101st Airborne Cleans the Streets of Mahmudiyah

Written by 1st Lt. Brett Matzenbacher, 2nd BCT, 101st Abn. Di
BAGHDAD — Known as the “Gateway to Baghdad,” the city of Mahmudiyah is centrally located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, roughly 30 km south of the Iraqi capital. Because of its location, the small city of 80,000 people is also at the center of the Coalition’s counter-terrorism campaign.

The battle to win the support of the people of this region has been continuous for the Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad , since arriving in October – it has not been without results.

“When we first got here, there were quite a few roads that were extremely dangerous to travel on but have now become much more secure,” said 1st Lt. James Williams, former platoon leader, Company D, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment. <...>

In fact, the Soldiers’ efforts have been so successful that the governor of Baghdad stated that the city of Mahmudiyah is the safest he has seen it since the war began in 2003.

The projects have focused on returning fresh water and electricity to the surrounding areas of Mahmudiyah. Now that the efforts are under way, a new priority has emerged, that of cleaning up the area. <...>

“Right now, we are cleaning and renovating several of the existing pumping stations. Once this is done, we can take a look at the actual underground sewage network and see what improvements or repairs need to be made there,” he said. <...>

“This is not going to happen overnight, but the work we are doing here in conjunction with the local Iraqi ministries will dramatically enhance the quality of life for the people of Mahmudiyah,” McFadden said. “This is our goal. People who are content with their situation are not going support insurgents who are working towards an opposite goal.” [Read the whole story]

Category: Military.