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October 25, 2007
Soldiers Help Celebrate Sadr City School Renovation
From left to right: Army Capt. Alex Carter, a civil affairs team chief attached to 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division; an Iraqi police officer; Brig. Gen. Ali Ibrahim Daboun, commander of 8th Brigade, 2nd INP Division; Army Staff Sgt. Brandon Lantz, a civil affairs linguist; and Army Lt. Col. Dan Barnett, commander of 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment. Photo by Sgt. Mike Pryor, USA
BAGHDAD
Oct. 24, 2007
DOD
When students at the Yarmook Girls' School in Baghdad’s Sadr City neighborhood returned from summer vacation last month, they found that their school had received an extreme makeover thanks to the government of Iraq and the U.S. Army.
U.S. soldiers and Iraqi National Police visited the recently renovated school Oct. 22 to see the improvements and hand out backpacks and soccer balls to the students.
The renovations to the school totaled $200,000 of improvements, including a new roof, a new lighting system, repairs to cracks in the pavement and stairs, and a paint job, said Glen Allen, Va., native Capt. Alex Carter, a U.S. Army civil affairs team chief who helped oversee the project.
"Nine other schools in Sadr City also have been renovated over the past few months, as part of the same program that refurbished the Yarmook Girl’s School, "Carter said.
"The school improvement program was made possible by cooperation among the Ministry of Education, the local neighborhood councils, school officials, the Iraqi National Police, and the U.S. Army’s 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, which operates in the Sadr City area," he said.
“What makes this special to me is that this really validates how effective we are working with the Iraqi police in Sadr City,” Carter said.
The top Iraqi police official present at the school visit, Brig. Gen. Ali Ibrahim Daboun, commander of 8th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi National Police Division, said he also was pleased by cooperation between the Iraqi government, the Iraqi security forces, and the U.S. military.
He said he hopes that the school improvement program would show the 2.5 million residents of Sadr City that they are a priority of the Iraqi government.
“In the past, they were neglected, but the new government will serve them,” he said.
(Army Sgt. Mike Pryor is assigned to 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.)
Wild Thing's comment........
Of course our media doesn't want us to know about this. God bless our troops and keep them safe. I am so proud of them, they are truly amazing.
Posted by Wild Thing at October 25, 2007 12:47 AM
Comments
This is good news for our effort in Iraq.
At the same time I can't help but think that a lot of American schools could use $200,000 in renovations. I hope this "nation/culture" building in Iraq and Afghanistan works. Our troops and civilians are doing an amazing job, but I have my doubts about sowing the seeds of democracy/Western civilization in the MidEast.
Posted by: TomR at October 25, 2007 08:56 AM
Fine if they are not used as Madrasas to promote the same old culture of hatred, I have my doubts, but still I'm proud of the American tradition of selfless support for the civilians we protect. It must be a good thing, Dingy Harry hasn't mentioned it.
Posted by: Jack at October 25, 2007 12:48 PM
Tom I agree it excellent news.
I also agree with the rest you said as well.
I will always cheer on the success and hard work of our troops. But deep in my heart I also continously doubt how long any of it will last. These people are so far from what we know as freedom, democracy etc. that is can boggle ones mind, at least mine. How long till insurgents use these schools to hide in. augh I guess that is negative but the enemy is so evil.
Posted by: Wild Thing at October 25, 2007 11:43 PM
Jack, LOL Dingy Harry probably bites his nails when he see this kind of succcess. heh heh
But I too feel as you said about it.
Posted by: Wild Thing at October 25, 2007 11:44 PM
