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Blackanthem Military News
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Last Updated:
May 21, 2012 - 6:52:41 PM |
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'Wolfhound' Battalion provides 350 students with an essential-service: Hope
By Sgt. David Strayer, 109th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, U.S. Division-North Public Affairs
Jan 25, 2011 - 12:28:30 PM
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Blackanthem Military News
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| First Lt. Allen Rooney, a platoon leader assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, distributes school supplies at the newly opened Abu Quodal school facility southeast of Tikrit, Iraq, Jan 16, 2011. Family members of the 1st Bn., 27th Inf. Regt., "Wolfhounds," donated the school supplies for the U.S. Soldiers to distribute to the students. The school is capable of supporting 350 students living in the rural village area of Abu Quodal, said Rooney, and is first of its kind to be made available for the children of the farming community in northern Iraq. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. David Strayer, 109th MPAD, USD-N PAO) |
CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq - "Wolfhound" Soldiers assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, attended the opening of a new school in the rural village area of Abu Quodal, southeast of Tikrit, Iraq, Jan 16.
The newly constructed school provides a modern and accessible facility for more than 350 students in the village made up predominately of farming families.
"The local villagers have been grossly neglected in regards to education in the area for quite some time now," said 1st Lt. Allen Rooney, platoon leader, Company B, 1st Bn., 27th Inf. Regt.
Prior to the Wolfhound Soldiers opening the new school, the closest schoolhouse was located in the distant, more urban village of Ad Dawr Qada, he said.
"In the past, many children did not have easy access to education," said Assim Ali, an Iraqi contractor, who worked with local Iraqi leaders and the Soldiers of 1st Bn., 27th Inf. Regt. to facilitate the building of the new school.
Due to the distance from any school, most of the children in the rural area could not attend, and focused on farming instead, Ali said.
Upon recognizing the village area's need for improved education facilities, U.S. forces provided the local Iraqi government with a grant to support the building of an entirely new school.
The location of the school enables students to attend class on a regular basis and receive an education from professional teachers, Ali added.
"The project will help mitigate the over-crowding of the schools in the neighboring villages, and greatly decreases the distance that students have to travel to attend class," said Rooney, a native of Madison, N.J.
A new learning environment means new opportunities, said Ali, also adding that a formal education can help students improve their living conditions and circumstances for the future.
"Hopefully the students will take pride in their new school and be inspired to continue beyond a basic level of education," said Rooney. "This project represents so much for these students.
"It immediately improves their quality of life by taking them off of the farm and putting them into a modern, well-kept learning environment each day," he said. "It also gives them the opportunity for higher education and a significant career."
Rural farm villages, like Abu Quodal, are far behind the more developed urban areas with regards to living conditions and essential-services, such as education, infrastructure, and water accessibility, said Ali.
Wolfhound Battalion's contributions are helping in the effort to get these villages the assistance they require, he said.
Following the ceremony, U.S. Soldiers distributed school supplies, collected and donated by Families of 1st Bn., 27th Inf. Regt.
Since deploying in support of Operation New Dawn, Rooney's platoon assumed responsibility for the area, working with Iraqi Security Forces to provide security for the local communities and overseeing projects like the building of the school.
"This project is kind of like our baby," said Rooney.
"We have all gotten involved in this, including our Families back home," he said. "We are glad to have seen this one through to the end."
ADDITIONAL PHOTO:
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| Children of varying ages gather together outside one of the classrooms at the newly built school facility in the rural Abu Quodal Village southeast of Tikrit, Iraq, Jan 16, 2011. Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, worked with local Iraqi leaders and contractors to facilitate the building of the new school to provide a place of learning for more than 350 students living in the rural area of the Abu Quodal Village region. Soldiers of 2nd AAB, 25th Inf. Div. supervised the building of the new school, providing elementary to high school age children in the farming community an opportunity for an education. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. David Strayer, 109th MPAD, USD-N PAO) |
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