Kurdish Airport Built Jointly By Iraqis and US Soldiers

December 3, 2003
KurdishMedia, UK

Kurdish Airport Built Jointly By Iraqis and US Soldiers

MOSUL, Iraq (December 2, 2003) - A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Monday
to celebrate the completion of the 101st Airborne Division's involvement in
renovations of the Hawler International Airport in Erbil, Iraq. 

High-ranking members of the Kurdish Regional Government, including the
ministers of Agriculture, and Public Works and Housing and Prime Minister
Nichirwan Barzani, attended the ceremony. 

Maj. Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander, 101st Airborne Division (Air
Assault) and other leaders from the division also attended the ceremony. 

"(The ceremony) recognizes the start of another chapter in the long history
of this city," Petraeus said, speaking to those assembled. 

The construction at the airfield was a four-month project, undertaken
jointly by civilian engineers and construction workers, Kurdish Peshmerga
Special Forces, and soldiers from four engineer units; the 37th Engineer
Battalion, 926th Eng. Group, 877th Eng. Bn. and 52nd Eng. Bn., all of which
are attached to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). 

"This is a joint triumph," Petraeus said. "(The soldiers) and their Kurdish
partners have been the key to this endeavor." 

"I would like to thank all the (people) who worked on this project," said
Prime Minister Barzani. "The soldiers who worked here will have a special
place in our hearts and minds." 

The work done at the airport was divided into three major projects, all
conducted simultaneously. The first project was the construction of a
three-kilometer ring road to connect the airport to high-traffic roads. Its
function is to provide expanded access to the airport and serve as a gate to
commercial development on the northwest side of the city, said Maj. Benjamin
Bigelow, operations officer, 37th Eng. Bn. 

The second project was the construction of an 18-kilometer perimeter road
around the entire airport property. The third project was the expansion and
improvement of a cargo parking apron accessed by two taxiways, Bigelow said.


In an effort to give back to the Kurds, who helped fight along side
coalition forces during Operation Iraqi Freedom, the military engineers
worked long hours in the heat, rain and cold to build roads for the airport,
said Capt. Jason Talliaferro, commander, C Company, 37th Eng. Bn. 

"We really appreciate the help," said Sardar Barzani, airport commissioner. 

Barzani hopes that by creating an international airport in Hawler, he will
be able to improve the economy with tourism, exporting, importing, and jobs.


"It's a great way to get tourists to Kurdistan," he said. "It's a gate for
this region." 

Erbil is the biggest city in Kurdistan, with a population of one and a half
million, an airport would bring a large revenue to the city. Plus, its
location is central to most of the large cities in northern Iraq, he said. 

"The expansion of Hawler International Airport will open a door for this
region to the rest of the world," Petraeus said. 

Both coalition forces and the Kurdish government supplied the equipment used
to work on the project. More then 50 pieces of equipment came from military
engineers. The regional government supplied another 40 vehicles and other
pieces construction equipment. 

"This was our first road project," said Spc. Sean Bailey, combat engineer, C
Co. 37th Eng. Bn. "It just shows you the versatility of the engineers." 

There are other projects that need to be completed before the airport will
be open for business. Fences need to be built around the ring road and the
rest of the airfield. A traffic control tower also needs to be built. 

The Coalition Provisional Authority is providing $120,000 to fence the
airfield, and $200,000 for the traffic control tower, Bigelow said. 

Additionally the Erbil Airport Commission is providing the funding for a
second, larger runway to accommodate larger commercial aircraft. 

The soldiers of the 37th Eng. Bn. enjoyed working in Erbil. 

"It's nice to see a community that really appreciates our help," Talliaferro
said. 


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