Stryker Brigade News

Education projects made up another large part of the total funding. Multinational forces helped rebuild and repair schools and colleges in the Ninevah region. Some of these projects included repairs and renovations to the Tal Keif School, Al Kafaat School, Al Zuhor Secondary School, Al Hadba University College, Mosul Technical College and Mosul Jadeda Vocational School. Soldiers from the 416th Civil Affairs Battalion began a $1.4 million project to replace 20 mudhut schools in rural villages with concrete buildings that will be complete prior to the start of the school year in September. They have also purchased supplies for school custodial workers in Mosul.

Three hospitals were renovated to improve the quality of healthcare in Ninevah. The Al Gogjaly Medical Clinic received $13,000 for repairs to the plumbing, doors and windows and for a new generator. The Ibn Alathyr maternity and pediatric hospital received renovations to its existing facilities as well as the addition of a teaching facility. The Ibn Sinna Hospital received repairs to its 25-person patient elevator.

Ninevah’s agricultural sector received funding for a soil analysis laboratory, the first to be built in Iraq. The country’s first artificial insemination lab for cattle and sheep will also be built in Ninevah. The Fayda grain elevator is being remodeled to serve farmers in northern Iraq, eventually storing approximately 30,000 metric tons of grain. CERP funding was also used to purchase Foot and Mouth Disease vaccines, provided to local farmers at no cost, for the region’s sheep and cattle.

A Ninevah business center and small business loan program were created to stimulate economic growth in northern Iraq by supporting entrepreneurship and small businesses.

Approximately $3 million was spent to improve the water and sewer conditions in the northern region. New wells and water lines were built in 55 sites throughout the region and new sewage pipes were placed throughout Mosul to improve sanitary conditions for city residents.

Extensive renovations are in progress at the Qayyarah oil refinery in northern Iraq. The refinery has sat in disrepair since the Iran/Iraq war. Approximately $300,000 has been spent to make the refinery a productive industry in the Qayyarah area. It will eventually employ 450 workers, stimulating the local economy, and produce 400 tons of asphalt daily, providing asphalt to repair miles of roads in the region. It will be the largest asphalt producing plant in the Middle East.

Soldiers from the 133rd Engineer Battalion are working in the Dianyah region of northern Iraq, repairing roads, schools, municipal facilities and Iraqi Border Patrol forts. This project is ongoing and will cost approximately $200,000.