By Petty Officer 3rd Class Coleman Thompson
Fleet Public Affairs Center Atlantic
NORFOLK, Va. – Task Force Ramadi, a joint task force made up of military, reserve and civilian personnel from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, returned from their eight month deployment to the Al Anbar province of Iraq, Nov. 16.
Task Force Ramadi deployed from U.S. Joint Forces Command in March 2008 to support U.S. Central Command by providing infrastructure development, base security and combat service support.
"Our mission upon arrival was two-fold," said Army Col. Todd Ebel, commanding officer, Task Force Ramadi. "First we deployed with the expectation that we would be fully engaged with the local Iraqi population and working with the local government. Secondarily we would be running the command."
While in country the task force installed more than 5,000 protective barriers, renovated 280,000 square feet of buildings and paved 10 kilometers of asphalt roads. The task force also facilitated $3.5 million in force protection improvement projects.
"Everybody pitched in to do what needed to be done, and that included a lot of people doing what they usually wouldn't do," said Chief Petty Officer Eric Chamberlain.
The task force also worked to improve the local community around their camp by delivering $1 million of piping and other materials to the Ramadi Water Department. They also increased power to the Ramadi hospital by 30 percent, connected eight generators to the city's electrical grid, and increased available fuel to the city by more than 400 percent.
"While in Iraq we achieved all of our objectives and probably exceeded the expectations of us, and for that reason we are all very proud," said Ebel.