Posted on 10/12/2006 4:48:42 PM PDT by SandRat
WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2006 – South Korean servicemembers deployed in Iraq the past two years have accomplished “some absolutely remarkable work” in the city of Erbil, a senior U.S. military officer said today.
Some 2,200 South Korean troops at Camp Zeitoun have built a hospital there that’s equipped with operating rooms staffed by 19 doctors and 15 nurses, Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, a spokesman for Multinational Force Iraq, told reporters at a Baghdad news conference. More than 40,000 Iraqi patients have been treated at the hospital, he noted.
The South Korean servicemembers are working every day to improve the lives of Iraqi residents in their area of operations, Caldwell said, noting he’d witnessed their handiwork during a recent visit to Erbil.
The South Koreans also opened a vocational training center for local Iraqis that offers computer and banking courses, as well as training in maintenance and repair of home appliances, generators and automobiles, he said.
The vocational center’s curriculum was chosen with input from local Iraqi officials to improve the local economy, Caldwell said. About 900 local Iraqis have attended classes at the center, he said. The South Koreans also trained some local Iraqis to teach the courses, so that the center would be self-sustaining, Caldwell said.
Industrious South Korean servicemembers also constructed 15 local schools, 10 primary health clinics, and 60 village water wells and water storage tanks, he said.
“The Multinational Force is grateful for the participation of South Korea in the coalition,” Caldwell said, adding that Erbil province residents are fortunate to receive South Korean-provided economic and reconstruction projects.
Erbil province has experienced an economic renaissance in recent years that’s been enabled by a stable security situation, Caldwell said. “Security and economic transformation throughout Iraq will go hand in hand,” he said. Iraq has abundant resources which should help it to get back onto a sound economic footing, he added.
The new Iraqi government recognizes that a vibrant national economy can greatly assist in stemming extremist elements, Caldwell said. Encouraging international investment in Iraqi enterprises “will foster not only employment for Iraqis, but also hope for this country’s future,” he said.
the south korean military is great. it's the young people of south korea that i have no faith in.
So here's my story - A couple of years ago there was an article about SKorean soldiers signing up for the extra pay to work in Iraq. Some of us on the thread wondered what the soldiers made, that they would sign up for $1000 a month.
Well, being the online searcher that I am, I looked around Google and found a young vet's website, in English. I sent him an email and asked about the pay. I also offered to clean up his English a bit on the site.
Long story short, I got the info I wanted (they only get about $15 a month and really consider it a service to their country. Their parents give them additional pocket money.), I've rec'd some really nice Korean Christmas cards, and I guided him thru the American grad school process so that now he's getting his masters in international policy at a school here in the States. I've got an invite to the South Korean 'white house' if he makes it that far!
Thanks Korea.
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