NEWS RELEASE
HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND
7115 South Boundary Boulevard
MacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101
Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894
August 23, 2003
Release Number: 03-08-48
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARINES HELP REBUILD WOMEN'S CENTER
AD DIWANIYAH, Iraq - The Marines carried shovels and sickles as they waded through the chest-high grass surrounding the dilapidated athletic building. When the building is finished it will become the city's new women's and youth center.
The center will be a place where women can come to relax or where mothers can drop off their children for a little while. There is a need for a women's center in Ad Diwaniyah because women make up nearly 60 percent of city's 260,000 inhabitants.
The Marines opted to leave their usual day's routine and traveled to the center to conduct a massive cleanup around the building, which had fallen into disrepair over the years. Large loads of rocks, bricks, broken glass and other large debris were hauled by bucket into the bed of a 7-ton truck to be taken to a nearby dump. Weeds, grass, paper and smaller trash was loaded into another truck and carted to another location.
The work was sometimes backbreaking as Marines used shovels to scrape thick clots of dried mud caked on the edges of the floors near the building's walls. The volunteers wore surgical masks to protect themselves from the clouds of dust that filled the rooms while they were being swept clean.
Once the building is clean a contractor will renovate the building's interior, which should take another 30 to 45 days to complete. The renovation will cost about $99,000. Some of the upgrades include a new generator and a new air conditioning system.
A section of the building designated as the auditorium is also being renovated. Among other things, the large rectangular room will need new glass for the large windows that stretch the length of the room.
Future projects being considered include construction of a swimming pool and a sports complex on an adjoining piece of property.
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