Soldier spends 20 months helping restore Iraqi services

Master Sgt. Bill McGuckin of the 416th Civil Affairs Battalion leaves Mosul this month after working since March 2003 to restore Iraqi medical services, electric power and water services.

McGuckin’s qualifications as a medic led him to be deployed at the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom with the 431st Civil Affairs Battalion, an Army Reserve unit from Little Rock, Ark. After 10 months in Iraq, he volunteered to extend his time in country to work with the 416th, the unit that replaced the 431st in Mosul.

After crossing into Iraq, McGuckin first worked with the Public Health Team to assess the region’s healthcare equipment and facilities. The unit stayed a month in Baghdad before continuing their journey to Mosul, the third largest city in Iraq.

McGuckin arrived in Mosul to find the city in disrepair, damaged from years of neglect and recent fighting to liberate the country. He was put in charge of the Public Works Team and faced the daunting task of restoring water and power to a city of almost 2 million people.

“Our main focus at the beginning was to immediately get the water and power back on and to get the people back to work,” he said.

McGuckin tackled a project to repair the Mosul Dam, a vital source of electricity for the local people. This project was the first of many projects McGuckin was involved with to assist the people of Ninevah Province.

Earlier this year, McGuckin was made the Detachment Sergeant for the 416th’s General Support Detachment. He worked behind the scenes to organize missions for the civil affairs Soldiers and process project proposals that would bring aid to the people of Ninevah.

“You can tell that he really cares about his Soldiers,” said Spc. Jeff Nantze, a Soldier with the General Support Detachment.

(Information provided by Spc. Blair Larson.)