CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE DELTA, Iraq - Lt. Col Cameron Cantlon, left, Commander of 6th ‘Saber’ Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cav. Division, and a Ettrick, Wis. native; George Stickels, second from left, Provinci...

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE DELTA, Iraq - Lt. Col Cameron Cantlon, Commander of 6th 'Saber' Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cav. Division, and a Ettrick, Wis., native, address local media in front of the new Apollo G...

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE DELTA, Iraq - Lt. Col Cameron Cantlon, Commander of 6th 'Saber' Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cav. Division, and a Ettrick, Wis. native, and George Stickels, Provincial Reconstruction Te...

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE DELTA, Iraq -- Members of 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, the new incoming squadron to Wasit Province; 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, the outgoing squadron and the Provisional Reconstruction Team delivered on a long-awaited promise to local farmers in Wasit Province by providing mechanical grain probes to three local grain silos.

On June 22, a small ceremony was held at the Al Kut Grain Silo to signify the completion and successful operation of the new mechanical grain probes.

"Back when I first met you, I made a promise that we will try to provide these grain probes for you. Today, we show you that we kept that promise," said George Stickels, a member of the PRT and United States Department of Agriculture, which led the project to deliver the mechanical grain probes to the farmers and silo employees gathered at the ceremony.

The Apollo Gamet mechanical grain probes provided by United States Forces-Iraq, allow for the grain that farmers deliver to the silo to be accurately, efficiently, and consistently graded based on the quality of the grain.

"Before these mechanical probes, the workers at the silos used a manual process that was not easy to continuously replicate. Considering the long hours in the heat that were required to do this job, a poor quality of grain was going out to the people of Wasit Province because it was not properly graded," said Stickels.

Now, with the grain properly graded by the mechanical probes, better quality grain is properly stored allowing for better food for the local people.

This project was initially started while 2nd Sqdn., 3rd Armd. Cav. Regt., was responsible for conducting operations in the province. However, as of June 15, 6th Sqdn., 9th Cav. Regt., 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cav. Division assumed responsibility in the province.

"I am very encouraged by the progress that the local Iraqis are making here and their willingness to reach out to us for assistance and support. Our squadron is ready and willing to help provide whatever assistance we can to these people," said Lt. Col. Cameron Cantlon, commander of the 6th Sqdn., 9th Cav. Regt., and an Ettrick, Wis., native.