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FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq (July 2, 2008) - Students of
the Village of Hope in Hawr Rajab, Iraq, began cleaning irrigation
canals in the area June 26 in an effort to improve the flow of
fresh water to nearby farms.
The Village of Hope is a program that teaches construction
skills to former members of the "Sons of Iraq" citizen security
group. The new skills help them transition to other productive jobs
in their community.
Airmen of the 577th Expeditionary RED HORSE Squadron -- RED
HORSE is short for Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational
Repair Squadron Engineers -- teach classes of about 50 students at
a time at a training facility at Patrol Base Stone in Hawr
Rajab.
Village of Hope students were asked to assist the community with
maintenance of irrigation canals. Keeping them clean and flowing is
a necessary task, Air Force Capt. Michael Askegren, officer in
charge of the Village of Hope program, said.
"The benefit is for the agricultural community," Askegren
explained. "This is a rural community that relies heavily on
agriculture and farming industries. By cleaning out the canals,
they are helping to make sure that the water flowing to the fields
is going to be good."
More than 200 students are enrolled in Village of Hope. Students
work at community projects similar to cleaning the canals while
they wait for their turn in the class rotation.
Employment opportunities outside of farming are scarce for young
men in the area, Askegren said. The Village of Hope provides new
job skills and an income for former members of the Sons of Iraq.
Askegren estimated only about one-third of former Sons of Iraq
would be able to get jobs in the Iraqi security forces.
"We've got to find other employment, other skills, to get these
guys employed and keep them employed -- to give them trades that
will carry them through the future," Askegren said.
In addition to cleaning the canals, the captain said, Village of
Hope students soon will work on renovating homes and take on larger
construction projects to benefit the community.
The Village of Hope instructors work with the Hawr Rajab town
council to determine which projects are needed most.
"We got the second task order awarded [June 26] for students to
continue work downtown, and we're already working on the next
project, which will be the renovation of the Alma-an Boys School.
We hope to have that [contract] awarded as soon as next week,"
Askegren said. "We're definitely moving into the full swing, as far
as getting construction going downtown."
Askegren said that while the Village of Hope currently is funded
only through the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year, he expects it to
continue into 2009.
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