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2008 PRT News
PRT Brings Smiles to Iraq’s Most Vulnerable
September 3, 2008
Muthanna Province – Needy children with disabilities and orphans in Iraq’s poorest province had their lives brightened for an afternoon as they received attention and gifts, donated by the American public, from the U.S. Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) operating in the region.
94th Engineer Battalion Makes a Difference for Iraq’s Cultural History
August 31, 2008
Using the latest high-tech land surveying equipment and relying on their engineer expertise, the 156th Survey and Design Team, 94th Engineer Battalion, mapped out the grounds of Saint Elijah’s Monastery for a mission far from the ordinary. These was part of the latest in continuing efforts to upkeep and restore this ancient ruin for the preservation of Iraq’s multifaceted religious history.
August 29, 2008
The week of May 17th provided an exciting opportunity for the Ninewa Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) to support Iraq’s State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH) with an assessment of conditions at some of the most important cultural heritage sites in Ninewa Province.
Baghdad Very Violent Place a Year Ago, PRT Leader Says
August 28, 2008
Baghdad – “This was a very violent place a year ago,” says Embedded Provincial Team (EPRT) Leader Richard Hawkins as he reflects on his experiences working with Iraqis on capacity-building reconstruction projects in Madain, a Qada or rural district on the eastern outskirts of the capital.
PRT Expert Shares Farming, Water Use tips with Iraqis
August 24, 2008
Muthanna Province -- Wayne Marcus, Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Water Engineer, seems to know everything about water and farming. A native of Highland, Illinois, Marcus spent his youth working the land and is now determined to help Iraqi farmers increase their yields while expanding water use.
Kirkuk PRT Partners with Iraqi Authorities to Fight Cholera
August 19, 2008
Forward Operating Base Warrior, Kirkuk Province – The heat of summer arrives in Iraq each year accompanied by an unwelcome health problem: cholera. The Kirkuk Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) and Iraqi Government authorities are working hard in partnership to combat this scourge.
Youth Sports Expands in Baghdad District with PRT Help
August 19, 2008
Adhamiyah -- Sports programs in Adhamiyah had a long history as an important social function for youth long before terrorism and sectarian violence threatened to upend communal activity in this district in the north of Baghdad.
Iraqi Farmers Begin to Chart Own Destinies
August 19, 2008
Baqubah, Iraq -- After years of centralized economic planning, farmers in rural Diyala Province are meeting the challenge of operating independently through innovative ideas and practices spurred by the local Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT).
Iraqi Doves of Peace Get Wings with PRT Help
August 14, 2008
Diyala Province – Women in Diyala Province have come a step closer to broadcasting their concerns for peace and progress thanks to a collaboration between the local Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) and its military counterpart the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment.
August 12, 2008
Muthanna Province – The new leader of the Muthanna Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT), Brad Lynch, is expanding important contacts with local media with visits to their offices while hosting a journalism training session.
First Ever Journalism Conference Held in al Kut, Iraq
August 11, 2008
Al Kut, Wasit Province – “You are all making history today by attending the first journalism conference in all of southern Iraq,” said Vanessa Beary, Wasit Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Public Diplomacy Officer at a recent two-day gathering sponsored by her team.
Baghdad Zoo is New Home to Two Rare Tiger Cubs
August 8, 2008
Baghdad - The Baghdad Zoo is the new home to two tiger cubs that were donated to the people of Iraq by an animal sanctuary in the United States.
Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra Performs in Baghdad
August 3, 2008
Baghdad - Goodwill between the United States and Iraq could be heard literally as Iraq’s National Symphony Orchestra (INSO) performed American as well as Arab music for an enthusiastic U.S.- Iraqi audience at the Al Rasheed hotel July 26.
PRTs Partner with Iraqi NGO to Spur Economy of
July 31, 2008
Baghdad – The teeming Shia district and militia stronghold of Sadr City captured the news recently because of sectarian violence and rocketing of the Green Zone.
Local Iraqi Government Offers Positive Response to Drought
July 25, 2008
Baqubah -- As temperatures soar to near 130 F in Diyala Province drought is approaching a point that threatens humans as well as livestock challenging the planning and implementation capabilities of local water departments.
Iraqi Children Experience Slice of U.S. Culture
July 24, 2008
Salah ad Din Province, Iraq – Summer for many Iraqi children is in stark contrast from the block parties and “glad to be out of school” American kids running through water sprinklers in quiet, cozy neighborhoods.
Instead, many of the children in Hamad Al Shab village spend their days peering through a broken chain link fence that separates them from the main highway near Contingency Operating Base (COB) Speicher where the Salah ad Din Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) is collocated with the 1st Brigade Combat Team (BCT) of the 101st Airborne Division.
Northern Iraqi Women Gather to Discuss Nation’s Future
July 22, 2008
Erbil -- More than 250 Iraqi women from all walks of life recently gathered in this northern city to discuss the “Future of Iraq” speaking via a teleconference with the wife of Major General Mark Hertling, commander of Multinational Division – North (MND-N). The Division was a sponsor of the event along with Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) operating in the region.
Changing of the Guard in Iraq’s Muthanna Province
July 22, 2008
Muthanna Province, Iraq -- The leadership of the 2nd Battalion 12th Cavalry Regiment (2-12 CAV) greeted provincial and tribal leaders in a style befitting local custom as the unit undertook security responsibilities in the province from the outgoing Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division.
Schools Open in Baghdad Area amid Improved Security
July 21, 2008
FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU – For schoolchildren in the rural areas surrounding Baghdad getting an education has become a difficult, even dangerous prospect in recent years. Teachers and staff fled fighting while in some cases, the schools themselves were destroyed and looted by insurgents.
Music Helps Spread Democratic Message in Iraq
July 21, 2008
Al Kut, Iraq – Discoursing on the rule of law and human rights does not normally summon a large crowd looking for entertainment, but people here recently swarmed to the al Kut Municipal Theater to hear such a message while enjoying first-rate singing.
Daughters of Iraq Complete Security Training
July 16, 2008
Al Abarra, Diyala Province -- Nearly eighty women sit in the courtyard in front of the Iraqi Police headquarters in this town just south of the provincial capital of Baqubah. They slowly fan themselves in the hot, unmoving air as they sit quietly in their traditional black robes.
New Security Helps Save Date Crop in Central Iraq
June 19, 2008
During the past two years the insurgency interfered with an important agriculture related pest control function here in Diyala Province. The pest is the Dubas Bug or the Date Palm Leafhopper. The Dubas Bug has seasonal breeding cycles that disrupt the cultivation of dates.
Sun Powers Fallujah Water Purification Units
June 17, 2008
The hot, dusty air erupts with shouts and laughter as a young Iraqi man holds a bottle to capture the water splashing from a hose connected to a strange-looking device. They’re cheering in this village just east of Fallujah because that small stream means these villagers, for the first time in more than three years, will have clean, accessible, inexpensive drinking water.
PRT Helps NGO Partner with Kirkuk Government
June 5, 2008
Recently, the Kirkuk chapter of Kurdistan Save the Children (KSC), a youth centered, non-governmental organization, working in coordination with the Kirkuk Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) and the Kirkuk Province Directorates of Health and Education, successfully completed a free prescription eyewear program for elementary school children. The project involved evaluating over 6,000 Kirkuk children in grades 1-2 in over 80 public schools.
Orphanage Visit Brings Smiles to Kids…and Soldiers
June 5, 2008
Samawa, Iraq. Representatives of a U.S. State Department Reconstruction Team joined the 82nd Airborne to visit an orphanage on June 3rd in downtown Samawah, the capital city of the poorest of Iraq’s 18 provinces. Eyes widened and hearts quickened as the 40 elementary school-aged children gathered in a classroom to receive donated toys and books from their American visitors. One 11 year-old girl giggled with delight at her first stuffed animal—a white bear with eyes as big as those of its new owner.
ATM Cash Machine Comes to Iraq’s Diyala Province
May 28, 2008
Baqubah – Customers of Al’Warka’ Bank in rural Diyala province can now get instant cash from an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) because of improved security and an enterprising Iraqi private sector.
Iraqi Civil Servants Learn Computer Skills with PRT Help
May 28, 2008
Diyala Province – Provincial civil servants are gaining confidence and capacity to track and implement resources for development -- made possible with increasing oil revenues -- through computer training provided by the local Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT).
Iraqi Provinces Get Two New US Development Teams
May 26, 2008
Karbala and Najaf Provinces – A new chapter in the reconstruction and stabilization partnership between the United States and Iraq has begun with the establishment of two new PRTs (Provincial Reconstruction Teams) in southern Iraq.
Breathing the Same Air as Iraqi Counterparts
May 25, 2008
Tallil, Dhi Qar Province – Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) working directly with locals are being emulated as successful development models by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like the United Nations/World Bank’s International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq (IRFFI).
PRT Provides Medical Supplies, Engineer Training for Iraq
May 20, 2008
Al Kut, Wasit Province – The Provisional Reconstruction Team (PRT) in this eastern province recently addressed a critical medical need when it partnered with Provincial Council members to supply 3,000 Blood Storage Bags to the Al Kut Blood Bank.
Securing The Iraqi Province…And The Relationship
May 20, 2008
Combat Outpost 6, Muthanna Province. Representatives of the 82nd Airborne, Iraqi Police and Highway Patrol units, and the Muthanna Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) inaugurated a new Joint Security Site (JSS) on May 10th to facilitate the flow of information and resources between U.S. and Iraqi forces.
USIP Partners with PRTs to Further Reconciliation in Iraq
May 20, 2008
Baghdad – Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) are working closely with Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) to bring about understanding and tolerance among tribal leaders thus forming the basis for lasting security and economic recovery.
Seeds of Revitalization Planted at Iraqi Agricultural Fair
May 16, 2008
Al Wahdah, Baghdad Province – The first-ever agricultural fair was recently held in this farming district outside the capital with the help of U.S. Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) and their Coalition Forces partners.
Mozart Comes to Muthanna with PRT Help
May 16, 2008
Muthanna Province, Iraq -- The families of Muthanna are mostly underprivileged, subsistence farmers who were long neglected during the years of Saddam’s regime. On the United Nations's Deprivation Index, Muthanna ranks last among all Iraqi provinces -- eighteenth out of eighteen. Unemployment hovers around 60% of the population.
USAID Farm Program Puts Money in Iraqi Pockets
May 16, 2008
Taji, Iraq – Hundreds of farmers in this rural district outside Baghdad are reporting double and triple production yields thanks to quality hybrid seed they received from the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) “Inma” agriculture program.
Building Capacity in Iraq One Life at a Time
May 14, 2008
Baghdad -- In the Intensive Recovery Unit (ICU) of a Coalition Forces hospital in the International Zone, Mahmoud Hassan al-Hadi slowly lowered himself to a chair and handed his crutches to Dan Bisbee, a member of Baghdad’s Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT). Though clearly exhausted, Mahmoud was equally determined to thank the people around him for saving his life.
In Iraq Music Has No Boundaries, Only Bridges
May 14, 2008
Baghdad – Physical as well as mental boundaries have unfortunately divided people in this country. But there are influences: social, economic, and now cultural working to bring people and communities together, including the soothing and healing balm of music.
New Legs for Shahad: Soldiers, PRT Help Iraqi IED Victim
May 12, 2008
Diyala Province, Iraq -- It is the greatest tragedy of any conflict that children are killed and injured. And victims like 10 year-old Shahad Abbas Aiez, who lost both legs to an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in November 2007, are proof that Iraq is no exception.
Popular Iraqi TV Show Makes Big Hit in Provinces
May 11, 2008
Al Kut, Wasit Province - A lucky audience in this town 125 kilometers southeast of Baghdad got a special treat May 3 with a free performance by the cast of the popular Iraqi Television show “Bait al-Teen” or Mud House.”
Air Force Partners with PRT to Improve Iraqi Living Conditions
May 11, 2008
KIRKUK – Members of the U.S. Air Force serving in northern Iraq recently teamed with the Kirkuk Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) on a project designed to help Iraqis improve waste management practices in the region.
PRT Success in Iraq is Not Just a Big Fish Tale
May 7, 2008
Baghdad Province – Fish and poultry production is being stepped up in agricultural areas near the capital with the help of an Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team (EPRT) working closely with its military counterpart.
Iraqi Regional Police Training Center Opens in Diyala
May 5, 2008
Trainees at the Diyala Pegional Police Training Center march in an Opening Ceremonies Parade.
Iraqi Mayors Attend Historic Cities Forum in Chicago
May 2, 2008
Mayors from more than a dozen Arab nations, including three representing Iraq cities, gathered in Chicago April 28-30 for the first ever U.S.-Arab Cities Forum hosted by Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.
U.S. Sports Academy Honors Iraqi Soccer Team
May 1, 2008
Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker presents Team of the Year award to Minister of Youth and Sport Gassem Mohammed Jaafar.
PRT Helps Introduce New Military Unit to Muthanna
May 1, 2008
Water and Soil Quality are High Priority for PRT's in Iraq
May 1, 2008
Diyala
PRT Medical Training Gives Hope to Iraqi Doctors
April 25, 2008
PRT Initiative Connects Iraqi Students with World
April 25, 2008
Al Kut,Iraqi Officials Learn of Millions PRT Devoted to Province
April 25, 2008
FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELTA,
PRT Kick-starts Soccer Outreach to Iraqi Kids
April 25, 2008
Iraqi Farmers Invest in Nation’s future with PRT Help
April 18, 2008
Mosul -- In the middle of a military push against Al Qaeda in Iraq, farmers in Ninewa Province are working across sectarian and ethnic lines to form diverse farmer associations spurring community cooperation as well as bringing hope for economic revitalization.
PRTs Indulge in Kebab Diplomacy in Iraq
April 17, 2008
Muthanna Province -- Forty local farmers and sheikhs from Iraq’s southern-most province recently joined the Muthanna Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) and its military team members over a traditional Iraqi lunch to discuss agricultural needs of the community.
Sewing center Helps Empower Women in Iraq
April 17, 2008
AL-KUT, Iraq – A women’s sewing center officially opened in Muafiqiyah village April 10, providing both employment and training for local women thrust into the position of bread winners whose men have been killed or thrown out of work by terrorist actions.
Iraqi TV Journalists Learn Skills at PRT Workshop
April 16, 2008
Erbil -- Kurdistan Region television journalists learned new techniques at a two-week training program in March and proved to be excellent students and colleagues, according to the American media expert who helped upgrade their media skills.
Increasing Engineers Target of PRTs in Iraq
April 15, 2008
Wasit Province, Iraq – As Iraq strives to overcome decades of government mismanagement and neglect, increasing the number of engineers is essential to design, contract, construct and maintain the country’s infrastructure, says Roberto Bran, Wasit Provincial Reconstruction Team’s (PRT) engineer development program manager.
Iraqis Gain Cardiac Training Courtesy of PRT
April 14, 2008
Dhi Qar Province -- Twelve medical residents from Samawa General Hospital in neighboring Muthanna Province received cardiac training April 10 in a day-long session led by U.S. Army Brigade Surgeon Colonel Thomas Dove, a cardiologist working with the Provisional Reconstruction Teams (PRT) operating in southern Iraq.
Dispatch from PRT Volunteer in Iraq
April 13, 2008
Mosul -- If it is a clear day you can look out over this city from Forward Operating Base (FOB) Marez and it looks like any other city in any country. You can barely see the destruction and the damaged buildings caused by terrorists that become evident as you travel through the city of just over two million inhabitants.
PRTs Mark Earth Day in Iraq with Palm Tree Donation
April 13, 2008
Al-Hillah – Iraq’s reputation as one of the world’s leading producers of dates is being resurrected with the help of a Provisional Reconstruction Team (PRT) that recently donated 1,000 date palm trees to Babil Province.
Rebuilding Iraq Requires Cement, PRTS Told
April 11, 2008
Muthanna -- As demand increases in Iraq’s new era of reconstruction, industry leaders in the cement business are keen to learn more about modern management and finance. They know that rebuilding Iraq requires lots of cement, and they are well positioned to make it happen.
School Laptop Project comes to Fruition in Iraq
April 11, 2008
Combat Outpost 6, Muthanna -- It’s a long way from technologically-rich Cambridge, Massachusetts to Iraq’s poorest war-torn province – Muthanna. But the distance just got smaller because of a recent agreement to initiate training in both Cambridge and in smaller desert communities to implement the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC ) program.
PRTs Promote the Rights of Women in Iraq
April 7, 2008
Taji -- "Although women have had certain constitutional rights [in Iraq], these often have proven insufficient to permit women to strive for and enjoy the same opportunities and quality of life as men," says U.S. Army Colonel George Phelan, the Rule of Law Adviser and Women' Rights Advocate for Embedded Provincial Reconstruction (EPRT) Team located outside Baghdad.
PRTs Help to Bolster Local Self Government in Iraq
April 4, 2008
Taji -- "Security and effective local government go hand in hand” and are essential for reconstruction and stabilization, says Embedded Provincial Reconstruction (EPRT) Team Leader Thomas Burke.
Burke, a career Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State, made his comments to Embassy Public Affairs Counselor Philip T. Reeker during Reeker’s March 14 visit to the team's headquarters in Taji located outside Baghdad.
Iraqi Scouts Help to Transcend and Heal Wounds
March 24, 2008
Baghdad -- Members of the Boy and Girl Scouts of Iraq recently paid a visit to a U.S. Military hospital bearing gifts of thanks and consolation for its patients and staff. Armed with popcorn and smiles, the Scouts treated both Coalition and Iraqi patients to cheer and snack food, called comfort food in America, as they visited treatment wards.
General Petraeus Lauds PRT Volunteers
March 23, 2008
Baghdad – The more than 800 volunteers on U.S. Provisional Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) in Iraq are critical to success in the war on terrorism and to the well-being of the Iraqi people, says Coalition Forces Commander General David Petraeus.
The PRTs were a “very key element of the civilian surge over the course of the past year,” Petraeus said during a recent interview on the Good Morning America television show.
PRTs Help Rekindle Iraqi Entrepreneurship
March 22, 2008
Taji -- "The Iraqis have an entrepreneurial instinct which is at least as strong as ours," says Embedded Provincial Reconstruction (EPRT) member Bill Olds.
Olds, the USAID Representative on the team operating out of Taji, a town in Baghdad District, made his comments to Embassy Public Affairs Counselor Philip T. Reeker during a visit the Counselor made to the team's headquarters on March 14.
Iraq Proves Fertile Ground for Rule of Law Programs
March 18, 2008
Baghdad – Following a year of partnering with Iraqis to improve their judicial system, U.S. Embassy Rule of Law Coordinator Jim Santelle reflected over what he termed the “steady effort” that proved as fulfilling as any work he ever did as a U.S. Federal prosecutor.
Not all Americans serving in Iraq wear military uniforms
March 17, 2008
U.S. State Department employee Sarah Francia was nearing the end of her career and looking for one last adventurous assignment.
"I went to the Middle East bureau that handles Iraq in the department and told them to take me now," she said. "Of course, they did."
Iraqi Women Celebrate Spirited Women’s Day with PRT
March 14, 2008
Dhi Qar, Iraq -- “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.” These words from the famous poet William Ross Wallace are the ones that Shaza Al-Qaisi - leader of a civil society forum - chose to start off a spirited speech in front of 130 people, most of whom were women – at an International Women’s Day event sponsored by the region’s Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT).
Iraqis Get Taste of American Society, Values with IVLP Visit
March 13, 2008
Baghdad – Contacts with Americans left a lasting impression on Iraqis who traveled to the United States recently courtesy of the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), according to experiences they shared at an alumni reception hosted by the Embassy’s Cultural Affairs Office.
Iraqis “Ambitious” to Upgrade Agricultural Sector
March 12, 2008
Baghdad – The Iraqi government is determined to resurrect the nation’s status as the “Fertile Crescent” and breadbasket of the region while providing jobs for an agricultural workforce hard hit by a neglected and deteriorating infrastructure.
PRT Helps Anbar Province After ‘Long Night of Battle’
March 11, 2008
Forward Operating Base (FOB) Camp Ramadi, Anbar -- The best “good news” story coming out of Iraq’s Anbar Province in 2008 is the dearth of “bad news” stories. In September 2006, some U.S. military intelligence analysts declared the province completely lost to Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) and Sunni insurgents. However, the U.S. troop “surge” of 2007, as well as the rejection of AQI by Anbar’s Sunni tribes, resulted in one of the more secure provinces in the country.
Dispatch from Iraq: Winning the Peace
March 10, 2008
One night in April 2007, we boarded the Marine CH-46 helicopter at Taji, Iraq. It had to be a night flight to avoid the possibility of ground fire. Having just completed our week-long counter-insurgency training, my two-man core team and I were en route to our final destination at Camp Belleau Wood and the 6th Regimental Combat Team located within Camp Fallujah, Iraq. We would spend the next year embedded with a Marine tactical combat unit, working in partnership throughout the 1,900 square mile battle space known as Area of Operation Raleigh.
Rx for Iraq: American Engagement with Medical Community
March 10, 2008
Samawa, Iraq. U.S. Army doctor Colonel Thomas Dove made history March 4th as the first American physician to address his medical counterparts at Samawa Hospital in the capital city of Muthanna province.
The topic of his lecture to the 30 Iraqi physicians was: “Managing Heart Attack Patients” and according to hospital director Dr. Khalid Kharnoub it was the first time an American had come to address his staff.
Utica native helps rebuild Iraq
March 10, 2008
Utica, New York - Every time Mary Ann Penree of Deerfield reads an article about the war in Iraq, she thinks of her cousin Phyllis Powers. Powers, a Utica native, has been in Baghdad for more than a year serving as the director of the Office of Provincial Affairs. “She has a very prestigious job and we are very proud of her,” Penree said. “But it does make me nervous.”
Iraqi Women Form Backbone of Family
March 10, 2008
Hawr Rajab, Iraq – With violence appreciably down since Coalition Forces began a surge in operations a year ago, civil society is beginning to sprout with the help of women who have traditionally formed the backbone of their communities especially in troubled times.
Hosting Iraqis the Traditional Way
February 8, 2008
Al Toum, Iraq - local officials, farmers and Coalition Force members now have a welcoming place to meet with each other and discuss development issues thanks to the efforts of a U.S. Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) operating in Iraq’s southern Muthanna province. Political Counselor Matt Tueller, who was visiting from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, helped inaugurate the guesthouse known in Arabic as a “mudhif”. PRT Leader Paul O’Friel, whose team helped fund the structure, joined the diplomat at the February 5 event.
Iraqi Journalists Gain Skills from U.S. Workshop
January 24, 2008
Dahuk City – Iraqi citizens will soon get a clearer view of the successes and challenges facing their nation thanks to an innovative training partnership between a leading Iraqi non-governmental organization (NGO) and a U.S. Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) aimed at upgrading the reporting skills of radio, TV and print journalists.
Iraqi, American Poetry Reading Bridges Cultural Divides
January 22, 2008
Baghdad -- The power of poetry to transcend politics and bridge cultural divides came alive January 15 at the First Annual Iraqi/American Poetry Reading, sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in partnership with the Iraqi Tawasin Cultural Society.
Highway Official leaving to Help Rebuild Iraq
January 22, 2008
Hutchinson, Kansas – Martin Miller had received job e-mails from the Federal Government over the past few years, but he never opened them. After all, he wasn’t looking for a job.
Mechanics Training for Iraqi Army Fuels Engine for Change
January 2, 2008
Baghdad – One hundred and eighty-nine smiling Iraqi Jundi (soldiers) received certificates for the successful completion of a rigorous 10-week mechanics course December 30 knowing they will now play an integral role as engines for change powering their Army.