Engineers Bring Light to Fallujah

FALLUJAH, Jan. 13, 2010 – More than 22 miles of roadway here and in surrounding communities are now fully lighted with 1,200 solar powered street lights.

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“The administration of this project is an excellent example of USACE’s commitment to building Iraq’s technical capacity,” said Army Maj. Joseph Geary, officer-in- charge of the resident office. Iraqi engrs employed by Gulf Region District were key liaisons with local electrical dept reps and city leaders, Geary noted. In a country with limited power-generation capabilities, solar lights allow energy to be redistributed to areas of critical need. In an area where hard-wired lights may operate only for a couple of hours, a solar-powered light will provide continuous illumination through the night. The USACE in Iraq has completed thousands of reconstruction projects in partnership with the U.S. and Iraqi govts. Since 2004, USACE has completed 5,257 projects throughout Iraq, and has more than 350 projects ongoing. The overall reconstruction effort in Iraq currently provides jobs for more than 20,000 Iraqis.

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