Jim Spiri in Iraq

I would travel into a small village called Intazar, at least that is how it is pronounced. The spelling may not be correct, but that will have to suffice. My point of contact would be one Capt. Greg Garcia, who claims Chicago and Providence, RI as most recent home towns. He is 25-years-old, about 6'4" tall, or maybe even taller, and he's basically a big guy, with a good demeanor. He obtained his degree in computer science, was trained in field artillery by the Army, and is doing neither of these two jobs at the moment. But what he is doing, in his corner of the war, is succeeding in bringing one small town, made up of of both Shia and Sunni's, together.

I went with Capt. Garcia today to visit this town.

The members of Bravo battery, 212, part of 4SBCT, 2nd ID, would be whom I traveled with. It was about an hours drive all up, getting out the gate, crossing a small bridge and heading through some other highways and roads to eventually arrive at the village of Intazar. I was once again in a humvee where I feel at home and my left arm is strong enough to open and close the door quite well now. As we approached the village, I began to see that this place is more populated with small homes that are close together.
There were lots of children everywhere. All were dirty but smiling. It is a poor village. There were lots of people.

As we walked the streets, I talked much with Capt.
Garcia. I snapped photos with one eye in the viewfinder and the other eye looking around. The photos should be good, yet I've seen this scene many times before, but not here. Capt. Garcia explained to me the recent history of this town. As we walked the dirt alley ways, he told me that the town had a mix of both Sunni and Shia in it. Many Sunni's were forced to leave in recent past. More recently, the Sunni's have begun moving back as the security has improved.
There has not been a major incident in this exact village lately, but in other areas in the vicinity, it is still very precarious.

Capt. Garcia explained to me that a group of citizens, made up of both Shia and Sunni leaders, have developed a kind of council to put things on the right track.
What Capt. Garcia started with was a clean up project.
This village is extremely poor and at first glance, very dirty and full of garbage everywhere. However, as we walked I noticed that piles of garbage had been gathered every 10-meters or so, throughout the area we were walking by. Part of our mission today was to look for the "work party" that had been promised, to get things started. Capt. Garcia continued to explain.

What he told me was that last week, he was able to distribute $5000 US to the council in good faith to see if a simple project could be accomplished by the local members. When we arrived we did see groups of young people all carrying shovels and eagerly showing us that they were indeed working. They obviously were putting a show on, however, the place had indeed been cleaned up and the evidence was right before our eyes.
As we walked with one of the members of the council, hoards of children followed and came asking for this and that. Candy is always brought along and the children scarf it up rapidly. Garcia told me that between now and his last visit, the place looked lots better. He considered it a small step in getting things started in this little village.

As we walked further, Garcia told me that what the real problem here is, is lack of electricity and water. The units before them had supplied three generators with the intent that the locals would handle the maintenance. However, that has not panned out so far and remains a problem. No more generators are scheduled for this town. Water is a big problem.
I did not see any water flowing, however at one home we entered we were offered cold water from bottles.
All declined, including myself. I carry bottled water in a camel-pack on my flak vest. I have not drank the local water ever in Iraq. Nor will I.

We entered the home of the man who heads the local council. He is a man of about 45-years old, and has a simple home, nothing at all fancy. There are no chairs in his home. He was dressed in western clothes, and had his own children in the home present.
One of his children, a boy named Mohammed, about 13-years old, had a camera that could take video shots. He was very professional and courteous and I could see at first glance that he loves the thought of becoming a journalist. I let him use my camera and he was elated. He is for sure a smart young man, eager to climb out of the poverty he lives in. He obviously has learned from his father how to take the lead for himself as well as the community.

I enjoyed spending some time with this young one.

We soon departed this home and walked more in the streets of Intazar. I spoke more with Capt. Garcia as he told me his story about where he is from and where he obtained his commission. I was startled to find out he had a degree in computer science and was assigned to field artillery. I grinned and said to him, "so, now you are doing state department work and operating as a light infantryman?" Garcia smiled back, and said, "yes, we all have adapted to things we were not trained for. This is what we do these days."

I thought much about this statement and as I walked through the streets of this one little, poor village southeast of camp Taji, I realized that soldiers today do many, many other things that just "pull triggers".
This young Captain, Garcia, has taken it upon himself, to make this town work. In the midst of the "surge", he and his men have the responsibility to distribute $5000 US a week in cash to this community and somehow keep the population together by simple projects such as picking up garbage in the dirt streets of Intazar.

One might not think it is a good idea, and I must confess that I had my doubts. But what I saw today was smiling people, in a crowded little village somewhere between Taji and Baghdad, picking up garbage that they had left in their own neighborhood, and at the same time eeking out a small living. I did the math and figured that at $5000 a week times how many thousands of little villages throughout Iraq that are probably in the same situation, I soon realized that the cost of fighting terrorism in the midst of the surge, in Iraq, is expensive.

The cost in American blood spilled here is something that cannot be measured other than by the suffering to
loved ones left behind.

I'm sure that if I counted all the people in this little village today that I passed through, I would be able to find rather easily, 5000 smiles. I have no idea how the money is distributed once it is handed over to the council members of the village of Intazar, however I do know that based on what Capt. Garcia saw today, he will be distributing another $5000 US in cash, to this same town next week. Perhaps there are even grandeur projects ahead for this little town.
But for now, cleaning up the streets seems to be employing people, keeping peace, limiting violence against US soldiers, and offering hope to a young boy named Mohammed, who learned a little about a Nikon D-70 camera from some American photographer who visited his house today.

I have no idea how long these cash disbursements for this village will continue. I've been told that there is enough for another six or seven weeks of small projects. They need electricity and they need water.
But first, they need to clean up their streets. None of the local people complained about this type of work.

No one said it "wasn't their job".

Jim Spiri
Taji, Iraq
jimspiri@yahoo.com