451st Civil Affairs conducts assessment of citadel in Kirkuk

Courtesy Photo | The citadel was one of the locations within the sector that a 451st Civil Affairs Team assessed during its civil-military mission in support of Task Force 2-116 Armor Sept. 29. (Photo submitted by 451st Civil Affairs)  

KIRKUK, IRAQ

10.05.2005

Courtesy Story

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FOB WARRIOR, Iraq -- A 116th Brigade Combat Team Civil Affairs Team conducted an assessment Sept. 29 of the Kirkuk City sector that is home to the citadel, an ancient castle that dates back to before the time of Christ.

Civil affairs teams from B Company, 451st Civil Affairs Battalion routinely assesses areas of cities in Kirkuk Province to measure progress in basic services, public health and quality of life. During the visit to this unique sector, a team was also able to conduct an historical site survey of the citadel.

"As part of our work we assessed the area and determined where the nine lines of operations were in relation to three years ago, before coalition forces arrived in the area in the Spring of 2003," said Capt. Alex Carter, a Civil Affairs Team chief. "This sector is heavily Kurdish in ethnicity. Business owners and residents surveyed said that they had experienced an increase in the amount of hours of electricity per day they are currently receiving as compared to three years ago."

Capt. Carter's team works in support of the 116th BCT's Task Force 2-116 Armor, the unit responsible for operations in Kirkuk City and was accompanied by an additional team during the assessment. The two teams also visited the citadel and took photo and video of the site for documentation purposes.

"We interviewed Waleed Muhammed, the son of the Head Guard of the site," said Carter. "He gave us valuable information regarding the history of the location which included the fact that there were 5,000 homes on the plateau that overlooks the city until the ethnic cleansing headed up by Saddam Hussein."

Working to improve the quality of life for the citizens of Kirkuk while protecting and preserving sites of historical importance is one way the 116th BCT is helping Iraqi citizens as they establish the foundations of the new Iraq. The 116th BCT is performing a four-fold mission in Kirkuk Province including training and supporting Iraqi security forces, helping Iraqis improve their local economy, assisting their new government and improving their communications.

The 116th BCT is comprised of headquarters and staff sections, two armor battalions, a mechanized infantry battalion, a support battalion, a field artillery battalion, an engineer battalion, and various intelligence, signal, and specialized units. The 116th BCT is one of several Army National Guard units deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III.

• Date Taken: 10.05.2005
• Date Posted: 10.05.2005 15:51
• Story ID: 3195
• Location: KIRKUK, IQ