‘Golden Dragons’ begin meeting with local leaders

Photo By Spc. Jessica Luhrs-Stabile | First Lt. Matthew Clark, a "Golden Dragon" platoon leader with Company B, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, out of Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii, and Staff Sgt. Jerome Lyles, platoon sergeant for 3rd Platoon, Battery B, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, out of Fort Bliss, Texas, talk to Rizgar Abdullah Latif, the mayor of Schawn following Clark's first meeting with the Schawn City Council, near Kirkuk, Iraq, July 21.  

FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARRIOR, IRAQ

07.24.2010

Story by Pfc. Jessica Luhrs-Stabile 

1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division

FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARRIOR, Iraq – Meeting with the local leaders is very important especially for a new unit, which is why “Golden Dragon” leadership of 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, out of Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii, immediately began meeting with local leaders after arriving to Forward Operating Base Warrior, Kirkuk, Iraq.

First Lt. Matthew Clark, a “Golden Dragon” platoon leader with Company B, met with the Schawn City Council for the first time, July 21, and said meetings like these will give him and his Soldiers a better idea of the area.

During the meeting, Clark joined the leader he is replacing, Staff Sgt. Jerome Lyles, platoon sergeant for 3rd Platoon, Battery B, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division out of Fort Bliss, Texas, and discussed how the local leadership plan to facilitate irrigation, security and schools in the area, according to Clark.

“These are some of the biggest issues we have in the village,” said Rizgar Abdullah Latif, the mayor of Schawn. “The wells are dry, pipes are broken and many of the schools need to be rebuilt.”

However, instead of requesting that U.S. forces to fix their problems the mayor said he reported all of the issues to the government of Iraq and many of the issues are already scheduled to be fixed.

“They have offered to assist us in rebuilding two of the schools and the wells; they even said they would assist us in building a park for our children,” said the mayor.

According to Lyles this is why they started holding these combined meetings.

“We have representatives from the Kurdish Regional Guard Brigade, Iraqi police, the local schools, and leadership; so everyone has an opportunity to voice any issues and it will be heard,” he said.

The 3rd platoon said they plan on continuing to attend these meeting.

“We plan on having many different meetings with the leaders in the area,” said Clark. “It lets us know what is going on in the communities and we can ensure the needs of the people are being met.”

“Golden Dragon” Soldiers began arriving in the area earlier this month and will be replacing the “Ready First” Soldiers who have been in the area since November.

• Date Taken: 07.24.2010
• Date Posted: 07.24.2010 16:33
• Story ID: 53328
• Location: FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARRIOR, IQ