Afghan Women Can Succeed in Agriculture

Local Afghan women package harvested saffron as part of the Kentucky Agribusiness Development Team, Task Force Cyclone, Womens' Empowerment Project in Panjshir Province. The Womens' Empowerment Team of the Kentucky ADT educate women on things they can do at home, such as grow saffron and mushrooms and other things to improve their families lives.
Photo by US Army SGT Jo Lisa Ashley, Kentucky ADT Task Force Cyclone

KAPISA PROVINCE, Afghanistan - The Kentucky Army National Guard and Air Guard united in August 2009 to form Kentucky’s first joint Agri-business Development Team.

This specialized unit is made up of service members from different backgrounds throughout the state of Kentucky.

Around 80% of Afghanistan’s populous is connected to the agriculture industry. Since Aug., the ADT has spent their deployment educating the local farmers and government on how to increase productivity, increase their market share and manage natural resources in Parwan, Panjshir, Kapisa and Bamyan provinces.

As a result of their work, the production of potatoes and onion has greatly increased in the Bamyan province.

U.S. Army Lt. Col. William T. Ewing, from Harrisburg, Ky., has a degree in Entomology and has been working with the Agricultural team during his deployment here.

“The Afghan people can grow a lot of crops,” said Ewing. “They are actually producing more than they consume or export, and we are teaching them how to export and store their crops longer.”

With the ADT’s help, pomegranate farmers in the Tagab district of the Kapisa province were able to export their crops to India and Dubai. Because they exported to these countries, they received three times their normal price for the crops.

Educating the people on natural resource management has been a key point of the ADT. Irrigation and reforestation advances should greatly improve agricultural production in Afghanistan.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Ray Norris, from Scottsburg, In., assigned to the 123rd Airlift Wing in Louisville, Ky., grew up on a family farm and volunteered to deploy with the ADT.

Norris spent some time in the Yakalong district of the Bamyan province where there is an eroded canal that provides water to about 800 family farms.

“There are not many organizations in this area helping the people,” said Norris. “We are working to get the materials so the people can make repairs themselves.”

The ADT has been working with the Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL), and the Director of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (DAIL) at the provincial levels in the Parwan, Panjshir, Bamyan and Kapisa provinces.

U.S. Army Col. Mike D. Farley, from Corbin, Ky., is the commander of the ADT and is glad to be a part of this important and unique mission.

“We are here to help the people increase the nutritional value in the country and sustain a better and healthier lifestyle,” said Farley.

We are working directly with the MAIL and the DAIL’s, to give them the knowledge to help their people, said Farley.

The ADT has also been working to teach the women of Afghanistan techniques to improve their home life.

U.S. Army Sgt. Jo Lisa Ashley, of Eubank, Ky. is the ADT’s women’s empowerment coordinator for the team.

“Most women here work at home, they take care of their families and the household duties,” said Ashley. “I am working with them on projects that they can do at home to bring in extra income.”

The Afghan government is working side-by-side with Ministry of Women’s Affairs and they are doing a great job about going out and showing that they support these programs for the women, said Ashley.

The ADT will spend about five more months here in Afghanistan before they return home.

- Written by U.S. Army Spc. Charles J. Thompson

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As my readers know, I am a huge advocate of reviving the agriculture in Afghanistan and Iraq. No country can survive and prosper without the ability to feed its own people. Look at our own economy as we continue to push out agriculture. I am also an advocate for teaching skills and income making opportunities to women. Thanks to the Kentucky ADT for their efforts!

Afghan Women Learn to Grow Mushrooms

Women from Laghman province learned how to grow mushrooms using wet straw
in a class hosted by the coalition Female Engagement Team.

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan –Some women from Laghman province learned how to grow mushrooms during a class hosted by the coalition Female Engagement Team this past week.

The Female Engagement Team has been able to develop a more intimate relationship with the Afghan female students. Afghan women have reached out to request a booth at the coalition run Forward Operating Base Bazaar to sell hand-made products. The request was approved to will allow the local Afghan women work in the locan business community.

The FMT is currently organizing classes on tailoring and computer skills for the women.

Soldiers Assist with Veterinary Care in Afghanistan

SPC Jose Lopez of the California National Guard, 40th Infantry Division, Agribusiness Development Team, assists with the veterinary mission near Camp Wright, Asadabad, Afghanistan.

Staff Sergeant John Carter of the California National Guard, 40th Infantry Division, Agribusiness Development Team, assists with the veterinary mission near Camp Wright, Asadabad, Afghanistan.

Photos by Tech. Sgt. Brian Boisvert, Kunar Provisional Reconstruction Team Public Affairs.

KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – The California National Guard’s 40th Infantry Division’s Agri-business Development Team conducted a veterinary civic action program in the provincial capital to help area residents with their livestock, Jan. 15.

The ADT partnered with local leaders and veterinarians to administer vaccinations and vitamin treatment to 567 animals belonging to more than 100 villagers from the Gujjer and Pashtun tribes in the villages of Woch Now, Argadel Kalay and Yargul Kalay that surround Camp Wright in Kunar Province.

The local residents brought their livestock to the event to get treatment and information, but most important the event helped foster a positive relationship between Coalition Forces, government leaders and the people.

According to Fazlullah Wahidi, Kunar provincial governor, the VETCAP was necessary because of the importance of livestock in Afghanistan.

“Kunar is a province of agriculture and animals. We are in a mountain area, and the biggest economy for people is their cows, sheep and goats,” Wahidi said. “This is very good for our farmers today for the medicines. Livestock for these people are cash-money because they don’t have businesses, they are farmers. If they were to buy some goods for example, they would have to sell something to buy something.”

The governor said the people he talked to were happy to have the ADT’s help.

“We are thankful to the people and government of America. They all support across the province and work with us as a team,” Wahidi said. “This is the first time for this here and the people are very happy that they (ADT) are here for them to benefit from this knowledge and experience.”

The governor was so pleased by the operation he had his own horse and four cows sent to the event for treatment.

The ADT teamed up with Afghan elders, military-aged males and children from the surrounding villages to help set up the holding pens, assist with the vaccinations and clean up the site when done. The VETCAP ran smoothly with the assistance of village children who helped corral animals that tried to escape. The mobile clinic paired Afghan veterinarians with ADT members and allowed them to work with villagers on how to properly administer future vaccinations.

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Max Velte, ADT deputy commander from Sacramento, Calif., said this VETCAP was a collaborative partnership with local leaders and elders, as well as a great opportunity to work with Afghan National Security Forces to secure the event.

Velte said the ADT also handed out humanitarian assistance to the villagers who brought their animals for treatment as both an incentive and as preventive care.

“The items included solar powered radios, water and small food items and livestock vitamin booster supplements,” Velte said. “We needed to get the solar-powered radios out to them because of the three villages that came today, two are without power. Now with solar radios, the Gujjer villages are much more connected to information from the government center of Asadabad and the surrounding areas.”

U.S. Army Spc. Gerardo Robledo, Jr., ADT security forces member from Anaheim, Calif., said the VETCAP was important because it put Afghan veterinarians out in front of their people.

“It’s important because it gives the local people confidence in the workers from their communities. That way if something is wrong with their animals they can go to them and not come to us or wait for these VETCAPS,” Robledo said. “They can go and find a local veterinarian to tell them what is wrong with their animals.”

One of the Afghan veterinarians was Hedayetullah from Jalalabad. He said he was glad to come and help the people take care of their animals.

“We have a lot of profit from the animals. It is important to take care of the animals because when we trade the animals we get a good amount for them,” Hedayetullah said. “This (VETCAP) was done to prevent diseases, and I’m very happy to participate in today’s event. The people were very excited and happy about this.”

But, pride was also in the faces of the ADT members as they closed out their most successful VETCAP.

“We finished crunching our numbers last night and our total number was 567 animals treated at the Argadel VETCAP,” Velte said. “This is a record number of us. It was a great VETCAP and total team effort.”

Irrigation Projects Improve Iraq Agriculture

Sheik Haj Hatim Sadkhan, a local national leader in the Maysan Province,

stands aside an irrigation canal built by locals in Amarah.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER — Local Iraqi construction workers recently completed an irrigation canal and water pump project on the outskirts of Amarah, in the Maysan province.

“We are very appreciative of these improvements,” said Sheik Haj Hatim Sadkhan, a local city leader. “We will continue to support the government of Iraq and Coalition forces.”

The new structure will give 20 local farmers the ability to farm an additional 400 hectare of land annually.

The month-long project, which was completed Sept. 29, provides the farmers with an improved irrigation system to grow more crops during the upcoming season.

This project and similar ones can now be completed due to the increased security in the Maysan province. The 38th Iraqi Army Brigade, partnered with the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment is conducting counter- insurgency operations along the southeastern border of Iraq.

(By 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division)

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Hectare = A metric unit of area equal to 100 ares (10,000 square meters) = (2.471 acres)

Training Beekeepers in Afghanistan

An Afghan beekeeping student demonstrates the honey-extraction skills his instructor taught him, as his fellow students look on. The Shindand Agricultural Experiment Station provides farmers in the Shindand district of Afghanistan's Herat province with agricultural education and employment.

U.S. Army photo by Spc. Anna Perry,

Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Afghanistan

An Afghan instructor teaches local farmers how to remove bees from a honeycomb during the honey extraction process. The beekeeping course is being held at the Shindand Agricultural Experiment Station in Afghanistan's Herat province.

U.S. Army photo by Spc. Anna Perry,

Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Afghanistan

By Army Spc. Anna Perry
Special to American Forces Press Service

SHINDAND AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, July 3, 2008 - U.S. special operations warriors serving in western Afghanistan's volatile Herat province have a unique security-enhancing capability in their own backyard, and it involves neither bullets nor bombs.

The Shindand Agricultural Experiment Station, located within the perimeter of Shindand Airfield, is an attempt to provide desperately needed agricultural skills to Afghans and an effort to jumpstart agricultural production in the Shindand district.

"The agricultural center has many positive effects for the both the troops and the local population," a U.S. Special Forces civil affairs team leader said. "This allows us to build a rapport with the villagers through education and employment; therefore, they are given a reason to think twice about allowing the anti-Afghan forces to step in and influence their lives in a negative way. The presence of this agricultural center is a security measure in and of itself."

The agricultural center, which officially opened in May, boasts a greenhouse, honey house, four concrete fish ponds, a classroom and living quarters for three scientists. Thousands of pomegranates, grape vines, fruit trees, rose bushes and vegetables grow around the station.

"The station is intended to be used for the development of innovative approaches to agricultural production, the demonstration of new technologies and to teach and support local farmers," said the station's agricultural advisor, a coalition officer who will be the primary mentor to the three Afghan scientists who soon will be hired to operate the station.

Thirty years ago, the advisor said, Afghanistan was an exporter of food, with pomegranates, nuts and vegetables among the major crops. "I believe they have the capacity to once again export food, but they need a better handle on concepts like water conservation and adapting new technologies like drip irrigation," the agricultural advisor said.

The intent is to hire Afghan scientists who have a wide array of specialty skills ranging from vegetable production to fish farming. The scientists will teach classes and conduct research at the station and will go out into the villages and share their knowledge with local farmers, the agricultural advisor added.

Six Afghans who work at the station provide maintenance, crop irrigation, weeding and planting support.

The vast majority of Afghans are employed in some type of agricultural profession, and until a legitimate way to make money is provided, they will continue to use poppy production as a main source of income, the agricultural advisor said. The station provides Shindand-area farmers with a realistic alternative to poppy production.

Roughly two dozen local farmers are taking a three-week-long beekeeping course at the station. The material covered in the class, which is being taught by an Afghan instructor, will enable the farmers to manage beehives and to extract and market honey.

One local farmer said he is grateful to have an opportunity to learn a skill as lucrative as honey production.

A beekeeping student who resides in the village of Changan said his view is the same as that of other villagers at the course. "We came here because this is one of the best ways to make money in Afghanistan," he said. "Honey is the most expensive thing to buy at the bazaar. We are here to support our families, economy and country."

At the end of the course, the graduating students will receive three beehives, bees and the equipment necessary to extract honey.

In the future, the station also will provide courses on agricultural skills such as poultry production and fish farming. In addition, the agricultural advisor will work hand in hand with a U.S. Special Forces civil affairs team in establishing a fruit-drying warehouse and a poultry farm, which will be extensions of the agricultural station.

Through one class at a time and one job at a time, the agricultural station peacefully is creating a more secure Shindand district for both the villagers who live there and the troops who serve there.

"My idea is that we should provide all Afghan people with jobs and there will be peace," the beekeeping student said. "Run this kind of project all over the country. ... You can hold security with weapons and rifles, but if there are enough jobs, people will go to work and not steal or fight to support their families. There is hope, because the economy is improving. The security of this country depends on the jobs."

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I know - another agriculture story! Successful agriculture is the keep to self-suffciency.

The Army and Operation Chicken Run

Maj. Jessica McCoy, an Army veterinarian and member of Baghdad embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team number four, holds up a young chick belonging to an Iraqi poultry farmer. “Operation Chicken Run”, supported by the ePRT, is helping develop the intensive farming capacity and providing revenue alternatives to Iraqi farmers who have discontinued support for al-Qaida and other insurgent groups.

Maj. Jessica McCoy’s helmet is welcome shelter to a young chick on a farm in southern Baghdad province. McCoy is an Army veterinarian and member of Baghdad embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team number four.

Thousands of baby chicks, one of the first steps in the renewed poultry and egg industry sit in warming shelves at an Iraqi poultry farm just outside of Mahmudiyah.

Eggs sit on incubator shelves, part of the effort by the Baghdad embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team number four to help Iraqi farmers rebuild the once-thriving poultry industry in southern Baghdad province.


Poultry Drives Hope: South of Baghdad, Coalition Forces Work With Poultry Growers to Revitalize a Once Thriving Iraqi Chicken Industry

By Tim Kilbride
Multi-National Division – Central Public Affairs Office

BAGHDAD — In this case the chicken will come first. With nearly five years of war taking a heavy toll on Iraq’s domestic poultry industry, overall chicken and egg consumption is down in the country, while 40 percent of the commercial eggs consumed in Baghdad are imported.

In Mahmudiyah, an agricultural community south of the Iraqi capital and a traditional hub of Baghdad province’s poultry industry, some of the most pervasive violence of the war effectively halted production of a variety of poultry, broilers and eggs. But with recent security improvements, achieved through the cooperation of local residents and a counter-insurgency strategy implemented by coalition forces, an opportunity has been gained to resume production.

As part of a wider economic revitalization and job-creation program taking place across provinces south and east of Baghdad, civil affairs specialists with the U.S. military’s Multi-National Division – Center are now taking steps to make Iraq’s poultry growers competitive again within the domestic market.

The military is working hand-in-hand with agricultural experts from a U.S. State Department-led embedded provincial reconstruction team (ePRT) to identify poultry farmers and band them together into a form of regional cooperative. They named the cooperative the Mahmudiyah poultry association.

The military branded its own efforts more creatively: “Operation Chicken Run.”

Like other military initiatives, there is a security angle to it. Employment and economic prosperity, coalition commanders argue, breed stability. Holding on to the pockets of security that were created with combat offensives throughout summer and fall 2007 requires the continued support of local populations, so coalition troops are now focused on building economic and government capacity in the communities they secured. In poultry they see the chance for a quick victory based on the industry’s past in Iraq.

A large percentage of chicken consumed in Iraq now comes from imports of frozen meat from the United States and Brazil. Making Iraqi-grown chicken and eggs competitive in domestic markets will require economies of scale. Thus the need for pooled resources and a regional poultry association to act as a coordinating body, said Maj. Jessica McCoy, an Army veterinarian based in nearby Yusufiyah and a member of Baghdad’s ePRT number four. The team is embedded with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), from Fort Campbell, Ky.

“Right now about 40 percent of the commercial eggs consumed in Baghdad are imported,” McCoy said. “This chicken farmers’ association will assist local egg-laying operations to eat into that share by providing a source of inexpensive high-quality feed, and thereby increase Iraq’s domestic fresh egg consumption.”

McCoy, a native of Wellesley, Mass., is joined in the effort by Capt. Paul Hester, an ePRT agri-business specialist who worked closely with farmers’ associations and cooperatives in the United States. Hester noted that Iraqi farmers are familiar with the principles behind the co-op, and had similar arrangements in place in the past, but require coaching to move beyond their experience under the former state-controlled system and into a free market.

“The Iraqi farmer has the basic knowledge of the association process from his past. Under Saddam (Hussein), the industries were often integrated, but the control was with the government,” Hester said.

“With the formation of the Mahmudiyah poultry association we are putting the knowledge of the farmers, both in farming practices and working in an integrated system, to work for them, not for the government,” he explained.Hester and McCoy met and interviewed more than 100 broiler growers to get a baseline feel for capacity and requirements before advancing with their plan to link the farmers.

“We are assisting them to increase their abilities and profits by working together, buying from each other, and developing items such as breeding stock, feeds, and markets,” Hester said.

Among the most important steps is actually distributing chicks to farmers to enable them to resume self-sufficient operations. But before farmers will be ready to receive chicks, the farms themselves must undergo renovations and the infrastructure needed to support the industry must be repaired and improved.

The ePRT is seeking assistance from the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Community Stabilization Program to help individual farmers repair their facilities. They are also seeking to repair the association’s processing plant. Additional funds will come from military and State Department grants, as well as from the government of Iraq.

The system McCoy and Hester envision has Iraqi farmers supporting other members of the association by buying chicks and feed from their partners, selling grown chickens to other partners, and in turn processing the meat or selling live chickens at market. Under that system, the coalition’s primary role would be to get the association and its members up and running before handing off management responsibility.

“Already we can see a rejuvenation of this industry here. In the next year this district’s industry will employ an estimated 1,300 people, compared with 50 today,” McCoy said.Additional employment will be generated as supporting businesses like trucking, road construction and cold storage expand to meet demand, McCoy explained.

“It will boost the district economy and breathe new life into a region’s industry by creating jobs. This will be a permanent improvement for the Mahmudiyah qada,” McCoy said.

“Six months ago, there were four active broiler farms in operation in our district. Today there are seven. In twelve months we anticipate there will be more than fifty,” the major observed.

Despite improved economies of scale, the military advisors still expect the Iraqi chicken to sell for slightly more than imported meat. However, the difference in price should not impact competitiveness, McCoy said.

“Ours will be fresh and Halal-slaughtered, according to Muslim tradition,” McCoy said. “We will not compete on price. We will win by offering a fresh locally grown product, without hormones or preservatives, which our research shows has a select, ready market,” she added.

A side benefit, the major explained, is that the typical Iraqi diet is low in protein, and an increase in the amount of low-cost meat available will improve nutrition.

Another unexpected benefit, the officer noted, is that economic cooperation serves to bridge the sectarian divide that has emerged between Sunni and Shia communities in Iraq.

“Already we have 14 tribes represented, and they have all agreed to work together to make this happen,” McCoy said.

“This project will be a model for Iraqi farmers and business owners to show them that they can work together, regardless of their tribal or religious ties, and provide a higher standard of living for their families,” Hester added.

One Mahmudiyah farmer, sheik Suleiman, provided a more direct account of the changes he envisions for his community as a result of the undertaking.

“This farmers’ association will bring people together. If any one of us fails, we all fail. This will force linkages among area farmers, those that run the hatcheries, feed mills, and the processing plant with the growers. It will bring people together regardless of their background - Sunni or Shia, Anbari or Zobai. We are farmers” Suleiman said.

“I fought al-Qaida with bullets before you (Americans) were here. Now I fight them with chickens,” the sheik said.

McCoy provided another motivation for her and Hester’s work with the farmers.

“As people realize the close association between security and increased standard of living, they will reject al-Qaida,” she said. “When that happens, the security becomes self-sustaining and we can all come home.”

(Ray McNulty, MND-C PAO, contributed to this article.)

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I know this is a long piece about poultry - but, what it is really about is hope and success and the future for the Iraqis. As agriculture succeeds, so will other things succeed. Without agriculture, there is no pattern for cooperation and food resources. This is truly GOOD NEWS!

Chick, Chick, Chick!

Troops Help Southern Baghdad Poultry Industry

By Sgt. Luis Delgadillo,
USA Special to American Forces Press Service

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq, Feb. 25, 2008 -

To some, it might be laughable that the economic welfare of an entire community relies on thousands of flightless birds, but in the farming communities of southern Baghdad, chickens represent a significant way ahead.

A member of the State Department's Baghdad 7 embedded provincial reconstruction team is helping these communities establish themselves as centers of poultry production.

"Some of these farmers had over 100,000 chickens at one time," said Mike Stevens, the team's agricultural advisor. Stevens, a native of Park Rapids, Minn., said farmers from Adwaniyah, Arab Jabour and Hawr Rajab lost their chickens to al Qaeda operatives who took them when they moved into the area.

In many cases, chicken coops were used to hide weapons caches, and insurgents often used the large spaces inside the coops to make homemade explosives, Stevens said. Local farmers also reported that insurgents would seize farmers' equipment and strip generators for parts.

By starting farmers unions for each of the communities, Stevens learned of the plight befalling the region's chicken farmers.

With help from soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team, Stevens began assessing the various agricultural industries that once thrived in the area. As part of his project, the 15-year State Department veteran also assessed chicken farms in the three tribal areas.

With information he learned about the communities, Stevens set in motion a three-pronged approach to rebuild the region's economic infrastructure.

To boost farm operations, micro-grants of up to $2,500 will be used to rebuild dilapidated chicken coops and other farm buildings. Quick response funds -- grants of up to $25,000 -- will be used to restock vacant local farms. In addition, disarming, demobilizing and reconstruction funds in amounts of up to $100,000 will be used to begin large-scale training and employment programs for people near factories such as the Al Raad slaughterhouse.

Stevens identified a local businessman who owns the poultry processing plant, which can support a work force of up to 200 employees and bring chickens to markets in the capital. Before insurgent activities, the plant owner contracted with many Hawr Rajab farmers to raise chickens for his slaughterhouse. The owner told Stevens he would trade chicken feed and a monthly stipend with farmers who guaranteed him a portion of their chickens for processing.

The plant has the potential to jumpstart the region's chicken industry, but before any profit is earned, both the factory and surrounding farms require funds to get going.

In coming weeks, live chickens will be delivered and farms in the region will begin to rebuild their coops, signaling another step toward progress for the citizens of Iraq.

(Army Sgt. Luis Delgadillo serves with the 3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)

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Yes, It REALLY is that important!!

Aid for Afghanistan ~ Sangin District Center, Helmand Province

Coalition soldiers struggle to hold a cow steady while they give her de-worming medicine. Coalition forces conducted veterinary operations in the Helmand province, Afghanistan, Aug. 4.

A coalition medical officer checks the scabbing on the face of a local girl while providing medical assistance in Sangin, Afghanistan, Aug. 3.

Capt. Sococi Florin, a Romanian special operations medic, checks the breathing of a local resident during a medical assistance mission in Sangin, Afghanistan, Aug. 2.

Soldiers from the United Arab Emarites hand out copies of the Quran and rugs at a medical assistance operation at Sangin, Afghanistan, Aug. 2.

Photos by SGT Steve M Boone, Joint Combat Camera Center

Combined Joint Task Force-82
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -

Afghan national security forces (ANSF), advised by coalition forces performed medical, veterinary and material assistance to Afghan civilians at the Sangin District Center, Helmand province, Aug. 1-5.

The medical and veterinary assistance were made possible due to diminished Taliban enemy activity in the area. Coalition forces have put heavy pressure on insurgents in Helmand province since spring, a strategy that disrupted the Taliban’s plan for a spring offensive.

“Our mission is to give these people medical treatment, something they otherwise have great difficulty getting access too,” said a coalition medical officer. “A lot of them can’t afford the medicine we’re giving them, but it’s part of a campaign for healthy bodies in Afghanistan.”

ANSF and coalition forces treated 857 villagers; including 329 men and 528 women and children during the five-day program. Common complaints were muscular and skeletal pain, upset stomach and dehydration, but there were some exceptions. Two victims of a recent Taliban mortar attack were stabilized and evacuated to a nearby coalition post for further care.

“Most of the people who come here have problems that are preventable or easy to fix,” said a coalition medical officer. “We can make simple advice and a little bit of medicine go a long way.”

A coalition dentist also provided dental care for the residents of Sangin. Most of his patients required extractions or fillings and each of them received information on how to maintain good oral health.

“This has been a great success,” said the governor of the Sangin District. “Many people of Sangin have been provided with medical care that they otherwise would not have been able to afford. Many thanks to God and to our friends in the international community for their assistance and may we all have peace.”

In addition to medical, dental and material services, the relief team also treated the livestock of Sangin residents. Sheep, goats and cattle made up the majority of the 120 animals that were treated for parasites, given growth supplements and antibiotics.

“The security and assistance for our animals and villagers are a gift from God,” said a Sangin area village elder. “Many thanks and blessings for an end to war.”

Coalition-aid programs divided 500 bags of rice, 400 bags of beans, cases of tea, powdered milk and cooking oil between villagers. Toys, books and school supplies were also distributed.

“The people of Sangin have seen a large portion of the combat in Afghanistan this year so we do whatever we can to make their lives easier,” said a coalition civil affairs officer. “Most of them are regular working families like you’d see back home; no different from us.”

“Although the services provided were limited, there were many encouraging comments from the locals,” said another coalition civil affairs officer. “They know we are here to help them and they appreciate that. Sangin residents can expect continued goodwill and care from coalition forces.”

US Army Assists Iraqi Farmers

“We’re very happy that you came to serve us like this and bring so many supplies. Before, many people used to say that the Americans were no good, but now, seeing how much you help us – everyone is changing their minds.”

Spc. Derrick Ballantine (right) a native of Fredricksted, U.S. Virgin Islands, and a driver with the 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), carries a bag of ammonium phosphate fertilizer at a distribution in the village of Mustafar, Iraq, March 25. He is followed by a local farmer who was helping unload the bags for disbursement.

Spc. Travis Bellew (center), a native of Arkansas City, Kan., and a medic with the 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), carries a bag of ammonium phosphate fertilizer with a local man at a distribution in the village of Mustafar, Iraq, March 25. Soldiers and civilians worked together to unload the bags for disbursement.

Iraqi men load bags of ammonium phosphate fertilizer into the backs of their pickup trucks in the village of Mustafar, Iraq, March 25. Soldiers of the 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), brought two truckloads of the bags for disbursement. (U.S. Army photos by Spc. Chris McCann, 2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI) Public Affairs)

By Spc. Chris McCann
2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI)
Public Affairs

MUSTAFAR, Iraq — The village of Mustafar, Iraq, teems with children and farmers hailing the trucks of U.S. Soldiers coming in, March 25.

The Soldiers, with the 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), brought two and a half truckloads of ammonium phosphate fertilizer from Camp Striker, Iraq, to the farmers a few miles away.

Abdul Nebi Mahdi Hassam Al-Shemeri, the head of the newly founded farmers’ cooperative, and his son, Salam Abdul-Nebi, helped organize the distribution.

“I help, but my father does most of it,” Salam said. “We live here and farm vegetables to sell – our family has been here for about 17 years.”

Capt. Adam Sawyer, a native of Reading, Pa., and the commander of Troop C, 1-89, helped about 50 farmers build their own cooperative.

“They’re recognized by the Iraqi government now,” Sawyer said. “The co-op has tractors and equipment that they share. They expressed interest in getting some fertilizer, and so (Abdul-Nebi) is here to make sure that only the members of the co-op get it.”

The chance to get out was fun for the Soldiers as well.“I feel like I’m actually doing something,” said Sgt. Ethan Jones, a native of Boyertown, Pa., and a welder. “I’m not just back in the rear, doing nothing. I’m getting out and seeing more of the scenery. And I think the Iraqis are very appreciative of what we’re doing.”

“We’re tired but happy,” said Abdul-Nebi. “We’re very happy that you came to serve us like this and bring so many supplies. Before, many people used to say that the Americans were no good, but now, seeing how much you help us – everyone is changing their minds.”

Pfc. Victor Calhoun, a native of Macon, Ga., and a driver with Troop D, said he’s been enlightened about Iraqi culture on these missions too.

“The more I do it, the more I enjoy it and understand that I’m actually part of helping them,” Calhoun said. “It’s good to see that we bring a variety of things they need. And today I saw the locals working together, instead of just asking for a handout. There were children involved, Iraqi police – everyone was working together.”

One of the Iraqi policemen, Samir Ali Kalaf Kenaani, joked with the local children and pulled security along Abu Ghalan road.

“I’m very happy to serve our people. We hope to serve more and more – the people here are very poor.”

Samir joined the police force to help the country, he said.

“Well, I joined for the salary too, but mostly to help my country,” Samir said, laughing. “It’s dangerous sometimes, but it’s dangerous in Iraq to be a civilian too. Mostly we just want to get the area to be safe. It will take time, but we’ll get there.”

Soldiers Make a Difference in Kenya

Combined Joint Task Force

- Horn of Africa

Soldiers Making a Difference

in Kenya

A Kenyan National Youth Serviceman uses a drench gun to put a tick killer on the back of a goat, while another vaccinates it, during a Veterinarian Civil Action program (VETCAP) project.

US Army Staff Sergeant Tony Vinas moves cattle through a chute during a VETCAP project.

CJTF-HOA - Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa

CJTF-HOA operates from Camp Lemonier, Djibouti. Since May 13, 2003, their mission is to prevent conflict, promote regional stability and protect Coalition interests in East Africa and Yemen. This is accomplished through humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, consequence management, civic action programs to include medical and veterinary care, school and medical clinic construction and water development projects.

Five US Army soldiers deployed to a Contingency Operation Location in Manda Bay, Kenya from the 413th Civil Affairs Battalion, CJTF-HOA. Their mission is to target projects that address humanitarian missions and impact development in the region. We win here by making very worthy friends, reducing or eliminating the conditions that foster terrorism.

These five soldiers are reservists. They bring additional skills to the mission from their civilian professions. This team is made up of a school teacher, two policemen, a firefighter and a computer technician.

Currently the team is working alongside the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and the National Youth Service of Operation Honest Knight, a Veterinarian Civic Action Program (VETCAP) in the Lamu District Islands on the southern coast of Kenya.

"VETCAP is the best thing to happen to the people of the Lamu district and their livestock," said Levi Mbuva, a member of the National Youth Servicemen. "This is because healthy animals mean better life for the people living in their marginalized islands."

They spent five days covering three islands and six locations caring for and treating more than 5,000 cattle, sheep, goats and donkeys.

Mbuva said, "Being a member of the service involved in this excursion is actually the best thing to happen to me in the recent past because it gives me an opportunity to serve the needy people of my nation and lets me see people appreciate what you are doing for them. It also gives me an opportunity to interact with representatives of the American government and represent my own country."

The civil affairs team was responsible for all of the logistical support and transportation for the VETCAP, including ordering and supplying the medical supplies, contacting eight boats to transport more than 30 people and supplies to the six locations, as well as coordinating each visit with the village chiefs on the islands.

Photos by US Air Force Technical Sergeant Sean M Worrell. Reference articles by US Army Sergeant James Allen.

National Guard to the Rescue

National Guard at Work

Assisting Storm Victims

Chief Warrant Officer Carl Gray loads hay in his UH-1 helicopter

The recent storms in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico and across the plains have left many stranded. The National Guard has been heroic in finding stranded motorists, evacuting those with health problems, tending to people on isolated farms who are without power and, therefore, without water, and deliver food, water and medicine. They are also assisting the ranchers in trying to get hay to the cattle who are stranded in the snow.

Eight Colorado National Guard helicopters and a C-130 have been dispatched to attempt to find and feed the stranded livestock. Volunteer snowmobile search and rescue teams are also helping. They believe over 30,000 head of cattle are stranded in the deep snow drifts. In addition to dropping hay to the animals, they are locating water sources and cutting through the ice for the cattle to be able to get water.

Tens of thousands are still without power and this may continue for weeks while the lines are repaired.

Once again, the National Guard is assisting those in need in America. Thank you!!!

Soldiers Breathe Life into Small Iraqi Town

Infantry Company's Efforts Breathe Life into Small Town

Capt. Colin Brooks, commander, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, talks to farmers from Muehla outside the Agricultural Union Building, near Kalsu, Iraq, October 9. Brooks and his soldiers delivered tractors, seed spreaders, water pumps and other items to the union as efforts continue to assist the union in working on its own before the soldiers redeploy later this year. U S Army Photo by Cpl. Michael Molinaro.

A local Iraqi citizen from Muehla drives a new tractor which was donated to Muehla Agricultural Union form Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldiers, October 9. U S Army photo by Cpl. Michael Molinaro.

Farmers Crops Thrive Thanks to Guidance, Equipment from U S Troops
By Cpl. Michael Molinaro
2nd Brigade Combat Team PAO, 4th Infantry Division
FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, IRAQ, October 16, 2006 - Multi-National Division

Baghdad soldiers delivered an assortment of equipment and goods to the Muehla Agricultural Union on October 9.

Refurbished tractors, seed spreaders and water pumps were among the items donated to the union as it begins to move from underneath the guidance of the soldiers from Company B, 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, and starts earning profits on its own.

"Muehla is the template for success for rural areas of Iraq," said Capt. Colin Brooks, commander, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment.

Muehla is a cradle for farming in the Babil province. Green pastures donimate the area, in Muehla alone, there are 650 farmers who represent more than 10,000 people. The area was known as a safe haven for terrorists in the past, and many rocket and mortar attacks against MND-B forces were carried out from inside the town, Brooks said.

Upon arriving in Iraq last December, Brooks and his soldiers immediately sat down with sheiks from the area to gauge their interests. While no one disputed the fact there were bad people in the area, and Company B would search for and detain individuals, Brooks wanted to open up dialogue with the influential leaders from the area and begin a positive relationship.

He said he quickly discovered farming was the key to stability in the area. With the Iraqis best interests in mind, he took on a major project by standing up an agricultural union that, in time, would provide all of the equipment and goods needed for the farmers of the area. By rounding up terrorists at night and meeting with sheiks and residents during the day, the transformation of Muehla from a terrorist safe haven to an example for the rest of rural Iraq was in full swing.

Brooks said his soldiers talked to more than 200 farmers to see what they felt was needed to work proficiently. Elections were held in May as the farmers voted for a director and a board of seven members who would oversee the union and make important decisions regarding the needs of the people. Soldiers delivered more than 400 tons of fertilizer, seeds and other equipment to get the union on its feet and start earning profits.

"Farming is their lives," Brooks remarked. "We made it important to us, as well. We have an incredible rapport with the people now, and the results in the area are astounding. Those driving around the rural roads of Muehla today will see corn fields so high that farmers from Iowa would be proud," Brooks said. The area is peaceful. There are no attacks resonationg from the region, and Brooks and his soldiers have unprecedented freedom of movement in the area.

The equipment the soldiers delivered will be rented to farmers belonging to the union, Brooks said. The equipment will enable the farmers to do the job quicker and produce more crops. The union uses the money from the rentals to buy fertilizer and seed at subsidized prices, which enables the union to sell the items back to its members at a lower cost. It is a cycle that benefits everyone involved.

The board members have bold plans for the future that once seemed like a dream, said Omar Hashem, director of the union, such as a farmer's education program, veterinarian services, and a young farmer's program.

With Brooks and his men scheduled to redeploy by the end of the year, the time has come for the union to walk by itself without any assistance from Coalition forces.

"We are indebted to Capt. Brooks and his soldiers forever," Hashem said. "They had a plan that no one else had and made it work. They have given us the head start that we needed, and now it is up to us to make it successful."

Very soon, farmers will harvest their corn, sell it to local markets and reap the benefits of their hard work and the new cooperation amongst the members, Hashem said. Wheat season is right around the corner, and excitement is everywhere as the villagers of Muehla can now see a bright future with an endless rotation of crops from season to season.

"We had problems before in the area, but Capt. Brooks and his men made an effort to get everyone to the table and talk," Hashem said. "He and his guys solved the problem peacefully."

The success in Muehla has allowed soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment to work with other areas such as Jiff Jaffa and Diyarah; small farming communities left to fend for themselves previously by the government, Brooks said. Both towns have recently started their own agricultural unions.

Because of the success in Muehla, Brooks has shown it as an example to other Coalition Force units as a way to bring better security through projects that people are passionate about.

Leaders and sheiks are now coming to the table and discussing their problems and ways to counter them instead of resorting to violence.

"I can only hope other communites in Iraq get to experience what we are getting to experience," said Hassam Ali, a local farmer from Muehla. "Our fields have crops; our bins have seeds; and most importantly, our families have peace in their homes. That is all I ask for."

From Defend America.

Troops Helping the Farmers

De-worming sheep in Iraq Deworming Cattle in Afghanistan

As a livestock producer, I know how important the health of the animal is to the success of the livelyhood of the farmer. It is impressive to know that our troops are working with the farmers to ensure the health of their animals in the midst of the wars. More great work from our troops!

PS - These pictures make this look easy, but this is hard, dirty, physical work - just ask any farmer!

**********************************************************
Sgt David Bill
48th Brigade Combat Team PAO
BAGHDAD

Cows and sheep are being used to help develop trust and friendship between local Iraqi farmers and Task Force Baghdad Soldiers.

The Soldiers from C Company, 490th Civil Affairs Battalion, 48th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division conducted a Veterinarian Community Health Outreach Programs mission Aug. 22 southwest of Baghdad.

Under this program, Army veterinarians go into local communities and provide a quick health check on the livestock in the area. If required, they also provide medication to help keep them healthy.

"We try to go out to various areas a couple times per week to check on which animals have been treated recently and which have not," said Maj. Daniel Cardosa, a veterinarian from C Co.

More than 60 sheep and two dozen cows were medicated during the day's mission. 'We were de-worming the sheep with an oral medication.

Cows were being treated with a topical medication. Both medications are used to kill most internal parasites and a good number of external parasites as well," added Cardosa.

The process of medicating the animals is a team effort as the farmer or his children assist in getting the sheep, one by one, in a steady position so the veterinarian can insert a medical injector.

"I think it allows us to put a friendly face on the United States and get a foot in the door to show that we're here to help them not hurt them," explained Cardosa, a West Greenwich, R.I. resident. "Then at another time we can come back and do assessments for electrical and water problems we may be able to solve for them."

Getting Iraqi veterinarians out to work with the farmers has also been a focus of the CA team, so more can be done for the animals.

When asked about what Coalition Forces were doing on a larger scale, Cardosa replied, "In the bigger scheme of things we are working with the Ministry of Agriculture to develop animal health and agricultural programs, so they are not solely dependent on oil for their income. We're trying to develop other economic sectors for the country."

C Co.'s overall mission is to provide more than just the basic services for Iraqis. The unit conducts a wide range of operations to include humanitarian support, coordination with government entities, and community outreach.

Services such as sewage, water, electricity, and trash are important to the local population and are some of the main priorities of the CA Team.