By Sgt. David Turner
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division
FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – The Under Secretary of Defense for Policy visited Patrol Base Stone in southern Baghdad on May 1 to see progress in a unique program that teaches job skills to local citizens.
Eric Edelman met with members of the 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, attached to 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, and Airmen of the 557th Expeditionary Red Horse Squadron to see developments in the Village of Hope project.
The Village of Hope is a program that provides local citizens, most of them former members of the Sons of Iraq, construction skills to earn better jobs and help rebuild their communities. Funding for the project comes from the U.S. Congress' Demilitarization, Demobilization and Reconstruction fund.
Col. James W. Adams, deputy commander for 2nd BCT, briefed Edelman on the project, showing him how DDR funds help rebuild one village at a time in Iraq.
"We've applied these funds to demobilize (SoI) from their security role, to phase them into this jobs-works program and to help begin reconstruction in their local neighborhoods," said Adams, of Middleton, Tenn. "It's a perfect fit for what Congress designed DDR funds for."
Air Force Capt. Michael Askegren, 557th ERHS, Village of Hope site commander, showed Edelman the training facility at PB Stone, where U.S. military engineers teach students carpentry, plumbing and electrical engineering.
"The primary point of the Village of Hope program is to provide a sustainable skill set that they can use later," Askegren said. "They will have a sustainable skill that will lead to economic growth and a better community."
One major reason for the project taking hold here is many homes and buildings in the area were destroyed last fall when al-Qaida fighters attacked citizens, Iraqi army and coalition forces.
Currently, 36 Airmen are working with members of the 2nd BCT and 20th Engineer Brigade to train the first class of approximately 50 students, which will graduate on May 8. Three more Village of Hope classes, 50 students each, will take place over the course of the year.
Adams said the future of the program looks promising.
"Our obligation is to see this program through," he said. "It will continue even when we leave. This program will continue and Hawr Rajab will be rebuilt as to its pre-war state."