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

Girls in the Al Amal 4-H Club giggle as they recite the 4-H pledge and the Iraqi national anthem Aug. 7 at the beginning of a meeting in Baghdad. The Al Amal 4-H Club, founded in June, has already given the children opportunities to visit local museums, plant trees for their community and begin to learn skills relating to animal care and computers. Photo by Pfc. Emily Knitter

A cartoon image of a sheep is projected onto a white wall, with arrows pointing to different areas around its body. The room is filled with children staring intently at the wall, who excitedly raise their hands when they know the name of one of the parts.

For these children, this is now a typical Saturday afternoon. But for Iraq, this represents how far the country has come, and how bright the future is. They are part of the Al Amal 4-H Club, the first of its kind in Baghdad, and one of very few in Iraq.

The 4-H club is widely popular in the United States, with more than 6 million members across the country, according to the national 4-H website. The club focuses on educating young people in three areas: healthy living, community service and science, engineering and technology.

Having a program similar to that in Iraq means a lot to the reforming country.

“The children are the future,” said Mary Kerstetter, agricultural adviser for the Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team in Southern Baghdad, and one of the ePRT advisers who spearheaded the creation of the Iraqi 4-H clubs. “By teaching them how to take better care of their sheep and to use laptops, among other things, they will be a step ahead and will be better prepared to take care of their families in the future.”

The Al Amal 4-H Club was created in June and most of the members heard about the club through word of mouth. The children are already learning skills in agriculture, computer operations, public speaking, community service and leadership.

Although Kerstetter played an important role in the creation of these clubs, the children and adult volunteers have begun taking over most of the operations, planning activities for the club and community service opportunities.

“We planted trees by a school to help the community,” said Abdullah, a member of the club, “Everything we do, we do as a group. The work felt important, and I like feeling like I belong to something.”

Members of the Al Amal 4-H Club talk about their new project books, in which they have to record all the work they are doing with their sheep, Aug. 7 during a meeting in Baghdad. The members are each given a ewe to raise and care for as part of the club, which along with focusing on animal husbandry teaches the children valuable skills in leadership, public speaking and community service. Photo by Pfc. Emily Knitter

Among all the children, unity is a positive point for being a member of the club.

“I like everything (about the club),” said Rusul, a girl in the club. “But the anthems are my favorite part, the 4-H pledge and the national anthem. Because the club pledge is part of the club, and the national anthem is part of my country.”

The pledge and anthem are recited at the beginning of each meeting to remind the members what the club is about, and to honor their country.

The 4-H pledge explains the meaning behind each “H” in the name.

As the children stand during the beginning of the meetings, and look at papers with the words translated to Arabic, they recite: “I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to greater service and my health to better living, for my club, my community, my country and my world.”

Girls in the Al Amal 4-H Club laugh as they look through cartoon books illustrating proper first aid procedures during a meeting Aug. 7 in Baghdad. The members of the club, founded in June, have already planted trees at a near by school, visited a local art museum and begun learning about animal care and computer operations. Photo by Pfc. Emily Knitter

One of the main focuses of this club is sheep. Each member was given a ewe to raise and care for. Each ewe is tagged so the club can account for the animal easily, and to protect the sheep.

“The culture here is unique,” Kerstetter said. “I have been told there may have been a problem with parents trying to sell the children’s sheep. My main goal is to protect the children, and this was an easy way to identify their sheep.”

The members also agree to donate the first baby their sheep has back to the club, so another member can have one as well.

The children are really excited to care for the sheep.

“I haven’t gotten a ewe yet, but it should be really fun because I have never taken care of a sheep before,” said Yousif, another member of the club.

Yousif is also the media officer for the club, which means he creates slide presentations of important activities they have done. Yousif said he likes to explore the computers, and that he knew about computers a little before he joined the club, but not about slide presentations.

The club has created hats and T-shirts with its logo on them, which some members wear to every meeting. The members also made coffee mugs, clocks and other promotional memorabilia to raise awareness of the club.

Already a success, there are plans to start more branches across the Baghdad area because the current club has a long waiting list of more children who want to participate.

The club allows the children to step out of their daily lives and do good deeds within their community while gaining valuable life lessons. In the past two months, the children have visited local museums, planted trees for their community and begun learning skills relating to animal care and computers.

As Iraq continues to become more stable and pushes towards freedom, it is programs like this that will support that growth, and begin developing the next generation of leaders for the country.

“I like everything (about the club),” Rusul said. “I want to keep being big part of it, and do a lot more community work because that is a lot of fun.”

DVIDS
Story by Pfc. Emily Knitter

Air Force Senior Airman Claribel Najera-Torres, with the 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron helps an Iraqi girl blow bubbles June 19 during Kids Day at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Service members entertained 77 children, ages 6-14, with American games, food and music. Photo by Sgt. Chad Menegay

Service members threw an American-style party June 19 with swimming, movies, video games, board games, burgers, potato chips and ice cream for 77 Iraqi children at Morale, Welfare and Recreation-East of Joint Base Balad, Iraq.

Defense Department personnel, who work with locals in the villages that surround JBB to build communities and help the sick and injured, have gained enough trust with parents to gather children from Albu Hassan, Albu Abbas and Al Bakir for the “Kids Day.”

Capt. Tara Opielowski, with the 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron coordinated the event and said she filled her quota of one volunteer for each child within two minutes of her request. She still had to turn away about 400 people.

Capt. Tara Opielowski, with the 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, reads to an Iraqi girl June 19 during Kids Day at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Service members entertained 77 children, ages 6-14, with American games, food and music. Photo by Sgt. Chad Menegay

Opielowski said she kept the itinerary very generic.

“I wanted them to come here and interact with service members,” she said. “We told the volunteers to stay with [their respective] child, but to let them do what they want and have fun.”

Most of the children started their day outside, playing in an above-ground pool and kicking around a soccer ball. Boys wrestled around and girls drew with chalk on the sidewalk. Service members demonstrated how to hula hoop and skip rope. Inside kids listened to music, took pictures, blew bubbles, played billiards, cards, table tennis and video games.

“I love seeing them getting so excited and happy to get into the base,” said Spc. Nazha Likrik, a translator with the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group and an Essouira, Morocco, native.

DoD personnel said since Kids Day began in 2008 at JBB, the concept has spread to other bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. A previous event at JBB drew 219 kids.

“Some [children] have been here six or seven times already,” Likrik said. “They already know the place and what to do. They already know the processing at the gate.”

Opielowski said the main reason for the event was for the children and service members to have fun, but it was also to build a positive relationship with the Iraqi communities that surround JBB.

“The kids are the future,” she said. “This is when it’s important to make the impact on them, and show we’re here to help not hurt. I think it’s good for the parents to see that we’re good people, and we want to do good things.”

DVIDS
Story by Sgt. Chad Menegay

Here are a few pictures of Iraqi children at school and their interaction with an American soldier.

An Iraqi child poses for her picture at the Al A Alahbab school in Jaeffer, Iraq, April 21. Photo by Senior Airman Daniel Owen

An Iraqi child sits on a table at the Al A Alahbab school in Jaeffer, Iraq, April 21. Photo by Senior Airman Daniel Owen

U.S. Army Master Sgt. Mike Bennet, member of the 8th Military Police Brigade, a native of Charleston, Mass., demonstrates how to blow bubbles for the children at the Al A Alahbab school in Jaeffer, Iraq, April 21. Photo by Senior Airman Daniel Owen

U.S. Army Master Sgt. Mike Bennet, member of the 8th Military Police Brigade, a native of Charleston, Mass., helps an Iraqi boy blow bubbles at the Al A Alahbab school in Jaeffer, Iraq, April 21. Photo by Senior Airman Daniel Owen

SATTACK, Iraq (October 13, 2008) – Navy Lt. Chris Owston, a Medical Officer with Task Force 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, checks an Iraqi girl’s throat, Oct. 13. At the request of the local city council, Owston evaluated more than 40 children and was pleased to find no signs of malnourishment or poor health. (Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Scott Schmidt)

Photographer: Sgt. James Hunter
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA) Public Affairs

Life at Baghdad Zoo Returning to Normal With Stable Security

An Iraqi child passes by a road block being maintained by the 101st Airborne Division, 1st Battalion, 187 Infantry Regiment, while making sure none of his sheep run away in Al Sadr Yusifiyah, Iraq on July 12, 2008.

An Iraqi man and his daughter purchase produce from a vendor at the Ma’ash Market in the neighborhood of Al Yarmook, Mosul, Iraq on July 14, 2008.

A young Iraqi boy delivers wheat sugar to the People’s Market on an assignment in the Jamilla Market area of the Sadr City District of Baghdad, on July 12.

Two Iraqi girls celebrate after painting a t-wall at Forward Operating Base War Eagle in northern Baghdad, March 29. During the day, children of the village next to War Eagle, who were between the ages 2 and 12, painted their artwork on the t-wall that line the way to their school.

An Iraqi child paints a design on t-wall as others watch, March 29, at Forward Operating Base War Eagle. The children were invited to paint the t-wall they walk by daily on their way to school. (Photo/Capt. Walter Zurkowski)

Iraqi Children Demonstrate Artistic Skills

Our poor Marines in Fallujah, forced to deal with schoolchildren all day long…

U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Rodrigo Cantu, with Regimental Combat Team 6, Police Transition Team 8, hands an Iraqi child a toy in Al Fallujah, Iraq, on Dec. 16. U.S. Marines with PTT 8 are conducting a foot patrol with their Iraqi police counter-parts to develop a sense of security and friendliness with district residents.

U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Rodrigo Cantu,, with Regimental Combat Team 6, Police Transition Team 8, hands an Iraqi child a toy in Al Fallujah, Iraq, on Dec. 16.

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Nicholas C. Speidell with Regimental Combat Team 6, Police Transition Team 8, hands candy to Iraqi children in Al Fallujah, Iraq, on Dec. 16. U.S. Marines with PTT 8 are conducting a foot patrol with their Iraqi Police counter-parts to develop a sense of security and friendliness with district residents.

Photographer: Cpl. Joseph Lambach
Joint Combat Camera Center