Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Jon Cupp | City council members and sheiks for the town of Intasar, Iraq met at a local school to...... read more read more
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By Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp
1st BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs
INTASAR, Iraq – Tribal sheiks, city council members, the Iraqi army, Iraqi police and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers are helping people get their lives back to normal nearly five months after sectarian violence rocked the small community.
One of the signs that stability is returning in the village showed on March 5 as Intasar sheiks, council members and Soldiers from Battery C, 1st "Red Lion" Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment joined together to re-open the Intasar elementary school.
The school, which had been damaged by looters during the sectarian clashes, was closed for several months until crews could be hired to clean away debris.
"We helped to provide money to clean the school through the commander's emergency relief fund and the Iraqi government also provided money for the effort," said Capt. Evan Gotkin, commander, Battery C, 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment and a native of Long Island, N.Y. "The school has been the focus of the town and their way of saying 'let's get life back to normal.'"
For their first day of school, Iraqi boys and girls took their first yearly test. Once the students had been tested, they joined in a ribbon cutting ceremony as tribal sheiks and city council members officially re-opened the school.
Battery C Soldiers then handed out back packs filled with school supplies, soccer balls and t-shirts. They also constructed a large swing set for the school's courtyard which the Army donated.
"I love doing things like this, it makes us feel like we're making a difference and it's great to see all the excited children," said Spc. William Sproule, a medic for Battery C who hails from Omak, Wash. "It really makes you appreciate what we often take for granted in the states—it could be something as simple as school supplies or a soccer ball. You know that this day will be something they'll always remember."
"It's very important that they're back in school since they are the future of Iraq," said Sgt. 1st Class Sheldon Fant, a platoon sergeant and native of Anderson, S.C. "It's a good experience for our Soldiers to interact with the Iraqi people."
Nearly 300 students came back to school, with the headmaster expecting only 150 students returning—which is a positive sign after all the violence people in the town have faced, according to Gotkin.
As the children attended classes, Intasar tribal sheiks and city council members held an impromptu meeting at the school to discuss issues the town is facing to include security and reconstruction within the village.
Nearly 1,200 families had left the village when sectarian violence broke out five months ago and more than 70 homes were burned.
The movement towards normalcy and an end to violence has been something the citizens of Intasar wanted since they initiated the reconstruction on their own, Gotkin said.
"The Sunni and Shia sheiks got together, and it was phenomenal," said Gotkin. "They basically said, 'Enough is enough, we are not sects, we are Muslims—one Iraqi people.' This sparked other nearby towns to hold similar meetings with their own sheiks promoting reconciliation, so it is spreading."
"Their support of the peace process is a visible demonstration of hope," added Gotkin. "We'll use some of our money and the Iraqi government will use some of their money to help the people here rebuild. They are also trying to entice people to come back and live in peace again."
Some of the things being considered are the issues of refugees returning to the town, the building of new mosques and funding for a new Iraqi police station.
As of now, the village is under 24-hour Iraqi police and Iraqi army protection and Soldiers have increased patrols and cordon and searches in the town.
"The Iraqis still want us here helping them with security," said Gotkin. "Tip cards passed out all over town are causing the tip line at the (Joint Security Station) to ring off the hook."
"The U.S. presence has been very good for the people and the people are thankful for the help of the U.S. Soldiers," said Jabar Hussein, one of Intasar's tribal sheiks. "With the efforts of the Iraqi security forces and U.S. Soldiers, we can make something good for the people."
Soldiers who have experienced first hand what the people in Intasar are attempting to do, have said it has been amazing to witness.
"I think it's definitely good that the Shias and Sunnis have decided to end the violence here so they can live together. This is definitely a model for the rest of the country to follow, and it's good for us to promote that," said 1st Lt. Justin Cowne, a platoon leader for the battery and a native of Jasper, Ga. "We're not here to run their country, we're just here to help them and we hope we can help for the long term."
As the Soldiers worked at the school and the city council met with tribal sheiks, the smell of fresh baked bread emanated from a newly opened bakery a few buildings down from the school, another sign, said Gotkin, that normalcy is slowly returning to the village.
| Date Taken: | 03.06.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 03.06.2007 09:02 |
| Story ID: | 9338 |
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| Web Views: | 1,274 |
| Downloads: | 912 |
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