nastyleg
03-05-2010, 05:29 PM
Poor village gets water, soccer equipment
TWAILA, Iraq - APM Terminals of Portsmouth, Va., joined forces with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers here recently in donating soccer balls, uniforms and nets to a needy school in this northern Iraqi village. Col. Dan Anninos, USACE Gulf Region District commander, oversaw the delivery of the equipment to the school located near a water treatment project site where USACE is currently working.
Poor Iraqi village gets water, soccer equipment
Located in Kirkuk Province just off the Zab River, Twaila is a poor, rural Sunni Arab village comprised of more than 200 mud brick and cinderblock structures serving as homes for some 400 families. Unemployment in the village is estimated to be above 50 percent. In support of this needy community, GRD is rebuilding their water treatment unit which will supply clean, disinfected water for the residents.
“Building a sense of community and common purpose is important when doing projects in remote areas of Iraq,” said Anninos. “Project funds don’t allow for things like soccer balls and kids uniforms so the donated equipment from APM Terminals is filling a critical void as we execute our reconstruction mission here in Iraq."
Prior to Anninos’ departure from commanding the USACE Norfolk District in Virginia, Edward McCarthy from APM Terminals expressed an interest in supporting our deployed military men and women in Iraq.
According to Anninos, the idea came to him during a site inspection when he noticed an empty soccer field adjacent to a school with no nets or equipment. What better way to support this community than by providing clean water and some much-needed sports equipment to the local grade school, he thought, thinking back on Ed McCarthy’s offer.
“Ed McCarthy was very eager to support and assist us in this effort,” he said. “He immediately shipped over eight boxes filled with soccer balls, pumps, soccer ball jerseys, goal nets, socks and cookie snacks. The results were magnificent! The school teachers were very appreciative as were the local village leaders.
“This is an important partnership within the Hampton Roads Maritime Community and now it has carried over to Iraq,” Anninos continued. “As the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers executes the reconstruction mission, we not only look for opportunities to deliver much needed facilities to the Iraqi people, but we also welcome opportunities to partner with U.S. organizations and businesses to deliver humanitarian type assistance to local villages.”
A small scrimmage game with the kids broke out after the equipment was distributed. Anninos and Maj. Edward Allen, the officer in charge of constructing the water treatment unit, attempted to show off their skills but were hindered by their heavy body armor and trying to keep up with the kids.
“This unique event will be remembered by the village leaders, the teachers, the residents; but more importantly the children,” Anninos said. “This is a great example of APM Terminals’ continued support to the men and women serving in Iraq and their contribution to make a difference in this small village located in the Kirkuk province.”
This is just one of many examples where individual citizens, local communities and U.S. businesses have and continue to support the reconstruction efforts in Iraq by selflessly providing much needed humanitarian type support to hundreds of thousands of Iraqi citizens, according Anninos.
The water treatment unit being rebuilt now is one of 12 units being refurbished throughout remote areas of Kirkuk province. Once completed, the unit will provide fresh drinking water to approximately 2,500 Iraqi citizens who currently have no clean source of water for their homes. Funding for this project is provided by the U.S. Department of State.
Currently, Anninos’ command is overseeing approximately $1 billion in the Iraqi reconstruction effort as the program begins to wind down and U.S. forces begin to execute a responsible drawdown.
Anninos proudly said, “Each and every one of our volunteers and military workforce is making history as others write about it. As time moves forward towards the election and the seating of the government, and as we plan and execute our responsible drawdown plan, I am thankful for a workforce that has been able to dream of things that never were and make them real. Thousands of our facilities and thousands of trained Iraqi engineer associates were just dreams at one time; today they are real due to the hard work and deep commitment of our workforce.”
The USACE has completed thousands of reconstruction projects here in partnership with the Government of Iraq. Since 2004, USACE has completed 5,257 projects throughout Iraq valued at more than $9.1 billion, and has more than 250 projects ongoing. The overall reconstruction effort in Iraq currently provides jobs for more than 20,000 Iraqis.
http://www.usf-iraq.com/news/headlines/poor-village-gets-water-soccer-equipment
TWAILA, Iraq - APM Terminals of Portsmouth, Va., joined forces with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers here recently in donating soccer balls, uniforms and nets to a needy school in this northern Iraqi village. Col. Dan Anninos, USACE Gulf Region District commander, oversaw the delivery of the equipment to the school located near a water treatment project site where USACE is currently working.
Poor Iraqi village gets water, soccer equipment
Located in Kirkuk Province just off the Zab River, Twaila is a poor, rural Sunni Arab village comprised of more than 200 mud brick and cinderblock structures serving as homes for some 400 families. Unemployment in the village is estimated to be above 50 percent. In support of this needy community, GRD is rebuilding their water treatment unit which will supply clean, disinfected water for the residents.
“Building a sense of community and common purpose is important when doing projects in remote areas of Iraq,” said Anninos. “Project funds don’t allow for things like soccer balls and kids uniforms so the donated equipment from APM Terminals is filling a critical void as we execute our reconstruction mission here in Iraq."
Prior to Anninos’ departure from commanding the USACE Norfolk District in Virginia, Edward McCarthy from APM Terminals expressed an interest in supporting our deployed military men and women in Iraq.
According to Anninos, the idea came to him during a site inspection when he noticed an empty soccer field adjacent to a school with no nets or equipment. What better way to support this community than by providing clean water and some much-needed sports equipment to the local grade school, he thought, thinking back on Ed McCarthy’s offer.
“Ed McCarthy was very eager to support and assist us in this effort,” he said. “He immediately shipped over eight boxes filled with soccer balls, pumps, soccer ball jerseys, goal nets, socks and cookie snacks. The results were magnificent! The school teachers were very appreciative as were the local village leaders.
“This is an important partnership within the Hampton Roads Maritime Community and now it has carried over to Iraq,” Anninos continued. “As the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers executes the reconstruction mission, we not only look for opportunities to deliver much needed facilities to the Iraqi people, but we also welcome opportunities to partner with U.S. organizations and businesses to deliver humanitarian type assistance to local villages.”
A small scrimmage game with the kids broke out after the equipment was distributed. Anninos and Maj. Edward Allen, the officer in charge of constructing the water treatment unit, attempted to show off their skills but were hindered by their heavy body armor and trying to keep up with the kids.
“This unique event will be remembered by the village leaders, the teachers, the residents; but more importantly the children,” Anninos said. “This is a great example of APM Terminals’ continued support to the men and women serving in Iraq and their contribution to make a difference in this small village located in the Kirkuk province.”
This is just one of many examples where individual citizens, local communities and U.S. businesses have and continue to support the reconstruction efforts in Iraq by selflessly providing much needed humanitarian type support to hundreds of thousands of Iraqi citizens, according Anninos.
The water treatment unit being rebuilt now is one of 12 units being refurbished throughout remote areas of Kirkuk province. Once completed, the unit will provide fresh drinking water to approximately 2,500 Iraqi citizens who currently have no clean source of water for their homes. Funding for this project is provided by the U.S. Department of State.
Currently, Anninos’ command is overseeing approximately $1 billion in the Iraqi reconstruction effort as the program begins to wind down and U.S. forces begin to execute a responsible drawdown.
Anninos proudly said, “Each and every one of our volunteers and military workforce is making history as others write about it. As time moves forward towards the election and the seating of the government, and as we plan and execute our responsible drawdown plan, I am thankful for a workforce that has been able to dream of things that never were and make them real. Thousands of our facilities and thousands of trained Iraqi engineer associates were just dreams at one time; today they are real due to the hard work and deep commitment of our workforce.”
The USACE has completed thousands of reconstruction projects here in partnership with the Government of Iraq. Since 2004, USACE has completed 5,257 projects throughout Iraq valued at more than $9.1 billion, and has more than 250 projects ongoing. The overall reconstruction effort in Iraq currently provides jobs for more than 20,000 Iraqis.
http://www.usf-iraq.com/news/headlines/poor-village-gets-water-soccer-equipment