AN NASIRIYAH, Iraq, May 11, 2004 — The 6th Italian Air Force detachment, part of the Italian joint task force, recently helped renovate a school in Al Zahiira, a village of about 3,000 people near An Nasiriyah, according to Combined Joint Task Force 7 officials.

The Italian civilian-military cooperation center in An Nasiriayh financed the project, which was completed by a local contractor under the direction of Italian Air Force engineers.

Brig. Gen. Gian Marco Chiarini, Italian joint task force commander, re-opened the school in a ceremony with village leaders. The school now has eight large classrooms, a playground, modern conveniences, and a new roof so students can stay in class even when it rains.

Village leaders thanked the Italians for their help, giving special thanks to General Chiarini for keeping an eye on the problems in the province. General Chiarini said promoting the children's education is very important to developing the community.

After the ceremony, the 6th Italian Air Force detachment distributed humanitarian goods, ranging from food to clothes, to stationery and other school equipment, all donated by the Italian city of Catania, and transported to Iraq by an Italian military flight.

Also, an Italian special infantry unit of the 11th "Bersaglieri" Regiment donated 300 schoolbags to the school children. The Italians plan to distribute other humanitarian goods to Iraqi villages in the Dhi Gar province in the coming weeks.