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Log inBangor: Navy officer from Maine helping Iraq city rebuild
Bangor: Navy officer from Maine helping Iraq city rebuild
by Outspoken on Wed Jan 16, 2008 8:46 am
Bangor: Navy officer from Maine helping Iraq city rebuild
By Toni-Lynn Robbins
Staff Writer Bangor Daily News
BANGOR - City government is not foreign to Navy Capt. Bob McLaughlin.
When he was a child, his father served as Southwest Harbor’s city manager for several years.
Now, years later, McLaughlin’s involvement in city government is, in fact, foreign.
McLaughlin, 50, deployed to Iraq in June with an embedded provincial reconstruction team, where he serves as the governance and public works adviser for the city of Fallujah. He works directly with Iraqis to help rebuild the city’s business sector and promote economic development.
On Tuesday, he attended a council meeting during which the panel discussed improving the quality of life for the residents of Fallujah — initiatives that include improving water and sewer systems, trash removal and the availability of electricity, McLaughlin said in a satellite interview. The council’s drive to improve city infrastructure destroyed by war and violence is encouraging, McLaughlin said, as is the group’s increased focus on rebuilding rather than simply security.
"It has been an interesting change," McLaughlin said about the council meetings. "They have literally gone from three-hour meetings where 70 percent of the time Americans were doing the talking [about security issues], whereas today they were just discussing quality of life and we spoke for maybe five minutes."
http://bangornews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=158986&zoneid=500
By Toni-Lynn Robbins
Staff Writer Bangor Daily News
BANGOR - City government is not foreign to Navy Capt. Bob McLaughlin.
When he was a child, his father served as Southwest Harbor’s city manager for several years.
Now, years later, McLaughlin’s involvement in city government is, in fact, foreign.
McLaughlin, 50, deployed to Iraq in June with an embedded provincial reconstruction team, where he serves as the governance and public works adviser for the city of Fallujah. He works directly with Iraqis to help rebuild the city’s business sector and promote economic development.
On Tuesday, he attended a council meeting during which the panel discussed improving the quality of life for the residents of Fallujah — initiatives that include improving water and sewer systems, trash removal and the availability of electricity, McLaughlin said in a satellite interview. The council’s drive to improve city infrastructure destroyed by war and violence is encouraging, McLaughlin said, as is the group’s increased focus on rebuilding rather than simply security.
"It has been an interesting change," McLaughlin said about the council meetings. "They have literally gone from three-hour meetings where 70 percent of the time Americans were doing the talking [about security issues], whereas today they were just discussing quality of life and we spoke for maybe five minutes."
http://bangornews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=158986&zoneid=500
"Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything."
Plato (427-347 BC)
Plato (427-347 BC)
