by Peter Robertson

Created on: January 24, 2008

The US military can be very effective in reviving a war battered community, almost despite itself. I have witnessed the improvements they have made to communities, big and small throughout Iraq in the three years I have spent living and working in this country. The emphasis here is on "revive", not the total reparation, as that can only be achieved by the Iraqis.

What a huge bureaucratic machine the US military is, with its layers upon layers of regiments and chains of command. It's amazing that anything is accomplished considering the endless elements of checks and balances involved. But it does, and with little fanfare, particularly when it comes to rejuvenating a war torn country. How many headlines are there in a group of brave soldiers driving through known trouble areas to talk to impressionable young school students or to fix a broken water pipe? You'll only hear about it if there are statistics to report, in other words, casualties. The greater number of deaths, the more sensational the report. But what of the hundreds of missions into the urban and rural areas of Iraq to mend a piece of equipment or bring cheer to local children? These forays go unreported; it is a shame as the American people deserve to see how its government is spending the billions of dollars this operation is sucking from the country. And more importantly they need to see and understand the enormous job their military is undertaking in very trying conditions.

The rebuilding of Iraq commenced soon after the invasion, with the more entrepreneurial Iraqis reaping the rewards. Construction contracts were awarded to locals in the area of Baghdad in an effort to recommence life, post Saddam. Iraqis arrived into bases around Baghdad daily. After undergoing strenuous security checks, they were taken to various points and put to work, involved in everything from laying concrete to picking up trash. They were given a job, a chance for a future and at a pay rate many times higher than what Saddam paid his soldiers. I recall seeing a semi-trailer crammed full of people hanging onto each other as they left after a day's work. They all swayed in unison with the truck as it negotiated the damaged road leading from the Baghdad International Airport, as if at one with the vehicle. These brave souls risked their lives being involved with the American rebuilding process and some of them paid that ultimate price. Undeterred, thousands of men continued working to support their families.

The establishment

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