Decades of directed noninteraction and perpetual isolation by Saddam Hussein closed interdepartmental ministries communication and continued to severely affect Haditha Dam, Iraq, operations after his downfall. Two U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) workers at the dam are changing that, and with their efforts have launched a grass-roots movement to improve electrical generation.

Project Manager Jeff Daniels started and continues to facilitate monthly managers’ meetings, which are referred to as the major’s or town hall meetings. Construction Representative and Functional Expert Bob McKechnie attends these meetings as the USACE Gulf Region Central (GRC) District contact. The meetings were originally developed to encourage trust and communication among the Ministry of Electricity managers concerning electrical generation, transmission, and distribution with the consideration of the Ministry of Water Resources. However, trying to reach an integrated and mutual agreement about production is not easy given the primary purpose for the dam.

“The main focus of Haditha Dam is for irrigation and, because of that, the electrical production takes the background and doesn’t seem to get the focus it deserves to keep the production up. I don’t think they [the electrical department] have as big a voice as the irrigation department and that makes it frustrating for everyone,” reports McKechnie.

Multinational Force-West’s MAJ David Johnson, U.S. Marine Corps (USMC), understood the need to develop such meetings and agreed to be the focal point to prevent residual interdepartmental antipathies from interfering with attendance or any solutions. Johnson is the 3rd Battalion, 23rd Regiment, Headquarters Support Company Commander, for the Haditha Dam area. Open discussions in the meetings set a foundation that solidified local management into a unified and well-balanced team.

The team then requested to meet the province governor. Engineer members went to the USMC Commander at Haditha Dam, who coordinated a visit with the al-Anbar province Governor Ma’amoon Al-Alwani. The Haditha management team presented its issues and concerns to the governor. Issues were shared regarding electrical power generation, transmission, and distribution.

Adel R. Abdulsalam, the al-Anbar Manager of Electric Transmission at the dam, said, “These meetings are very beneficial. We are meeting with the governor every 2 weeks and are a part of the governor’s power committee.” An ongoing success story, the power committee is designed to help solve some of the major electrical problems for al-Anbar province and work to find solutions that will result in a stable power grid to support electricity 24-7.

The issues of electrical generation and distribution are being resolved by the citizens of Al Anbar, the local Ministry Managers, the Province Governor, USACE staff, the USMC, and Coalition Forces at Haditha Dam and in Al Anbar province, all working together as a team. It is a new way for the Iraqis to conduct business, but the way electricity will best be available to the province.

This is very good news for the more than 160,000 Iraqis who are served by Haditha Dam.

For more information, contact Kendal Smith at (540) 665-2644 or e-mail leslie.k.smith@usace.army.mil. For more information on the USACE in Iraq, visit www.grd.usace.army.mil.