Civilian advisor helps fellow Americans, Iraqis

Courtesy Photo | (left to right) Faris Alassadi joins Lt. Col. Albert Zakaib, the 3rd COSCOM civil affairs officer, Lt. Col. Charles Blaschke, the 35th Area Support Group's base engineer, and a sheik from a village just outside Logistical Support Area Anaconda during talks about repairing local irrigation problems.  

03.16.2006

Courtesy Story

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Just months after earning his U.S. citizenship, Faris Alassadi joined the ranks of Department of Defense civilian employees and returned to his native country of Iraq to assist his fellow Americans in helping his fellow Iraqis.

Alassadi was born in Baghdad, and attended the University of Sala Aldian in Aribi, Iraq, where he earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural engineering.

"After I graduated the university it was mandatory to enter the military under Saddam in the 80's," he said. "Everybody entered the military during Iraq's war with Iran."

When the war with Iran ended, he left the military and departed for Jordan where he lived and worked until his move to Brighton, Mich. in 2003.

"It was not easy for me to learn the language when I arrived in the United States," Alassadi explained.

"But I did learn, and I got a job working in the admissions office at the University of Michigan and at a bank, and I made many friends."

After taking the oath of citizenship in August 2005, Alassadi enjoyed the magnitude of liberties afforded to Americans, including eligibility for government employment.

His reply to a radio spot advertising the DoD's bilingual, bicultural advisor program paved the way for his return to Iraq. The DoD hired Alassadi in December 2005.

When Soldiers from the 3rd Corps Support Command's civil affairs office discussed a few of the possible issues and projects on and around Logistical Support Area Anaconda with Multi-National Corps-Iraq's Civil Affairs office, the list of solutions included Alassadi's name.

"The civil affairs people at MNC-I told us about the bilingual, bicultural advisor subject matter expert program, and that they had someone we could possibly utilize to help resolve some of the problems we have," said Maj. Patrick B. Howard, the 3rd COSCOM deputy civil affairs officer.

In addition to handling humanitarian related projects, Howard manages all of 3rd COSCOM's linguist needs, land management and force protection issues.

Many native Iraqis serve as translators, but the bilingual, bicultural advisor program combines linguistic skills with expert-level knowledge on specific subjects, Alassadi said.

"Our thought was to bring someone from the program to help us deal with the irrigation and agricultural issues, while maybe helping the local farmers come up with systems to help improve their quality of life, because farming is the primary source of income for the villages around LSA Anaconda," Howard explained.

"So we brought in Faris."

Alassadi's background in agriculture made him the perfect fit for LSA Anaconda's situation.

"I chose to study agriculture because there are ways to make changes and to help people, like the people in the villages outside of the gates here," Alassadi explained.
He is currently working on resolving the irrigation issues involving the canals that run along LSA Anaconda's perimeter.

The proximity of the canals to the LSA's outer wire coupled with force protection procedures have prohibited the local Iraqis from getting close enough to properly maintain the canals, which provide water to more than 1,000 villagers.

The leaky canal walls contribute to the continual growth of vegetation around the LSA, which directly affects tower guard visibility, said Lt. Col. Albert Zakaib, the 3rd COSCOM civil affairs officer.

"A sheik from the local village came up to me when I was looking around outside the LSA and explained the problems with the canal," Alassadi said.

"Though I am not a translator, I could communicate with him and I could also talk with him about the irrigation issues, because I understand the subject."

Completely repairing and maintaining the canal is a long-term and expensive goal, but Alassadi's discussion with the sheik sparked a chain of events that led to a clean-up project assigned to the 130th Engineering Brigade's, 84th Engineer Battalion, Zakaib explained.

LSA Anaconda's surroundings ensure that Alassadi will get many opportunities, like the canal project, to bridge linguistic and cultural gaps between local villagers and servicemembers, Howard said.

During his first few months back in Iraq, Alassadi has affected the lives of at least 1,000 of his fellow Iraqis while working alongside his fellow Americans. His bilingual, bicultural and agricultural expertise, combined with his desire to productively link the two worlds of his past, guarantee that Faris Alassadi will affect thousands more in the future.

• Date Taken: 03.16.2006
• Date Posted: 03.16.2006 09:49
• Story ID: 5750