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V CORPS, GUARD SOLDIERS TEAM UP TO IMPROVE IRAQI VILLAGE SCHOOL

V Corps Release

Release Date: 10/3/2003

By Jayme Loppnow 130th Engineer Brigade Public Affairs Office

AS SINDIYAH, Iraq -- Iraqi children in this small village have a newly renovated field where they can improve their soccer skills, thanks to soldiers from V Corps's 181st Transportation Battalion and National Guard troops from Arkansas and Washington.

The Mannheim, Germany-based 181st joined with Arkansas's 489th Engineer Battalion and the 864th Engineer Battalion from Fort Lewis, Wash., to improve the field Sept. 24.

The field was the finishing touch to renovating Al Riyath Elementary School, the village's all-boys school. The 181st had been fixing up the school since June and joined forces with the other units to give the children a new soccer field as well.

"We are taking all the ill-gotten gains of Saddam Hussein (and) using the money he was trying to run away with to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people," said Chaplain (Capt.) Gianni Martin of the 181st.

For the overall project, troops leveled a basketball court, improved bathrooms, painted, repaired desks and installed plumbing for running water, along with other projects totalling more than $18,000, said Martin.

To rebuild the field, the team of 25 active and reserve component soldiers spent the morning sweeping the field for explosives, removing debris, leveling the field and mingling with the Iraqi children.

"We are all working together to do this," said 1st Lt. Carolyn Harris of the 864th. "The faster we can do this, the faster we can go home and the Iraqis can run the country the way they have always wanted to run it."

The soldiers from the 489th and 864th had renovated two other soccer fields that week and were planning to finish several more before switching to another humanitarian mission.

"We are looking at doing something a little different -- possibly working with the local farmers on irrigation -- to keep the mission fresh and new for the soldiers," said Harris.

"I think this is a very important part of our operations here," said Capt. Kirk Claunch, commander of the 489th's C Company. "If the Iraqis see the American people trying to help, we'll win this. But it's a long-term commitment for America. It starts with each soccer field and starts with each kid seeing someone trying to help them. We are trying to make a better country."