Iraqi Army Hands Out School Supplies from Virginia Children

From Multi-National Force Iraq:


An Iraqi boy smiles after receiving a soccer ball from an Iraqi Army Soldier with the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division (Mechanized) at an elementary school in Jerf Al Mila, in northwest Baghdad, Dec. 17. Photo by Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs.


Tuesday, 25 December 2007
By Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp
1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

JERF AL MILA — Iraqi Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division (Mechanized) recently brought smiles to the faces of children at a local elementary school in Jerf Al Mila, northwest Baghdad, by delivering donated school supplies and care packages.

The Iraqi troops, who are continuing to build trust and relationships with the local people, coordinated the mission and handed out toys, notebooks, pencils, crayons, candy and clothes among many other items to boys and girls in each classroom. The packages were sent to Iraq by American elementary school children who attend the Communion LutheranChurch in Sterling, Va.

As the Iraqi troops entered the Jerf Al Mila school, children began waving to the Iraqi Soldiers and asked the troops to sit next to them. Prior to handing out the items, the Iraqi troops, school officials and local leaders sorted each of the items to be handed out.

A few American advisors with the 329 Military Transition Team (MITT) were on hand to observe the event.

“The Iraqi Soldiers really are happy to do this and you can see the joy they are bringing to these children’s lives today,” said Conowingo, Md. native Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Hoy, a signal intelligence non-commissioned officer who works for the 329 Military Transition Team on Camp Taji.

“They (Iraqi troops in the 3rd Battalion) did all the planning and coordinated the event and that’s a very big thing,” said Capt. Jason Fees of the 329 MITT who hails from Bartlesville, Okla. “They coordinated the security for the patrol and arranged a meeting with local leaders and the sheiks to make this happen. It shows the positive types of things the Iraqi Army is doing here.”

“It’s been a great opportunity for the Iraqi Army to interface with children at the school, local tribal sheiks and local leaders,” said Hoy. “The event also serves an awesome opportunity to give some cultural awareness to the Iraqi children and American children back home in the states.”

Along with the packages, children at the Communion Lutheran Church sent photos of themselves working in classrooms at the church and packaging the items. They also included pictures of American children playing soccer, which is a favorite sport for many Iraqi children, along with photos of American children going to school and doing class work.

Hoy told the Jerf Al Mila school children through an interpreter that he would send their photos to the children in the U.S. who sent the packages so they could see what Iraqi classrooms are like and to let them know that the items they sent had been received.

Improvements in security in Jerf Al Mila have allowed the opportunity for more missions to take place that concern projects and community relations efforts, such as the school visit, many of which have involved the participation of the Iraqi Army.

“We’ve seen a lot of positive results in this area and the levels of significant events and hostilities have definitely declined,” said Hoy. “The Iraqi Army has been able to become much more involved in the community here.”