Leaders of the First Cavalry Division, based 90 miles north at Fort Hood, stopped in Austin before heading to the Iraqi capital in February for three days of Municipal Management 101. Major General Pete Chiarelli, the division's commander, knows that getting Baghdad's trash collected and its lights on is just as important to winning the war as rooting out insurgents. So Austin officials lectured him and his officers on the ins and outs of running everything from sewers to elections. They also gave tours of the city's communications center, electrical substations, fleet operations and other facilities. "They wanted to know what 'right' looks like," says Michael McDonald, Austin's deputy city manager.
The consultation continues from afar. When the troops first got to Baghdad, they held a videoconference with Austin. Now as problems come up, the troops zip e-mail messages to Austin, where they're treated with top priority.
Of course, with 6 million people, Baghdad is 10 times larger than Austin. And not only is it much more dangerous but the day-to-day city management challenge--sewage often flows in the streets--is much more severe. Nevertheless, McDonald says he's amazed at how similar the military's basic mission and mind-set is to the one around Austin City Hall. "They're really focused on how to deliver services to those citizens."
