116th BCT soldiers help clean up neighborhood

Editor's Note: The following press release was recently received from CPT Monte Hibbert, 116th BCT Public Affairs, serving in Iraq with the 116th Engineering Battalion of the Idaho National Guard. Some of the soldiers of that battalion are from the Orofino Armory.

FOB WARRIOR, Iraq - Soldiers of the 116th Brigade Combat Team (BCT) helped the Iraqi Army to improve its image by helping organize a neighborhood cleanup in the Kirkuk area Oct. 8.

Since the regime of Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi Army (IA) has suffered from a bad public image. This image is undergoing rejuvenation however, with the help of Military Transition Team Soldiers from Task Force (TF) 1-148 Field Artillery.

Iraqi Army Soldiers of the 2nd and 4th IA Battalions, 2nd Iraqi Army Bde., in coordination with the MITT team of TF 1-148 Field Artillery, began its first Military-Civil Action (MCA) project, to clean up the neighborhood of Hay Al Kahdr.

The project incorporated assets from the Iraqi Police and Kirkuk Sanitation Department, who both requested to participate in future IA MCA projects as a result of the success of the program. According to some community members, these were the first Coalition and Iraqi Soldiers to say they were going to do something, and then did it.

"The local Imam, who had been strongly anti-coalition, thanked everyone for helping the people of Kirkuk," said Maj. Barry Flye, a coalition civil affairs officer who helped organize the cleanup. "Many of the people promised to cooperate with the IA and provide information on terrorist activities."

IA MCA projects directly enhance security, facilitate city infrastructure improvements and also improve the image of the IA and the Iraqi Government.

The 116th BCT was mobilized in support of the global war on terrorism in June 2004. The unit's multi-faceted mission in Iraq includes security training and operations, aiding the Iraqi government, supporting economic and infrastructure development, and facilitating communications.

The 116th BCT includes headquarters and staff sections, two armor battalions, a mechanized infantry battalion, a support battalion, a field artillery battalion, an engineer battalion, and various intelligence, signal, and specialized units. The 116 BCT is one of several Army National Guard units deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III.