would go out.”

The Hateen clinic supports the local population with essential health needs. The Hateen PCH employs three physicians, 17 female and eight male nurses. The clinic also has two dentists and a number of technicians, including a midwife, pharmacy techs and administrative personnel.

The clinic sees approximately 150 patients daily and an average of 10 dental patients a day. The clinic, which is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day but Friday, is a sick-call type clinic that also has a maternity ward.

DVIDS
By Sgt. 1st Class Tami Hillis
4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division

Rusafa district area leaders gave power to Rusafa citizens when they conducted a ribbon-cutting ceremony, turning on micro-power generators in Muhalla 125 of eastern Baghdad July 24.

Iraqi Brig. Gen. Latif Mohammed, Rusafa district police commander and Abass Hassan Hamud, a neighborhood council chairman for Muhalla 125, were two of the dignitaries present to help bring readily available electricity to area residents.

“We defeated all the criminals around us, and now we are progressing,” Mohammed said. “Criminals are behind us, and we have to do something in favor of our neighborhoods.”

Mohammed said the micro-generators are proof of what he claimed about defeating criminals and improving life in the area, and construction projects are on the agenda in Rusafa as well.

Iraqi officials selected Muhalla 125 to receive the two generators, along with a third generator at another location, to serve the people in the neighborhood.

“This is a good start,” said Mohammed. “We are doing further things for the people of this muhalla.”

Hamud thanked everyone responsible for helping bring electricity to Muhalla 125, including Coalition forces. This is a very special moment for us here,” declared Hamud. “These generators will help … 1,000 families.”

Hamud said Muhalla 125 residents used to rely only on the main grid for power, which sometimes would only provide power for two or three hours. The generators will allow for electricity on a more continuous basis.

Maj. John Schulz, a civil affairs officer with the 418th Civil Affairs Detachment, said the project to bring micro-generators to Muhalla 125 residents began in May unit representatives asked Rusafa officials who most needed electricity. They selected Muhalla 125, Schulz said.

Schulz said the project could serve as a model for everyone else in the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light) who works with similar interests to follow.

There are 300 residences already hooked up to the generators, said Schultz. Other area residents may be added, but in the meantime businesses in Muhalla 125 may be hooked up to the generators, too.

The last project to bring electricity to Muhalla 125 in a major way occurred in 1963, said Schultz. Since then, the muhalla has been ignored for the most part, primarily because of its old buildings and narrow streets, which make it difficult to access the area with equipment necessary to do the job.

Hamud said the next improvement Hamud will push for in the area is a long-term sewage solution.

“It’s a very big impact on people to have electricity,” said Hamud. “I would like to thank the Coalition, the American side. It’s a great thing giving use this service.”

MNF-I

AP via SFgate.com, here’s an analysis of the improving electric generation situation in Iraq.

The electricity gains have been possible because violence in Iraq has dropped to its lowest level in more than four years. The change has been driven by the 2007 buildup of American forces, the Sunni revolt against al-Qaida in Iraq and Iraqi government crackdowns against Sunni extremists and Shiite militias, among other factors.

3rd Platoon, Able Company, 2-503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment conducted a reconnaissance mission at the Dag micro-hydro project near the Dag Village. After inspecting the micro-hydro project, the Paratroopers went into the DAG village to discuss future projects. During the meeting with village elders, some of the members of 3rd platoon enjoyed some goat milk tea with elders and discussed other needs of the village.

Micro-hydro power is proven technology, and a practical method to bring energy to remote mountain villages near mountain streams. System output ranges from 10 to 30 kilowatts. The average Aghan home with two light bulbs and a TV consumes about 100 watts. Micro-hydro is simple to install and operate, and is inexpensive and easy to sustain. Having electricity is new to many Afghans in remote areas. Not only does electricity make life easier, it allows Afghans to utilize TV and radio to stay connected to news and information about their growing government.

CJTF-82