Muqdadiya city council works to improve life for its citizens

Photo By Staff Sgt. Zachary Mott | Capt. Michael Emons, team leader, Company B, 404th Civil Affairs Battalion attached to 2nd Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Lightning, enjoys a light-hearted moment during the Muqdadiya city council meeting Oct. 2. Emons, a Wolcott, Conn., native, works with the city council to ensure projects are progressing as well as coordinating support from coalition forces.  

MUQDADIYA, IRAQ

10.02.2006

Story by Sgt. Zachary Mott 

3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

by Sgt. Zach Mott
3rd HBCT, 4th ID PAO

MUQDADIYA, Iraq (October 2, 2006) -- A functioning city government can mean the difference between a flourishing economy and a city covered in trash and backed up sewage lines.

To counter the later, the Muqdadiya city council meets regularly to discuss all things related to city governance in hopes of achieving that thriving economy where commerce flows as freely as the sewage lines.

Capt. Michael Emons, a civil affairs team leader assigned to Company B, 404th Civil Affairs Battalion, routinely attends these meetings to ensure the Muqdadiya government is functioning and projects are progressing.

Recently, the 2nd Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, Task Force Lightning, to which Emons' 404th CA Bn. company is attached, as well as their Iraqi Army counterparts from 3rd Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division conducted an operation to clear the Muqdadiya market of terrorists.

"A project like that tells the people, that security is on their mind first and foremost," Emons said. "So when we do something to block it to allow the people to roam freely it makes them comfortable enough and it trickles down through the economy."

While there has been a boost to the economy generated in the city's heart, it still bears the scars of being at the front lines of numerous terrorist attacks.

"The people of Muqdadiya want it cleaned, painted, freshened up," Emons said. "Security has improved (in that area). The IA and (Iraqi Police) are working together with coalition (forces)."

Today's meeting discussed how to revitalize the city market. The council members agreed that the project needs to be given top priority in order to properly serve those whom they represent. The particulars still need to be ironed out, but the Muqdadiya city council agreed to begin the project as soon as possible by thoroughly cleaning the area and painting the curbs and buildings.

"What we talked about today was putting signs up saying that the city council did the project and it allows the people to see that they have a government (that is working for them.)," Emons said.

• Date Taken: 10.02.2006
• Date Posted: 10.03.2006 12:50
• Story ID: 7908
• Location: MUQDADIYA, IQ