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Mosul Olympic Committee Reopens Pool

Jul- 6-2006 » Filed Under: 172nd SBCT

Written by 138th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

MOSUL, Iraq (June 30, 2006) --On June 26, Iraqi officials held a grand opening ceremony for the public sports complex in Mosul, Iraq.

The complex located just outside Forward Operating Base Diamondback, was recently refurbished using funds from the commanders emergency response program. A major part of the rehabilitation of the complex was to reopen two in-ground pools that had been negated and in need of many repairs.

“The pools are approximately 8 feet deep and 20 feet by 40 feet in diameter,” said Spc. Michael Becker, 172nd BSB, civil affairs team, and native of Folsom Calif. “When we showed up the first time, the area was very overgrown and the pools where in bad shape. They had a little bit of green water in them with frogs and other wildlife swimming around in them.”

There is only one other pool in Mosul, which charges each resident one dollar a day to enter. This pool will only charge five cents to enter and is very convenient for the Iraqi nationals that live in the area, due to its close proximity to the village right outside Diamondback.

This is not the first pool mission that the 172nd BSB, CA has performed. Recently they delivered and set up a 15’ above ground pool to an orphanage in Alcosh, a Christian borough just north of Mosul.

“We brought the pool out and set it up, and provided the orphanage with the instructions on how to maintain the pool, along with the supplies to keep it running all summer,” said Becker.

According to Becker, the nice thing about the pools at the sports complex is that it is one of the safer pools to use because it sits between two Iraqi check points, thereby making it very safe.

“The complex has not had any problems with attacks or insurgent activity in over two years, and is one of the reasons we decided to get involved, because we knew it would be a secure location for the locals to come and relax” said Becker.

“The highlight of the mission was showing up one day and seeing the pool filled with clean water and then seeing two kids jump in and immediately start swimming around,” Becker said. “There is nothing more satisfying then having a mission come together and actually being able to see the results of what we are doing for the people of Iraq.”


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