IA Soldiers help Babil village beat the heat

Photo By Maj. Anna Friederich | FOB KALSU, Iraq -- Iraqi Army soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 8th Iraqi army division, hand out Iraqi flags and school supplies during a visit to the Bedrani village in the northern Babil province Wednesday.  

ISKANDARIYAH, IRAQ

06.12.2006

Courtesy Story

2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

FOB KALSU, Iraq " Citizens of the Bedrani village in the northern Babil province beat the heat Wednesday after receiving hundreds of gallons of water from Iraqi army and Coalition Forces.

Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 8th Iraqi Army Division and 3rd Platoon, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, initially visited the Bedrani village two days prior to the operation and found the village had a serious water problem.

"The village had not seen a CF or Iraqi Security Force presence in the area for over a year," said Staff Sgt. Morris Terry, Bradley section leader, Co. B, 2-8 Inf. Regt. "We went to the village to meet the citizens, establish a relationship and discuss issues they may be having."

Upon meeting with the tribal sheik the Soldiers found the village was facing a very dry and dangerous summer. Currently, there is not a formal water system to bring water to the village. Water used for consumption, crops and animals must be hand carried from the canals. The few pumping systems that have been built must be run by generators requiring gas and maintenance, which is sometimes a challenge for an area so far away from a major town or city.

1st Lt. Leon Satchell, platoon leader, 3rd Platoon, Co. B, 2-8 Inf. Regt., said the villagers were very concerned about the challenges they face this summer.

"The canals are becoming more and more contaminated with debris, making the water unsafe for consumption."

"The village needs a long term plan to create a working water pumping system, but in the
meantime, we provided a short-term solution," added Satchell.

Although CF provided the water and truck, it was the IA who executed the plan. The combined patrol entered the dusty village, established security and began pumping water within minutes. The people brought cans, barrels, tubs and bottles to fill with the cool liquid.

While the water was flowing, the IA and CF Soldiers also handed out school supplies and humanitarian aid. The children, reluctant at first, followed the lead of a small boy of about seven years old and accepted the gifts from the Soldiers.

The adults of the village then moved forward to speak to the IA and CF Soldiers. During the conversations, Soldiers discovered that the entire village was attending the funeral of one of the elders of the village.

Hamid Hassan, a local teacher from Mussayib, said he was attending the funeral of his friend. He was very grateful for the delivery of the water, but was more interested in the long-term solution to the water problem.

Hassan said that the water in the village is very unclean and that they are soliciting the help of the Iraqi government. This coincided with the civic unity meetings that began in April and have built momentum since.

The meetings are a way to get the leaders of the northern Babil province together, regardless of religious or tribal affiliation, and work through issues by talking, said Satchell.

"So far these meetings seem to be working; this is the perfect forum to address the Bedrani water problems," said Satchell.

When the Soldiers satisfied the village's current need for water, they loaded back into their vehicles and headed out of the town. As they prepared to leave, the people of the village waved and cheered as they rolled out.

"Seeing their faces and obvious acceptance of both CF and IA elements was all the proof we needed to know we had planted the seeds of a positive relationship," added Satchell.

• Date Taken: 06.12.2006
• Date Posted: 06.12.2006 13:07
• Story ID: 6787
• Location: ISKANDARIYAH, IQ