2008 PRT News
More PRT Information
July - August
94th Engineer Battalion Makes a Difference for Iraq’s Cultural History
August 31, 2008 Using the latest high-tech land surveying equipment and relying on their engineer expertise, the 156th Survey and Design Team, 94th Engineer Battalion, mapped out the grounds of Saint Elijah’s Monastery for a mission far from the ordinary.
Cultural Heritage Sites Safe
August 29, 2008 The week of May 17th provided an exciting opportunity for the Ninewa Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) to support Iraq’s State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH) with an assessment of conditions at some of the most important cultural heritage sites in Ninewa Province.
Baghdad Very Violent Place a Year Ago, PRT Leader Says
August 28, 2008 Baghdad – “This was a very violent place a year ago,” says Embedded Provincial Team (EPRT) Leader Richard Hawkins as he reflects on his experiences working with Iraqis on capacity-building reconstruction projects in Madain, a Qada or rural district on the eastern outskirts of the capital.
PRT Expert Shares Farming, Water Use tips with Iraqis
August 24, 2008 Muthanna Province -- Wayne Marcus, Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Water Engineer, seems to know everything about water and farming. A native of Highland, Illinois, Marcus spent his youth working the land and is now determined to help Iraqi farmers increase their yields while expanding water use.
Kirkuk PRT Partners with Iraqi Authorities to Fight Cholera
August 19, 2008 Forward Operating Base Warrior, Kirkuk Province – The heat of summer arrives in Iraq each year accompanied by an unwelcome health problem: cholera. The Kirkuk Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) and Iraqi Government authorities are working hard in partnership to combat this scourge.
Youth Sports Expands in Baghdad District with PRT Help
August 19, 2008 Adhamiyah -- Sports programs in Adhamiyah had a long history as an important social function for youth long before terrorism and sectarian violence threatened to upend communal activity in this district in the north of Baghdad.
Iraqi Farmers Begin to Chart Own Destinies
August 19, 2008 Baqubah, Iraq -- After years of centralized economic planning, farmers in rural Diyala Province are meeting the challenge of operating independently through innovative ideas and practices spurred by the local Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT).
Anbar Province Safe Enough to Host First Health Conference
August 16, 2008 Ramadi, Iraq – This city, once a center and byword for violent activity by al Qaeda in Iraq, since the "Surge" of 2007 has become peaceful enough to host the Province’s first ever major health conference. The conference was sponsored, in part, by the embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team (ePRT) operating in the region.
Iraqi Doves of Peace Get Wings with PRT Help
August 14, 2008 Diyala Province – Women in Diyala Province have come a step closer to broadcasting their concerns for peace and progress thanks to a collaboration between the local Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) and its military counterpart the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment.
Journalism in Southern Iraq gets Boost from New PRT Chief
August 12, 2008 Muthanna Province – The new leader of the Muthanna Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT), Brad Lynch, is expanding important contacts with local media with visits to their offices while hosting a journalism training session.
First Ever Journalism Conference Held in al Kut, Iraq
August 11, 2008 Al Kut, Wasit Province – “You are all making history today by attending the first journalism conference in all of southern Iraq,” said Vanessa Beary, Wasit Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Public Diplomacy Officer at a recent two-day gathering sponsored by her team.
Bengal Tigers Make Baghdad Zoo Their New Home
August 8, 2008 Baghdad – After traveling thousands of miles from the United States, two Bengal tiger cubs, called Hope and Riley, are making Iraq their new home thanks, in part, to a cooperative effort by Coalition Forces, the U.S. Embassy, Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) and Iraqi veterinarians to upgrade the Baghdad Zoo.
Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra Performs in Baghdad
August 3, 2008 Baghdad – Goodwill between the United States and Iraq could be heard literally as Iraq’s National Symphony Orchestra (INSO) performed American as well as Arab music for an enthusiastic U.S.- Iraqi audience at the Al Rasheed hotel July 26.
PRTs Partner with Iraqi NGO to Spur Economy of Sadr City
July 31, 2008 Baghdad – The teeming Shia district and militia stronghold of Sadr City captured the news recently because of sectarian violence and rocketing of the Green Zone. Now, with heightened security the lives of residents are improving due, in part, to the stabilization and reconstruction efforts of Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Teams (ePRTs).
Local Iraqi Government Offers Positive Response to Drought
July 25, 2008 Baqubah -- As temperatures soar to near 130 F in Diyala Province drought is approaching a point that threatens humans as well as livestock challenging the planning and implementation capabilities of local water departments.
Iraqi Children Experience Slice of U.S. Culture
July 24, 2008 Salah ad Din Province, Iraq – Summer for many Iraqi children is in stark contrast from the block parties and “glad to be out of school” American kids running through water sprinklers in quiet, cozy neighborhoods.
Northern Iraqi Women Gather to Discuss Nation’s Future
July 22, 2008 Erbil- More than 250 Iraqi women from all walks of life recently gathered in this northern city to discuss the “Future of Iraq” speaking via a teleconference with the wife of Major General Mark Hertling, commander of Multinational Division – North (MND-N). The Division was a sponsor of the event along with PRTs operating in the region.
Changing of the Guard in Iraq’s Muthanna Province
July 22, 2008 Muthanna Province, Iraq -- The leadership of the 2nd Battalion 12th Cavalry Regiment (2-12 CAV) greeted provincial and tribal leaders in a style befitting local custom as the unit undertook security responsibilities in the province from the outgoing Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division.
Schools Open in Baghdad Area amid Improved Security
July 21, 2008 FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU – For schoolchildren in the rural areas surrounding Baghdad getting an education has become a difficult, even dangerous prospect in recent years. Teachers and staff fled fighting while in some cases, the schools themselves were destroyed and looted by insurgents.
Music Helps Spread Democratic Message in Iraq
July 21, 2008 Al Kut, Iraq – Discoursing on the rule of law and human rights does not normally summon a large crowd looking for entertainment, but people here recently swarmed to the al Kut Municipal Theater to hear such a message while enjoying first-rate singing.
Daughters of Iraq Complete Security Training
July 16, 2008 Al Abarra, Diyala Province -- Nearly eighty women sit in the courtyard in front of the Iraqi Police headquarters in this town just south of the provincial capital of Baqubah. They slowly fan themselves in the hot, unmoving air as they sit quietly in their traditional black robes.