2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment hands out soccer equipment to Iraqi children

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Michael Behlin | Cpt. Olivera Rodriguez of the the 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, gets in a little soccer practice with the local youth and adults during a pickup soccer game Saturday in the Ad Dujayl area. The 2-320 FAR, provided security while local children and adults participated in pickup soccer games to help strengthen the relationships between coalition forces and Muslims in the area.  

AD DUJAYL, IRAQ

10.06.2008

Story by Spc. Michael Behlin 

3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command

By Michael Behlin
3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)

AD DUJAYL, Iraq – Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, handed out soccer equipment Oct. 4, 2008 to Iraqi children from Ad Dujayl and provided security while the youth participated in soccer games.

The 2-320th FAR participation in the event was to show support to an area still feeling the effects of an vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attack that killed 31 local citizens and left 21 citizens wounded on Sept. 12.

The event was also an attempt to bring together the Sunni and Shi'a residents.

"I think in this area, soccer brings everyone together," said 1st Lt. Peter Semanoff, 4th Platoon leader. "What we're trying to do is mix and match to bring people together and get them to working together."

"We brought out some soccer uniforms we got from an organization in California that collects uniforms and soccer equipment to take down to Mexico," Semanoff said. "They just so happened to get our address and sent a bunch of uniforms and equipment here. The handing out of these uniforms is a good thing for both the citizens and the town."

For the Iraqi population, many saw this day as a sign of good things to come for the area, and also a positive sign of much needed support being received by the mostly agricultural area.

"This is considered to be mostly an agricultural area and we don't have much services here to keep the kids busy and for them to have fun," Abbas Gurjy said through an interpreter. Gurjy, the town's sports activity supporter, noted that the town's "children watches the sport regularly on television and that it's important to provide the children of the area with a soccer field and equipment as a means of having fun."

Gurjy considered the event an overall attempt to build good relationships within the area and to possibly help prevent the events that happened on Sept. 12 from happening again.

"If we find ways as today that can keep our children and our citizens occupied, we may be able to get the town back to where it was and prevent attacks from happening again," said Gurjy. "With more support from coalition forces, I think it could happen."

• Date Taken: 10.06.2008
• Date Posted: 10.22.2008 04:54
• Story ID: 25366
• Location: AD DUJAYL, IQ