By Ron Elliott, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Division
When Maj. Gen. Michael Eyre and Command Sgt. Maj. Mitch Prater cased the colors of Gulf Region Division Oct. 23 at the majestic Al Faw Palace in Baghdad, it was not just the end of a unit. It was also the end of reconstruction efforts in Iraq under combat operations, and the beginning of reconstruction under stability operations.
Earlier this year, the transition to a responsible drawdown began as U.S. forces began leaving the cities and towns. Many troops and units have started returning to their home stations, but GRD is the first organization to leave the Iraqi theater as part of the drawdown.
Gen. Ray Odierno, the Multi-National Force-Iraq commander, stressed that the accomplishments of GRD extended far beyond the visible brick and mortar construction projects.
“Your efforts have not been limited to developing physical infrastructures, but also have included partnerships with the ministries of electricity, housing, construction, municipalities, public works, water resources and oil,” Odierno said. “You have vigorously shared your expertise and have helped Iraq make tremendous progress in developing human capital and the technical skills necessary to continue to move forward and build a more vibrant and modern state.”
Odierno told the audience that although the inactivation ceremony was a step toward the responsible drawdown of U.S. forces, that there was still much work to be done.
“We are not yet finished; our mission still continues,” Odierno said. “We are on a road to success, but we still have much work to do to attain that success. Therefore, we will still have a significant engineering presence and a mission here in Iraq.”
Since its inception on Jan. 25, 2004, GRD has helped rebuild a war-torn nation that had few essential services by providing full-spectrum engineer and construction management support to the Government of Iraq.
As of Oct. 1, GRD had completed nearly 5,300 projects valued at more than $9 billion. In fiscal 2009, GRD’s personnel had completed 325 projects valued at nearly $1 billion including:
- 41 school projects
- 20 village road projects
- 25 water distribution projects
- 21 electric distribution projects
- 12 police stations
- Seven court projects
- Two military command centers
There are numerous other projects aimed at improving the infrastructure and providing vital services for the people of Iraq. But according to Eyre, GRD commander, the number of projects is not the true measure of the work that was accomplished by GRD.
“This headquarters team is leaving this land, the Cradle of Civilization, with something that is so much bigger than any dollar value that we can place on projects,” Eyre said. “For this nation, and its citizens, now has hope. These projects are providing electricity, clean water, transportation, police and fire stations, medical care and educational opportunities to the people of Iraq, things many of us take for granted.
“Although these ceremonies are often bittersweet, I know that today’s inactivation means that we have done our job in supporting Multi-National Forces-Iraq’s mission requirements,” Eyre said. “It is a measure of the success of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and a testament of the Government of Iraq’s ability to lead a secure, stable, sovereign and self-reliant nation.”
Addressing the remaining members of the GRD team, Eyre assured them that their hard work and sacrifices enabled the change of their mission to stability operations.
“I am inactivating the division today knowing that this is absolutely the right thing to do, and the right time to do it,” Eyre said. “What we are witnessing this morning is transformation, and the responsible drawdown, before our very eyes. Our work here is something we can all be extremely proud of not only today, but forever. The work that each of you performed, individually and collectively, has played an important role in building strong foundations yesterday and today for a secure, stable, sovereign and self-reliant Iraq well into the future.”
With the inactivation of GRD, two USACE units will remain in Iraq to finish the reconstruction mission in Iraq -- Gulf Region South district in Tallil and Gulf Region District in Baghdad. These districts now come under the command and control of the Corps’ newly established Transatlantic Division, headquartered in Winchester, Va.
The new division unifies all USACE programs in the U.S. Central Command operations area, which covers 20 countries from Egypt through the Arabian Gulf to Central Asia.
PHOTO: Maj. Gen. Michael Eyre, Gulf Region Division commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Mitch Prater, GRD command sergeant major, furl the GRD colors during the inactivation ceremony. (Mike Schrenk, Gulf Region Division)