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Troops Bring Food, Water to Baghdad Neighborhood
| Iraqi, U.S. Soldiers conduct a humanitarian mission to residents of the Seven Palaces neighborhood. |
| By U.S. Army Spc. Ben Brody 2nd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs |
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| SEVEN PALACES, Iraq, Nov. 1, 2005 — Iraqi Army troops, in coordination with U.S. soldiers from 448th Civil Affairs Battalion, distributed food and water to residents of Seven Palaces in north Baghdad Oct. 26. The battalion is an Army Reserve special operations unit based out of Fort Lewis, Wash. The unit is currently deployed to Iraq in support of the Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Soldiers from 2nd Iraqi Army Brigade distributed 1,200 Halal-certified food rations and 1,200 1.5-liter bottles of water that had been stockpiled as a contingency against possible violence on the day Iraqis voted on the constitutional referendum. Iraqi Army Sgt. Maj. Nameer Mohammed said he felt the food should go to needy families in Baghdad. "The people feel happy when we come to their neighborhoods, because we often give away food to the poor," Mohammed said. "It is good training for the soldiers, too, and they learn to organize the crowds that arrive." Seven Palaces is a poor area that was once farmland but is now home to many people who came to Baghdad seeking work, but can't afford to live downtown. The name is a tongue-in-cheek term from the area's farming days when there were only seven small houses in the neighborhood, said Iraqi Army Warrant Officer Abdul Razak. "We are working for one goal - to build the army that will protect and free Iraq," Razak said. "It will take time, but we are building the confidence of the people every day."
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Razak, a former Iraqi Army sergeant major, said he was imprisoned at Abu Ghraib for five years under Saddam Hussein's regime for speaking out against the dictator. He was liberated in 2003 by U.S. forces. As the Iraqi soldiers rolled into town, a crowd quickly assembled around the trucks carrying bottled water and Halal rations, and residents eagerly carted away the donations. "Civil military operations like this are relatively new to the Iraqi Army, but they're picking it up quickly and see the importance of assisting their people," said U.S. Army Capt. Roger Miick, 448th Civil Affairs Battalion. "They're still fighting a battle against insurgents, but they know it's important to do what they can to help." Miick observed the humanitarian aid drop to both assess the Iraqi Army's performance and determine residents' additional needs. "Everyone wants shoes, winter clothes and blankets as soon as we can get them," said U.S. Army Capt. Michelle Dyarman, a battalion team leader. "We have hundreds of kerosene heaters to distribute, but we need to line up a consistent supplier of fuel with the Ministry of Oil first." After receiving a kiss on the cheek from a little girl who had her arms full of donated food and water, Dyarman said the mission was a big success. "This is the best humanitarian assistance drop yet - the Iraqi Army did a great job," Dyarman said. "People are happy to see us and really appreciate what the troops are doing." |
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