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by Pfc. Paul J. Harris
3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division PAO
BALAD, Iraq -- What happens when the shooting stops? What will be the legacy left behind when coalition forces leave Iraq? Will it be one of terror and destruction or will there be lasting mementos of peace and stability?
That is the job of the civil affairs team and S-5 shop for 3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Band of Brothers, to make sure local Iraqi's have the strong foundation of which to build their government upon.
Capt. Philip Zapien, civil affairs team leader, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3rd Bn., 29th FA, finds himself wearing many different hats these days. The majority of his civil affairs team has been tasked to 1-8 Combined Arms Battalion, 3rd HBCT to help in their area of operation, leaving Zapien and a couple Soldiers to complete missions. Though short-staffed he is determined to see some of the crucial projects completed before he returns to the U.S.
One of the big areas of concern is the quality of roads around Logistical Support Area Anaconda. The roads are riddled with potholes making them easy targets for insurgents to place improvised explosive devices.
Not only is Zapien concerned for the Iraqi and coalition forces" security but having safer roads will allow more traffic to flow, increasing commerce and help the local economy.
Lt. Col. Jeffrey Vuono, commander, 3rd Bn., 29th FA, who is on his third deployment to Iraq, sees a system similar to the U.S. interstate network that could help in the fight against roadside bombs.
The first task is to take away the median in the middle, Vuono said. Reducing vegetation on the side of the road increases visibility of an IED. Roads like we have in the U.S. have a significant asphalt base so it takes more effort to put an explosive device in the road.
In addition to building up the roads, the next project Zapien is excited about is a dam on the Tigris River near the village of Bakir.
The dam will facilitate better water flow into the water treatment facility in Bakir also reducing the amount of sand that collects in the treatment facility, Zapien said. By reducing the sand it will increase the production of fresh water allowing the facility not only to serve Bakir but surrounding villages as well.
"I don't want to start a project that is only going to be good for two years," Vuono said. "I want a project that is going to be here for five, six, seven years."
When Spc. Ray Noon, S-5 assistant, Battery B attached to HHB, 3rd Bn., 29th FA, arrived in Iraq for his first deployment he was surprised to see how much vegetation there is near the LSA and how many different things the Iraqis are able to grow given the arid climate.
They grow tomatoes, leafy vegetables, apples, dates and a lot of wheat, said Noon. Farming is the primary source of income for the local Iraqis.
Noon's main project is finishing a database of information that has been collected on the local towns and people. The database will be available to Soldiers so they can have up-to-date information on existing projects and the needs of the local townspeople at their fingertips.
The challenge, after identifying what projects the Iraqi's need, is to help facilitate the flow of money from the federal government in Baghdad to the smaller communities like Bakir village.
The success of the federal government is crucial, Vuono said, but it is at the local level, just like in our own government, that really makes things move along.
3rd Bn., 29th FA will spend an estimated $10 million in its yearlong deployment in helping Iraqis with reconstruction efforts.
When Americans get in their cars to go to work they expect to get from point A to point B safely, Vuono said. People in Iraq do not expect that and Task Force Pacesetter, with our CA allies need to provide that for them.
Many of the Soldiers from Task Force Pacesetter, like Vuono, are on multiple tours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Their goal, like most, is to leave this country in better shape then when they arrived.
In doing so, Vuono said, Soldiers won't have to come back a fourth time if they do not have to. He believes his battalion is on the right track in having the Iraqi security forces taking control
| Date Taken: | 07.18.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 07.18.2006 09:26 |
| Story ID: | 7215 |
| Location: | BALAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 96 |
| Downloads: | 29 |
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