Spc. Ben Brody
2nd Brigade Combat Team PAO
AL KANASA, Iraq -- During a May 27 mission near Salman Pak, south of Baghdad, Soldiers from C Troop, 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division met with local leaders and discussed the state of affairs in the village.
The meeting was an unprecedented gathering of influential residents of al-Kanasa, which has no neighborhood advisory council.
The NAC, common in larger towns, is an important link between town representatives and residents, and coalition and Iraqi forces.
C Troop maintains a 24-hour presence in the area at a nearby pontoon bridge, and is sensitive to the needs of the local population, said Capt. Brett Bair, C Troop, 3-7 Cav., commander.
"This meeting is a good way to find out what's going on in the village and whether they need water and power," said Bair, a Buffalo, Okla., native. "Everything you do here revolves around the community."
The Soldiers waited at a local schoolhouse while residents went to afternoon prayers at an adjacent mosque. After prayers, they filtered into the school and sat at small desks as Bair greeted them.
Through an interpreter, Bair discussed the local water project that is underway, which will eventually bring clean water into the town.
Although the schoolhouse was powered, some residents complained about spotty electricity at night.
As residents pledged their support to form a council of respected leaders, they thanked the Soldiers for coming to see them.
"It's your town -- you pick your leaders," Bair said. "We just want to help."
After the meeting was finished, C Troop moved down the road to the pontoon bridge to meet with other 3-7 Cav. Soldiers and Iraqi Intervention Forces troops.
The bridge is manned by IIF and C Troop forces, which is essential to the area's security, said 1st Sgt. Anthony Broadhead, C Troop, 3-7 Cav.
"We've had few incidents since we set up the OP -- it's very effective," Broadhead said.
C Troop set up the OP as part of a joint mission to rid the Salman Pak area of insurgent forces.
Since the onset of the April operation, insurgent activity in Southern Baghdad has dropped considerably, according to military records.
"We're going to work on one thing at a time -- starting with organizing a committee to find out what needs fixing," Bair said. "Now that the town's security situation is stable, we can get the utilities projects moving."
| Date Taken: | 06.08.2005 |
| Date Posted: | 06.08.2005 08:17 |
| Story ID: | 2063 |
| Location: | AL KANASA, IQ |
| Web Views: | 53 |
| Downloads: | 11 |
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