Officials Unveil Micro-Power Generator, Bring Electricity to Hay Sheikh Umar

By Sgt. Grant Okubo

4th BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (L) PAO, MND-B

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq - In an ongoing effort to bring essential services to the people of eastern Baghdad, Iraqi officials and Patriot Brigade Soldiers unveiled a micro-power generator in Hay Sheikh Umar, Sept. 4.

Officials from the Rusafa District Council, the area neighborhood council and Soldiers from 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad conducted a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Muhalla 127.

"This project was conceived by the Rusafa District Council as they prioritized their electricity needs in Rusafa," explained Capt. Timothy Green, effects coordinator for Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Sqdn., 89th Cav. Regt. About 1,600 families in the area will benefit from electricity the micro-power generator will produce, said the Columbus, Ohio native.

This micro-power generator helps bring electricity to about 1,600 families of Muhalla 127 in the Hay Sheikh Umar area of Rusafa in eastern Baghdad. Rusafa District Council and neighborhood council representatives conducted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate completion of the project to bring power to the people, Sept. 4.

This project isn't a fix-all for the area, but it does help provide people with electricity to help them through their day, commented Green. Essentially, residents hook up from their homes to the micro-power generator, which offers citizens about eight hours of power they would not otherwise have from the city power grid, he explained.

Rusafa District Council members and other Iraqi officials are "really running the show," and the Soldiers just "support, coach, teach and mentor" their Iraqi partners, he commented.

The micro-power generator project took about two months to complete. It included planning and construction stages, and the construction lasted about four weeks, said Green.

Majid Juma, Rusafa District Council security chairman, cuts a ribbon to mark the opening of a new micro-power generator in Hay Sheikh Umar in eastern Baghdad, Sept. 4. Jamal Al Rajhi (left), former chairman of the Rusafa District Council, joins Juma for the ceremony. The generator will provide power to about 1,600 families.

"The project isn't just about installing generators for the district council and the neighborhood council, but it places a great amount of responsibility on managing the project," said Green. "The running of the project will require the NC and DC to purchase the fuel, collect the money and connect the services for the families. This is a continual project that has longevity."

Jamal Al Rajhi, Rusafa District Council member and former district council chairman, attended the ceremony and watched as fellow district councilman Majid Juma, district council security chairman, cut the ribbon to signify the completion of the project.

"The people are happy about what this project will bring," said Al Rajhi.

Col. Craig Collier, 3rd Sqdn., 89th Cav. Regt. squadron commander, said the micro-power generator is a good step in the right direction. Power is very important in Hay Nassir, and the lack of it was an issue many residents wanted officials to address, he said.

"This is a very hard-hit area. A lot people here don't have power throughout the day," explained Green. "So, if this even provides four, six or eight hours of power a day that is an increase of what they were getting. I think ultimately, power and electricity is probably one of the most important civil services out there. It really provides for some of those basic needs."

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