January 19, 2007

Soldiers Build Lasting Relationships With Iraqi School-Aged Kids

By Marine Cpl. Jessica Kent
Multi-National Corps - Iraq PAO

BAGHDAD — Service members conducting patrols in Baghdad may catch a glimpse of what makes life so great back at home.

In a country where electricity is scarce and mud huts are common homes, many Iraqi families struggle to make a living. The trash-lined streets, often hiding explosives, are dangerous for children at play.

One aspect of a child’s life that usually remains a steady influence is going to school. When Soldiers with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Brigade, 2nd Division National Police Transition Team visited a local elementary school, they found the rooms packed to capacity with small students. The rooms were so packed that desks were moved outside to make an additional classroom.

Although the school was only for girls, several small boys were spotted among the rows. Some families were granted permission to enroll males in the school because sectarian violence made other schools too dangerous.
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