Courtesy Photo | Maj. Andy Ingalsbe, 401st Civil Affairs Battalion, and Tahseen Omar, Makhmur District...... read more read more
Sgt. Rachel Brune
101ST Sustainment Bde.
MAKHMUR DISTRICT, Iraq (MARCH 11, 2006) - From the rooftop of the Sultan Abdullah water pumping station, fields of green stretch to the base of the Makhmur foothills.
An ancient tell overlooks a bend in the Tigris River, as it curves lazily past the station, glinting brightly in the afternoon sunshine.
Inside the station, noise from the pumps roared over the conversation as Tahseen Omar, Makhmur district water manager, and Maj. Andy Ingalsbe, Company A, 401st Civil Affairs Battalion, discussed the scope of work needed on the district's water stations.
The Makhmur water stations provide water for approximately 50,000 people in the district, according to Sgt. Brian Hawthorne, 401st CA, civil affairs NCO. The Sultan Abdullah station pumps water to the local area, as well as to the Aliyawa station.
From Aliyawa, the water travels to Makhmur and the nearby villages.
The civil affairs team, an Army Reserve unit from Webster, N.Y., contracts local national workers to work on the stations, according to Hawthorne. The work ranges from building a plant from the ground up, to simple repairs.
Ingalsbe and his team were escorted by Soldiers from Battery B, 4th Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Regiment and Iraqi Army troops from the Makhmur based-3rd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division.
At a location near the Iraqi Army compound, Ingalsbe and Omar inspected a water tower originally built in 1964. With the help of the civil affairs team, local contractors were hired to fix the many leaks and replace the worn-out supports.
In addition, contractors installed a new fence and poured 144 square meters of concrete.
"The district of Makhmur is a mixed Kurdish/Arab area, where ethnic issues sometimes impede progress," said Hawthorne in an e-mail interview. "The money we spend benefits both groups equally, and this is a very important consideration with each of our projects."
A scope of work is the list of funding requirements, including materiel to be purchased and the price. The civil affairs team visited each station personally to ensure that the projects required the repairs listed on the scope of work.
"It puts [us] as the customers and the contractor on the same sheet of music, so that we can hold them accountable for what we are paying," said Hawthorne.
Once the scope of work is set, troops from Battery B will return to check on the progress, according to Capt. Michael Bugaj, battery commander.
Working with the locals to provide the area with clean water is one of the many functions of civil affairs in the Tigris River Valley.
"Providing the people with critical infrastructure such as water, electricity, education and roads helps them see that Iraq is a good place to live," said Hawthorne.
Better living has widespread effects.
"The money we have spent helps the government help its people, as the work is being done by Iraqis," said Hawthorne. "They see their government employees overseeing the work, [which] gives the government credibility and helps maintain peace."
usar
| Date Taken: | 03.11.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 03.21.2006 09:41 |
| Story ID: | 5791 |
| Location: | MAKHMUR DISTRICT, IQ |
| Web Views: | 151 |
| Downloads: | 35 |
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