2/11 CAG Hopes to Improve Iraqis’ Quality of Life

Story by Pfc. Jerry Murphy

HABBANIYAH, Iraq (Mar. 17, 2008) – Civil Affairs Group (CAG), 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, recently arrived to Iraq where they’re already making improvements on the quality of life for the Iraqi people.

 

        During a routine mission Mar. 17, the 2nd Bn., 11th Marines CAG stopped by the Mayor of Habbaniyah’s office for a meeting with the mayor and also assessed the quality of the water treatment facilities in the Coolie Camp area.

 

       

“Unfortunately, the mayor wasn’t available. We were supposed to pick-up some documents from him, but he was called to Ramadi by the governor,” said 2nd Lt. Matt R. Ashton, the 2nd Bn., 11th Marines Civil Affairs Team officer-in-charge. “But we were able to stop by three water treatment facilities to evaluate them and ask questions to the Director General of Water to see what (the Marines) can do to better the drinking water situation for local Iraqi people.”

 

        Ashton added to this statement, saying, “Fixing the drinking water problems by using solar power to power the water treatment plants is what we’re trying to do right now.”       

 

During their time in Iraq, the 2nd Bn., 11th Marines CAG has numerous missions they would like to accomplish in order to improve life for the Iraqi people.

 

        “We’re trying to facilitate Iraqi control within our (area of operations) as well as better life for the people,” said Cpl. Aaron M. Raher, a 28-year-old security chief for the CAG. “We’re also trying to get electricity, increase the amount of drinking water, pave roads and open schools and clinics for the Iraqis.”

 

2nd Bn., 11th Marines CAG recently assumed authority of the Habbaniyah area, and some city officials are still getting accustomed to the new unit and how they operate.

 

       

“It’s a slow process with the turnover, with new requirements from not only myself, but also with the command at a higher level,” said Ashton, a 23 year-old from Woodbridge, Va. “They’re having a hard time realizing that with new people, come new programs.”

 

        In addition to improving life for the Iraqi people, the CAG awards contracting jobs to local Iraqi contractors to complete projects throughout the AO. While at the mayor’s office, Ashton briefly spoke to a local contractor about the possibility of a project involving the use of solar power to run the water treatment plants instead of relying on either electricity or a generator source.

 

        The meeting with the contractor turned out to be a success. He knew quite a bit about solar power and another meeting was scheduled for a later date.

 

       

The 2nd Bn., 11th Marines CAG works alongside Marines of 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, to accomplish not only their own missions, but also aid in helping 2nd Bn., 24th Marines accomplish theirs.

 

With 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines, trying to assist in the turn-over of their AO to the Iraqi government, Lt. Col. John J. Hadder added to that saying, “The (CAG) is helping us build the infrastructure of the Iraqi government, giving the people a better confidence in their government. This creates order within the community so that they will become less and less likely to be involved in insurgent activities,” said Hadder, the air officer and fires and effects cell officer-in-charge.  “It will give them a better vision of the future of Iraq and a better option than criminal activity and attacking our Marines.”

 

With a long deployment ahead with many projects to come, the 2nd Bn., 11th Marines CAG will have their hands full, but are confident they will get the job done and go home with a mission accomplished.

 

“My first deployment was more kinetic than this one, it’s like night and day,” said Raher. “This reconstruction has definitely improved life for the Iraqi people and we hope to leave it here in better shape than it was before (we arrived).”