Printed with the permission of Captain Michael Monaco, United States Army
Thanks to Frank Monaco for passing this note along to the West Point Parents Forum
Thanks to the West Point Forum for the lead to Captain Monaco
An update from son Captain Mike Monaco in Tikrit, Iraq with the 4th Infantry Division.
Frank Monaco
Subject: The Bayji Water Treatment Facility
-----Original Message-----
From: Monaco Michael
Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2003 11:50 AM
To: Frank Monaco
Subject: Update
Dad,
The Bayji Water Treatment Facility Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony went extremely well today. You probably won't see it on the news back home because all the news crews decided to film pieces of the memorial services that happened this morning instead. We had Fox and CNN laid on but they didn't show.
Generally, they tend to focus on negative aspects of this operation I guess. Iraqi news crews and newspaper press were at the event so that might be a stronger showing in the long run.
Today was perhaps one of the best days I've had since being a part of this operation (6-7mos). Approximately 120,000 folks of the industrial town of Bayji can drink from the 15million gallons of fresh chlorinated and filtered water being treated at this major facility. Saddam built the facility back in 1984 and the facility went to hell because nobody maintained it, nor did they have the ability to receive $$ from their government for repair parts, etc. That is basically the norm for ever major public works facility I've seen in the 4ID AO. Saddam spent all the $$ he had on Guns, Ammo, and Palaces instead.
A Toast - COL Nicholson Bayji Mayor and the Contractor
We had the Bayji Town Mayor, several tribal sheiks, the contractor, the military ground unit - 3-66 AR S-3, combat camera, several folks from my Division Engineer Section, the facility manager, the workers, and about 20-30 local Iraqi Police present along with many folks from the town. Our DIV EN section initially assessed the facility, wrote up a statement of work document, then acquired funding approval from the Coalition Provisional Authority in the amount of $471,000. We solicited bids from 4 major Iraqi contracting companies and then signed a contract with the most promising one - Al Thuraya. Al-Thuraya rehabilitated the water treatment plant for the past 2 months and their results have absolutely amazed me!
$471,000 can fix a ton of stuff! The plant actually works now and it's pumping out so much pressure that some villages and towns now have water pressure for the first time in 10years!! Their sheik's actually thanked us today during the ceremony for our help if you can believe this!!
Colonel Nicholson and the Bayji Mayor
The ceremony was well planned and actually carried out by the contractor. The Bayji Mayor thanked everyone and agreed to accept responsibility for maintaining the plant and resupplying it with necessary chemical supplies in the future. They slaughtered a sheep and spread its blood on the facility grounds for good luck (a custom thing). COL Nicholson (my boss, the DIV EN) and I drunk a nice (4ID Stenciled Pint Glass) of freshly chlorinated "Bayji" water with the town mayor, the facility manager, and the town engineer. The water tasted good and I'm not sick yet!! Our combat camera and military press folks took plenty of photos and I'm supposed to receive them tomorrow...I'll be sure to send. Well anyway, take care and hope the Yanks win tonight! I will be there in spirit.
