Extreme Makeover, Mosul Edition

Multi-National Force - Iraq ^ | Pfc. Sharla Perrin, USA

[SandRat]

A group of men from the 7 Nissan neighborhood in northern Mosul shovel the trash that has accumulated in empty lots and along curbsides. Many neighborhoods in Mosul are undergoing clean-up projects to beautify the city's streets. Photo by Sharla Perrin, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs.

MOSUL — In the past, this city had often been referred to as the last haven of insurgent activity in Iraq.  However, as security has improved, the residents are working to beautify the city they love so much.

Col. Greg Maxton, the deputy commanding officer of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, has been sitting “shotgun” with the residential, military and government leaders of Mosul since mid-February, coordinating projects to clean the city’s streets of trash. Although Maxton oversees all non-lethal operations in Ninewah province, there are other bricks in the pathway to success in the area.

Executed at the lowest possible level, companies, batteries and troops within 3rd BCT have worked with local Iraqi leaders to establish the clean-up projects to turn what were once neighborhoods laden with the weight of their filth into communities thriving with physical and emotional potential.

After agreements are made and meetings are adjourned, the junior officers that command these lowest-level units watch the ideals go into action in the Mosul neighborhoods.

“The work that they’re doing is spectacular,” Maxton said. “We just have to keep our minds open; anything is possible.” When contemplating projects, Maxton poses the question - - “What does it take to promote a better environment for the people who live there?”

“Some of the companies may not realize the foundation of what they’re doing, but really, everything hinges on it, and they’re doing a great job,” said Maxton.

7 Nissan is a neighborhood in northern Mosul that is supervised by Battery B., 2nd Bn., 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd BCT.

A month ago, the neighborhood’s empty lots and curbside gutters were riddled with an assortment of garbage from plastic grocery bags to broken-down cars. Capt. Derrick Burden, the battery’s commander, circulated the area March 7, and saw clean sidewalks, freshly swept streets and local residents spending their Saturday afternoon picking up trash and spreading gravel.

“My greatest achievement in this mission is watching [hired residents] come to work at seven in the morning every day,” Burden said. “The people of 7 Nissan talk about how the government is doing a good job of hiring people within the neighborhood to work.”

The work Burden and his battery have done is the solution to more than just aesthetic value and employment. In the past, unemployed men in Mosul were becoming puppets for the insurgent force as a means to provide for their families. As these same men have been provided a legitimate source of income, the illicit organizations for which they used to work will no longer be a source of strength. The efforts of 3rd BCT will ultimately drive insurgents away.

“Having a job and a legitimate way to earn an income is very important,” Maxton was told by one worker. “Honestly, I’m doing it in my own neighborhood. These are my brothers that are next to me picking up trash,” the worker said.

“I think that’s the great part about keeping it within the neighborhoods,” Maxton said. “They are taking ownership and pride in the work they are accomplishing.”

(By Pfc. Sharla Perrin, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs)

[SandRat]

Eat Your Heart Out Ty!

[SandRat]

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[rlmorel]

This is good.

Slums don’t cause crime, but it is difficult to have a good outlook when your surroundings are sewage, mud, filth and trash.

Cleaning up can make a difference.

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

Ironic, isn’t it? In 2003, my son had dinner in Mosul with a retired Iraqi general. It took too long to get to this stage, but the 1st Calv is up to the job.

How about sending them into DC, Baltimore, Phila, Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, Houston and New Orleans.

Their slogan: “We will clean it up, or clean it out.”

[Future Snake Eater]

Nissan’s getting cleaned up? Man, what next? You’ll be able to drive down Route Isuzu without getting blown up every time?

Seriously, it’s good to see this. One thing the hajis never seemed to have is pride in the appearance of their cities. Mosul could be an interesting place. Hopefully it will be.

[rlmorel]

Yep. There is a lot of irony. But...the facts on the ground are great! Look at where they were, and look at where they are.

This is good.