Photos

Soldiers with the 2nd Battalion of the 130th Infantry Regiment speak with a family returning from the market in the nearby village of Fallahat February 10, 2006. While the unit is primarily tasked with providing base and area security at Camp Taqaddum, Iraq, it is accomplishing another mission to help Iraqis recover from the hardships that fighting terrorists has brought with it. So far, the civil military operations program here has worked with U.S. Marine financial disbursers to distribute close to $50,000 in grievances and rewards for information leading to terrorist apprehension. The unit has helped the nearby villages with various humanitarian support projects such as re-supplying the local clinics, food distributions and has even given out soccer nets for playgrounds.