Iraqi, Coalition Forces Deliver School Supplies

Iraqi and Coalition Forces handed out crayons, rulers, pencils and backpacks to elementary school children. While some of the troops issued school supplies, others provided security at the scene.

Soldiers assigned to the 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division worked with the 10th Iraqi Army Division's troops to make the event a success

"This was a great opportunity to make the children here happy," said 1st Lt. Yahea Lafth, an Iraqi military intelligence officer. Lafth, who is originally from Baghdad, has worked with Coalition Forces for years, but he said this is the first time they have worked together to supply happiness to the children of the Maysan province

"I like to work with the Americans. This is not the first or the last time we will work together," Lafth said.

Craig Reilly and his wife, Arie, who work for Multi-National Division - Center, organized the event. The school supplies were provided through a $2,000 grant from the J. Kirby Simon Foreign Service Trust, a charitable fund committed to expanding opportunities for professional and community service.

"We put a lot of work into this project, and it paid off," said Craig. “The effort put into getting the supplies to these children was worth seeing the emotional reaction from the people there.”

Thanks to the support of the PRT and CF working together, the children of Maysan province have something that will make their schooldays a little more enjoyable.

(Compiled from a Multi-National Division - Center Public Affairs Office news release.)