Rashidiya school gets supplies, renovations

Photo By Spc. Cal Turner | CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Staff Sgt. Walter Laracuenta, Team 4, Company C, 414th Civil Affairs Battalion, attached to Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, passes out notebooks Oct. 5 to local children during a school supply mission to the Sheik Dhari Primary School in Rashidiya.  

TAJI, IRAQ

10.05.2006

Story by Spc. Cal Turner 

1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

by Spc. C. Terrell Turner
1st BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div.

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Students from the Sheik Dhari Secondary School in Rashidiya lined up to receive school supplies Oct. 5 from the Soldiers of Team 4, Company C, 414th Civil Affairs Battalion, which is attached to the Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.

With students, teachers, community members and Iraqi police officers helping, the Team 4 Soldiers passed out 40 dozen notebooks, water coolers, filters, chalk, erasers and pens to the school as it prepares for an influx of returning students.

"This mission today is part of an ongoing project to renovate the school," said Staff Sgt. Walter Laracuenta, team sergeant for Team 4. "We purchased the supplies locally to help improve the economy."

Attendance at the school is going back up to previous levels as the security situation improves and people are returning to the area, said Nama Harbi, headmaster of the Sheik Dhari Secondary School.

"Security has been an issue in the past, but things are getting better," he said. "The police have started to come around more and talk to us about our issues."

The school focuses on Arabic, English, Kurdish, Social Studies, Economics, Geography, History, Science and Mathematics. Harbi said he eventually seeks to add higher-level Math classes and even Physics to the curriculum. This is his fourth year working at the school.

The school is one of five school projects Team 4 is currently working on in its area of operation. The other projects include a water treatment plant, an electrical sub-station and government office buildings. The team began its operations with 1st BCT shortly after arriving in April.

Since the 414th CA Bn. started conducting missions, the Soldiers said they have noticed things slowly but steadily improving.

"The government is a lot more proactive and doing more and more to help the people," said Sgt. Carlos Matos, Team 4. "There are a few projects that are completely Iraqi-run and we have no part in. That's a sign to me that things are more secure. I have personally seen them working together and having more meetings providing essential services for the people."

• Date Taken: 10.05.2006
• Date Posted: 10.12.2006 12:43
• Story ID: 8005
• Location: TAJI, IQ