 One of 14 ArmaTrac 602 tractors presented to local sheiks in the Lutifiyah Nahia during a ceremony on Combat Outpost Meade, March 5. Photo by Pfc. Evan Loyd, 1st Armored Division Public Affairs. Each ArmaTrac 602 tractor should help to cultivate an area over 25,000,000 square feet. Troops from Task Force 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division used funds from the Commander’s Emergency Response Program to purchase the 14 new tractors. “When we were first asked [by the Lutifiyah council], we immediately wanted to help,” said Lt. Col. Michael Mammay, commander, TF 4-27 FA. “Agriculture is very important in helping this area.” Since November, the battalion leadership has worked on transporting these tractors from Turkey to the farmers who need them. Throughout the effort, the council has continued to help the Coalition forces daily in their efforts to secure a safe Iraq. The improving security situation and decreased attacks against Coalition forces, Iraqi Security Forces and the Iraqi people has allowed the local government here to continue improving the economy for a better quality of life. The tractors will allow local farmers to grow crops and contribute to the stability of the Nahia. “We won’t squander the goodwill of the Americans,” said Shaykh Hamash, the chairman of the Lutifiyah Nahia Council. “We will use these tractors to help bring back the area to its fullest.” The Lutifiyah Nahia is a primarily agricultural land with almost all of the residents working as farmers. Previously, the farmers could only work with hand-held or animal driven equipment. The 14 tractors will allow the entire area to rebuild their farmland faster. “Every day we drive down the road, we can see the green returning to the area,” said Mammay. “With the tractors we are providing today, we hope to see even more green return.” (Multi-National Division – Baghdad Release) |
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