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By Cpl. Michael Molinaro
2nd BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div.
 Iraq – A local Iraqi citizen from Muehla drives a new tractor donated to the Muehla Agricultural Union from Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers. Photo by Cpl. Michael Molinaro, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs. To help ensure the success of local farmers, the Muehla Agricultural Union received an assortment of equipment and other useful goods from Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers Oct. 9.
Refurbished tractors, seed spreaders and water pumps were among the items donated to the union as it begins to move from underneath the guidance of the Coalition Soldiers and starts earning profits on its own.
“Muehla is the template for success for rural areas of Iraq,” said Capt. Colin Brooks, commander, Co. B, 2nd Bn., 8th Inf. Regt.
Green pastures dominate the area: in Muehla alone, there are 650 farmers representing more than 10,000 people. The area was known as a safe haven for terrorists in the past, and insurgents carried out many rocket and mortar attacks against MND-B forces inside the town, Brooks said.
Upon arriving in Iraq last December, Brooks and his Soldiers immediately sat down with area sheiks to gauge their interests. While no one disputed the fact there were bad people in the area, and Co. B would search for and detain individuals, Brooks wanted to open up dialogue with the influential leaders from the area and begin a positive relationship.
 Capt. Colin Brooks, commander, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, talks to farmers from Muehla outside the Agricultural Union building. . Photo by Cpl. Michael Molinaro, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs.
Brooks said his Soldiers talked to more than 200 farmers to see what they felt is needed to work proficiently. Farmers voted at May elections for a director and board of seven members, who would oversee the union and make decisions regarding the needs of the people. Soldiers delivered more than 400 tons of fertilizer, seeds and other equipment to get the union on its feet and start earning profits.
“Farming is their lives,” Brooks remarked. “We made it important to us as well. We have an incredible rapport with the people now, and the results in the area are astounding.”
Those driving around the rural roads of Muehla today see corn fields so high that farmers from Iowa would be proud, Brooks said. The area is peaceful. There are no attacks resonating from the region, and Brooks and his Soldiers from Co. B have unprecedented freedom of movement in the area.
Farmers can now rent the new union equipment, Brooks said, enabling them to work quicker and produce more crops. The union uses the money from rentals to buy fertilizer and seed at subsidized prices, and then sell the items back to its members at a lower cost. It is a cycle that benefits everyone involved.
The board members have bold plans for the future that once seemed like a dream, said Omar Hashem, director of the union, such as farmer’s education program, veterinarian services and a young farmers program.
With Brooks and his men departing by year’s end, the time has come for the union to walk by itself without any assistance from Coalition Forces.
“We are indebted to Capt. Brooks and his Soldiers forever,” Hashem said. “They had a plan that no one else had and made it work. They have given us the head start that we needed, and now it is up to us to make it successful.”
Very soon, farmers will harvest their corn, sell it to the local markets and reap the benefits of their hard work and the new cooperation amongst the members, Hashem said. Wheat season is right around the corner, and excitement is everywhere as the villagers of Muehla can now see a bright future with an endless rotation of crops from season to season.
“We had problems before in the area, but Capt. Brooks and his men made an effort to get everyone to the table and talk,” Hashem said. “He and his guys solved the problem peacefully.”
The success in Muehla allows the Soldiers to exploit other similar areas, such as Jiff Jaffa and Diyarah: small farming communities left to fend for themselves previously by the old government, Brooks said. Both towns recently started their own agricultural unions.
Because of the success in Muehla, Brooks is able to use it as an example to other units as a way to bring better security through projects that people are passionate about.
Leaders and sheiks are now coming to the table and discussing their problems and ways to counter them instead of resorting to violence.
“I can only hope other communities in Iraq get to experience what we are getting to experience,” said Hassam Ali, a local farmer from Muehla. “Our fields have crops; our bins have seeds; and most importantly, our families have peace in their homes. That is all I ask for.” |
