Coalition Forces Give Humanitarian Aid to Village

Soldiers from Charlie Company, 1-15 Infantry Regiment, help residents of Nabie Al-Sofe, a small village east of Al-Wehda, unload supplies brought as part of a humanitarian assistance mission, Oct. 2.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division provided much-needed humanitarian assistance to Nabie Al-Sofe, a small village east of Al-Wehda, Oct. 2.

“I thought it was a fantastic opportunity to go into one of the more remote villages and develop the rapport we have with the people there,” said Maj. Greg Lester from Knoxville, Tenn., with the 489th Civil Affairs Detachment, currently attached to the 1-15 Inf. Regt. “They are a Sunni and Shia village that is, to put it mildly, quite destitute. They all get along together, though. They are very isolated, but they were thrilled to see us.”

The local residents received humanitarian assistance bags: 24,000 liters of bottled water, clothing, school supplies and toys.

In addition to delivering the supplies, Staff Sgt. Derrick Boykins, a medic with Headquarters Company, 1-15 Inf. Regt., was able to treat six townspeople, who suffered from a variety of bruises, cuts and minor illnesses.

“We plan to go back there and do a village assessment,” Lester said. “They want a town water well and would like to show us a sight they have picked out. We hope to help them with that.”

The 1-15 Inf. Regt. is part of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Inf. Div., out of Fort Benning, Ga., and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March 2007.