|
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq (April 15, 2008) - Multinational Division
Center kicked off the main phase of its first major operation
devoted primarily to capacity building -- expanding governance,
economics and infrastructure -- today in communities south of
Baghdad in Iraq's Baghdad province.
Operation Marne Piledriver is taking place in the area of
operations of 101st Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade Combat
Team.
While the focus of the operation is on capacity building, Iraqi
security forces simultaneously will target remaining insurgent
pockets with the help of coalition forces, officials said.
Patrol Base Yates, which will house Iraqi and coalition forces,
is under construction as a base of operations to bring the fight to
the insurgent holdouts. It is named in honor of Army Cpl. Nyle
Yates III, who died in combat in Beiji, Iraq, in 2006 while serving
in the 101st Airborne Division's Company B, 3rd Battalion, 187th
Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team.
"Marne Piledriver will not only display Iraqi security
forces-led operations, but also the establishment of a joint
security station at Yusifiyah, the development of Iraqi-run radio
stations, the injection of funding by the government of Iraq to
refurbish two major water treatment plants, and the infusion of
funds and expertise into the poultry and agricultural industries,"
said Army Col. Dominic J. Caraccilo, commander of 101st Airborne
Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team.
Providing training to Iraqi government officials in the area is
another key component of the operation. They will learn how to
navigate a democratic, free-market economy after decades of a
state-run system under Saddam Hussein. The U.S. Agency for
International Development is providing the training.
Army Maj. T.J. Johnson, one of the main Multinational Division
Center planners of Marne Piledriver, emphasized the synergy created
from the U.S. military and USAID working together.
"It's a great way of illustrating how our government and our
military have to work hand in hand," he said. "We have to identify
what's important together so that we can go ahead and find a way
forward."
Governance, however, will go beyond the classroom during Marne
Piledriver. Local Iraqi government officials will lead the
establishment of a major water pipeline into Mahmudiyah, which has
seen a shortage in potable water, Johnson said. The contract will
be put out to bid in the Iraqi economy, with local leaders
overseeing the process and construction.
"If you can bring fresh water into Mahmudiyah -- potable water
-- you eliminate sanitation problems," Johnson said. "That would be
a huge win for the government of Iraq, because then everybody in
Mahmudiyah is going to know, 'Hey, the government made this thing
happen.'"
Another major project is the revitalization of the poultry
industry. Poultry farms in the area will receive 35,000 eggs. The
chickens will be raised and processed for consumption. It is
estimated that poultry industry revitalization alone will create
1,000 jobs, Johnson said.
Marne Piledriver is a comprehensive operation expected to span
several months, officials said. Other improvements include
improving the Yusifiyah market, renovating fish farms, and erecting
cell phone towers and billboards.
When all is said and done, Johnson said, he hopes this operation
will serve as a blueprint for what's possible in Iraq moving
forward.
"This is really a test bed for how successful capacity-building
operations can be," he said. "After spending a lot of the tour
focused on lethal operations, the conditions are such that we can
really begin to say, 'OK what do the people need that we can impact
in a real positive manner?'"
|
