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| Piloted
by an Iraqi aviator, a Russian-made MI-2 helicopter takes off
to begin crop-dusting date palm fields.
Spraying will cover an estimated five to eight square
kilometers per day throughout nine areas in the Diyala
province during the next two weeks. |
Iraqi
pilots begin crop dusting
Story and photo by Spc. Kimberly Snow, 196th MPAD
Forward Operating Base WARHORSE, Baqubah, Iraq - Soldiers of
Multi-National Force Iraq recently began an operation to help pump a
little gas into the local economy in Diyala Province.
In
a cooperative effort between Iraq’s Ministry of Agriculture and
MNF-I, Iraqi pilots May 14 began crop-dusting the province’s date
palm fields. It is the
first time Iraqi pilots have flown in their airspace since Operation
Iraqi Freedom began more than a year ago.
This
joint operation will cover nine areas in Diyala province and will
continue for two weeks, the end of the date spraying season, said
Chief Warrant Officer Phil Owen, Aviation Operations Officer, 1st
Infantry Division. Owen,
who coordinated initial efforts with the Ministry of Agriculture,
said the spraying would cover an estimated five to eight square
kilometers per day.
He
explained spraying is critical to the operation of Iraq’s date
palm industry. About 60
percent of the world’s dates come from Iraq, and of those, about
65 percent come from Diyala province.
Because it is so important, the Ministry of Agriculture
requested MNF-I support he said.
“This
is really an Iraqi operation; it’s their equipment, their pilots,
their chemicals, their mechanics", said Owen.
“The only thing we’re providing them so far is some fuel
and lubricants, and we’re giving them a place to secure their
aircraft at night. Other than that, it’s their operation 100 percent.”
The
Ministry of Agriculture’s head pilot, Capt. Muntadhar Mohamed,
began meeting with MNF-I representatives more than two months ago to
help coordinate the operation.
An agriculture pilot for the past 24 years and trained in the
United States, he said the MNF-I supplied the operation with 10,000
liters of fuel.
“The
most important thing is the security,” he said.
“We did a good job of cooperating together.”
Dr.
Hussein Ali-Tahir, a pesticide analysis specialist with the Ministry
of Agriculture, earned a PhD in chemistry from the University of
Dublin. Ali-Tahir
certified the chemicals, which he said are not dangerous for humans
or animals. They have
been spraying the crops for more than 50 years, he added.
“Every
year we apply (the pesticide) to use against these insects,” he
said referring to the white fly and fruit fly.
“All the date palm last year was infected, so Army support
is really good, because we needed that.
It is very important to us, it is important for the
people.”
The
only real concern is that the chemicals are poisonous to bees, said
Owen. Because a lot of local residents raise bees, they go out and
notify the local populace the night before, so beekeepers can take
protective measures.
1st.
Lt. Michael R. Adams, 1-4 Cavalry Regiment Aviation Liaison Officer
to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, took over the project on May 14 and
has been coordinating through military channels for airspace, flight
routes, and logistical issues.
“These
pilots are heroes,” he said.
“They are risking their lives for the people of Iraq,
knowing that insurgent forces might try to disrupt this
operation.”
The
aircraft are Russian-made MI-2 helicopters, purchased from Poland in
1985. While initially
sent to the military, the Ministry of Agriculture took them shortly
after for use as crop dusters.
Two aircraft have been pieced together from the parts of 17,
said Owen. The pilots,
he added, are not military pilots.
“All
of the pilots work for the Ministry of Agriculture, some of these
pilots have been flying 15-20 years,” he said.
“They’re all just regular crop dusters, just like we have
back in the states. That’s
their job.”
Adams
said the second aircraft will perform a test flight May 20 and
anticipates that it will be ready and in use on May 21.
He explained that the aircraft was built in 1955 and is
almost 50 years old.
“This
shows the determination of these guys to get them up and repair
them,” he said. “The
result is that the crops won’t be destroyed and that’s extremely
important to them. The spraying is stimulating the economy by providing farmers
and merchants with jobs.”
Following
the completion of the date palm operation, the pilots will continue
to spray other crops such as wheat, rice and corn, said Adams.
Based on the success of the operation, they will most likely
move on to other provinces throughout the country and continue
spraying throughout the year.
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