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Iraqi Army aid missions foster goodwill in Sadr City

By Spc. Ben Brody
May 24, 2005

SADR CITY, Iraq (Army News Service, May 24, 2005)– Iraqi Army and Task Force Baghdad units held one of their largest humanitarian missions in a neighborhood here May 19.

Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division and Task Force Baghdad’s A Company, 3rd Infantry Division distributed 2,000 frozen chickens, 25 soccer balls, hundreds of Beanie Babies and whatever food and candy Soldiers had in their trucks.

“We try to do this about once a month, but this is the biggest one we’ve done yet,” said Staff Sgt. Chhay Mao, A Co., 3-15 Inf., platoon sergeant.

Mao, of Modesto, Calif., explained that Iraqi Soldiers did almost everything themselves that day in preparation for their takeover of half of Sadr City in June.

“They need to be totally proficient at this kind of mission, because they’ll be doing it all by themselves in a month,” Mao said.

Iraqi and U.S. troops quickly secured an open area near a school, and set up concertina wire to keep the crowd a safe distance from the truck packed with chickens.

Iraqi Soldiers divided the crowd into two lines, one for men and one for women, then directed them to the truck to receive two chickens each.

Compared to previous humanitarian drops in other neighborhoods, residents were patient and orderly.

Residents of all ages flocked to the site, and nearly everybody who showed up received something.

“It’s going really well – I think we’ve made some friends today,” said 1st Sgt. Michael Howle, A Co., 3-15 Inf. “We’ve even gotten some of the local kids to clean up the empty chicken boxes and put them back on the truck. We’ll give them each a soccer ball when they’re done.”

Howle and other Soldiers from 3-15 Inf. watched the Iraqi troops carefully, taking mental notes to share with Iraqi Army Battalion leadership later.

“The IAB has come a long way in the past few months,” Howle said. “I’m looking forward to them taking control of the sector.”

Prior to driving off, Soldiers handed out the soccer balls, which children gleefully accepted. They started a pickup soccer game before the trucks even left.

Further south in the sector, Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery and 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion conducted a medical capabilities assessment in Village 10 a remote suburb of Baghdad with limited access to medical care.

More than 40 people were treated for minor injuries and illnesses, said Capt. Scott Baumgartner, 1-9 FA, physician ’s assistant.

A man was in a car accident a couple of hours prior to the arrival of the medical team and his injuries required stitches, but most of the care was routine, Baumgartner said.

The mobile medical clinic was set up in the Narawhan School of the village.

The team was well received by the village. It is obvious from all the smiles they received that the villagers were very happy to see them, said Maj. Russ Goemaere, 2nd BCT spokesman.

“It’s both an honor and a privilege to be able to give something to the Iraqi people that they need,” Baumgartner said.

Conducting humanitarian missions, like the chicken distribution in Sadr City and the MEDCAP in Village 10, along with developing strong relationships with the Iraqi Security Forces and Iraqi citizens is improving the security situation in Iraq, Goemaere said.