Soldiers with Division Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, pose for a photo after the Hispanic Heritage Month Luncheon, Sept. 25, at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, near Tikrit, Iraq. Photo by Spc. Cassandra Monroe.

Sombreros surrounded the tops of tables and balloons advertised a “fiesta!” at the main dining facility’s overflow room at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Sept. 25. Soldiers and civilians celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month through cultural education and entertainment.

National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from Sept. 15 – Oct. 15, and celebrates the achievements of Hispanics in the United States.

Chief Warrant Officer Sergio Diaz, a field artillery intelligence officer with Task Force Marne introduced the Hispanic culture with famous and memorable individuals. Chief Warrant Officer Sergio Diaz, a Miami native, originally from Chile, spoke about Gabriela Mistral, a Chilean poet, educator, diplomat and feminist who was the first Latin American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1945, and Pablo Neruda, a Chilean communist writer and politician.

Sgt. Joshua Allen, a motor pool dispatch noncommissioned officer with Headquarters and Headquarters Support Company, Division Special Troops Battalion, 3rd ID, and a Panama City, Panama, native, also spoke to the audience about famous Hispanic athletes and celebrity figures that are well known in the Hispanic culture.

Following these educational tidbits, guest speaker Lt. Col. Jose Rafael Berrios, the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear-Explosives operations and Force Protection officer for Task Force Marne, spoke to the audience about his Family influences in the military. Berrios’s Family history includes his uncle, then Lt. Col. Juan Cesar Cordero Davila, who served as a battalion commander for the 65th Infantry Regiment during World War II.

“My focus was an educational piece, since the theme is heritage,” said Berrios. He also focused on the Hispanic community, particularly in the Army and the 3rd Infantry Division.

One of the most rewarding aspects of the event that Berrios took away was the amount of young Soldiers attending the ceremony.

“It was very interesting to see a high number of junior Soldiers at this celebration,” said Berrios, a San Juan, Puerto Rico, native. “That is the reason why [Hispanic Heritage Month] is done, that’s why my message was to teach and pass the torch [of education] to them.”

A select number of Task Force Marne Salsa Dancers also performed various salsa dances for the crowd toward the end of the ceremony.

“It’s important for us, as Hispanics, to represent our culture and to show that not only we’re a part of the military, but also it’s important for us to distinguish ourselves as Soldiers and Latin-Americans,” said Spc. Felix Jimenez, a terrain analyst with Headquarters and Headquarters Operations Company, DSTB, 3rd ID, and a Silver Springs, Md., native. Jimenez was a salsa dancer who participated in the ceremony. “It makes me feel proud to serve as a Soldier, but also to celebrate our particular month in the year for us, the Latin culture.”

Sfc. Jeremy Messina, a CBRN-E noncommissioned officer with HHOC, DSTB, 3rd ID, and a Tampa, Fla., native, attended the event and felt that it provided great educational information for the audience.

“The event was well set up and organized, and was very informative on the Hispanic culture and diversity,” he said. “I liked the pictures with the story lines, and the historical aspect on the culture.”

The Hispanic culture represents a wide range of nationalities and backgrounds, with many Hispanic men and women serving in the Armed Forces who fought and died to defend the liberties and security of the United States in every war since the American Revolution, many of which serving before becoming American citizens.

The ceremony concluded with a formal cake cutting between the guest speakers and the Task Force Marne Commanding General, Maj. Gen. Tony Cucolo, and Commanding Sergeant Major, Command Sgt. Maj. Jesse Andrews. Guests and participants stayed after the event, enjoying the cake and continuing to salsa dance.

DVIDS
Story by Spc. Cassandra Monroe

Constitution Day, Sept. 17, often goes unrecognized but the freedoms it brings to U.S. citizens are never forgotten and are desired by many. This week, a Task Force Marne naturalized citizens reflected on her journey toward U.S. citizenship and what brought her back to the Middle East to help rebuild Iraq.

A critical member of Task Force Marne, Angel Hermiz, contributes her skills as a linguist to the USD-N command team, specifically for the USD-N Commanding General, Maj. Gen. Tony Cucolo, and also believes that her time spent advising American soldiers has been beneficial.

“Knowing the culture very well is what motivated me mostly to do the job, because I felt like I could be a great help to all of the soldiers,” said Hermiz. “When I would watch the television from 2003 to 2007, I heard many negative things, and most of it was related to mistranslation, or misadvised cultural issues. I felt like I could help with advising and I feel like I speak good English and Arabic. I feel like I do my best in both advising in the culture and the language.”

Hermiz is a Clinton Township, Mich., native, but is originally from Kirkuk, Iraq. She and her family spent some time in Baghdad before making the decision to finally move to the United States.

“My family and I came to the states in 1992,” she said. “We lived in two wars growing up in Iraq, one between Iran and Iraq, and the other being the first Gulf War. The economic sanctions affected my parents and their savings, so we pretty much lost everything. We had a great opportunity to leave Iraq and start somewhere else. So we made it to the U.S. and have been in Michigan since.”

Hermiz worked many jobs at the beginning of her stay in the States, due to the language barrier. She went to college to learn more about English, and landed a job at a civil engineering firm as an administrative assistant before becoming a linguist. The job of a linguist was being advertised everywhere, especially because there is a high number of Muslim communities in Michigan. When Hermiz saw the ads on television and in grocery stores, she knew she knew what she wanted tod do.

“When my firm started downsizing, unfortunately, I lost my job, so I was unemployed,” Hermiz said. “At first, I took this job for a financial reason. The pay was good and I speak both languages, but when I got here in Iraq, it was totally different. I look at it as a great mission, and I am proud to be here. As a linguist, the kinds of jobs we do are key leader engagements with the high-level personnel in Iraq, like high commanding generals.”

For Hermiz, the time she has spent and lived in country since beginning her job in 2008 has been enough to notice positive differences within the country and people of Iraq.

“I’ve noticed good things happening in Iraq since I was last here,” said Hermiz. “When I was living here, it was during Saddam’s regime. The people of Iraq didn’t have that much freedom of speech, becoming who they want to be. Everything back then was in the name of the government. Right now, I see the people becoming more and more like themselves.”

“It’s a great opportunity, I am thankful to be able to do this level of work because I get to work with unique individuals. It’s a great honor to work for a major general in the U.S. Army. For America, it’s the least I could give to the country that gave me and my Family freedom. The freedom to choose our way of living, freedom to practice our religion with no fear, freedom to speak our opinion with no fear and finally for the country that gave peace,” said Hermiz.

DVIDS
Story by Spc. Cassandra Monroe

Here is your must-see for the week. Task Force Marne, centered around the 3rd ID, has released an ebook full of compelling photos demonstrating the transformation of their area of responssibility in Iraq. Here is YOUR proof that the surge worked. Be proud of your military and get the book.

Task Force Marne Transformation Book

Iraqi citizens celebrated the completion of construction at the Omah Moktar School for Girls in the Qadisiyah Apartment Complex in Mahmudiyah, about 20 kilometers south of Baghdad, May 8.

After nearly three months of construction, the Moktar School’s approximately 600 students can now enjoy new windows, gates and doors, as well as new auditorium furniture. Exterior improvements included raising the outer wall as an added security measure.

“The educational environment was greatly enhanced and helped to bolster pride in their school,” said 1st Lt. Jason Potter, Moktar School project manager, 3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). “This project was significant in that it showed the residents of the neighborhood that the Coalition forces are really here to help.”

Mahmudiyah Qada Council chairman Abu Amar, Mahmudiyah Nahia Council president Talib Abbas and Dr. Qais al-Hanni from the Ministry of Education attended the ceremony.

Al-Hanni reminded attendees of education’s importance and maintaining an environment that encourages children to learn.

Students took the stage throughout the ceremony to give speeches, sing and recite poems. One group also performed a short skit reflecting on the successes of Iraqi Security Forces in improving security in the area, and cleaning up the neighborhood’s appearance.

At the end of the ceremony, Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 25th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division distributed school supplies to the students.

Task Force Marne
By Sgt. 1st Class Kerensa Hardy

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