CENTCOM NEWS RELEASES

September 15, 2003
Release Number: 03-09-16

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SOLDIERS HOST ORPHANS IN MOSUL

MOSUL, Iraq – Soldiers with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and the 431st Civil Affairs Battalion recently gave a group of Iraqi orphans a day filled with fun and games at the Civil Military Operations Center in Mosul.

The purpose of the event was for the kids to be able to have fun in a safe environment and spend quality time with the soldiers. Soldiers volunteered time and services to help set-up and run different events of the day. Some soldiers also served as lifeguards at the pool.

Children from three separate orphanages arrived to participate in the events. Each group was greeted upon arrival and given a gift of a towel with the Screaming Eagle insignia on it. The children then went swimming in the pool, participated in relay races and played games such as pin the tail on the donkey. Winners of the games got candy and snacks.

Each child was also given a lunch of hamburgers, french fries, soda and ice cream. The restaurant on the CMOC grounds provided the meals. The restaurant also provided many of the decorations on the grounds.

Another event of the day was face painting. A local caricature artist painted designs on the children’s faces and colored the skin of a few soldiers as well.

Soldiers interacted with the children, swimming with them, playing soccer and simply being a friend.

The children each received a gift bag when it was time for them to leave. The bag contained items such as a t-shirt with the 101st insignia, a beanie baby, a soccer ball and personal hygiene items.


September 15, 2003
Release Number: 03-09-17

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COALITION IMPROVING WATER DISTRIBUTION EFFORTS IN NORTHERN IRAQ
MOSUL, Iraq – Efforts are now underway to repair the nearly obsolete water pumping system that provides water for over 325,000 citizens of Northern Iraq. In the interim, soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) have contracted 32 trucks to carry over 10,000 liters of water every day to villages that the water system is unable to reach.

101st AAD civil affairs and engineering soldiers are working to fix the water system, which draws its water supply directly from the Freedom (formerly Saddam) Lake in Northern Iraq. With the broken down water pumps, many areas around northern Iraq are nearly dry without the water trucks.

The drivers of the water trucks meet everyday at the tactical operations center in the northern Iraqi city of Tall Afar before getting into their trucks. The drivers and their trucks are a temporary solution to the water distribution problem until long-term solutions can be put into effect.