Some more good news from Iraq

Coalition troops provide water in Diwaniyah

CAMP ECHO, Iraq -- Reconstruction efforts by Multi-National Division Central-South troops give about 2,000 Diwaniyah residents with fresh drinking water.

The new water plant serves three villages near Al Hamza.

Construction of the new facility and its 400 meter water line provided 50 Iraqis with employment. Civil-Military projects are planned to stimulate the economy by using local companies.

In the last two years Multi-National Division Central-South troops have completed approximately 2,100 reconstruction projects.

Task Force Liberty Soldiers find cache, detain suspects in Bayji

TIKRIT, Iraq - Task Force Liberty Soldiers followed a civilian’s tip and found a cache of explosives and weapons buried in several locations at a house in Bayji.

The cache included more than 100 pounds of bulk explosives, several bags of TNT, one 155mm artillery round encased in concrete, weapons and rocket-propelled grenade rounds. One suspect was detained and taken to a Coalition Forces base for questioning.

Task Force Liberty Soldiers also detained two terrorists planning an ambush with improvised explosive devices and automatic weapons south of Bayji at about 9:50 p.m. Oct. 20. Soldiers on a combat patrol observed the two suspects running from behind a berm along Highway 1, and after detaining them found a loaded RPK machine gun behind the berm.

Another Task Force Liberty patrol discovered two IEDs along the highway directly on the other side of the berm. One suspect was wearing body armor and the other had cellular telephones and wire cutters. Both tested positive for explosives.

Coalition forces destroy terrorist safe house

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Coalition forces raided a suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorist safe house near the town of al bu Hardan, northwest of Al Qaim on Oct. 21.

During the raid, five terrorists were detained and a large cache consisting of weapons, ammunition, mortars and bomb making materials was confiscated in the safe house.

Intelligence sources and tips from local citizens led Coalition Forces to the location. Coalition air assets, using precision guided munitions, destroyed the safe house and weapons cache after Coalition Forces departed the location.

And saving the best for last, this is the sort of person we need more of.

Soldier gives piece of herself to save another

Story and photo by
Sgt. Mitch Armbruster
207th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

LSA ANACONDA, BALAD — The circulatory system keeps oxygen moving through the body by using blood to move blood cells filled with oxygen throughout the body.

Sgt. Emily Lively, a Soldier with the 4th-159th Aviation Maintenance Company, donated blood to help save the life of a fellow Soldier here and found a need for blood donors across the post.

Lively was in the area of the hospital when an Airman asked if she would be willing to give blood to save the life of a Soldier who lost his legs in an improvised explosive attack.

Lively knew the nature of the Soldier’s wounds and hurried out to the street. She grabbed a Soldier and asked him to donate. The selfless actions of the two Soldiers helped save a life.

“This is another way to honor our Soldiers,” Lively said.

“Sgt. Lively is great and would do anything to help out,” said Sgt. Amy Louise Brown, a fellow Soldier from the 4th-159th AVM Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment.

Lively put together a call list of Soldiers from the 4/159 AVM.

She wanted to gather names for the hospital to allow them more options for blood during a time of need.

“We are there for our Soldiers when they need us,” Lively said. “The enlisted and officers are all for it. They would do anything to help.”

Lively took the initiative to put together a memo informing 1st Corps Support Command of the need for blood and asked if the initiative could be put out base wide. She said the decision is still pending.

“One hour of a person’s time is all it takes, and anybody can do it,” Lively said.

Blood is an essential part of the body and life, but giving blood to allow someone the chance to survive is a heroic task every service member can partake in.

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