Forces Conduct Humanitarian Operations in Iraq

American Forces Press Service

Feb. 25, 2007 – U.S. troops conducted a medical support operation at a school and Polish soldiers handed out humanitarian supplies in two separate operations over the past three days in Iraq. U.S. soldiers of the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, and the 210th Brigade Support Battalion, both part of the, 10th Mountain Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team, conducted a medical support operation at the Ahmed Suhel School in Al Taraq, Iraq, Feb. 22.

Although the school offered a comfortable atmosphere, terrorists tried to disrupt the day's activities with small arms fire and a rocket-propelled grenade attack. But the medical support operation continued and Iraqis still received care.

Local residents nationals were seen from everything from coughs to burns, but some cases could not be treated with basic medical care. Seventy-five received treatment. No one was injured during the terrorist attack.

"If we shut this down, then the terrorist would have won," said Capt. Shane Finn, the commander of Company C, 4-31st and native of Clinton, N.Y. "All they are trying to do is stop the operation - and they are not going to do that."

In a separate operation, Polish soldiers from Headquarters Battalion in Ad Diwaniya handed out gifts they had collected for humanitarian aid for the poorest people in Al Qadisiyah province, Feb. 23.

"The soldiers have initiated this assistance. They provided hygiene products and cleaning agents. We brought a lot of this stuff from Poland with us, and we bought more here with our own money," said Polish Maj. Miroslaw Marcinuk.

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