MOSUL, Iraq (May 11, 2006) -- Infantry Soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team are restoring the main palace on Forward Operating Base Courage, Mosul, Iraq in preparation to hand it back over to the Iraqi people later this summer.
From Squad Automatic Weapon gunners, to rifleman, to grenadiers, these Soldiers have been pulled from their jobs in the Infantry to complete the task of restoring the grounds on the FOB. Their main focus for now is tearing down all the offices and cubicles to restore the inside of the main palace.
"Currently we have been breaking down the main palace," said Staff Sgt. Logan Vann, 172nd SBCT, mayor cell clearing team and non-commissioned officer in charge. "We have been breaking down walls, offices, and furniture."
According to Vann, the main focus point for the past month and half is the main palace, and they plan to have the palace finished by next month.
"We need to ensure that it is in the same condition as when we arrived," said Vann. "We are doing our best to make sure that it looks good.
The palace was first used in 2003 as the Headquarters for the 101st Airborne Division. The palace served as the last command post for the multi-national force Iraq " northwest. Now the 101st is back to see the closure of this historic FOB.
"This palace will be returned to the Iraqis and they want the palace to resemble what it once was," said Spc. Paul Tschiffely, Company C, 2nd Battalion 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd SBCT. "It is important to Iraqi citizens because it shows the progress of what they have accomplished, from going to a country that needs complete support from Coalition forces to a country that is supporting itself."