Photo By Sgt. 1st Class James Wilt | Maj. Charles Masaracchia, the air operations officer for the 2nd Battalion, 325th...... read more read more
Subscribe
Pfc. James Wilt
82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs Office
Task Force White Falcon
TALL AFAR, Iraq - Coalition forces, in cooperation with local residents, constructed and opened a soccer field at the Al Zahawe School in the neighborhood of Sarai here, Nov. 5, 2005.
"It is basically a good will gesture from the Coalition Forces to the Sarai neighborhood," said Capt. Ryan Hambleton, a team leader in the 401st Civil Affairs Battalion.
Sarai, a Sunni area, was one of the more deeply effected neighborhoods during the military actions in early September.
With over 50 children attending the opening of the "football" field, the day was filled with the joyous yelling, laughter, and soccer.
Elements from the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division and 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment aided elements of the 401st Civil Affairs Battalion who coordinated the event.
A flatbed tractor trailer brought the newly constructed goal posts to a dirt field
located behind the school where they were soon put into place at opposing ends.
Carefully laying down lines of chalk, a local Iraqi man marked the boundaries and goal lines of the field.
Nets donated by Presbyterian College in South Carolina were strung up with black wire ties after a team effort by the children to reach the top of the post.
Once the field was ready for play, the anticipation built as the children waited for a soccer ball.
Lined up against a wall, the children waited anxiously for the battalion commander of the 2-325 and an Iraqi general to open the field.
As several paratroopers and Iraqi policeman took to the field to challenge the children in a friendly game, the field was christened.
The children of the neighborhood were given ten balls by the Coalition Forces to use on their new field.
A similar project is in place to create a soccer field in a Shiite populated neighborhood.
| Date Taken: | 11.07.2005 |
| Date Posted: | 11.07.2005 15:21 |
| Story ID: | 3633 |
| Location: | TAL AFAR, IQ |
| Web Views: | 102 |
| Downloads: | 26 |
This work, Al Zahawe School gets new soccer field, by SFC James Wilt, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
