MND-B teams with local officials to help improve education for local students

Courtesy Photo | Local Iraqi children attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony at an Airport Village...... read more read more

Courtesy Photo | Local Iraqi children attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony at an Airport Village schoolhouse as the community gathered to celebrate its opening.  see less | View Image Page

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

10.15.2008

Courtesy Story

Multi-National Division Baghdad

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By Maj. Craig Heathscott
Multi-National Division - Baghdad

BAGHDAD – Sunday morning is a typical school day for children in Iraq. On this day however, the red ribbon stretched across the entryway of the Airport Village schoolhouse indicated this day was anything but typical. And as community leaders joined forces with Col. Kendall Penn, commander of the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, in cutting the ceremonial ribbon, the action marked another successful event for the future of Iraq - the children.

Ms. Zahida, an enthusiastic principal of the Abaas Ibun Firnaas high school, addressed the crowd by first declaring "Wa Allahu Wali Al-Taofeeq," which translates to "victory by God."

As she looked out into the crowd that included her nearly 400 students, she made a commitment to continue the progress at the school by finding new and creative improvements for the students. The ceremony marked the dedication of the secondary and primary school as well as a new governance building that will be used for council meetings and other community functions.

Seven months earlier, the school didn't so much as have a name. The classrooms were in disrepair, over-crowded and not conducive to learning for the student population that had seen substantial growth in recent years. The primary school, which was also refurbished, is home to more than 300 students.

As Penn addressed those in attendance, he complimented the working relationship he's had with community leaders since the 39th arrived in country in March.

"Everyone here that is a parent understands the importance of a quality education for their children," he said. "It is the means at which our children's future becomes brighter. I tell my fellow brigade commanders working here in Iraq that I have the best village in all of Baghdad to work with due in large part of the leadership as well as the citizens who understand the importance of a quality education."

In just a short amount of time, the positive relationship Penn addressed has resulted in vast improvements in this community, to include the creation of a youth soccer field, fire station and several small businesses. The most recent positive for the community was the groundbreaking for a new marketplace building, which will consolidate all the local businesses into one central location.
Much of the credit for the steady improvements and the vision for Airport Village was continually given to the same people – Thabit Tahir Hassan, Airport Village mayor; Sami Shamoon, Airport Village director; and Shebany Sabeeh, director general of the Iraqi civil aviation authority.

"These men have a genuine desire to improve the well being of those that live here in Airport Village. They are the true meaning of public servants, and they been instrumental in making many good things happen here," said Penn.

Following the ceremony, Penn was provided a guided tour, which provided him the opportunity to meet with students in their new environment. The visit to the primary school brought a smile to everyone's face as the children lined the entryway into the building and greeted their visitors with a song and clapping.

"Success can be measured in many ways," he said, "and after the tour, I can say with confidence that the measure of success for this project comes in the smiles of the faces of these children. I'm convinced you can't put a price tag on what I saw today. The leaders here in Airport Village have stepped up to the challenge of their future and told the children, 'we believe in you – and so much so that we're going to provide you with the tools, the environment that will make you successful.'"

While Penn was touring the facilities, Soldiers from 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, were going from classroom to classroom, giving backpacks and various school supplies to each student. The overall event definitely made for a memorable start to the school year.

"The children are very happy today and will remember this day for a long time," said one of the elementary school teachers.

The backpacks provided to the children were donated by the Soldiers of the 4th BCT, 10th Mtn. Div., and much of the donated supplies were provided by the First Baptist Church in Little Rock, Ark.

The day to day civil military operations within Airport Village are maintained by Task Force Vigilant, made up of Soldiers from the 4th BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. In working with community leaders, improvement projects are identified and submitted for approval. The funding for such projects varies, but this particular project was I-CERP money. Basically, these are funds provided by the Iraqi government to the military for project improvements.

"Projects such as this help instill self-reliance with the Iraqi people, and we want them to know that we are here to assist, but ultimately, this is their project, their future," said Cpt. Raymond Wilson, civil military officer. "We consider the community leaders in Airport Village as the glue between us, the contractors and the school administrators. It's been a great working relationship.

"The important thing is that they were able to keep everyone together in order to meet the final objective of finishing the school for the start of the school year. I have no words to express the positive nature of being involved in this project and working with such leaders. It will truly stay with me forever," he said.

Maj. Hector Martinez, the task force commander, said he is very optimistic about the future of this village.

"This ceremony represents the culmination of seven months of intensive labor and coordination by Iraqi civilian leaders and our CMO team. The building exudes pride, and the community embraced the idea of Iraqis building a better future. I couldn't be more proud of the dedication and teamwork shown by all – a true testament to the essence of making a difference.

As Zahida promised in her opening remarks, the leaders at the school said they will continue efforts to find creative ways for the children to learn. One significant program currently under development is the School Partnership Program. The basic premise of this program is information sharing between schools here and those in the states. These programs will hopefully have an impact long after the "Bowie Brigade" ends its tour of duty in Iraq.

Lt. Col. Jim Foot, the brigade's civil military officer, who is a resident of Little Rock, Ark., is working with three Arkansas schools in partnering with the Airport Village schools. The participating schools are Arkansas Baptist High School and Chenal Elementary School, both in Little Rock, and Pine Forest Elementary School in Maumelle.

"We didn't have a problem finding schools back home to participate in the program," he said. "There's a genuine interest and willingness to help, not to mention the fact that it's a great experience for the children in the schools at home as well."

While the full extent of the 'partnership' is yet to be determined, Foot said he hopes it will evolve into something very beneficial to all parties.

"We hope for student-to-student and teacher to teacher interaction, common studies between schools and discussions about cultural differences. The opportunities are endless, and with the use of web cams and the internet, I believe this can have a very positive impact that everyone can be proud to be associated with going forward.

"We've got a long way to go, but the environment is right for continued improvement," he said.