WEBVTT

00:08.640 --> 00:10.696
today on Freedom Journal Iraq . Find

00:10.696 --> 00:12.362
out how soldiers are building

00:12.362 --> 00:14.473
relationships with the locals and the

00:14.473 --> 00:16.584
Army Corps of Engineers . Gulf region

00:16.584 --> 00:16.270
Division has a new leader .

00:16.280 --> 00:23.840
Welcome

00:23.840 --> 00:26.007
to Freedom Journal Iraq . I'm corporal

00:26.007 --> 00:28.173
Lynn Morello the U . S . Army Corps of

00:28.173 --> 00:30.007
Engineers is helping rebuild the

00:30.007 --> 00:32.229
northern city of Arbil Sergeant , first

00:32.229 --> 00:34.229
class marty Collins tells us more .

00:34.229 --> 00:36.340
We're gonna drive this stretch , stop

00:36.340 --> 00:38.562
valves and then we get to the main road

00:38.562 --> 00:38.410
and we're going to head on the South

00:38.410 --> 00:41.660
Park Major dan day like to build things .

00:42.740 --> 00:44.700
Yeah yeah .

00:48.340 --> 00:50.062
Are these numbers back home in

00:50.062 --> 00:52.118
sacramento California . Native works

00:52.118 --> 00:53.951
for the California Department of

00:53.951 --> 00:56.229
Transportation as a bridge engineering .

00:56.229 --> 00:58.650
I was assigned as the Erbil resident

00:58.660 --> 01:01.060
engineer . Our office was responsible

01:01.060 --> 01:04.660
for over $225 million worth of projects

01:05.540 --> 01:07.651
today . He's checking the progress on

01:07.651 --> 01:09.873
construction sites , all the stairs are

01:09.873 --> 01:13.280
done , kitchen is done by the hospital

01:13.290 --> 01:15.830
fire station and a water treatment

01:15.840 --> 01:18.580
facility . Okay , the big budget item

01:18.580 --> 01:21.490
on his watch is the infra water project .

01:21.500 --> 01:24.060
This water treatment plant worth over

01:24.060 --> 01:26.690
$200 million will bring fresh water to

01:26.690 --> 01:29.500
the population of Erbil which is over

01:29.520 --> 01:32.040
reaching one million people .

01:32.050 --> 01:35.200
Construction of the water plant is on

01:35.200 --> 01:37.700
schedule but there were learning curves .

01:37.710 --> 01:39.710
Some of the challenges we're facing

01:39.710 --> 01:42.470
here is trying to bring the Iraqis up

01:42.470 --> 01:44.920
to western safety standards , wearing

01:44.920 --> 01:47.142
hard hats , wearing safety protection ,

01:47.142 --> 01:50.360
wearing a good footwear . His time in

01:50.360 --> 01:52.720
Iraq is winding down and he has no

01:52.730 --> 01:55.480
regret . The US presence here with our

01:55.490 --> 01:57.970
funding makes a big difference . We're

01:57.970 --> 02:00.470
improving the lives of the kurdish

02:00.470 --> 02:02.770
Iraqis by building them facilities like

02:02.770 --> 02:06.340
this all over . Iraq in California may

02:06.340 --> 02:09.070
debate , builds bridges in Iraq . The

02:09.070 --> 02:11.237
bridges , buildings are not visible to

02:11.237 --> 02:13.590
the human eyes . These bridges are ones

02:13.590 --> 02:16.080
of hope and optimism for those who will

02:16.080 --> 02:20.030
be here long after he's gone . I

02:20.030 --> 02:22.197
know the army , we're all one big team

02:22.197 --> 02:25.520
here , we're proud to be here and all

02:25.520 --> 02:27.700
of us want to do a good job . Army

02:27.700 --> 02:30.800
started mardy Collins are build

02:30.910 --> 02:34.140
Iraq soldiers convoy through the

02:34.140 --> 02:36.140
streets of Taji bringing safety and

02:36.140 --> 02:38.290
security to the area . Army Sergeant

02:38.290 --> 02:40.346
Joshua Middelburg is with the Alaska

02:40.346 --> 02:42.568
based soldiers on one of their missions

02:42.568 --> 02:45.120
and brings us this . Report . Soldiers

02:45.120 --> 02:47.590
from Task Force Thunder one 72nd

02:47.590 --> 02:50.010
striker Brigade combat team rolled

02:50.010 --> 02:52.440
through the streets of Taji Iraq . They

02:52.440 --> 02:54.607
don't travel far before encountering a

02:54.607 --> 02:57.090
possible threat about 100 m or so in

02:57.090 --> 02:59.201
front of us next to a former I didn't

02:59.201 --> 03:01.257
know you might have what they call a

03:01.257 --> 03:03.500
Chemi homemade explosives . The threat

03:03.500 --> 03:05.333
turns out to be nothing . So the

03:05.333 --> 03:07.278
soldiers dismount their vehicles ,

03:07.278 --> 03:09.278
begin approaching a set of houses .

03:09.278 --> 03:11.500
They are paying close attention to this

03:11.500 --> 03:13.556
area because an improvised explosive

03:13.556 --> 03:16.340
device or IED went off here just days

03:16.340 --> 03:18.229
earlier . The soldiers secure the

03:18.229 --> 03:20.007
surrounding area and turn their

03:20.007 --> 03:22.229
attention to the house . We're going to

03:22.229 --> 03:24.062
search the house . They have any

03:24.062 --> 03:26.173
weapons . Alaska shows those bring us

03:26.173 --> 03:28.062
the weapons , we go and find them

03:28.062 --> 03:30.550
without them telling us a little more

03:30.550 --> 03:32.661
tactical at the question and find out

03:32.661 --> 03:34.883
what's going on . I know what the other

03:34.883 --> 03:37.106
side , they found the sniper rifle on a

03:37.106 --> 03:39.050
roof . They're dealing with that .

03:39.050 --> 03:38.710
They're going to come to this location

03:38.720 --> 03:41.040
once the area is secured . Colonel

03:41.040 --> 03:43.290
Scott Wisner , battalion Commander for

03:43.290 --> 03:45.690
Task Force Thunder one 72nd Striker

03:45.690 --> 03:48.320
Brigade Combat Team begins asking one

03:48.320 --> 03:50.490
of the locals about terrorist activity

03:50.490 --> 03:51.712
in the neighborhood .

03:56.140 --> 04:00.130
Farmer Fours . According

04:00.130 --> 04:02.297
to Colonel Wisner , building relations

04:02.297 --> 04:04.297
with the locals is key to defeating

04:04.297 --> 04:06.440
terrorists in the area . We spend so

04:06.440 --> 04:09.240
much time no working on engaging with

04:09.250 --> 04:11.730
people . And uh , I think that that

04:11.730 --> 04:14.420
makes the difference . Uh , people have

04:14.420 --> 04:17.130
to trust you respect you . They don't

04:17.130 --> 04:19.810
have to necessarily like it , but you

04:19.810 --> 04:22.540
have to respect your honesty fair and

04:22.540 --> 04:24.818
you'll do what you say you're gonna do .

04:24.840 --> 04:26.890
Colonel Wisner also says there is a

04:26.890 --> 04:29.112
long way to go in the area , but he has

04:29.112 --> 04:31.001
already seen progress and believe

04:31.001 --> 04:33.001
strongly that this area will become

04:33.001 --> 04:34.779
safe and secure from terrorists

04:34.779 --> 04:37.220
reporting from Tagi Iraq . I'm Army

04:37.220 --> 04:39.240
Sergeant Joshua Middelburg with the

04:39.240 --> 04:41.730
three 63rd Mobile Public Affairs

04:41.730 --> 04:45.610
Detachment after the Break Specialist

04:45.610 --> 04:47.777
Michael Miscarry tells us why it is so

04:47.777 --> 04:49.832
important to check ammunition . Stay

04:49.832 --> 04:51.060
with

05:22.000 --> 05:24.222
specialist Charles Mclaughlin . Is that

05:24.222 --> 05:25.944
the news ? That's what today's

05:25.944 --> 05:27.944
headlines . Thanks hooded gunmen in

05:27.944 --> 05:29.944
black uniforms seized from our last

05:29.944 --> 05:32.111
week . They acted under the leadership

05:32.111 --> 05:34.700
of Muqtada al Sadr 500 Iraqi soldiers

05:34.700 --> 05:36.867
forced the Mahdi Army fighters off the

05:36.867 --> 05:39.870
streets , 25 gunmen and police died in

05:39.880 --> 05:42.560
fire fights before the Iraqi army moved

05:42.560 --> 05:44.840
in to retake the city . They arranged a

05:44.840 --> 05:46.840
truce and quiet was returned to the

05:46.840 --> 05:49.360
city . U . S . Soldiers seized 21

05:49.360 --> 05:51.350
cashes in the use of the area of

05:51.360 --> 05:54.310
Baghdad . The cash consisted of rPgs ,

05:54.350 --> 05:57.520
dynamite ammunition , 17 rigged and

05:57.520 --> 05:59.690
ready to use i . E . Ds and various

05:59.690 --> 06:02.670
bomb making materials . Iraqi security

06:02.670 --> 06:04.559
forces and coalition soldiers are

06:04.559 --> 06:06.670
continuing operation together forward

06:06.670 --> 06:08.670
in Baghdad , they have cleared more

06:08.670 --> 06:11.360
than 95,000 buildings , arrested more

06:11.360 --> 06:14.020
than 200 terrorists and seized more

06:14.020 --> 06:17.800
than 1700 weapons and other news . U .

06:17.800 --> 06:19.967
S . Soldiers delivered school supplies

06:19.967 --> 06:21.856
donated from organizations in the

06:21.856 --> 06:23.911
United States to Children in Western

06:23.911 --> 06:25.744
Baghdad . They handed out pens ,

06:25.770 --> 06:28.560
pencils , notebooks and even soccer

06:28.560 --> 06:30.830
balls for the Children to play with .

06:30.840 --> 06:32.951
That's your headlines from around the

06:32.951 --> 06:34.673
region . On specialist Charles

06:34.673 --> 06:36.562
Mclaughlin , you don't know these

06:36.562 --> 06:38.507
soldiers but you probably couldn't

06:38.507 --> 06:40.562
complete your mission without them .

06:40.562 --> 06:42.618
Specialist Michael Miscarry tells us

06:42.618 --> 06:44.562
how soldiers are keeping armed and

06:44.562 --> 06:46.396
ready on camp anaconda beans and

06:46.396 --> 06:48.618
bullets are the key to any core support

06:48.618 --> 06:50.729
commands . Mission logistical support

06:50.729 --> 06:53.470
area Anaconda is no different .

06:53.480 --> 06:56.440
It's a typical day

06:56.450 --> 06:59.800
basically we're brushing off the dust

06:59.810 --> 07:01.977
off the trip player so we can read the

07:01.977 --> 07:03.866
lot number . It's looking for any

07:03.866 --> 07:05.810
corrosion , any rust anything that

07:05.810 --> 07:08.600
might damage the ammunition than what

07:08.600 --> 07:11.590
we do is we labeled animals can do the

07:11.590 --> 07:14.480
paperwork and put it into the system .

07:14.490 --> 07:18.450
Members of the four 52nd ordinance

07:18.450 --> 07:20.506
company are hard at work . The South

07:20.506 --> 07:22.672
Dakota based company has just received

07:22.672 --> 07:25.340
ammunition primitive parting unit .

07:25.350 --> 07:27.980
Specialist mary Ryan describes the

07:27.980 --> 07:30.950
process . I'm working here at turn in

07:30.960 --> 07:33.127
every day . We inspect ammunition that

07:33.127 --> 07:35.127
comes in from units who are getting

07:35.127 --> 07:37.730
ready to leave and we're just dropping

07:37.730 --> 07:40.270
ammunition off to get rid of it . We go

07:40.270 --> 07:43.500
through it to pretty much decide what's

07:43.510 --> 07:46.630
good , what's bad . So whatever is bad

07:46.630 --> 07:48.852
gets blown up and we have the option of

07:48.852 --> 07:50.741
actually going out and doing that

07:50.741 --> 07:52.797
outside the wire . I haven't done it

07:52.797 --> 07:54.852
yet , but I kind of want to think of

07:54.852 --> 07:58.110
the fun in another area . These

07:58.110 --> 07:59.888
soldiers know the importance of

07:59.888 --> 08:02.980
ensuring these rounds aren't more well .

08:02.990 --> 08:05.046
It's important to make sure that the

08:05.046 --> 08:07.650
round is actually serviceable because

08:07.650 --> 08:09.761
you don't want to put it in a gun and

08:09.761 --> 08:12.039
have a misfire or blow up in the Canon .

08:12.130 --> 08:14.370
These soldiers know that they make a

08:14.370 --> 08:17.120
difference . Probably the best part is

08:17.130 --> 08:20.220
knowing that all the ammunition that

08:20.220 --> 08:22.442
goes . So the firefighters come through

08:22.442 --> 08:25.240
us first . We supply ammunition to

08:25.240 --> 08:27.518
pretty much everybody here on anaconda .

08:27.518 --> 08:29.629
All of the soldiers going outside the

08:29.629 --> 08:31.580
wire if they're in a firefight and

08:31.580 --> 08:33.691
their weapons champs because they had

08:33.691 --> 08:36.240
bad ammo pretty much on us . So we go

08:36.240 --> 08:38.240
through everything very carefully .

08:38.240 --> 08:40.680
These soldiers think about ammo , the

08:40.680 --> 08:44.060
troops in the field don't have to from

08:44.060 --> 08:46.500
balad Iraq . I'm specialist Michael

08:46.500 --> 08:50.010
mastery . Iraqi reconstruction efforts

08:50.010 --> 08:52.177
have a new leader calling the shots on

08:52.177 --> 08:54.232
your private chris charbonneau . Was

08:54.232 --> 08:56.454
that the change of command ceremony for

08:56.454 --> 08:58.566
the U . S . Army Corps of Engineers ?

08:58.566 --> 09:00.621
Gulf region division ? The brains of

09:00.621 --> 09:02.566
the army Corps of Engineers , Gulf

09:02.566 --> 09:04.621
region division have changed hands .

09:04.621 --> 09:06.566
The division conducted a change of

09:06.566 --> 09:08.121
command ceremony this month

09:08.121 --> 09:10.010
transferring authority from Major

09:10.010 --> 09:09.990
General William McCoy said Brigadier

09:09.990 --> 09:12.370
General Michael Walsh . The Grd is

09:12.370 --> 09:14.537
responsible for reconstruction efforts

09:14.537 --> 09:16.580
in Iraq . They employ local Iraqis

09:16.580 --> 09:18.747
rebuild their country piece by piece .

09:18.747 --> 09:20.858
The division has continued to rebuild

09:20.858 --> 09:23.024
despite facing many obstacles stemming

09:23.024 --> 09:25.136
from security concerns and attacks on

09:25.136 --> 09:24.990
projects . Sites

09:25.000 --> 09:46.110
they

09:46.120 --> 09:48.120
have completed almost 3000 projects

09:48.120 --> 09:50.176
since Operation Iraqi freedom kicked

09:50.176 --> 09:52.287
off and are currently working on 1000

09:52.287 --> 09:55.200
projects worth $13.8 billion . Despite

09:55.200 --> 09:56.978
challenges that lie ahead . The

09:56.978 --> 09:59.200
division expects to complete over 95%

09:59.200 --> 10:01.478
of remaining projects in the next year .

10:01.478 --> 10:03.730
Army private chris charbonneau Baghdad

10:03.740 --> 10:07.670
Iraq into the next

10:07.670 --> 10:09.650
FBI went on the specialist ross a

10:09.650 --> 10:11.760
walkie takes us on a security patrol

10:11.760 --> 10:14.120
and I feel confident that they will

10:14.360 --> 10:16.460
react the way they know how to you .

10:16.470 --> 10:19.020
For instance , a couple of I . E . D .

10:19.020 --> 10:21.080
Strikes where they done exactly as I

10:21.080 --> 10:23.500
told him that does it for this edition

10:23.500 --> 10:25.667
of Freedom Journal Iraq's tune in next

10:25.667 --> 10:27.722
time for more stories from the front

10:27.722 --> 10:29.667
lines of Operation Iraqi . Freedom

10:29.667 --> 10:31.778
until then . From all of the curia FN

10:31.778 --> 10:33.833
and Freedom Journal Iraq take care .

10:33.840 --> 10:34.840
Yeah .

10:44.140 --> 10:46.940
Yeah . Uh huh .

10:48.940 --> 10:49.940
Yeah .

10:53.040 --> 10:53.240
Yeah