Bayji Public Works Dept. gets new vehicles

Photo By Staff Sgt. Joshua Ford | Lt. Col. Scott Harris, commander, 1st battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, gives a speech during a ceremony that presented maintenance vehicles to Bayji public works officials Sept. 14, 2006 at Forward Operating Base Summerall. US Army photo by Spc. Joshua R. Ford (released)  

BAYJI, IRAQ

09.15.2006

Story by Spc. Joshua Ford 

3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division

Spc. Joshua R. Ford
Public Affiars
3rd Brigade Combat Team
82nd Airborne Division

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SUMMERALL, Iraq (Sept. 15, 2006) - Members of the Bayji City Council and other government officials, including Mayor Huessein Ahmed Maijhub, met with Lt. Col. Scott Harris, commander, 1st battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, for a public works meeting Sept. 14, 2006, at FOB Summerall.

Following the meeting, Harris presented the Bayji officials with five maintenance vehicles totaling $670,000.

Vehicles given to the government of Bayji included two waste disposal vehicles, two dump trucks and one 25-ton crane.

The vehicles will assist the Iraqis in completing over due projects as well as beginning new projects within the city, said Harris.

"This ceremony is to show the Iraqi people that the public works officials are working for the good of Bayji," said Harris.

"We are trying to make sure the people of Bayji can take care of themselves," said Maj. Bill Suggs, civil affairs team leader, Company A, 402nd Civil Affairs Bn. "We want to set the citizens of Bayji up for success."

"We are very optimistic of the future" added Maijhub. "With these vehicles, we can begin a new period for Bayji."

Currently, the city of Bayji is experiencing many problems when it comes to the disposal of sewage and garbage. This has created very unsanitary conditions within the city and the Paratroopers of 1st Bn., 505th PIR, want to help out however they can, explained Harris.

Prior to the Paratrooper's arrival, the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), provided dumpsters for Bayji valuing more than $200,000. However, the Bayji public works department didn't have the garbage trucks to empty the dumpsters placed throughout the city.

Now with the equipment to keep the streets of Bayji clean, the citizens must pick up the mentality to uphold sanitary conditions in the city, said the mayor.

The citizens of Bayji keep their courtyards immaculate – taking a great deal of pride in their personal property but not in public owned property, said Suggs.

'Make every Bayji city street a courtyard' is a motto Suggs hopes the citizens of Bayji will adopt to encourage them to keep their streets clean.

Working with information operations and civil affairs, Suggs hopes the mentality within the city changes, and the citizens start to take pride in the cleanliness of Bayji.

With outstanding public works officials and the equipment needed to get the job done, it is time for the people to do their part in getting the garbage and the sewage off the streets, said Suggs.

"We can use this equipment in Bayji and we thank everyone who was involved in getting it," said Maijhub. "We will use the vehicles right away."

• Date Taken: 09.15.2006
• Date Posted: 09.18.2006 11:19
• Story ID: 7762
• Location: BAYJI, IQ