Hammer Leaders Promote Peace Through Economy

Lt. Col. Ryan J. Kuhn, from Clarks, Neb, deputy commander of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, addresses the audience at a ceremony to award $10,000 small business grants to local entrepreneurs in Jisr Diyala Oct. 18. Mushen Nasser, Mada’in Qada Mayor, and Thamer Abed Juwad, chairman of the Mada’in Qada Council, are on Kuhn’s right. (Photo by 3rd HBCT, 3rd Inf. Div.)

Lt. Col. Ryan J. Kuhn, from Clarks, Neb, deputy commander of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, addresses the audience at a ceremony to award $10,000 small business grants to local entrepreneurs in Jisr Diyala Oct. 18. Mushen Nasser, Mada’in Qada Mayor, and Thamer Abed Juwad, chairman of the Mada’in Qada Council, are on Kuhn’s right.

Martin, from Destin, Fla., executive officer of Company A, 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, leads the Sledgehammer Economic Team for the 3rd HBCT, 3rd Inf. Div. There, he has helped the Iraqi Association for Securities Delears (IASD) issue small business grants of $10,000 to 13 businessmen. IASD awarded the grants on Oct. 18 in Jisr Diyala, following the completion of a Small Business Development Course attended by the Iraqi entrepreneurs.

Brigade leadership determined that advancing the economy of the largely agrarian district of the Baghdad Province would be a primary goal following deployment to Iraq in March. Martin took on the duty of spearheading the brigade’s effort to spark the local economy in April. One of Martin’s first tasks was to promote small business ventures.

The IASD runs a small business development course in Baghdad. Martin coordinated a five-day course for budding entrepreneurs from the Mada’in Qada in September.

Working in conjunction with the Qada government, Martin and local governmental leaders solicited applications from prospective local businessmen. Each application had to include business ideas. The Mada’in council selected 13 of the applications based on the feasibility of the business idea, the experience of the entrepreneur and potential benefits to the community.

The 13 applicants attended the small business development course in September. The course included instruction on business planning fundamentals, cash flow analysis, marketing concepts, information technology advice and financing basics. Each student produced a business plan as a result of the course.

Upon completion of the course and the various business plans, Martin inserted himself back into the process to review all the plans.

“We wanted to make sure their business plan was developed to an acceptable level,” said Martin. “We wanted to ensure that they had thought through the whole process. We worked with each individual to make sure all of the fundamentals taught in the course were included in their plan.”

Following review by the Sledgehammer Economics Team, the businessmen were certified to receive $10,000 grants from the IASD. The local businessmen are now set to begin businesses varying from internet cafes and tailor shops to automotive repair and wood working.

Brigade leaders feel improving the economy will give the local population incentive to cooperate with Coalition Forces in creating a stable environment in the Qada.

The unemployment rate in the Mada’in Qada is 16 percent according to 3rd HBCT estimates. Employment is defined as one hour of regularly scheduled work per week, according to Maj. James Carlisle, from West Palm Beach, Fla., the 3rd HBCT civil-military operations officer. He stated that this creates a population with many idle hours and a distinct need for a larger income.

“In the Arabic culture, providing for your family is a matter of honor and not being able to do that is a source of shame,” said Maj. Nathan Haas, a 3rd HBCT staff officer. “We think a number of insurgents are not ideologically motivated, but rather in need of money and employment. By providing opportunities such as these small businesses, we hope to reduce the manpower pool available to extremist leaders and undercut the appeal of the insurgency.”

Martin thinks the small businesses are a good start in the right direction.

“We’re developing non-sectarian networks,” said Martin. “Whether you are Sunni or Shia, what’s good for business is good for business.

“One small business, one family at a time is enabling the economy to grow from the bottom-up,” continued Martin. “We see this as a way to bridge sectarian differences through economic interdependence.”

The 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, is from Fort Benning, Ga., and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March.