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Displaced families and Soldiers from Company B, 415th Civil Affairs, currently attached to 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, distribute humanitarian aid bags filled with food at the Hateen apartment complex in Iskandariyah, Iraq. Photo by Spc. Amanda Mcbride, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs. FOB KALSU — Coalition forces recently participated in a 200-bag humanitarian aid drop to more than 20 displaced families in Iskandariyah, approximately 30 miles south of Baghdad. Soldiers from Company B, 415th Civil Affairs (CA), currently attached to 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, distributed the aid in the Hateen...

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HABBANIYAH — One Civil Affairs Group (CAG), although only recently arriving to Iraq, is already making improvements to the quality of life of the Iraqi people. During a routine mission March 17, CAG, 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, stopped by the Habbaniyah mayor’s office for a meeting. They intended to discuss the quality of the water treatment facilities in the Coolie Camp area. “Unfortunately, the mayor wasn’t available. We were supposed to pick-up some documents from him, but he was called to Ramadi by the governor,” said 2nd Lt. Matt R. Ashton, the officer in charge....

BAGHDAD, Dec. 7, 2007 – Troops from Battery A, 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, and a civil affairs team from 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion handed out $10,000 in micro-grant funds to an Iraqi small business and a home for mentally handicapped children. A baker whisks hot bread out of an oven while troops from the 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, get ready to hand $5,000 to the bakery's owner as part of a micro-grant program in Baghdad’s Qadisiyah neighborhood, Dec. 1, 2007. Photo by Spc. Alexis Harrison, USA  (Click photo for...

HADITHA, Iraq (Feb. 14, 2007) -- “I need kerosene.” “Do you have any information about my son who was detained yesterday?” "Can you fix the damage that was done to my house when Marines were fighting ali-baba (what locals call insurgents)?” Citizens from this western Al Anbar city come to the Marines of the Virginia-based 4th Civil Affairs Group seeking answers for their many questions. Whether the CAG Marines were able to accommodate all the requests or not, they have built a strong rapport with the local population in the four months since their arrival through their tireless effort to...

MOSUL, Iraq (Army News Service, Aug. 21, 2006) – Three towns west of Mosul in northern Iraq are benefiting from several newly completed projects as a result of cooperation between local leadership, and members of the 403rd Civil Affairs Battalion. Local contractors completed construction of a new courthouse for the citizens of Sununi on Aug. 7. The month-long project employed 35 local workers and is expected to make the adjudication of laws easier for the judges in the Sunini sub-district by providing a place for judges to meet and hear cases. When inspecting the work, coalition force personnel assessed the...

DOHUK PROVINCE, Iraq (USASOC News Service, Feb. 07, 2006) – The 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion, a civil affairs unit based out of Greensboro, N.C., and the residents of Nerimerki and Tilisquif celebrated the completion of three water projects. The successful completions are three more successes that underscore the positive changes that are happening in Iraq. With help from Mr. Ziyad Abdullah, head of the Department of Water in the Dohuk Province, the 422nd was able to identify the needs of these villages. In Nerimerki, villager’s braved cold weather and strong winds to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Really, they are very,...

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (Jan. 18, 2006) -- Marines assigned to the 6th Civil Affairs Group, 2nd Marine Division, prove there is another side of the story to tell as they continue to carry out their missions to provide guidance within Al Anbar province, the largest province in Iraq. “The stories that we don’t hear enough about – the good news stories about making lives better and a nation stronger – that’s what the civil affairs Marines do every day in Iraq,” said Col. Paul Brier, commanding officer, 6th CAG. The group arrived in September to help rebuild the infrastructure and...

Yorktown Heights, NY - Twenty three year old Christopher Arnold, a Yorktown Heights native, returned late last month from Iraq after a year long tour with the 411th Civil Affairs Battalion. Mr. Arnold had been serving in Tikrit, Iraq, the home town of deposed despot Saddam Hussein. “Our primary focus was along key lines of operation”, said Arnold. “The economic area included massive development projects in public utilities, and agriculture. Thanks to our public works team, some areas that had only eight hours of power per day ended up with the lights on for twenty four hours a day, seven...

Civil Affairs unit mans the Army's diplomatic front Monday, March 07, 2005 BY WAYNE WOOLLEY Star-Ledger Staff BAGHDAD -- Compensation for a car damaged by an American tank. Advice on how to run a stock market. Shelter from an abusive spouse. Clean water. A job. These are just a few of the things Iraqis need, and a sampling of services the fledgling government is still unable to provide. In most cases, the only place people find help is the U.S. Army's Civil Affairs command. There are more than 800 Civil Affairs troops in Iraq today. Nearly all are members of...

DATE POSTED: MARCH 18, 2005 VIDEO STORY: Civil affairs battalion gets Iraqi city running smoothly Video story by Pvt. Jessica Booker 22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment SAMARRA, Iraq (USASOC News Service, March 18, 2005) ? This narrative video follows Soldiers of Company B, 411th Civil Affairs Battalion as they assist in helping to re-establish civic programs in Samarra. Cpl. Dionisio Lopez and Capt. Rodney McCauley discuss the successes of rebuilding the city's public education system and fire department. Helping the Iraqi government to provide for its citizens is at the heart of the civil affairs missions. The 411th CA Bn....

FALLUJAH, Iraq (Feb. 14, 2005) -- The Marines of Civil Affairs Detachment 4-4, Regimental Combat Team 1, 1st Marine Division, visited several facilities during a civil military operation in the city of Fallujah, Iraq, Feb. 14, passing out Valentine's card and candy. The Marines were able to speak to several contractors to assess the damage and the necessary steps to rebuild and reopen several needed structures. The CMO is part of an ongoing operation to evaluate the progress of the city’s schools, medical clinics, fire stations and other major installations. Rahma Katheer, 8, a native of Fallujah, Iraq, gives Cpl....

  Michigan-based civil affairs unit transfers authority in Tikrit Lt. Col. Gregory Fischer, commander of the 415th Civil Affairs Battalion, salutes during the playing of the national anthem during a turn over of authority ceremony Oct. 10. The battalion, replaced by the 411th Civil Affairs Battalion, supported the 1st Infantry Division for a little less than a year. (Photo by Spc. Ismail Turay, Jr., 196th MPAD) FORWARD OPERATING BASE DANGER, TIKRIT, Iraq – In a 30 minute ceremony held on the stairs of the 1st Infantry Division’s headquarters Oct. 10, the Michigan-based 415th Civil Affairs Battalion transferred authority to...

Civil Affairs Mission A villager leads Marine Chief Warrant Officer Dwight Torres, right, 2nd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment's information operations officer, and an Arabic translator to the location of a wounded girl during a civil affairs mission in a northern village of Al Majarrah, Iraq, Oct. 3, 2004. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Luis R. Agostiniopfopfopfopfopfopfopfo A young Iraqi girl watches as her relative receives medical treatment for a three-week-old gunshot wound to the foot during a civil affairs mission by 2nd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, in a northern village of Al Majarrah, Iraq, Oct. 3, 2004. U.S....

RELEASE NUMBER: 040819-02DATE POSTED: AUGUST 19, 2004Civil affairs teams help build relations with AfghansBy Sgt. Jennifer S. Emmons17th Public Affairs Detachment FORWARD OPERATING SITE CARLSON, Afghanistan (USASOC News Service, Aug. 19, 2004) — Building relationships with the local population is essential to the success of missions in southeastern Afghanistan. Soldiers of the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne) and the 27th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Airborne) convoyed north of Forward Operating Site Carlson Afghanistan to a small village.  It was the first time they had gone so far from the in base camp. “We pushed out a little bit north of...

http://www.defendamerica.mil/images/photos/jun2004/articles/ai062504b1.jpg Sgt. Charles Bohner, a squad leader with Battery C, Task Force 2-11 Field Artillery, hands out candy to Kharabrud children at the conclusion of the health clinic and school ground breaking ceremonies, May 31, 2004. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Sean Kimmons Task Force Improves Life in Iraqi Village By U.S. Army Spc. Sean Kimmons / 25th Infantry Division KHARABRUD, Iraq, June 25, 2004 — It had to be an exciting day for the people of this small village when soldiers of Task Force 2-11 Field Artillery, 96th Civil Affairs Battalion and the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps came here...

BAGHDAD — The ideal, soldiers say, is that no one in Iraq should have to go outside the wire in anything less than M-1114 factory up-armored Humvee. The reality is, little more than 20 percent of Humvees in Iraq are armored, and some soldiers trust their survival to a few sandbags and steel sheets. Until the ideal is attainable, Master Sgt. Dennis P. Lichtenberg is striving to create the best-protected Humvees short of an M-1114. Lichtenberg has invented a system he calls “The Lick Kit,” a play on his nickname “Lick,” pinned on by fellow reservists from the Pensacola, Fla.-based...

<p>BAGHDAD On June 6, Lieutenant Eduardo Plascencia of Alpha Company, 2-5 1st Cavalry Division, was on an assignment to improve relations between U.S. forces and local Iraqis in Baghdad's sprawling Sadr City slum. Though his mission was civil affairs, he wasted no time on pleasantries.</p>

Civil Affairs Mission Continues to Grow in Iraq, Afghanistan By Donna MilesAmerican Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, April 29, 2004 — Winning the hearts and minds of the Iraqi and Afghan people is much more than just a slogan for the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne). Army Maj. Don Sculli, executive officer for the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion's C Company, passes sodium chloride to a hospital worker at the Pediatrics and Labor Hospital in Najaf, Iraq, April 22, 2003. Photo by Staff Sgt. Kyle Davis, USA(Click photo for screen-resolution image); high-resolution image available. The Army's only active-duty civil affairs battalion,...

354th Civil Affairs Brigade Wraps Up its Baghdad Mission BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The 354th Civil Affairs Brigade officially concluded its role in rebuilding Iraq during transfer-of-authority ceremonies Feb. 28. The 354th, a U.S. Army Reserve unit based in Riverdale, Md., provided civil affairs command and control in the Baghdad area of operations for the 3rd Infantry Division and the 1st Armored Division. The brigade is comprised of the 490th Civil Affairs Battalion, 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion and the 414th Civil Affairs Battalion. The brigade worked with the divisions' maneuver brigades, the Government Support Team, the Coalition Provisional Authority, international...

Last modified Thursday, February 12, 2004 11:06 PM PST Civil affairs Marines to be out front in Iraq By: DARRIN MORTENSON - Staff Writer CAMP PENDLETON ---- Of the 25,000 Marines slated to take over for the Army in western Iraq next month, one tightknit group of about 150 reservists has a particularly heavy burden to bear. Members of Camp Pendleton's 3rd Civil Affairs group say they will spread out among Marine units to act as a buffer between Iraqi civilians and the regular troops doing the dirty work of killing and capturing guerrillas. Their main job will be...

CERP Funds, Civil Affairs Prove Vital In Rebuilding, Securing Iraq RAMADI, Iraq--The Commanders Emergency Relief Program (CERP) has distributed funds throughout all of Iraq. In the Al Anbar province, these funds from Task Force "All American" have proven to be vital in the reconstruction and stabilization of Iraq. In Habbaniyah, civil affairs personnel with 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, paid $23,400 in CERP funds to renovate six schools. They dispensed $3,200 in CERP funds for initiation of a grounds maintenance and janitorial contract for the 85 schools and 15 government buildings in the area. These projects will employ over...

Millions of dollars dispensed through a U.S. civil affairs fund have fueled myriad reconstruction projects across Iraq, improving the lives of Iraqis in the post-Saddam Hussein era, according to a senior U.S. military civil affairs officer. Army Brig. Gen. David Blackledge, commander of the 352nd Civil Affairs Command, noted today in a Baghdad briefing that U.S. civil affairs troops in Iraq are playing a vital role in operations "to improve the lives of Iraqis across the country." The Commander's Emergency Response Fund was established in May, the general explained, "to allow commanders to make an immediate impact and address local...

For Jamshid, a scholarly Afghan 7th grade student, Jan. 6 was a big day – Americans were coming along with the provincial police chief and other government officials. To the adolescent fell the imposing task of addressing the visitors on behalf of his school and orphanage located in the mountain town of Gulbahar in Kapisa Province. "I am really thankful for you guys coming," said Jamshid, thankful for the humanitarian aid delivered by the Parwan Provincial Reconstruction Team. The team delivered boxes of school supplies, clothes, candy and toys collected from donations from the United States to the two orphanages....

<p>BAGHDAD — Call him Alan of Arabia.</p> <p>The British empire had T.E. Lawrence, and the American Army has Alan King, a Koran-toting colonel who woos Iraqi sheiks with verses from the Muslim holy book.</p> <p>Like Sura (chapter) 29, Aya (verse) 46: " 'If you're dealing with a believer, you should work to resolve your conflicts peacefully,' " recites Lt. Col. King, a 40-year-old Lutheran from Arlington, Va., with a blond crew cut and a sura for every occasion.</p>

BAGHDAD, Iraq (Dec. 30) -- A couple of years ago, Corbin Sawyer never thought he would spend a Christmas in Baghdad, plan a Christmas party for 300 excited Iraqi boys and girls or play a role in rebuilding an Iraqi neighborhood. He’s infantry. But, as his unit’s civil affairs officer, 2nd Lt. Sawyer has done all of this and much more along with other Guardsmen from the 3rd Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment, Florida Army National Guard. The 3rd Battalion is headquartered in Panama City, Fla., and has companies in Tallahassee, Pensacola and Chipley. "The local Iraqi people are grateful to...

NEWS RELEASEHEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND7115 South Boundary BoulevardMacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894   December 27, 2003Release Number: 03-12-65 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CIVIL AFFAIRS SOLDIER EDITS “IRAQI JOURNAL OF MEDICINE” BAGHDAD, Iraq – During the last 10 years, physicians in Iraq have struggled for updated medical information, said Maj. John E. Padgett, the officer in charge of the public health team with the 490th Civil Affairs Battalion, an Army Reserve unit based in Abilene, Texas, who now edits the “Iraqi Journal of Medicine.” The 490th Civil Affairs Battalion supports Task Force 1st Armored...

BAHGDAD, Iraq, Dec. 24, 2003 – He's opened the canals that supply water to farmers across southern Baghdad, provided a medical clinic to an isolated community, and given new schoolbooks to young Iraqi children. But more importantly, he is giving his soldiers the chance to make a difference for the Iraqi people. Col. John Huntley, 414th Civil Affairs Battalion commander, a 21-year Army veteran and New York state veterinarian, said being a soldier in Iraq is the best place to make a difference in the world today. "We are working in a way to help the Iraqi people here, and...

Just by watching the news and reading the paper, many people think that all of the Coalition efforts are south of the green line. That is not true. Soldiers from many different units are operating in an area called Kurdistan or northern Iraq. One of those units is the 404th Civil Affairs Battalion. Northern Iraq is what Kurdish people call home. They have had some freedom and safety since 1991. These are also the same people that supported the United States and the war in Iraq. Even with this freedom and relative safety, there are still many people and communities...

<p>WASHINGTON -- For 15 years, Khurmal was a silent town. The Islamic Group of Kurdistan, an Islamist organization that controlled the town and others in northern Iraq near the Iran border, had forbidden people from playing or listening to music.</p>

NEWS RELEASEHEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND7115 South Boundary BoulevardMacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894 December 17, 2003Release Number: 03-12-47 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TASK FORCE “ALL AMERICAN” CAPTURES FINANCIER, TRAINS ICDC, AND CONDUCTS CIVIL AFFAIRS OPERATIONS The 82d Airborne Division and attached units, also known as Task Force “All American,” continued security operations and civil affairs projects within the Al Anbar Province. During the past 24 hours, the 82nd Airborne Division and subordinate units performed 187 patrols, including six joint patrols with the Iraqi Border Guard and Iraqi police. In 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division’s...

NEWS RELEASEHEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND7115 South Boundary BoulevardMacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894 December 16, 2003Release Number: 03-12-36 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CIVIL AFFAIRS WORKS TO IMPROVE HEALTH, EDUCATION AND SAFETY AR RAMADI, Iraq – Civil affairs personnel met with local officials in Al Karmah to discuss plans to provide potable water to the nearby village of Kaifa. Since the village does not have access to potable water or the infrastructure to supply it, the team prepared a request through the Coalition Provisional Authority to purchase two water trucks to assist in the effort....

NEWS RELEASEHEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND7115 South Boundary BoulevardMacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894 December 12, 2003Release Number: 03-12-31 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CIVIL AFFAIRS WORKS TOWARD A STABLE AND FREE IRAQ BAGHDAD, Iraq - The 82d Airborne Division and attached units, also known as Task Force “All American,” continued civil affairs operations to further reconstruction efforts within the Al Anbar Province. Civil Affairs (CA) personnel conducted a meeting at the Al Zedan Water Treatment Facility and initiated repairs of two water treatment plants in the area. The estimated cost of the projects is $20,000....

Army Reservist Accused of Insubordination (AP) Capt. Steve McAlpin of the 401st Civil Affairs Battalion is shown in this Jan. 8, 2003, file photo... Full Image ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) - Capt. Steve McAlpin, a 25-year Army reservist, spent most of last year deployed in Afghanistan and just returned home in January. Now his unit is about to ship out again, and he's facing insubordination charges for criticizing the quick turnaround. McAlpin questioned the legality of a waiver that his battalion was asked to sign that would put his unit back in a combat zone after just 11 months at home....