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Spirit of America provides flexible, private assistance in response to local needs identified by deployed American troops and diplomates. We provide humanitarian and economic assistance, as well as equipment needed by US partner forces, in support of US missions and the local people American troops and diplomats seek to help.
Suite 700
Arlington, VA 22201-3868
No endorsement of Spirit of America by the US Department of Defense, Department of State, or US personnel is intended or implied.
Registered 501(c)(3). EIN: 20-1687786
“You don't have to wear a uniform to serve the nation.™” and “Patriotism without politics.™” are trademarked by Spirit of America.
3033 Wilson Blvd.
Suite 700
Arlington, VA 22201
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No endorsement of Spirit of America by the US Department of Defense, Department of State, or US personnel is intended or implied.
Registered 501(c)(3). EIN: 20-1687786
“You don't have to wear a uniform to serve the nation.™” and “Patriotism without politics.™” are trademarked by Spirit of America.
Text Block 1: Extra Large. This is one of six font sizes for body text. The sizes are based on a regular scale, so that each step up or down is always the same percentage. This provides a consistent visual hierarchy. The width of the text blocks are set to a maximum of around 80 characters (including spaces), following accessibility guidelines.
Text Block 2: Large. This is one of six font sizes for body text. The sizes are based on a regular scale, so that each step up or down is always the same percentage. This provides a consistent visual hierarchy. The width of the text blocks are set to a maximum of around 80 characters (including spaces), following accessibility guidelines.
Text Block 3: Regular. This is one of six font sizes for body text. The sizes are based on a regular scale, so that each step up or down is always the same percentage. This provides a consistent visual hierarchy. The width of the text blocks are set to a maximum of around 80 characters (including spaces), following accessibility guidelines.
Text Block 4: Small. This is one of six font sizes for body text. The sizes are based on a regular scale, so that each step up or down is always the same percentage. This provides a consistent visual hierarchy. The width of the text blocks are set to a maximum of around 80 characters (including spaces), following accessibility guidelines.
Text Block 5: Extra Small. This is one of six font sizes for body text. The sizes are based on a regular scale, so that each step up or down is always the same percentage. This provides a consistent visual hierarchy. The width of the text blocks are set to a maximum of around 80 characters (including spaces), following accessibility guidelines.
Max is one of the mine detection dogs used by Peshmerga partner forces to detect improvised explosive devices. Constituting 60% of deaths, these devices are the primary cause of casualties amongst Peshmerga soldiers in the recent fighting against ISIS.
Optional photo credit would go here.
When ISIS rapidly seized large swaths of Iraq, they saturated urban centers and the front lines with improvised explosive devices (IED) in an attempt to disrupt coalition forces. This brutal tactic led to mass civilian casualties while disrupting the economy and undermining local governance.
With the fall of the ISIS caliphate, Iraqi Kurdistan has finally reached a critical opportunity to clear forty years worth of landmines, UXO, IEDs, and ERWs.
In the recent conflict with ISIS, 1,350 have been killed in action and 6,000 have been wounded. The toll of ERWs on the civilian population also echo these statistics; civilians are regularly injured or killed by explosives left by ISIS.
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In 2016, the Landmine Monitor reported that the Iraq Kurdistan Mine Action Agency registered 2,711 confirmed hazardous areas and 491 suspected hazardous areas, encompassing over 240 square miles throughout the region.
The Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs, which reports directly to the Kurdistan Regional Government, established the K9 unit in 2017 with startup support from the Marshall Legacy Institute (MLI). The MLI-funded program provided 18 trained dogs to the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs along with a handler training program.
The K9 unit received international civilian and military demining training and is conducting limited operations, but the Peshmerga lack the resources to fully employ this critical capability when it is needed most.
SoA is providing the K9 unit with bomb-suits, metal detectors, and dog food and medicine needed for the unit to become immediately fully operational, filling the gap while long-term funding is secured by the Kurdistan Regional Government and US Forces. This will enable Peshmerga and US soldiers to conduct security operations against the remnants of insurgent ISIS and enable them to demine the region, thus allowing civilians to leave the refugee and displaced peoples camps and return home.
Help us equip this K9 unit with the gear and supplies needed to stay safe and become fully operational.
Optional photo credit would go here.
With your help, the US military will bring the K9 mine detection dog section to fully operational status. Your support will have an immediate impact on the safety of deployed US troops, our Kurdish partner forces, and civilians until long-term funding is secured by the Kurdistan Regional Government and US forces.
Spirit of America is providing 7 demining vests, 7 lightweight demining helmets, 3 mine detectors, 7 pairs of work gloves, and 6 months of medicine and dog food for 6 dogs.
This unit is relying on our support to become fully operational. Will you help us fill the gap?
Thank you,
Joshua Brandon
Project Manager – Middle East
Suite 700
Arlington, VA 22201
3033 Wilson Blvd.
Suite 700
Arlington, VA 22201
Quick Links
Follow Us
