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WYNOT, Iraq, Sept. 15, 2004 — Ahmed Mutlok Oda creases his ballot slowly, seemingly worried he will fold it wrong. He starts to place it in the cardboard-and-tape ballot box, then pulls it back, unsure if he’s doing it right. He looks to an interpreter for the 1st Infantry Division, who tells Oda he’s doing it correctly. Reassured, Oda drops the ballot in. If Oda seems unnecessarily timid, consider that no one in Wynot has ever voted before. Oda has no predecessor, no way to know if he’s doing it right. After Oda, another 145 voters came through, representing almost every household in this tiny village about 15 miles outside of Tikrit. The Wynot City Council elections of Sept. 13 came after months of work and planning by soldiers of Company A, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. The strong turnout completed a turnaround in how Wynot residents view the U.S., according to the company commander, U.S. Army Capt. David Krzycki. “This was probably the most anti-coalition town in sector when we first got here,” he said. “Kids and adults were throwing rocks at us and calling us names. But we established a knock-and-talk program, where we’d go to six to eight houses per night. We’d ask people what they needed and what they thought of us. Eventually they realized we’re here to make their way of life a little bit better.” Krzycki credited 2Lt. Scott Robinson and Sgt. 1st Class Todd Carlsrud with helping to spearhead the election effort. Robinson cited perseverance as the key to bringing democracy to Wynot. “We…had meetings once a week and explained what we are trying to do and why having a city council would be good,” Robinson said. “Initially they weren’t too favorable, but we explained that with a city council, you could solve your own problems.” Building up to the elections, soldiers encouraged teamwork among the Wynot residents and urged them to set goals. One week, for instance, they encouraged everyone to clean their front yards so the residents could see the benefits of working together. |
