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

I had to use the original title. Just look at the alliteration!

The Sultan Saqi Shrine, built in the 1960s in a part of the historic Tiseen neighborhood which is now on Kirkuk Regional Air Base, marks the burial place of Imam Sultan Saqi, as well as that of his sister. The Sultan's grave dates from approximately 600 A.D. Photo by Master Sgt. Martie Moore

The 506th Air Expeditionary Group and the Kirkuk Provincial Reconstruction Team of the U.S. Embassy in Iraq assisted approximately 30 members of the predominantly Turkmen Shi’a community of the Tiseen neighborhood of Kirkuk city to visit the Imam Sultan Saqi Shrine and its surrounding cemetery, which are historically and religiously important to the Turkmen Shi’a community, April 17.

Traditionally, the people of the Tiseen community in Kirkuk visit the shrine and the graves of the deceased of their own community buried in the cemetery surrounding the shrine on religious holidays and other special occasions.

Under the regime of Saddam Hussein, the land was confiscated for use as an airport and military base, and visitations and use of the cemetery were forbidden. The U.S. Air Force, who has managed the base since 2003, and the PRT recognized the importance of the site to the Tiseen community and initiated periodic visits for them.

“The U.S. Air Force believes that it’s important to be a good neighbor to the people of Kirkuk, and we are pleased to have been able to meet and assist some of our neighbors today,” said Col. Leonard Dick, 506th AEG commander.

Kirkuk Provincial Council members Tahseen Kahea and Qassim Hamza participated in the visit, along with representatives of the PRT and U.S. Air Force. During the event, Akbar Shokor Bahram gave a blessing and spoke of the importance of the site to the community.

DVIDS
Story by Master Sgt. Martie Moore

An officer with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division out of Fort Bliss, Texas, fights off one of her instructors during Sexual Assualt Unarmed Self Defense Awareness and Prevention class, held at Forward Operating Base Warrior. Photo by Pfc. Jessica Luhrs

A group of petite female Soldiers laugh as their instructors, four much larger non-commissioned officers wince in pain from self-defense techniques they just taught these female Soldiers that could ultimately save their lives.

These Soldiers, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division out of Fort Bliss, Texas, were the first to participate in a trail program that focuses on teaching the Soldiers self-defense so they can better defend themselves against an attacker, according to First Sgt. John Lucas, first sergeant of HHC, of the Ready First Combat Team.

This program is a proactive attempt by the leadership of the Ready First Combat Team to teach their Soldiers to protect themselves if attacked, when they are unarmed.

During the class a very curious crowd of male and female Soldiers gathered around to observe these females learning to immobilize their attacker so that they can have enough time to get away, the importance of preserving evidence and ways to prevent an attack from happening, according to Lucas.

The brigade’s sexual assault response coordinator had some advice for the Soldiers to prevent an attack.

“You must show confidence in yourself at all times,” said Sgt. 1st Class Gerald Meineke, the SARC. “Walk with your head high and you will not be looked at as a victim.”

The junior-enlisted Soldiers that participated in the program were also given a very lethal weapon that would scare off any attacker, according the Lucas.

This weapon was a flashlight and it is the new best friend of the Soldiers participating in the class.
With this the Soldiers can blind, hit and gather evidence, such as DNA or even identification, from their attacker.

Overall the instructors said they were very impressed with the Soldiers and that they were very quickly picking up on moves that gives them an advantage over an attacker that can be much larger than them.

The plan for this class is for it to be held more regularly and have it be mandatory for all females of the Ready First Combat Team, to show that sexual assault has no place at Forward Operating Base Warrior, Kirkuk, Iraq.

Until the classes are scheduled the instructors have urged their students to go out and teach other Soldiers what they had learned and to also practice the techniques often so they do not lose the skill.

DVIDS
Story by Pfc. Jessica Luhrs

Crew members of Black Gold Holding Company, a local contractor, build a new lift station on Kirkuk Regional Air Base, Iraq, Feb. 24. Crew members of Black Gold Holding Company, a local contractor, build a new lift station on Kirkuk Regional Air Base, Iraq, Feb. 24. Photo by Master Sgt. Martie Moore

Earning and learning are two concepts used to help the Iraqi people rebuild their nation with pride and dignity.

A joint project involving 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, Readiness Management Support Engineers and a local contractor are making those basic livelihood necessities a reality.

The various civil engineers are all involved in upgrading the base sanitary sewer system with new or upgraded wastewater lift stations.

“The existing concrete tank was set up in an expeditionary manner,” said Master Sgt. Michael Wohlfert, Water & Fuels Systems Maintenance superintendent.

As part of the lift station project, the crews constructed three new pump stations and modified five others doubling the capacity of the overall system.

“The wastewater lift stations are facilities designed to move wastewater from lower to higher elevation through pipes,” said Wohlfert.

Key elements of lift stations include a wastewater receiving well (wet-well), often equipped with pumps and piping with associated valves, motors, a power supply system, and an equipment control and alarm system.

During the process of building the new lift stations, Iraqi men were learning or improving their trade as electricians and plumbers.

“The Air Force is here to see that the rules and regulations are followed by the contractor,” said Wohlfert. “Iraq does not have the same building codes as the U.S. The electricians and plumbers are learning new skills on this project. The quality of workmanship has grown in leaps and bounds.”

The project in turn benefits the community by using a local contractor, Sameh Saber owner of Black Gold Holding Company, was born and raised in Kirkuk.

“It’s very smooth because we are all on the same page and coordinating work,” said Mr. Saber.

In addition Mr. Saber sees this as an opportunity to improve the quality of work in Kirkuk.

“I talk to college friends who are engineers too,” he said. “We are learning more things here to transfer to our own local projects.”

As American forces drawdown the new lift station is one more positive sign Iraq has a bright future.

“Except for minor things, the reliability of the new sites has been great. The more successful this is the easier for those who come after us. This is nothing but a success,” said Wohlfert.

DVIDS
Story by Master Sgt. Martie Moore

Iraqi police and U.S. Soldiers carry a bag of book bags to a school in the Faylaq neighborhood during their combined humanitarian mission, Dec. 22. Photo by Pfc. Jessica Luhrs

Three hundred Iraqi schoolchildren in the village of Faylaq, near the Iraqi city of Kirkuk, Iraq, were treated to a surprise donation of school necessities Dec. 22.

In an effort to improve education in Kirkuk, Iraqi police and members of the Al-Atyah Women’s Organization, assisted by Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, attached to 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, donated school supplies for children.

This humanitarian mission was a part of a larger mission to reach out to the people in this neighborhood, said Hanna Hasan Husein, a leader at Al-Atyah.

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Russell Raines, the 1st platoon leader for B-Company, 1st Batt., 30th Inf. Regt., whose platoon helped the IP’s and Women’s Organization members in delivering the supplies, believes these combined activities are important to stability in the region.

The progress the IP’s, AAWO and U.S. forces are making in the villages can already be seen, according to Husein. The children are talking to the IP’s and Soldiers, laughing, smiling and at one point the children were singing with the IP’s.

Humanitarian aid plays a huge part in the fight we are in now, said Husein. It allows the people to see the IP are here to also help them, not just conduct raids or combat patrols.

It is important for the Iraqi population to see the IP’s and U.S. forces conducting these types of operations which show that we are allies and not occupiers, according to Raines.

Raines also feels it is a welcome change of pace for him and his Soldiers to be able to help children.

For everyone involved it is a powerful experience, through partnership we were able to improve the lives of these students, Raines explained.

“The IP and U.S. forces mission here is the people of Iraq,” said Raines. “We want them to know we are all here to protect them and keep them safe.”

“Throughout their time here, 1st Batt., 30th Inf. Reg. plans on assisting the Iraqi police and AAWO,” said Raines.

According to Raines, U.S. forces, the IP’s and Women’s Organization will continue to deliver school supplies and other items not available to students.

“This helps the community build a relationship of trust with the IP’s and hopefully a better future,” said Raines.

DVIDS
Story by Pfc. Jessica Luhrs

In the small, impoverished neighborhood of Huzzeran, near Kirkuk, Iraq, jobs are few and far between. Drinkable water is not readily available, and the school in the area doesn’t have running water.

A week after a clearing operation led by an Iraqi emergency service unit and Iraqi Police in the neighborhood, Bravo Battery, 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment delivered essential supplies, Oct. 3, in this area, which is often referred to by local residents as the “Lost City.”

“Things are bad here – people here don’t have work or anything really,” said Mohammed Sadek, a teacher at the neighborhood’s school. “It’s very good that [U.S. Forces] are helping the people here who are without jobs.”

One of the goals of this mission was to assess the civil issues of the area and gather information about immediate needs.

“We need good water here in the school,” said Mohammed Sadek, “The children like coming to the school, but there are certain things it needs.”

The Soldiers were able to pinpoint 100 families in the area that were most in need, with the assistance of Brig. Gen. Hijran, commander of the Iraqi ESU, and Col. Adnan, the chief of the Adallah Iraqi Police district.

“Today was a great success,” said Capt. Tyler Donnell, the commander of Bravo Battery, 3rd Bn., 82nd FA Regt. “[U.S. Forces] have been doing this for years, but with the help of Col. Adnan and Gen. Hijran, we were able to help the people who need it most.”

The delivery presented an opportunity for the Adallah Iraqi Police, the emergency service unit and U.S. Forces to open lines of communication between the community, its civil leaders and local security forces.

“It is a great thing the [U.S. Forces] have done for the people of Adallah,” said Col. Adnan, the chief of the Adallah Iraqi Police in the area. “It is a way of reassuring the people that they are not forgotten by anyone.”

The humanitarian assistance drop was performed at the Hamza Bin Ab Al Mutlik School, a central point in the neighborhood.

“The school gave us a semi-secure location to do the delivery,” said Donnell. “We chose to do it on a Saturday because school would be out.”

Bravo Battery has tentatively planned future assistance drops and evaluations to further assist the people of this neighborhood.

MNF-I

President Herbert Hoover once said, “Children are our most valuable resource.”

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working with city officials here to cultivate that valuable resource through the construction of six new city parks. The parks are a part of the Kirkuk Reconciliation Initiative and are situated and designed to provide a safe, clean recreational area for Kirkuk’s more than 40,000 residents.

The Gulf Region District’s Kirkuk Resident Office is managing the $850,000 project.

Army Lt. Col. Edgar Montalvo, an engineer at the office, said the key to the project has been the cooperation with the local government.

“The governor of Kirkuk was extremely pleased with the project,” Montalvo said. “This project allows the city to look to the future with optimism and helps provide the people of Kirkuk, from all ethnic groups, a place to enjoy their common heritage and culture in a peaceful setting while providing recreational opportunity for children and families.”

The Mussalah, Askary and Ulama’a parks are nearing completion, and three more parks are in the planning stages.

A professional designer has been working with the contractor to assist with the design of the parks. All of the sites are located in urban neighborhoods and include a grass soccer field, a playground for small children and a picnic area with benches.

The parks will have prefabricated buildings to house a guard shack, concession stand and utility room. Wells were dug and an underground sprinkler system is being installed at each park to maintain grassy areas.

All of the two-acre parks are enclosed by an eight-foot wall and area lighting provides a safe and secure area for children and families during the evening hours. A back-up generator will provide electricity to the parks during electrical grid power interruptions.

The Iraqi-owned Al Mashariq Company is the general contractor for the park projects, which has employed at least 30 local Iraqis.

The parks are being funded through the U.S. State Department’s Economic Support Fund.

The Gulf Region Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Iraq, has completed thousands of reconstruction projects in partnership with the U.S. and Iraqi governments. Since 2004, GRD has completed 5,257 projects throughout Iraq valued at more than $8.9 billion, and has 361 projects ongoing.

DVIDS
Story by Mike Scheck

The high-pitched sound of children laughing and a rollercoaster’s rumble were heard at the Kirkuk Amusement Park on the outskirts of Kirkuk City, Aug. 18.

Iraqi Police (IP), their children, and U.S. Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, traveled in groups, wandering the park looking for the best rides.

Weeks of planning went into this event and many local IP enjoyed the opportunity to bring their families to the park and introduce them to the U.S. Soldiers they work with on a regular basis.

“This is the first chance I have had to bring my family to the amusement park,” said Capt. Louay Wahad Ali, an IP from the local area who brought his nephews along with him. “They really like it because they feel safe and can relax and have fun.”

“It is very fun to come here with my uncle,” exclaimed Ali ‘s 10-year-old nephew, Mustafa. “I love it!”

Besides giving the IP and their families a chance to get away from the city and take some much deserved time off, the event was also an opportunity for U.S. Soldiers to see the IP in a new light.

“It’s good to see the IP out and having fun,” said Spc. Jorge Huizar, a Paladin mechanic with Battery G, 3rd Bn., 82nd FA Regt. “We can have fun with them.”

For Huizar, going to an amusement park in Iraq was an unusual and welcomed surprise considering he is normally in the gunner’s seat and dismounts on missions in and around Kirkuk.

“I did not expect to go any place like this,” he said. “It’s good to feel this kind of atmosphere, especially in Iraq.”

Also present that evening was the Lion of Kirkuk, the official mascot of the Kirkuk Police, who introduced himself to the children with a resounding “Roar!”

After touring the park, the IP, children and Soldiers made their way to the rollercoaster, where they took turns riding together.

“I like the rollercoaster the most,” said Mustafa. “I’m not scared of it.”

This fearlessness will suit Mustafa well as he plans on following in his uncle’s footsteps by becoming an IP officer.

“I love seeing my uncle in his uniform; it makes me very proud,” he said. “I hope when I grow up I can wear the same thing.”

As the night came to a close, IP and Soldiers alike chatted about how much they would like to do this again soon, and plans were made for another amusement park visit in the near future.

“I would love to see this type of mission again,” said Huizar with a broad smile on his face.

MNF-I
By Pfc. Justin Naylor
1st Cavalry Division

Kirkuk City, Iraq, has been considered by residents here to be one of the most beautiful and cleanest cities in Iraq. But, due to budget constraints, waste removal services around the city have been lacking and waste has been accumulating.

Thanks to efforts of the Kirkuk government and assistance from 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, a new project to remove waste in the city and help educate its residents on properly disposing of trash was celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony involving Iraqi children, singers, and a cake, Aug. 9.

The ceremony was attended by Kirkuk Gov. Abdul Rahman Mustafa and Lt. Col. Terry Cook, commander of 3rd Bn., 82nd FA, and other government officials.

According to Capt. Juan Cantu, a Houston native and civil military operations officer with 3rd Bn., 82nd FA, who worked on the project, the problem was initially brought to light by Kirkuk’s solid waste director and residents of the city. During community meetings, they voiced their concerns over the growing piles of trash around the city.

“Due to budget problems in the past several months, nearly 1,000 tons of trash normally removed by city services were not being picked up,” said Cantu. “This ceremony marks the beginning of a three-part waste collection effort to assist Kirkuk city to catch up on its trash removal services.”

Cantu said the project is actually comprised of three smaller projects and is scheduled to last two months and employ approximately 700 to 800 workers. The $1.3 million project will primarily be funded through the Commander’s Emergency Response Program.

The first phase of the project will run 30 days and involve 500 workers to remove garbage that has accumulated in neighborhoods. The phase will rapidly catch the city up so the daily trash removal services which are already in place will not be strained.

After the city is caught up, the next component involves educating residents on proper waste removal.

“We need to change the way Kirkuk’s residents feel about trash,” Cantu said. “70 workers will go door-to-door and distribute one million trash bags and pamphlets informing people how to properly dispose of trash and on which day their trash will be picked up.”

Cantu said the city will also place 1,500 metal trash cans around the city for people to put trash in as well.

The final phase of the project will involve heavy machinery to remove construction waste scattered around the city.

“All throughout the city you can see bricks and other debris from construction projects lying around,” Cantu said. “This final phase will remove all of that.”

While this project is scheduled to last two months, it does not mean the trash will not be picked up afterwards.

“Trash removal services still exist in the city,” Cantu said. “The budget problems have been addressed and the waste removal contracts have been resolved, so this project will catch the city up and daily removal will continue.”

Beautification is not the only goal of the project either. Disease and pest infestation is another risk to consider.

“It is important to keep Kirkuk clean for its residents, to make it a nice city,” explained Nawza Abdulla Karim, who works for Kirkuk’s municipal solid waste management. “But, it is vital for the health of the city’s residents because lots of diseases can accompany trash, especially during the summer months.”

“Kirkuk has long been known as one of the most beautiful and cleanest cities in Iraq,” Cantu said. “The local government wanted to meet the people’s needs here and to return that title to the city.”

DVIDS
Story by Staff Sgt. Jason Douglas

Spc. Jennifer Cumbie, a Miami native and a multichannel transmission system operator with Company B, 2nd Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, and Pvt. Maurice Bailey, a Los Angeles native and multichannel transmission system operator with Company B, inspect helium storage containers on Forward Operating Base Warrior, Kirkuk, Iraq, July 12. These Soldiers and other members of their team are responsible for keeping the blimp full of helium and in the air. Photo by Pfc. Justin Naylor

Pre-deployment training prepares Soldiers for a wide range of missions they may encounter. Flying a blimp is typically not one of them.

Or at least it wasn’t for Soldiers on Forward Operating Base Warrior, Kirkuk, Iraq, until a new surveillance blimp took its place in the skies above FOB Warrior.

The blimp began operating June 28, and is part of a growing number of these blimps currently being used across Iraq.

This equipment takes a special group of Soldiers operating day and night to keep it in the air and out of harm’s way.

“If the blimp starts losing helium, or if it needs to be patched, we take it down, find the hole and fix it,” said Spc. Jennifer Cumbie, a Miami native and a multi-channel transmission system operator with Co. B, 2nd Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Calvary Division.

The Soldiers are also on the lookout for bad weather and heavy winds, which can affect the stability of the blimp.

“In the communications world, Soldiers who operate their systems are in control of troubleshooting and can easily identify where a problem can, or has occurred,” said 2nd Lt. Valerie LoSchiavo, the officer in charge of the blimp team and a platoon leader with Company B, 2nd Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. “But this mission holds challenges and variables that are difficult to predict or determine.”

And the unpredictability of this weather has made the job of these Soldiers challenging.

“It has been a learning experience,” said Spc. Marshall Austin, a Wilkesborow, N.C., native and a shift leader with the blimp team.

“We all learned an entirely new system,” said LoSchiavo. “But the team has adapted to the task with ease. They have done an outstanding job,” said LoSchiavo.

“When they found out about it they were excited to do something new,” she said. “It gave us something to focus on and put our energy into.”

DVIDS
Story by Pfc. Justin Naylor

Army 1st Lt. Daniel Braud checks on a cell phone store in Daquq, Iraq, July 7, 2009, owned by Ali Abbas Muhsin, who used a U.S.-issued microgrant to revitalize his business. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jason Douglas

As security improves in Kirkuk, the business community has the opportunity to grow. But some small businesses still need a helping hand.

U.S. forces issue microgrants of up to $5,000 to help Iraqi small-business owners build or revitalize their businesses, and they follow up about 30 days later to assess progress.

Army 1st Lt. Daniel Braud, platoon leader for the 1st Cavalry Division’s 4th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, set July 7 out to review several microgrants in the city of Daquq in Kirkuk province.

“After the microgrants are issued, that isn’t the last step,” Braud said. “We need to verify the funds are being used in the manner that [Iraqi business owners] stated on their applications, and also check on the progress their businesses have made.”

Braud’s first stop was to visit Salar Ghazi Fauzi, who owns an automotive repair shop. Fauzi said the funds helped him purchase an air compressor and a generator. The compressor allows him to use an impact
socket wrench that improves efficiency by removing bolts faster, Fauzi said. The generator allows him to stay open longer, he added, because he is less reliant on public electricity.

Army 1st Lt. Daniel Braud takes a photo of Salar Ghazi Fauzi showcasing the new impact socket wrench he purchased for his automotive repair shop using a U.S.-issued microgrant in Daquq, Iraq, July 7, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jason Douglas

Gahandai Kyiani Ghiden works as a real estate sales agent in Daquq. He bought fax machines and laptops to list the homes he sells.

“Now that the homes are advertised, there is a better chance to reach potential buyers,” Ghiden said.

Ali Abbas Muhsin, displays his wares from wall to wall in his cell phone store. Ali used his grant to add a new floor and ceiling and to purchase laptops used to activate the cell phones he sells. Before he got his grant, he said, his customers had to wait for him to get to a computer to activate their phones.

Microgrants have helped shop owners in Daquq open shops with services ranging from shoe repair to window making.

“Getting the local economy up and running is an important part of stability in this region,” Braud said.

While Braud conducted his assessment, several Daquq residents approached him about applying for their own microgrants.

“Many times, [Iraqis] will see the progress of their fellow citizens and want to take part as well, so we get approached about how they can take part in the program,” he said, adding that he’ll accept more applications soon.

DoD
By Army Staff Sgt. Jason Douglas
Special to American Forces Press Service

Sgt. 1st Class Betty Ortega, a Miami native and the women's initiative representative for 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, present Kocher Muhammed Ali, a Kirkuk city resident, with a micro-grant, May 2, to help her start a juice making business. Kocher is planning to use the business to teach women how to make juice so they can start their own juice making operations. Photo by Pfc. Justin Naylor

A woman starting her own juice bar business would not sound too unusual to an American. For a woman in Iraq though, the chance to open any kind of business is unique.

Kocher Ali Muhammed received the fourth micro-grant to be presented by the “Red Dragons,” 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, in Kirkuk city, Iraq, to help her start her own juice making company.

“The micro-grants are a form of money used to stimulate business in the area,” said Cpt. Stephen Clark, a San Antonio, Texas, native and information officer for 3rd Bn., 82nd FA Regt.

“We give them enough money to get on their feet,” explained Clark.

For Kocher, this is more than just a chance to get on her feet; it is a chance to assist the fellow women of Kirkuk.

“We are trying to help women become independent,” said Kocher. “Learning a trade gives them the opportunity to support their families.”

“Women aren’t always given the chance to start businesses,” explained Kocher. “We [women] are starting out with this small business and we going to work our way up.”

This gives women the chance to show the country of Iraq that they are capable of starting a business and being successful on their own, said Kocher.

By starting businesses, women are showing that they are capable of doing more than working in the house cooking and cleaning, explained Sgt. 1st Class Betty Ortega, a Miami native and the women’s initiative representative for the “Red Dragon” battalio.

“This will allow them to employ other women,” said Ortega.

According to Ortega, women in Kirkuk city are in the “crawl” phase in their quest for equality. They are opening up small shops like this and are beginning to join the work force in higher numbers.

“We are doing anything we can to broaden their capabilities,” said Ortega.

Kocher will be using her business to do more than just make juice; she will be training a new group of 10 women every two weeks on how to make their own juices and desserts, creating the opportunity for these women to go out and start their own juice businesses.

Kocher Muhammed Ali (left), stands with a group of friends after receiving a micro-grant, May 2, from 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, to help her start a juice making business in Kirkuk city. Photo by Pfc. Justin Naylor

To obtain the money to start her business, Kocher filled out an application and submitted it to the “Red Dragons.” She answered a few questions about the type of business she planned to start, how much experience she had, and how she was going to come up with any other money needed to get the business up and running.

She explained exactly what supplies she would need, the quantity she needed, and how much they cost.

She submitted her application to 2nd Brigade for review and final approval, and the entire process only took about a week from the start of the application to the delivery of the grant to Kocher.

This particular grant comes after weeks of Soldiers taking to the streets of Kirkuk city explaining to the locals about what micro-grants are and how they work.

“It’s a way to inject money into the local economy,” said Clark.

The great thing about these micro-grants is they have such a fast turnaround time, explained Clark.

Thanks to a little help from the “Red Dragons,” the residents of Kirkuk city will soon have a new spot to buy freshly made, healthy juice. Chai lovers need not be immediately worried.

DVIDS
Story by Pfc. Justin Naylor

What do you do with your garbage? Today, in Kirkuk, Iraqis have the best choice they have ever had.

The $8.8 million sanitary landfill project in Kirkuk, which meets both the highest U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and European Union Landfill Directive standards, is the first environmentally engineered and constructed landfill in Iraq. USACE photo.

Engineers estimate the residents here [Kirkuk] discard 900 tons of trash a day. So like other major cities in the world, this one faces an age old problem: what to do with all that trash. The city is serious about solving its garbage problem and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is part of a joint, multi-national effort to provide solutions.

For years, residents here have been dumping their garbage into unregulated areas or merely unloading it in open fields outside the city. This unrestricted dumping has the potential to cause serious health, environmental and public safety concerns.

To solve the city’s garbage problem, the Coalition Force’s Brigade Combat Team (BCT) initiated a sustained Solid Waste Management Program for Kirkuk in 2005. To find an environmentally safe solution to the city’s garbage collection and disposal dilemma, the BCT partnered with multiple agencies.

The central piece to the initiative is the $8.8 million sanitary landfill project, which meets both the highest U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and European Union Landfill Directive standards. This site represents the first environmentally engineered and constructed landfill in Iraq.

The landfill project, built using the Commander’s Emergency Response Program (CERP) fund, was completed by the Irbil-based Zana Group in February 2008. The 48-acre site is located 10 miles south of Kirkuk and has an expected lifespan of 10-12 years, according to the engineers.

To increase the capacity of landfill sites and to conform to current EPA standards, solid waste must now be processed through a transfer waste station where garbage is compacted. The Kirkuk landfill will soon have two solid waste transfer stations to provide added capacity and to compact the trash before being transferred to the landfill.

The Gulf Region North district’s Kirkuk Area Office is the contract manager for the construction of the solid waste transfer sites. The Dalo Construction Company of Kirkuk completed the first transfer station, located south of the city, in December 2007. The second solid waste site, located just north of the city, is scheduled for completion in June. Each station has the capacity to handle 300 tons of waste per day. At full capacity, eight tractor trailers transfer the 18, 40-ton capacity transfer trailers to the landfill site continuously throughout the day.

“The first waste transfer station is being fully utilized and the Iraqis are implementing some of their own ideas at the waste transfer station. For example, they are removing large pieces of metal from the trash for potential recycling,” explained Lt. Col. J.B. Chadwick, officer in charge of the Kirkuk Area Office. “The site of the second waste transfer station was selected due to its proximity to the Kirkuk Ring Road project, which will allow quick and easy access to the site from the city of Kirkuk and from the waste transfer station to the landfill.”

The price tag for each solid waste site is $2.5 million with funding for the projects coming from several agencies including the United Nations Office of Project Services. The Development Group Iraq Trust Fund is paying for the city’s garbage trucks. The Republic of Korea donated the collection vehicles and loaders used at the sites.

The solid waste sites and landfill will employ over 700 local workers, adding good paying jobs and a much need boost to the city’s local economy.

The Kirkuk Solid Waste Project is a model that can be used for Iraqis to learn proper waste management practices and will dispense with the need to travel to foreign countries to obtain information about solid waste management, according to USACE officials.

MNF-I
By Mike Scheck, Gulf Region North

A Soldier and Airman take pictures at the first Northern Iraq Women’s Conference held in Kirkuk, Iraq, on April 20. First of its kind in the region, the conference brought close to 100 female Iraqis throughout the Kirkuk Province and U.S. professionals to include female Peshmerga soldiers from Sulayminiyah, and U.S. Army and Air Force personnel stationed at Forward Operating Base Warrior together.

“We are not that different,” Maj. Naheda Ahmed, 42, commander of a women’s Peshmerga Infantry Regiment in Sulayminiyah said, at the inaugural Northern Iraq Women’s Conference, April 20 at Forward Operating Base Warrior, Kirkuk, Iraq. “It is important to start a dialogue about women’s issues effecting women in Iraq with our American counterparts…we are their voices.”

The dialogue remained light with more interest in getting to know one another as Soldiers and Airmen brought photo albums, sharing pictures of family and friends with attendees, who in turn, shared theirs at the inaugural Northern Iraq Women’s Conference held April 20, at Forward Operating Base Warrior, Kirkuk, Iraq.

Photographer: Staff Sgt. Margaret Nelson, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Here’s the story: U.S. and Iraqi Women Find Common Ground in Kirkuk, Iraq