U.S. ambassador visits Balad's leaders and provincial reconstructive team

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Wes Carter
  • 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq (AFNS) --  The U.S. ambassador to Iraq visited Joint Base Balad April 23, to better understand the work the joint base's provincial reconstruction team is doing to prepare Iraq for its future. 

Ambassador Christopher Hill received an update from base leaders of the programs and missions civilians and servicemembers perform every day.

"One cannot imagine our presence in this country without Joint Base Balad," Ambassador Hill said. "This is absolutely a key node for a lot of issues in Iraq."

"There is no doubt that (JB) Balad will remain robust until the last moments of the drawdown," Ambassador Hill said. "(JB) Balad represents the civilian military operation we have going on in Iraq. If we succeed in Iraq, and I do believe we will, it will be because U.S. civilians and U.S. military members came together to make one team and one mission."

As one of the largest bases in Iraq, JB Balad and its PRT will play a key role in the country's future. During his visit, the ambassador was able to see the team's work first hand as he met with many Iraqi community leaders.

"The ambassador's visit was great," said Ben Fluhart, a PRT team lead. "It gave him the opportunity to see firsthand what we are doing to prepare for the eventual handover of this base to the Iraqis. At the same time, it gave the Iraqi leaders, with whom he met, the chance to hear a perspective on their country from our senior diplomat."

As the drawdown is underway, PRT members are working around the clock to prepare Iraq for its post drawdown future.

"This is a country with enormous potential," Ambassador Hill said. "(Through) the outreach that the base does through the provincial reconstruction team, we can see a much better future for this country."

The hope is that Iraq's future involves a long-standing relationship with the United States. "Good neighbor" programs like Iraqi Kids Day, Iraqi firefighter training and offering continuing education for the Iraqi medical health professionals not only betters the country today, but leaves the possibility of a better tomorrow.

"We want to have a long term relationship with Iraq," Ambassador Hill said. "It's not easy. There is an economic dimension, a political dimension and also a human dimension. These kinds of outreach programs where you bring in kids on to the base - for many kids it is a very exciting moment in their lives. They will remember Americans from these engagements."

The base's engagements with local Iraqis bring to light the importance of each individual U.S. civilian and service member serving in Iraq.

"It puts a lot of pressure on Americans," Ambassador Hill said. "One Iraqi's experience with the entire United States of America is based on one meeting with one U.S. (civilian) or service member."