By Spc. Karla P. Elliott
11th Public Affairs Detachment
KIRKUK, Iraq – Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, visited finished and on-going projects within and around the city of Dibis located in Kirkuk province, Iraq, Nov. 19, as they continue to get to know their areas of responsibility.
The first event of the day was to attend the weekly Dibis city council meeting.
"It is nice to be able to talk to the people, get to know who is making the decisions and then try to affect these decisions in a positive way," said 2nd Lt. Nathaniel De Cock with Company C, 1-67 Armor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division out of Fort Carson, Colo.
A security meeting followed thereafter.
"Dibis is, by far, our best place in relation to security," said Capt. Pedro Rivera, commander of Company C, 1-67 Armor.
The focus on security is to connect the Iraqi army, police and Sons of Iraq, so they can start working together, training and conducting joint patrols, Rivera said.
One of the completed projects the team visited was an IP station that was recently opened in Mama village, near Dibis.
De Cock said the town has SoI, however, "bringing the official IP will bring a lot more stability and security to the area."
Another project which was recently completed was the Dibis Post Office. Outside its doors, the post office has a sign which reads: "Prosperity, Unity, Security—this project has been given to you by the local government of Kirkuk."
The post office was refurbished, repainted and several rooms were added.
With many projects in the works, 1-67 Armor has to ensure everyone is receiving the same opportunities.
"Dibis is a city with a heavy Kurdish population inside and on the outskirts, heavy on the Arab population," Rivera said. "We just have to make sure that the projects within the area reach equally to everyone."
The people of Dibis are ready for change and they are on their way to getting themselves back on their feet, De Cock said.
"The city council is already starting to progress and work through the proper channels and hopefully, the city will soon be able to stand up on its own," he said.
| Date Taken: | 01.17.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 01.17.2009 05:44 |
| Story ID: | 28953 |
| Location: | KIRKUK, IQ |
| Web Views: | 319 |
| Downloads: | 234 |
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