BALAD, Iraq - Soldiers in A Company of the 141st Engineer Combat Battalion recently participated in one more leg of Operation Backpack Iraq.

Soldiers from A Company distributed 140 backpacks to an Iraqi school just off of Highway 1 near Balad. The soldiers also distributed 20 boxes of donated school supplies they received throughout the year from various schools and individuals in North Dakota.

This was the first time the soldiers of A Company have really had the chance to give something back to the locals in Iraq. Normally, A Company soldiers are keeping Highway 1 safe for Iraqis and coalition convoys as part of their Trailblazer mission.

"I am a teacher at home, and I know that children learn better when they have the necessary resources to learn. It was also a lesson in trusting and believing that America is here to help Iraq from the youngest child up to the adults," said Staff Sgt. Peter Dobitz, of Dickinson.

"I felt it was a good cause both for the children and the soldiers. The children get supplies they can use and the soldiers can provide some hope for the youth of Iraq," said 1st Lt. Joe Faller, of Bismarck.