23APR2008

PRT, Military Leaders Brief Wasit Council on Progress

Wednesday, 23 April 2008

FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELTA — The Wasit Provincial Reconstruction Team leader and 214th Fires Brigade commander briefed the Wasit Provincial Council last week on reconstruction efforts in the province. More than $38 million dollars have been spent on those efforts in Wasit province since Jan. 1, 2007 by Coalition forces and the PRT. “We have done a lot as a team, and it has been a team effort,” said Col. Peter Baker, the 214th FB commander, “but there is more to do so that essential services are available to all. “We are working on developing processes and systems to put in place to allow for continued growth. This is an opportunity for us to share what has been put in place,” Baker said. The brief provided an overview of money spent from 2003 - 2006 and a detailed look at projects completed from Jan. 1, 2007 until present. Prior to Jan 2007, Coalition forces spent more than $350,000,000 on projects. Wade Weems, the previous PRT team leader, described the PRT’s mission in Wasit, which is “to serve the Iraqi people and to create a strong, independent and free Iraq.”

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