| Marines Reach Out to Iraqi Kids |
| Wednesday, 29 October 2008 | |
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RUTBAH — When people typically think of Marines on a combat patrol in Iraq, the last thing that comes to mind is the image of fluffy stuffed animals. |
However, with the help of a grass-roots organization in the United States, the Marines of 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, spread American goodwill to the children here recently.
The Marines distributed more than a hundred stuffed animals while patrolling the streets of this impoverished town of about 20,000 in western al-Anbar province.
“The [stuffed animals] help to connect us to the local children and for them to view us in a positive light,” said Capt. Tim Leonard, 30, a Stamford, Conn., resident who is serving as the battalion’s communications officer. “We are fortunate that people back in the states have donated the stuffed animals to benefit the children of Iraq.”
The gesture is key in building relationships between Coalition forces and the Iraqi civilians in Rutbah, most of whom have had little interaction with the Marines and Sailors.
“By engaging the local population and giving out stuffed animals to the children, we show the people that we are here to help them to rebuild their community and assist them in their efforts,” explained Leonard, a reserve Marine on his second tour here, with more than seven years in the Corps. “Humanitarian assistance is increasingly important for us, and any measure of good will is well received.”
Sara Khalid Rafa’a, 11, a native of Rutbah, received two stuffed animals from Marines while walking home from school with her friends. These were the only stuffed animals she has ever received in her life.
“I want to say thank you to the people who sent them,” said Rafa’a through an interpreter. “I like the stuffed animals because they are beautiful.”
The stuffed animals that the troops distributed were donated and shipped to Iraq by Americans through non-profit organizations endorsed by America Supports You, a Department of Defense organization created several years ago to consolidate patriotic 501(c) non-profit organizations wishing to support the troops in the Global War on Terror.
One organization that sent four boxes of stuffed animals to the Marines for distribution in Rutbah was Beanies for Baghdad, which was started in Kuwait in 2003 by two U.S. Army Soldiers. The current national coordinator is Donna Ward, 63, a grandmother of seven from Evansville, Ind., who works full-time in support of B4B.
“Our mission is to give a [stuffed animal] to children in war-torn areas and to put a smile on their faces,” said Ward. “Many of these children have never seen a toy, never less owned one. These small gestures of kindness also give our troops something they enjoy doing to form long-lasting friendships in sometimes less-than-friendly communities.”
In addition to passing out the toys while on patrol, the battalion’s religious program specialist, Petty Officer 3rd Class Michael Marie, includes the stuffed animals in his weekly care packages that he prepares for less-fortunate families in Rutbah.
“Local Iraqi leaders have identified close to 200 widows and their families for us to help, and you can be sure that most of these women have more than one child,” said Marie, 31, who is a Navy reservist from Unionville, Conn., and a property and casualty insurance agent in his civilian career.
“I’m always happy to throw in stuffed animals when I have them,” explained Marie. “The food we deliver meets a physical need, but it doesn’t say, ‘We care,’ the same way a stuffed teddy bear or puppy dog can. Hopefully, these toys soften us in the eyes of the widows and children we’re trying to help.”
Since the Marines began passing out the toys to the city’s children and parents, some of the tension that the Marines felt in the city has dissipated, and some of the local citizens’ wary glances have been replaced with appreciative smiles.
“Sending [stuffed animal] is a small thing to do for our troops that are doing so much for all of us,” said Ward. “My Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen are awesome, and when I receive a thank you from them when a box arrives, their joy is overwhelming.”
For more information about how to get involved in supporting U.S. servicemembers overseas, visit the ASY website at www.americasupportsyou.org.
(By Capt. Paul L. Greenberg, Regimental Combat Team 5)
Feature Stories
| Iraqi Security Forces Increase Footprint in Southern Baghdad |
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WASHINGTON — Iraqi forces in southern Baghdad once needed the help of nearly 10,000 American troops to maintain security, but by next month, the number of Coalition troops there will drop to fewer than 1,800, a military official posted in Iraq said yesterday. The “professionalization” of the Iraqi Army is perhaps the greatest achievement of Coalition forces in southern Baghdad, Army Col. Dominic Caraccilo, commander of the 101st Airborne Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team, known as the Rakkasans, told Pentagon reporters via teleconference. |
| Iraqi, U.S. Soldiers Conduct Food Drop |
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FOB GARRY OWEN — Waiting in line, Ahmed al-Zahra, a local Iraqi citizen of Majarr al-Kabir, in southern Iraq, looked to his left and right as he observed the people in front of him also waiting to receive their fair share of food. He asked one of the Soldiers from the 10th Iraqi Army Division if there was enough food for everyone, considering his place at the end of the line. The Soldier reassured Zahra that there would be plenty for everyone during the non-governmental organization food distribution by the al-Yaq Dha al-Thaka Pia Foundation, Oct. 25. |
| Women Working to Expand Iraq’s Water Treatment Capacity |
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THI QAR PROVINCE — Residents in a southern Iraqi city will soon receive more drinking water thanks to the efforts of three women with remarkable stories. In Fadiliya, the community of 10,000 people currently receives only 60 percent of its water needs from existing infrastructure. A new 200-cubic-meter-per-hour treatment facility is under construction and expected to be complete by the end of the year. |
| Freedom Journal Iraq, Oct. 28 |
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| Tuesday, 28 October 2008 | One Iraqi guilty, two not guilty in murder of Americans |
| Tuesday, 28 October 2008 | Police Transition Teams start from scratch in Basra |
| Tuesday, 28 October 2008 | INPs discover weapons cache in Ghartan (Rashid District) |
Thumbs Up
| Tuesday, 28 October 2008 | 10th IA produces new route clearance team (Dhi Qar) |
| Tuesday, 28 October 2008 | 1st Cav. Div. Soldiers assist Iraqis in food drop (Maysan) |
| Tuesday, 28 October 2008 | Iraqi Joint Headquarters hosts logistics training exercise |
| Tuesday, 28 October 2008 | Coalition forces further dismantle AQI networks, detain seven suspects (Kirkuk) |
BAGHDAD – Seven suspected terrorists were apprehended by Coalition forces Tuesday, as they continued operations to dismantle al-Qaeda in Iraq networks throughout the country’s central and northern regions.
Coalition forces operating about 56 km south of Kirkuk captured a wanted man assessed to be a weapons dealer with connections to AQI operatives in the Hamrin Mountains region. It is also believed that the suspected terrorist is a local AQI leader who has contact with other regional leaders.
In Baghdad, Coalition forces detained two suspected terrorists, including a wanted man believed to conspire directly with regional AQI leaders. Following his capture, the wanted man, who is also reportedly a financier for the organization, led Coalition forces to a nearby residence where they apprehended an alleged foreign terrorist facilitator.
About 40 km west of Baghdad in Karmah, forces further degraded the terrorist organization’s money networks, apprehending a wanted man who intelligence reports suggest is an AQI financial facilitator.
Forces targeted AQI supply networks during two related operations in the vicinity of Tikrit, about 160 km north of Baghdad. During the first operation, Coalition forces captured an alleged logistics facilitator for AQI the Tigris River Valley region. The wanted man identified himself to Coalition forces at the time of this capture.
The man then led ground forces to a second location where they detained another wanted man who intelligence reports suggest is one of AQI’s leaders in Tikrit.
Teamwork
| Tuesday, 28 October 2008 | Four IP recruits murdered in Mosul |
| Tuesday, 28 October 2008 | 2 Iraqis killed, 3 injured in blast (Baghdad) |
| Tuesday, 28 October 2008 | School reopens in West Adhamiyah |
To Market
| Tuesday, 28 October 2008 | IA seize weapons caches throughout Baghdad |
| Tuesday, 28 October 2008 | MND-B Soldiers find weapons, ordnance in Rashid |
| Tuesday, 28 October 2008 | New, old commands meet with influential local leader |
| Tuesday, 28 October 2008 | Iraqi Oil Police look to secure Iraq’s critical oil infrastructure (MNSTC-I) |
Search Mode
| Tuesday, 28 October 2008 | Iraq Army benefits by joint planning |
| Tuesday, 28 October 2008 | MNSTC-I J4 delivers critical oil to Iraqi River Patrol unit |
| Tuesday, 28 October 2008 | Coalition forces apprehend Katai’b Hezbollah suspects (Sadr City) |
BAGHDAD –Coalition forces continue to chip away at the Katai’b Hezbollah terrorist network with the capture of four suspected network criminals early Tuesday in Abd ar Rahman, about 6 km east of Sadr City.
Acting on intelligence information, Coalition forces targeted the residence of a Katai’b Hezbollah administrator assessed to have close ties to network leadership.
Coalition forces approached the targeted individual’s residence where they detained four of the administrator’s associates without incident.
Katai’b Hezbollah is assessed to be a proxy of Iran and its members are believed to be responsible for recent attacks against Iraqi citizens and Iraqi and Coalition forces. They are also assessed to be responsible for the botched Improvised Rocket Assisted Mortar attack on Coalition forces June 4 that resulted in 18 Iraqi civilians killed, 29 injured, and 19 homes destroyed.
Stumble It!
