Soldiers hand out clothes, shoes to Iraqi children

Courtesy Photo | A small child from the village of Tamin receives clothing during a hand-out by civil affairs Soldiers and Company C C, 3-7th Infantry Regiment, in Hor Hussein on April 18.  

ISKANDARIYAH, IRAQ

04.24.2008

Courtesy Story

4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

By 1st Lt. Joshua Ray
3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division

FORWARD OPERATING BASE ISKAN, Iraq – Coalition forces handed out clothing and shoes to approximately 100 local Iraqi children in the small village of Tamin in Hor Hussein on April 18.

Soldiers from Company C, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, teamed up with the Civil Affairs Detachment on FOB Iskan to coordinate the humanitarian aid mission.

The village was selected because of the extreme poverty that characterizes the area and the lack of support it has received in the past, said 1st Lt. Greg Hope, 4th Platoon leader, Co. C.

The handout was coordinated with Sheik Adil of the local area. He was able to ensure that children would be available on the selected day, and that the children would remain as calm and orderly as possible to facilitate a controlled handout.

When the Soldiers arrived, they were immediately swarmed with children from the area. Adil had the children form an orderly line and wait patiently until they were called forward.

Afterward, Adil hosted a lunch for the Soldiers at his home where he said handouts and other similar actions go a long way to improving the opinion that the local people have of coalition forces.

"The important thing was that the people have a high opinion of the government of Iraq and the Iraq security forces, as they would be the permanent authority in the region," Hope said.

• Date Taken: 04.24.2008
• Date Posted: 04.24.2008 16:07
• Story ID: 18750
• Location: ISKANDARIYAH, IQ