CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION NASIR WA SALAM, Iraq - Civil affairs Soldiers and leaders from 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, joined with the Iraqi Ministry of Water, Feb. 28, to celebrate the opening of a refurbished water filtration plant near the village of Aqur Quf.

The Soldiers, from Company B, 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion, and 4th Bn., 9th Infantry Regiment, assisted the Iraqi officials in the project at their request in order to provide clean drinking water to the Iraqis in the area.

The plant is one of three such plants expected to open in different regions in the coming months, said 1st Lt. James Hester, a civil affairs team leader and project manager assigned to Company B, 422nd CA Bn.

"This is the main water treatment plant of the area, and [it] now can connect more areas through water piping from this facility," said Hester. "The Iraqis did a tremendous amount of work on this project. We've had weekly meetings with the Ministry of Water, the plant manager and contractors to make sure things progressed properly."

The new plant will deliver fresh water to the people living in the Jeb Dafar and Zydon regions as well as an additional 4,000 to 5,000 people in the surrounding area. The plant can be renovated further to serve even more people as the need arises, said Hester.

Begun in the summer of 2009, the project has taken a long time to reach fruition, said Hester, requiring the efforts of all of them working side-by-side to complete.

The civil affairs team received some help along the way from 4-9, known as the "Manchu" battalion.

"The Manchus provided us with a platoon dedicated solely to helping us whenever we needed it," said Hester, "which provided us the opportunity to operate independently and check on progress frequently to keep things moving smoothly."

Iraqi security forces have hailed the project as one of many opportunities to prove their dedication to the local people, said Lt. Col. Mark Bieger, battalion commander for 4th Bn., 9th Inf. Regt. 

"We've been making an effort to step back and let the Iraqi leadership present humanitarian aid and projects like this one to the people of Iraq," Bieger said. "We want to generate a positive perception among the local populations that the ISF are here to support and protect them."

The water plant will be paramount in providing the areas around Aqur Quf, which are predominately made up of farming communities, with reliable water to support their crops, said Bieger. Water and electricity are the two main concerns among the residents.

Despite the project taking 18 months to complete, ISF and U.S. forces have managed to keep the area secure the entire time. According to Bieger, the ISF has stepped up its role in supporting security for projects such as this one to encourage future projects that provide basic necessities.

"This ribbon-cutting ceremony was clearly an Iraqi celebration of Iraq's dedication and ability to support themselves," said Bieger. "The ISF already had the area secure before we even arrived. So, even if the U.S. wasn't at the event, security would have been sufficient regardless."

As U.S. military leaders begin the responsible drawdown of the U.S. presence in Iraq and Iraqi leaders prepare for their first independent national elections since Americans set foot on Iraqi soil in 2003, Soldiers in attendance at the ceremony understood the significance of their efforts.

"We're trying to help the Iraqi people so that when we leave, they'll have clean drinking water," said Spc. Jared Bower, assigned to Company B, 4th Bn., 9th Inf. Regt. "I'm very proud of what we're doing out here; we're participating in a piece of history."