Tropic Lightning Brings More Electricity to Samarra

Story courtesy of Soldiers from 325th Brigade Support Battalion, 25th Infantry Division

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, TIKRIT, Iraq - "Paid for by the people of Iraq, for the people of Iraq." These words, written in Arabic on the side of a 600,000-pound generator in a slow-moving Iraqi and American joint convoy, express the progress of a six-year building process between Coalition forces and the Iraqi government.

Soldiers from Company A, 325th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division are part of this progress. They provided a security escort for a shipment of four massive generators to a power plant in Samarra during an 8-day, 300-mile convoy.

Once all four generators are added to the national power grid, they will provide several more hours of electricity per day to the 150,000 citizens of Samarra and to thousands of other Iraqi citizens in Salah Ad-Din Province. The Iraqi government has worked diligently to increase the amount of electricity available to the populace, which will improve quality of life and economic expansion, according to Maj. Jeffrey Pugh, civil military officer, 3rd Inf. Bde. Combat Team, 25th Inf. Div.

This particular patrol was different than any other conducted in the 325th Bde. Support Bn.'s history due to the size of the generators and the pace of the convoy, which travelled at speeds ranging from three to 12 miles an hour. At times, the mission seemed to crawl because of many tire changes and bridge crossings. Other times, the massive generators were able to pick up speed on the flat ground.

Soldiers from Co. A, 325th Bde. Support Bn., 3rd Inf. Bde. Combat Team, 25th Inf. Div. provided a security escort for a shipment of four massive generators to a power plant in Samarra, Iraq during an 8-day, 300-mile convoy. When brought online, the new generators will provide several more hours of electricity per day to the 150,000 people in Samarra and thousands of other Iraqis in Salah ad-Din Province. (Photo courtesy of Soldiers from 325th Bde. Support Bn., 3rd Inf. Bde. Combat Team, 25th Inf. Div.)

Such a mission might have been much more dangerous if not for the recent increase in security and safety in Salah ad-Din Province due to the efforts of the Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition forces working together.

"This is not the same Iraq I remember a few years ago," said Sgt. Jack Vrocher, a non-commissioned officer in a lead vehicle of the patrol. Soldiers conducting such a mission then expected confrontation; now the Soldiers on the mission were greeted with kindness by the Iraqi people. This trend was seen throughout the countryside as Iraqi locals greeted the slow-moving convoy with smiles and hand waves.

"They were very happy to see us and very receptive," explained Staff Sgt. Angel Ortiz, another non-commissioned officer helping to escort these important generators to Samarra.

One of the most critical parts of the movement was through the town of Samarra. There Soldiers joined their Iraqi counterparts walking next to the 40-vehicle convoy during an hours-long trip through downtown Samarra, escorted by an unplanned extra contingent of Iraqi policemen who wanted .to be a part of something that was making a difference in the lives of so many Iraqis.

U.S. Soldiers who conducted this mission said they feel they were a part of something bigger than themselves, and this is a memory they will take with them for the rest of their lives.