Posted on 06/12/2010 2:10:06 PM PDT by SandRat
BAGHDAD – Despite the stifling heat, Soldiers from 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division and the Iraqi Army teamed up to bring a little relief to a remote, impoverished farming community here, June 4.
Spc. John Laursen, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, hands out water during a joint U.S.-Iraqi humanitarian aid mission to the Bashariyah district near Yusifiyah, Iraq, June 4, 2010. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Daniel Schneider.
The Iraqi Soldiers took the lead on a humanitarian aid drop to the rural Bashariyah district, a community near the town of Yusifiyah. Iraqi and U.S. Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, worked side-by-side to hand the food, water, toys and clothes out to villagers of all ages.
U.S. forces were present to advise and assist their IA counterparts as needed.
“The IA battalion’s training, planning and operations section conducted the planning, selected the site, and provided their 1st Company to facilitate the drop, and 2nd Bn, 14th Inf. Regt., provided the packages to be delivered,” said Capt. Steven Kurvach, executive officer of Company D, 2nd Bn, 14th Inf. Regt. “I was amazed at how extremely professional and orderly [the IA] were in performing the H.A. drop.”
The deputy commander of 1st Advise and Assist Brig., 3rd Inf. Div., Lt. Col. Stanley Fugate, also attended the event since Bashariyah is in 1st AAB’s operational area. He was impressed with how the joint mission turned out.
“It’s great to see how quickly the [2nd Bn., 14th Inf. Regt.] has worked together in planning and executing this drop after being so new to this area,” he said.
In the last two weeks, Company D has conducted humanitarian aid missions every three or four days, but this was the first time they supplied this particular community with aid.
“The people were visibly pleased to receive the water and food. The children – the abundance of smiles and laughter is testament to their satisfaction with the bags of toys,” said Kurvach, a native of Victor, N.Y.
The village in the Bashariyah area is a very small enclave, tucked away from the larger cities of Mahmudiyah and Yusifiyah.
The people are farmers without the infrastructure, medical facilities or social services that are normally available in the larger cities. The Government of Iraq is trying to figure a solution to provide for these people, but the improvements will take time to accomplish, Kurvach said.
He also said he believes missions like this will help solidify the villagers’ trust in the IA and generate support from the locals in countering Al-Qaeda in Iraq.
“What I observed while watching the IA in this operation is an Iraqi force that has become the guardian of the Iraqi people,” said Kurvach. “Since there are still dangerous dissidents and violent men at large, this is what the people need the most; a professional fighting force – a guardian who the people can rely on for help and protection. If there are still Al-Qaeda operatives hiding out in Al Bashariyah, I believe the people will look to the Iraqi Army for help.”
we’re soooo good...never enough praise for service...
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