Articles on War
Finding hope from water shortage
By LTC Melanie Meier
The message from Contingency Operating Base (COB) Adder's Garrison Headquarters started, "Attention COB Adder: Effective immediately, COB Adder's water conservation level is changed from Level 2 to Level 3."
With the heat of late summer averaging from 120 to 135 degrees and this announcement that Camp Adder's water conservation level had become more restrictive, I learned of challenges being faced outside our military base. Up until now our water restrictions inside the military base kept us from washing equipment and limited us to "combat showers" of two minutes or less. These newer restrictions shut down the self-serve laundry facilities and some contractor work areas were left without water all together. Fortunately, our bottled water is plentiful because we have a bottling plant right here operated by one of our units who also pumps the water and filters it.
Outside our military base it is a different story. As the primary source of water for us and the local Iraqi people, the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers serve a vital role. The military base draws water from the Euphrates River, then filters it and either bottles it or pumps it to our dining facilities, latrines and shower trailers. Outside the wire, filtering can not be taken for granted.
This is one area where COB Adder's Civil Affairs teams have made a difference by providing villages with solar-powered water filtration systems, and the Provincial Reconstruction Teams have ensured that enough locals are trained to operate and maintain the systems once we were gone. Recently, I learned two things about the water situation in southern Iraq from a young Civil Affairs specialist. I was told that dysentery had risen the past two years in this region, which was what prompted Civil Affairs units to become involved in the filtration system project.
He also told me that malaria threatens children and pregnant mothers each year during the peak mosquito months of May, June, September, and October. Here in dusty hot Tallil, I do not worry too much about mosquitoes, but it makes sense that they are a threat in the cities and villages where most of the people live, near the main water source, the Euphrates River.
I was surprised when the Specialist told me about the latest project at Camp Adder's water reservoir. He and another Specialist have constructed a breeding safe haven for the gambusia affinis, or mosquito fish, that loves to eat mosquito larva. Intending to release them in force into the Euphrates, the Specialists nurture the guppy-sized fish in a fort built of camouflage netting and sandbags. This was their own idea, and they received permission to work on the project on their own time.
As this project continues, my hope is that their commitment and resolve pay off, not only for all the Iraqi people that they will help but for the shining example of two young Americans going out of their way to help. I am proud that our soldiers are not only the most disciplined, adaptable, and effective force in the world but also consist of smart and inventive individuals. Our talented soldiers, like this pair, come up with great ideas and the Army recognizes that and tries to utilize everyone to his or her fullest potential, and give them room to grow.
Although the water being pumped from the lower levels of the river on these hot days of summer may be a bit murky and we need to be more careful with our usage, there is a bright spot in those cloudy waters.
