Photo By Joseph Rivera Rebolledo | An Iraqi girl poses in front of her artwork and the Iraqi and American flags, as other...... read more read more
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By Spc. Joseph Rivera Rebolledo
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division
BAGHDAD - A group of Iraqi children, between the ages of 2 and 12, were invited to Forward Operating Base War Eagle, March 29, for an opportunity to showcase their artistic skills and creativity by painting the concrete walls used to protect citizens.
The children live in a village near War Eagle and walk by the t-walls daily on their way to school, said Capt. Megan Welch, a logistics officer with the 64th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, adding that the children find the route to school to be a safer way to get to there.
The focus of this painting session was to establish a rapport with the adult and younger residents of the village. For Welch, it was a chance for the children to make something pretty that they see daily, so she planned the t-wall painting day.
This is one more effort MND-B Soldiers are trying to help establish a solid relationship with the residents of the village and the Iraqi communities, said Welch, a native of La Crescent, Minn. It provided the Iraqi children an opportunity to see Soldiers not as simply armed protectors but someone to interact with also.
As part of the artwork, the children painted Iraqi and American flags, palm trees, flowers, hearts and other designs of their imagination to give the t-walls a vivid look.
The painting also provides the children a better feeling of how people behind the uniform are, and it shows them Soldiers care for children too, said Welch.
"The kids who participated had a good time and, for us, it was a good opportunity to interact with the neighborhood kids," said Capt. Walter Zurkowsky, a native of New Hampshire, N.H., who serves as executive officer for Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd BCT.
Welch and his fellow Soldiers from the Mountaineer Battalion organized the day and said they hope to host similar events.
"We had a lot of fun with the kids. It was a good, cooperative community-building event, and we look forward to seeing many of these in the future," Welch said.
| Date Taken: | 03.29.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 04.09.2008 10:25 |
| Story ID: | 18221 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 214 |
| Downloads: | 193 |
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