By Capt. Mark Miller
1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division
FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, Iraq – Excited children from the Risalah community of southern Baghdad returned from summer vacation to find their elementary school had changed for the better.
And as the children entered their newly refurbished school, they were greeted by Lt. Col. Johnnie Johnson, the commander of the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, attached to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, and Col. Adel, the commander of the 1st Battalion, 5th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, who presented backpacks to each student throughout the Al-Ka-Dee-Sia elementary school, Oct. 16, 2008.
"It's an honor to be a part of this occasion, and we are glad to have been able to assist," said Johnson, a native of Tampa, Fla.
Johnson and Adel met with students in the school yard and began handing out the backpacks before moving indoors and finishing passing them out in the classrooms.
Johnson said seeing the children's smiling faces as he and Adel handed each of them a backpack was a great time and encouraging.
The school itself that the children were returning to has seen many improvements over the summer, such as new furniture, fresh paint and various other upgrades.
During the upgrade, some of the older furniture that was still serviceable was put to the side so that it could be used at other schools that may require additional support as well.
"We transported the old furniture to the ministry of education," explained Capt. Michael Berriman, a native of Springfield, Mo., and commander of Company C, 4th Bn., 64th Armor Regt. "They can use the old furniture at another school or anywhere else it may be useful."
Multi-National Division – Baghdad worked with the Iraqi national police and the neighborhood council to support the school with the refurbishing, said 2nd Lt. Daniel Gorczynski, fire support officer for Co. C.
"Everyone was there to see the benefits of all the work that occurred over the summer," said Gorczynski, a native of Glen Gardner, N.J.
"We will conduct more of these backpack deliveries in the future to other schools," Berriman explained. "We have several thousand packs available to give away."
| Date Taken: |
10.31.2008 |
| Date Posted: |
10.31.2008 07:42 |
| Story ID: |
25764 |
| Location: |
BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: |
115 |
| Downloads: |
100 |
PUBLIC DOMAIN
This work, National Police, Tuskers provide backpacks, smiles to young children returning to school, by CPT Mark Miller, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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