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| RAMANA MUNICIPAL BUILDING, Iraq- Sgt. Maj. Carlos A. Perez, the Task Force 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment Sergeant Major, holds up a bright-green backpack for the photograph. Marines handed out backpacks, volleyballs, soccer balls, stuffed animals, t-shirts and other small toys to the ecstatic local children here. |
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| CAMP AL QA’IM, Iraq- Lance Cpl. Lucas S. Hofman, a rifleman with Headquarters and Support Company Task Force 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, attached to Regimental Combat Team 2, fills a backpack with crayons for the local Iraqi children. Marines’ families and friends donated school supplies while Marines organized and handed them out for the upcoming school year. |
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| RAMANA MUNICIPAL BUILDING, Iraq- Sgt. Maj. Carlos A. Perez, the Task Force 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment Sergeant Major, holds up a bright-green backpack for the photograph. Marines handed out backpacks, volleyballs, soccer balls, stuffed animals, t-shirts and other small toys to the ecstatic local children here. |
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| RAMANA MUNICIPAL BUILDING, Iraq- A local Iraqi girl holds her new backpack up for the photographer here. Marines with Task Force 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, attached to Regimental Combat Team 2, filled thousands of donated backpacks with paper, pencils, pens and crayons for the children in Al Qa’im’s school districts. |
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| RAMANA MUNICIPAL BUILDING, Iraq- A local Iraqi boy happily holds two stuffed toys while nursing a broken arm. The safety of the region has allowed the child to receive proper medical care for his arm and Marines are now able to hand out donated school supplies, t-shirts and toys to the grateful children. |
AL QA’IM, Iraq (Oct. 10, 2007) -- If the world had a 9-1-1 distress call symbol, it would be shaped like the famous Marine Corps emblem, the Eagle, Globe and Anchor.
Marines are always, “first to fight for right and freedom,” but Marines with Task Force 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, attached to Regimental Combat Team 2, currently can be seen filling thousands of backpacks for Iraqi school children here.
“Helping these children makes me feel like I’m giving something back and just being able to do this shows the progress we’ve made,” said Lance Cpl. Andrew Novak, a Phoenix native and rifleman with Headquarters and Support Company, Task Force 1st Bn., 4th Marines.
Iraqis and Marines passing through Husaybah, Iraq, view the progress made from the city’s bullet-riddled buildings, evidence of Operation Steel Curtain two years ago, and currently where thousands of men, women and children shop for food and housing supplies in safety. But, summer has ended and the children need to go back to school. Due to security concerns taking priority in the Iraqi government’s budget, school supplies are scarce for the students.
“The Iraqi government has given a lot to this area of operations, but they haven’t been able to fund every school district with supplies and sports equipment,” said Sgt. Maj. Carlos A. Perez, a Sanger, Calif., native, and the Task Force 1st Bn., 4th Marines, sergeant major.
Safety in Iraq is the biggest concern, but some areas of Iraq are safer than others. Al Qa’im and its outlying towns have worked closely with the Iraqi police, the recently validated 3rd Brigade, 7th Iraqi Division and Marines. Now, the area needs an educated populace to ensure a bright future.
“The key for these kids’ peaceful future is through their education and if we provide them the means for the best education, then we’re setting them up for success,” said Lance Cpl. Bill E. Cello, an Elmherst, Ill., native, and an assaultman with Headquarters and Support Company.
Marines’ families, friends and even an entire American town gave backpacks, paper, pens, pencils, crayons and other school supplies for Marines to organize and hand out to the outlying cities and towns encompassing Task Force 1st Bn., 4th Marines' area of operations.
“A lot of people back home sent messages asking how they could assist in fighting the war on terrorism,” Perez said. “Most of the school supplies sent were from Marines’ family members.”
The supplies came in by the truckloads and the organization of the supplies began immediately when the backpacks arrived.
“One of the largest contributors, of 1,000 backpacks, was generously provided by (an investment firm in California) where my wife works,” said Maj. Jay K. Zollman, the Task Force 1st Bn., 4th Marines’ executive officer.
This selfless effort of making sure Iraq’s children are ready for school sends a clear message to Al Qa’im that Marines and the U.S. people are here to help.
“This will hopefully change any negative Iraqi’s perspective of Americans,” said Lance Cpl. Carlos Raices, a 2001 Aspen High School graduate and mortarman with H&S Company.
The Al Qa’im region, two years ago, was colorfully labeled ‘The Wild West,’ but that doesn’t reflect its current state of affairs. The people want to reconstruct their area, so their children can be safe and business can flourish.
“Slowly but surely, the people are turning against the insurgency,” Perez said. “They are now seeing that their kids can now go to school and play in the streets.”
School has started for the people here and the classrooms are filled with children eager to write on their fresh paper with their newly sharpened pencils. They probably won’t be taught the American Civil War or about separation of church and state, but they are being educated with tools given by caring American people.
“A child’s education is sacred,” Cello said. “Every culture can agree with that.”
Class is in session.
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