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07-07-08, 07:36 AM
City Council helps train troops
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July 7, 2008 - 1:00AM
Jennifer Hlad
The Daily News
Attending a Jacksonville City Council meeting may not be part of the regular training cycle for an infantry battalion. But more and more Marine leaders - most recently those of 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment - are adding lessons in city government to their predeployment schedule.
The leadership of 2/9 recently sat in on a City Council meeting, then participated in a presentation and discussion with City Manager Kristoff Bauer. The Marines also plan to tour a water treatment facility before they leave for Iraq this fall.
The idea is to see how Jacksonville's government and services work, then apply those lessons with municipal governments in Iraq, said Lt. Col. Thad Trapp, commanding officer of 2/9.
"The more we understand how those systems work, the better equipped we'll be in assisting them in improving their own systems," Trapp said.
Though there are subject matter experts on government and utilities in Iraq, the Marines must be able to talk to the local leaders and assess what their needs are, Trapp said.
And it is important the Marines learn how government leaders communicate with each other and the citizens, and how leaders balance competing demands, Trapp said.
Bauer said much of his presentation focuses on the theories of government, how to set priorities in a political environment and how to work with the population to address their needs.
"We are emphasizing not how to do it like we do, but how to pay attention to their customers and how to help them help themselves," Bauer said. "Every government, in order for it to be successful, has to be supported by the people it serves."
The training reflects the changing environment and responsibilities in Iraq. Trapp has served twice in Iraq, and said when the war first began, his unit's primary consideration was "security and defeating the enemy."
During the second deployment, in 2006, "the focus was on the government, but the focus was often distorted because of the strength of the insurgency, and having to devote so much energy to defeating the insurgency," he said.
Now, the focus of the citizens and the Marines have changed, as the coalition forces work on developing relationships with the governments, all the way down to the municipal level.
Instead of focusing solely on safety issues, people are concerned about utilities and services, he said.
"It is a major milestone ... when a citizen can worry less about their own security and more about their quality of life," he said.
Bauer has worked with several units getting ready to deploy and said their needs vary. In addition to meetings and the presentation, some Marines spent time with police officers, building inspectors and planners, learning more about their responsibilities, he said.
They also may talk about how to work with newly elected officials to help them understand their responsibilities. But regardless of the specifics, the theme is generally "how do we communicate," Bauer said.
Though the city has no concrete answers to give the Marines, Bauer said he hopes the time they spend working together is useful.
"All we can do is help them understand what the questions are," he said. "I say, ‘Don't assume anything, ask.' Let them define the kind of government they want and help them make that happen."
Contact interactive content editor Jennifer Hlad at jhlad@freedomenc.com or 910-219-8467. Visit www.jdnews.com to comment on this report.
Ellie
Comments 0 | Recommend 0
July 7, 2008 - 1:00AM
Jennifer Hlad
The Daily News
Attending a Jacksonville City Council meeting may not be part of the regular training cycle for an infantry battalion. But more and more Marine leaders - most recently those of 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment - are adding lessons in city government to their predeployment schedule.
The leadership of 2/9 recently sat in on a City Council meeting, then participated in a presentation and discussion with City Manager Kristoff Bauer. The Marines also plan to tour a water treatment facility before they leave for Iraq this fall.
The idea is to see how Jacksonville's government and services work, then apply those lessons with municipal governments in Iraq, said Lt. Col. Thad Trapp, commanding officer of 2/9.
"The more we understand how those systems work, the better equipped we'll be in assisting them in improving their own systems," Trapp said.
Though there are subject matter experts on government and utilities in Iraq, the Marines must be able to talk to the local leaders and assess what their needs are, Trapp said.
And it is important the Marines learn how government leaders communicate with each other and the citizens, and how leaders balance competing demands, Trapp said.
Bauer said much of his presentation focuses on the theories of government, how to set priorities in a political environment and how to work with the population to address their needs.
"We are emphasizing not how to do it like we do, but how to pay attention to their customers and how to help them help themselves," Bauer said. "Every government, in order for it to be successful, has to be supported by the people it serves."
The training reflects the changing environment and responsibilities in Iraq. Trapp has served twice in Iraq, and said when the war first began, his unit's primary consideration was "security and defeating the enemy."
During the second deployment, in 2006, "the focus was on the government, but the focus was often distorted because of the strength of the insurgency, and having to devote so much energy to defeating the insurgency," he said.
Now, the focus of the citizens and the Marines have changed, as the coalition forces work on developing relationships with the governments, all the way down to the municipal level.
Instead of focusing solely on safety issues, people are concerned about utilities and services, he said.
"It is a major milestone ... when a citizen can worry less about their own security and more about their quality of life," he said.
Bauer has worked with several units getting ready to deploy and said their needs vary. In addition to meetings and the presentation, some Marines spent time with police officers, building inspectors and planners, learning more about their responsibilities, he said.
They also may talk about how to work with newly elected officials to help them understand their responsibilities. But regardless of the specifics, the theme is generally "how do we communicate," Bauer said.
Though the city has no concrete answers to give the Marines, Bauer said he hopes the time they spend working together is useful.
"All we can do is help them understand what the questions are," he said. "I say, ‘Don't assume anything, ask.' Let them define the kind of government they want and help them make that happen."
Contact interactive content editor Jennifer Hlad at jhlad@freedomenc.com or 910-219-8467. Visit www.jdnews.com to comment on this report.
Ellie