Posted on 08/25/2009 5:08:25 PM PDT by SandRat
Residents of Faddaqhryah carry food and supplies away from a humanitarian aid drop coordinated by the Iraqi Army, 17th Fires Brigade and the 4th Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team, Aug. 18. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Maurice A. Galloway.
BASRAH — U.S. and Iraqi Soldiers joined forces to deliver food and supplies to residents of the Faddaqhryah and Bahar communities here, Aug. 18.
The U.S. Soldiers from the 17th Fires Brigade (FB) and the 4th Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team helped the Iraqi Army (IA) provide this urgent humanitarian assistance and lay the groundwork for a lasting relationship between Iraq’s Soldiers and its people, said Army Lt. Col. Ross. C. Scott, 17th FB civil affairs officer.
Scott said the IA delivered more than 400 packages, each intended to feed a family of eight for 30 days.
The U.S. patrol, made up of civil affairs and personnel security Soldiers, left here early to link up in the Iraqi villages with their counterparts from the 14th IA Division. In each village, the Iraqi and U.S. Soldiers were met with welcoming, hopeful looks from local elders and heads of families and curious, smiling faces of children.
“This is really helpful to us,” said Abod, one of hundreds of Faddaqhryah residents who lined up to collect food. “Since Ramadan is coming, we thank God for all of this. I have nine family members that all these supplies will benefit greatly.”
The Iraqi Soldiers were pleased to be part of such a mission.
“This is really nice. We’re here helping these people who are poor and need these supplies,” said Krarr Haidar, an IA Soldier. “Also, there are large families where no one in the household is working; these supplies benefit them the most.”
Although the IA was in the lead for the mission, the 17th FB’s personnel security detachment provided additional security for the event.
“It seems as though the [IA] is becoming completely self-sufficient by the way they handled this event in a professional matter,” said Army Cpl. Dale L. Comella, a medic with the 17th FB Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, Personnel Security Detachment (PSD). “Overall, I was impressed with the organization of the mission and the gratitude from the [local people]. We are trained to think that the threat is always out there, so to come in contact with these people who were so inviting and welcoming was a whole different experience for me.”
An Iraqi secondary school teacher expressed gratitude for the mission. “We’re so happy that the Soldiers are here to help,” the Bahar resident said.
A PSD squad leader noted how far the Iraqi Soldiers have come.
“The Iraqi Army has made tremendous strides toward providing for their people,” said Army Staff Sgt. Samuel G. Ward. “We used to have to pull a lot of our own security, but now we’re in a supervisory role where we’ll aid them by pointing out something we notice, and they’ll take charge in securing the threat.
“They’re setting up their own operations,” he continued. “They’re clearly running their own show. We’re just here just to point them in the right direction.”
(By Army Spc. Maurice A. Galloway, 17th Fires Brigade)
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