Courtesy Photo | U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Kevin C. Burke, maritime security advisor – Iraq, speaks with...... read more read more
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By: Sgt. 1st. Class Merrion P. LaSonde
BASRAH, Iraq - Students and faculty of the Arabian Gulf Maritime Academy will breathe a bit easier this summer thanks to a special delivery by the U.S. Coast Guard.
“During the summer, when [Coast Guard representatives] first came to Basrah to meet with AGMA officials to identify exactly what it was they needed to help train the Iraqi navy and Merchant Marine fleet, it was extremely hot and the school had frequent, severe power outages that lasted for some time,” said U.S. Coast Guard Lt. j.g. Franklin J. Bullock, logistics coordinator, USF-I Port Advisory Coordination Element. “The heat was unbearable.”
PACE worked for five months to acquire a 320 watt generator which became available following the transfer of Camp Bucca, now known as the Basrah Logistics City. Not only would the generator help mitigate the heat, but it would also provide power to academy classrooms and administrative buildings.
“I helped facilitate the Coast Guard in getting this generator transferred from the U.S. Army over to [AGMA],” said 1st. Lt. Eric Leatherman, 36th Infantry Division Engineer Operations officer-in-charge. “The academy identified a gap in their power needs and usage. To facilitate their job of getting everyone trained properly, they needed power throughout their buildings. Luckily, the U.S. forces were able to provide that power via transitioning of some of our bases.”
The assistant head of AGMA explained, “We lack electricity from the national grid as often as is necessary. With this generator being provided, we will have enough power to take care of the headquarters and every other part of the academy, especially in the summer.”
This is the first time the academy has received assistance from coalition forces, although not the first time they have had a need.
“Now that we are here and well established in Basrah and Baghdad, we are in a better position to help them get the equipment and services they need,” said Bullock.
The academy supplies different entities of the government of Iraq with engineers and naval officers whether they go to the Ministry of Defense, Navy or the Ministry of Transportation. Graduates go on to become naval officers, Merchant Marines, port facility managers or port security officers.
Students of the academy learn Iraqi maritime law as well as defensive maneuvers for protecting surrounding coastal waters, among many other areas during their course of study. The academy has just fewer than 500 students, and in March of this year, will have 120 new graduates.
“The benefit for having such a strong relationship with the academy, from a level of stability and security, is it enhances the Iraqi military and our role in keeping Iraq safe for its people,” said Bullock.
“We look forward to more cooperation in the future with the coalition forces in Iraq,” an academy representative explained. “Our academy is still in the process of rebuilding. We lack equipment for laboratories and some advanced skill training. We are going to need more equipment and more assistance so hopefully we will be able to work together. We thank them greatly for their assistance and cooperation with us so that we can run the academy the way it is supposed to be run.”
| Date Taken: | 02.19.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 02.19.2011 08:05 |
| Story ID: | 65744 |
| Location: | BASRA, IQ |
| Web Views: | 135 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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