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V CORPS ENGINEER BATTALION WORKS TO IMPROVE IRAQI COLLEGES

V Corps Release

Release Date: 8/18/2003

By Spc. Chad D. Wilkerson 372nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Soldiers from the 16th Engineer Battalion of V Corps's 1st Armored Division have spent the past several weeks rebuilding and resupplying Baghdad's higher-learning institutions.

Baghdad's universities were in dire need of repair after looters and thieves stripped every building of everything, from electrical wires to plumbing fixtures.

"We have been working the last 40 days doing emergency repairs and maintenance on at the Women's College of Islamic Studies at the Bab-Al Muadam campus of Baghdad University," said Lt. Col. John Kem, 16th Engineer Bn. commander. "The whole place was completely looted, but we got power restored, installed fans, and we repaired or replaced essentials in 250 classrooms."

Kem and his soldiers have deadlines to meet for different events in the university's school year, and new ones are coming up.

"We worked hard to get them ready for exams that started on July12 ," said Kem. "The next step is to get further upgrades for classes that start at the end of September."

The items and repairs that the 16th Engineers have been able to provide cover a wide range of needs, but they are all focused toward the same goal, he said.

"We gave them five photocopy machines for each college, different furniture, air conditioning units, replaced the window glass and fixed their electrical generators," said Spc. Justin Blackburn, combat engineer with 16th Engineers.

"We fixed up the kitchens and the wiring. Today we are bringing in mattresses and pillows for the 350 Iraqi female students who will be staying in one of the dorms," Kem said.

Kem meets with school staff once a week to discuss repair progress and the next course of action on campus. U.S. soldiers on the campuses say they enjoy this type of work, said Kem. They enjoy it not only for the change of pace it provides, but also because of something inside that is truly American.

"Americans like to help people," Kem said. "We are a blessed and fortunate country, and we like to give others the same opportunities. It really is part of our history and our heritage."

The work that the engineers are doing is not limited to building materials, furnishings and office supplies, but rather an investment in the future of Iraq, Kem said.

"The Iraqi people have been stifled in the past in their intellectual and academic freedoms," said Kem. "To really move forward they must have these freedoms because these young people are the leaders of the future. We want this country to move forward and make transitions, and these are the people who are going to do it."