Civil affairs specialist plays key role in building of water treatment plants

Courtesy Photo | MIZZEREA, Iraq (March 30, 2006) -- Spc. Vilhelm Heerup makes a point during a visit to a water treatment plant construction site. He is an Army Reservist with Co. C, 445th Civil Affairs Battalion, and hails from Phoenix. (Photo by Spc. Lee Elder, 133d Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)  

BALAD, IRAQ

04.14.2006

Story by Staff Sgt. Miles Elder 

133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Spc. Lee Elder
133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

BALAD, Iraq (April 2, 2006) - He's not your average 19-year-old Army Reserve Soldier.

Spc. Vilhelm Heerup is playing a key role as a civil affairs specialist with Company C, 445th Civil Affairs Battalion. He is one of the main evaluators on a number of high-dollar water treatment projects funded by Coalition forces to bring clean water to residents of Diyala Province in northern Iraq.

"He's doing the work of a senior noncommissioned officer," said 1st Lt. Dustin Greenhill, the civilian/military affairs officer for 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment (Mechanized), 4th Infantry Division. "He's extremely mature.

"He's been here for about nine months and (Operation Iraqi Freedom) has done that for a lot of young soldiers."

A Phoenix native, Heerup is in charge of monitoring the progress made by Iraqi contractors who are building or refurbishing water treatment plants. He inspects the construction sites to ensure they meet prescribed milestones so that local vendors can be paid for their work. He also checks for the quality of their work to ensure it is up to the agreed-upon standards.

Heerup is using skills he learned as a civilian. His father, Carl, is a civil and structural engineer who specializes in water treatment plants. Young Heerup would spend his summers working as a clerk for his father.

"His trailer was at the site and I often got to go and see these things," Heerup said. "I asked him questions about "what's this" and "what's that."

"Now, I know more than the average Joe on water treatment plants."

Heerup joined the Army Reserve shortly after graduating from Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, Ariz., in 2004. He was trained as a civil affairs specialist at Fort Bragg, N.C., and came to Iraq with his Army Reserve unit last year.

"We use our civilian specialties and apply them other places," Heerup said. "It's one of the cool things about civil affairs.

"The fact that I know something that can help people, it's pretty cool."

Greenhill hails from West Palm Beach, Fla., and is a 2003 graduate of the United States Military Academy. He recently took his position working with local Iraqi leaders and said Heerup and his colleagues have been invaluable contributors.

"They already knew the area and they knew the projects," Greenhill said. "They've been able to update us on everything."

For his part, Heerup has relished his newfound responsibilities overseeing construction projects that often run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. At a site near the Tigris River, he bounds out of his Hummer and quickly walks across the site.

"This one is about 23-percent done," he tells his sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Dennis Mitchell, the battalion's claims officer.

Mitchell pays contractors based on Heerup's evaluations. Coalition forces pay for the projects at the 25-, 50- and 100-percent levels of completion.

"It's been a big responsibility for me as a specialist," Heerup said. "It has been a real test for me in Iraq.

"It's a bigger responsibility than I expected when I came here, but I've been doing a good job so far. I'm happy to do that."

Heerup said he has learned a lot about the plants during his nine months here. It's been a busy time.

"Early on, it is really early to tell the progress," Heerup said. "All they are doing is the infrastructure.

"The big part is after they've done that if they've got supplies on the site. If they don't, we'll work to get them from Baghdad."

Getting Iraqis access to fresh drinking water is a key link in getting citizens access to basic infrastructure needs. Heerup said he believes his role here is important.

Heerup is scheduled to leave Iraq this summer. He will take on a new role this fall as a student at Northern Arizona University where he plans to study linguistics.

"I came into the Army to be a linguist," Heerup said. "I would still take that job in a heartbeat."

usar

• Date Taken: 04.14.2006
• Date Posted: 04.14.2006 12:56
• Story ID: 6035
• Location: BALAD, IQ