SOI, Soldiers take school back from insurgents: Children, teachers return to classroom

Courtesy Photo | A teacher arrives back to work at the al Alemia School in Arab Jabour on March 16. The school was closed for eight months due to insurgent activities, but thanks to efforts by Soldiers of Company C, 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team and Sons of Iraq, the school was cleared and reopened.  

ISKANDARIYAH, IRAQ

03.25.2008

Courtesy Story

2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

By 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs Office

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – Sons of Iraq and school administrators reopened the al Alemia School in Arab Jabour, March 16.

The school, closed for the past eight months, was once used by insurgents as a base of operations before efforts by Soldiers of Company C, 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team and the SoI.

Sgt. 1st Class David Snyder, platoon sergeant of 3rd Platoon, said the SoI played a major role in clearing the school on March 7. Besides removing debris, the SoI also removed one 105 mm round filled with homemade explosives.

In the coming weeks, a local contractor will be hired to conduct repairs on the school, including painting, restoring electricity and building a playground.

Currently, nine of 14 classrooms are being used by six teachers to teach 53 students.

Re-establishing schools and the education system will help meet the 1-30th Inf. Regt.'s desire to see Arab Jabour return to a thriving community before redeploying, said Capt. William Lyles, of Hampton, Va., 1-30th Inf. Regt. battle captain.

Improving services and helping businesses are other main components of the plan to build Arab Jabour's capacity.

Recently, the Yusifiyah pump station reopened, repairs to the city's electrical grid were made and small businesses received microgrants from Baghdad-7 embedded provincial reconstruction team, attached to 2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Div.

"Basically, if the Iraqis take charge it will be successful," said Snyder, a native of Midwest City, Okla.

• Date Taken: 03.25.2008
• Date Posted: 03.25.2008 09:30
• Story ID: 17709
• Location: ISKANDARIYAH, IQ