A 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, Humvee sits beside the survey site of damaged high-tension power line towers near al Durai’ya, Iraq, March 17.

Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Sean Riley, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs.

Government of Iraq Funds Critical Power Line Repairs in Al Durai’ya

Saturday, 22 March 2008
By Staff Sgt. Sean Riley
3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

FOB HAMMER — Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, working with the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity (MoE) representative, surveyed several damaged high-tension power line towers near al Durai’ya, March 17.

The day prior, Lt. Col. Jack Marr, from Minneapolis, commander of 1-15th Inf. Regt., met with Iraqi Army leadership, the MoE, and Sheik Majid, the local Sons of Iraq (SoI) leader, to discuss repair of the towers.

After surveying the site, the MoE agreed the government of Iraq would fund labor for the repairs and security for the laborers would be provided by SoI in the area.

“Sheik Majid agreed to secure the roads with Sons of Iraq while the power lines are being repaired by the Ministry of Electricity,” said Maj. John Cushing, from Rochester, Mich., operations officer for the battalion.

Marr said assisting the al Durai’ya residents will improve relationships between local leaders, citizens and Iraqi security forces. “It is truly great to see Iraqis solving Iraqi problems.”

The 1-15th Inf. Regt., 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, from Fort Benning, Ga., has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March 2007.