Thread: Operation Iraqi Freedom/Multi-National Force

Female combat medics in the fight daily; earn respect
Friday, 03 August 2007
Story by Spc. Mike Alberts
3rd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs



Army combat medics, Spc. Aimee Collver (right) and Spc. Vanessa Bolognese (center), both with the 25th Infantry Division’ 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Personal Security Detachment, take a moment to interact with the local population and relax during a mission in Amerli, Iraq, July 11. Photo by Army Spc. Mike Alberts.KIRKUK — Temperatures exceeded 115 degrees during the five-hour mission in Amerli that day. More than 50 Soldiers were on site and tensions were high; Amerli was the scene of a massive suicide truck bombing just four days earlier.

Soldiers kept alert, but visibly struggled under the weight of dozens of pounds of battle gear. Throughout the sun-scorched day, all but two Soldiers limited their movement as much as possible. All but two could afford that luxury.

“Bolo” and “Collver” continuously walked up and down the lines of men. “Drink water,” they repeated. “Are you feeling OK?” they asked. They were the two Soldiers charged with ensuring that each man stayed hydrated and returned safely to base. As usual, they were the mission’s only dedicated medical personnel.

Spc. Vanessa Bolognese and Spc. Aimee Collver, combat medics, Personal Security Detachment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, kept all their male counterparts healthy “outside the wire” that day in Amerli just as they do every day in the Kirkuk Province, Iraq. Neither is doing exactly what she thought she’d be doing in the Army, but neither would trade her job for another.

“Before I enlisted, I was going to school to become a [registered nurse],” said Bolognese. “I wanted a medical job and my [military occupational specialty] is called health care spe******t,” said the 21 year-old from Chino Hills, Calif. “In fact, the first time I heard the term ‘combat medic’ was during [advanced individual training] at Fort Sam Houston. They pretty much told us there, ‘You will be deploying. You will be working in Iraq.’” Bolognese’s colleague and roommate had similar motivations.

“I’d been working in a nursing home after high school,” said Collver. “When I walked into the recruiter’s office I knew that I wanted a medical job,” explained the 23 year-old from Puyallup, Wash.Iraq is anything like what I thought.” “The health care spe******t job was available, and I was told that I would be working in a ho****al setting,” she said. “Of course, I don’t work in a ho****al and nothing out here in

What each combat medic is doing in Irag is working as the designated medical asset to the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team’s Personal Security Detachment (“PSD”). The PSD’s primary mission is to transport certain members of the brigade’s command group around 3IBCT’s area of operation. The PSD also provides personal security for the command group to and from their various destinations and while on site, according to Staff Sgt. Jeremy Brandon, non-commissioned officer-in-charge, PSD, 3IBCT.

Brandon is a native of Jacksonville, Fla., and is serving his third combat deployment. He’s charged with supervising both Bolognese and Collver and explained why each Soldier is vital to mission success.

“We often conduct operations as an independent element,” explained Brandon. “For that reason, we need to have our own dedicated medical support. Bolognese and Collver are that support. We always have one of them with us wherever we go,” he said. And Brandon couldn’t be happier with their performance.

“Both Soldiers are everything that one could ask for in a medic,” he continued. “They have done an outstanding job staying on top of their skills. They’ve constantly taken it upon themselves to retrain and stay certified, and have done an excellent job both outside the wire and back here on the [Forward Operating Base] by taking the initiative to give us various medical classes.”

Brandon’s PSD Soldiers agreed.

“We all respect them for their abilities as medics and as Soldiers,” said Sgt. Brian Tabor, squad leader, PSD, 3IBCT. Tabor is a five-year veteran serving his second combat deployment. “We haven’t had any issues because they’re female,” emphasized the Sacramento, Calif., native. “Bottom line: They’ve been a valuable asset to the PSD and it’s been a good thing having them with us.”

As for Bolognese and Collver, even though neither is working in the comfortable confines of a ho****al, each loves her job and wouldn’t choose to do anything else.

“Of course, the job is mentally challenging because of the unknown anytime you leave the wire,” said Collver. “But I love being with this group because there’s so much camaraderie. I take a lot of pride in knowing that they’re well taken care of because I’m there for them,” she said.

“Their well-being depends on me when I’m with them,” echoed Bolognese. “In that sense, it’s wonderful to know that when I look back at my deployment I can say that I did go out there every day and risk my life to take care of other Soldiers,” she said. “That’s a lot more than most people can say.”

Paratroopers ask residents of Ur to lend helping hand
Friday, 03 August 2007
By Spc. L.B. Edgar
7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment



Westerly, R.I., 2nd Lt. Kyle Abruzzese, the fire support officer for Company C, 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, hands out contact cards to residents of Ur, a neighborhood in Baghdad's Adhamiyah District, July 21. The paratroopers went door to door to gather information from residents who are being terrorized by criminal militia. Photo by Spc. Leith Edgar, 7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.BAGHDAD — The discomfort was written all over the young man’s face, his eyes darted all over and he nervously rubbed sweat from a now perspiring brow. He continued to vehemently deny any knowledge of criminal activity.

Either the Iraqi military-aged male was truly scared or he was keeping a secret from coalition forces. The questions he would not answer were intended to provide assistance in tracking down criminal militia members. This was not an accommodating Iraqi citizen. The paratroopers tactically moved to the next residence of Ur, a neighborhood in Baghdad’s Adhamiyah District. There would be more questions for other residents to answer.

The paratroopers asked for help from the very people who the operation would benefit: residents suffering under the iron grip of criminal militia known for kidnappings, executions and roadside bombings.

The choice for residents: keep silent and continue suffering or come forward with information and risk reprisal. The paratroopers of 1st Platoon, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, hoped some residents were fed up with the status quo and wanted to make a change.

“We tell them we can clean up the streets for them as far as the bad guys,” but only if they provide information on the criminal militia, explained 1st Platoon’s leader, 2nd Lt. Andrew Walko.

But the consequences of helping the platoon, terrified many residents of Ur, said the Great Falls, Va., native.

“A lot of people are hesitant to give out information because they get strong armed. (criminal militia members) come around and say, ‘Hey, talk to the Americans and we’ll kill you,’” Walko explained.

De****e the fears, the paratroopers persisted and tried to reason with the residents full of trepidation.

“We let them know that we’re here to protect them and that if they tell us where a bad guy is, we’ll take him to jail,” said Sgt. Brent Palmer, an acting squad leader with the platoon.

Aside from verbal assurances, the paratroopers left contact cards with anyone in the area, so residents would be able to call in tips anonymously later on, which sometimes happens. The residents also have the legal right to bear some arms. Each household is authorized one AK-47 rifle and a single magazine. Individuals who desire a pistol are required to have a permit for it, said the native of West Palm Beach, Fla.

The paratroopers do their best to discourage residents from taking the law into their own hands and make every effort to leave the proper impression while tactically probing for useful information, Walko said.

“We try to present a friendly appearance. If we’re inside I’ll take my helmet off and try to make (the residents) feel more comfortable,” he said.

The section of Ur the platoon visited on this occasion is fertile ground for the criminal militia to recruit from because the residents do not have the means of subsistence. Offers of money to place IED’s (improvised explosive devices), fire RPG’s (rocket propelled grenades) or execute a small-arms attack are sometimes taken as a means to put food on the table. “They’ll do it because they follow the money,” Walko said.

Though the influence of criminal militia in Ur has dwindled since the paratroopers arrived in January, there is still a limited presence of extremists, he said.

“It is getting safer, but it’s still a combat zone. We’re still earning our combat pay and people are still getting hurt over here, so we have to be vigilant at all times,’ he said. “People die here. We’re at war. But I think we’re making a difference.”

Dreams for Democracy: Former son of Iraq reflects on changes in his native land
Friday, 03 August 2007
By Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp
1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs



Rudy Lirato (center), a U.S. contractor and translator for the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division's Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team, returns from a mission in a village north of Baghdad, arriving back at Camp Taji, Iraq, via a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. Lirato, who has worked with coalition troops for a little more than three years, said he hopes to help Iraq as the nation. Photo by Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp,1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs.CAMP TAJI — Like many immigrants before him, Rudy Lirato had a dream for his family-a dream firmly rooted in the ideals of freedom and democracy-when he left his native homeland of Iraq 30 years ago.

He is now serving as an interpreter and U.S. contractor who works with the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. Lirato left Iraq in 1977 with his wife for the city of Windsor in Ontario, Canada.

“I had just gotten married to my sweetheart and knew that I would be drafted into the Iraqi army and that there was no future for me here,” said Lirato. “I filed for a visa with the Canadian embassy and my uncle had sponsored my mom and then my mom, in turn, sponsored me.”

Prior to his immigration to Canada, Lirato had just graduated from Baghdad’s Al-Zafrany TechnicalCollege with a degree in automotive engineer design. At the time, Saddam Hussein was only the vice president of Iraq, but Lirato explained that Hussein was the man “behind the curtain” pulling the strings and actually in control of what was happening in the country.

A few years later, in 1980, Hussein ruled Iraq completely, giving Lirato a reason to ensure that his father and other family members, still living in the totalitarian nation, made it safely out of the country.

“We had to get them out of Iraq because people were being beaten and killed for no reason. They would disappear if they criticized the Baath Party. They would be picked up by intelligence and you would never see them again,” he said. “You would never think about asking the government what happened, because if you did, you would disappear, too.

During his years in North America, Lirato, now a grandfather, and his wife raised four children. For his first two years on the American continent, Lirato worked odd jobs to make ends meet.

After saving money, he was eventually able to open his own convenience store and later a chain of them along with a doughnut shop franchise and a pizzeria. Selling the franchise business 18 years later, he began an Italian restaurant with three satellite stores for pick-up and delivery.

He was truly living the American dream, being successful in business, he said.

Eventually, after nearly three decades in Canada, Lirato and his family settled in Phoenix.

In 2004, he left the restaurant business behind because he saw the opportunity to help his former homeland after Sadaam Hussein’s regime fell in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“The reason I came here was because this nation needed help,” he said. “The main reason I came to work with the Army was I believed in them and what they are doing as far as their wanting to help the people out of the goodness of their hearts.”

“The coalition forces helped Iraq get rid of a dictator, so their coming into Iraq was an excellent thing and many of the Iraqi people had been asking for U.S. help for years to get rid of Sadaam,” said Lirato.

Over his three years working with coalition forces, Lirato said he’s seen the good that they have been doing to help Iraq. In his current position for the 1st BCT, 1st Cav. Div., Rudy translates as a member of the brigade’s embedded provincial reconstruction team assisting them with current efforts to include reconciliation.

“They’ve been doing a thousand percent in trying to reach out to the people,” he said. “I couldn’t believe how much they were doing and at first, they basically just offered an open check to help the Iraqi people get back on their feet.”

Lirato has helped coalition forces to refurbish and refurnish schools, work on water projects, electrical stations and other major undertakings.

Some of the larger missions that Lirato has assisted have included accompanying a 45-foot trailer filled with medicine into the city of Mosul, Iraq. In addition, when he was working in Mosul, he saw the coalition donate $50,000 to help renovate a mosque.

“I’ve worked in efforts in Iraq that have involved thousands and thousands of dollars, giving free food rations out to the people,” he said. “There have been a lot of people out there in the U.S. and other nations with big hearts making donations to help Iraqis.”

One of the things that really surprised Lirato was the humane way in which coalition troops and Iraqi security forces treat insurgents when they are captured as enemy combatants. It was an eye-opening experience, he said, as compared to the old days under Hussein.

“When Sadaam captured his enemies, he would give them a slap in the face and a punch in the stomach and then send them to their deaths in meat grinders—after days and days of torture,” said Lirato. “When the coalition forces capture insurgents, suspects are given a toothbrush, food and water and humane treatment. Officers tell their troops not to yell, but be as nice as they can.

“Now, terror suspects are assured of getting a fair trial,” added Lirato, explaining that there is a noticeable difference between Iraq as a democracy, opposed to when it was under a totalitarian regime.

Another impression that sticks with Lirato, he said, was how much the coalition troops go out of their way to respect cultural differences inherent in Iraqi society.

“They have a great respect for and really do care about what happens to the people here,” said Lirato. But, he said, there needs to be a lot more participation on the part of Iraqis to move the country forward towards democracy.

“Reaching the younger generation will be key as they are the future of Iraq,” said Lirato. “Iraqis need to recognize that U.S. and coalition forces are there to help them and that they should grab the opportunity that’s at their doorsteps. The coalition forces will not be here forever.

“Freedom isn’t free, it has cost the Iraqis and coalition precious souls for a good cause,” he added.

With so many different people living in Iraqi society to include Kurds, Shia, Sunni, Tarakaman, Yazeady and Christians, one of the keys to success in Iraq will be bringing all of the different groups together and uniting them, according to Lirato.

“They need to take seriously what they have in their hands and start following a different path, first to help their country and their families,” Lirato said. “If they don’t they will be living in a lot worse situation than they are now.

“But hopefully they will awaken and put their differences aside, and take one united way to successfully live in prosperity,” added Lirato.

Lirato said he believes very much in the type of democracy and freedom that he and his family have experienced since moving first to Canada and then, the United States—he hopes one day people in Iraq can have a similar type of freedom to pursue their own dreams

One of the proudest moments in his life, he added, will come when he finally becomes a U.S. citizen in a few short months.

“I can’t wait to tell the judge, the president of the United States, the congress and everyone else ‘In God we trust,’” said Lirato. “It’s going to be a big honor for me and for

my family.”

Al-Qaeda has no presence in Ramadi anymore -- US Commander

MIL-US-IRAQ-QAEDA
Al-Qaeda has no presence in Ramadi anymore -- US Commander

WASHINGTON, Aug 3 (KUNA) -- A US Commander in Iraq said on Friday that al-Qaeda has no presence in Ramadi anymore in ****e of its efforts to claim back the capital of Anbar province.

"I can safely say that throughout my area of operations, which is essentially the central portion of Al Anbar, al-Qaeda has been defeated. There are no operational cells within the city, and there are no areas out surrounding the city that have any al-Qaeda influence," said the Commander of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Colonel John Charlton via videoconference from Ramadi.

In a Pentagon briefing, the US Commander pointed out that on June 30 there was clashes between US troops and al-Qaeda after intelligence reports disclosed that between 60 and 70 terrorists were planning an attack ordered by senior al-Qaeda leadership in Iraq to reclaim back Ramadi as the capital of the Islamic State of Iraq. "If this force had made it into the city, it would have been a tremendous victory for al-Qaeda", said Charlton while affirming that his troops defeated al-Qaeda militants driving two trucks attempting to enter the city through its south gate. He highlighted the security progress in Ramadi, noting that the daily average of attacks dropped from 30-35 last February till one or less today.

"We have experienced entire weeks with zero attacks in our area and have more than a total of 80 days with no attacks in the city," he said praising the cooperation of Iraqi security forces and "close personal relationships" with tribal leaders in the province. His Brigade was deployed in Iraq eight months and assumed last February its responsibilities in Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, known to be a predominantly Sunni area.

Charlton summarized his brigades mission in conducting counterinsurgency operations, defeating al-Qaeda, and setting the conditions for transfer of security to the Iraqi government.

He noted that the US military intends to establish "a permanent security presence" jointly with Iraqi security forces in order to stabilize the area and provide "an overt security presence." Charlton said that last year there was only 200 police officers operating in two stations of Ramadi and the number today is 7,400 distributed in over 30 police stations in the area along with 6,000 US soldiers and 4,7000 Iraqi army, reiterating the weakness of logistics for Iraqi security forces and praising their courage.

"For them, this fight is personal. They know that al-Qaeda is targeting them, their families and their tribes," noted Charlton. "If a tribal leader tells members of the tribe to join the security forces, they will join the security forces. I could spend an entire day emphasizing the importance of security and the need to join the police and army but get nowhere" he added.

Charlton said he is "hesitant" to set any date for transfer of security to Iraqis as their security forces in the area needs "a while to mature and get its legs underneath it in order to sustain itself." The US Commander admitted that there "was lot of misunderstandings" and "a bit of animosity" between the coalition forces and the tribes in the past.

"Mistakes were made on both sides as far as understanding what needed to happen on the way forward," he added. (end) jm.


ajs




KUNA 031905 Aug 07NNNN

US Army kills, detains 45 suspected terrorists in Iraq

Military and Security 8/4/2007 4:29:00 PM



BAGHDAD, Aug 4 (KUNA) -- US troops conducted a multi-faceted operation, killing four armed terrorists when they began to maneuver against ground troops, a US Army statement said on Saturday.
The raid aimed to capture or kill suspected special groups' cell operatives in Qasirin before dawn, as the operatives were suspected of coordinating logistical support from Iran for armed men inside Iraq, the statement added.
The captured operatives were also believed to have been involved in improvised explosive device attacks and explosively-formed penetrated attacks against US forces, the statement said.
It added that during the engagement, the troops destroyed a weapons cache and six cars that were being used by the suspected terrorists, as there were no casualties among the Army men during the operation.
In another Army statement, US troops detained 33 suspected terrorists during operations Saturday targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq and its associates in Kirkuk and the Tigris River Valley, Mosul, Tarmiyah and Bayji. (end) ahh.hb KUNA 041629 Aug 07NNNN

Tribal Leaders continue reconciliation efforts across Diyala
Saturday, 04 August 2007


Following a meeting about tribal reconciliation Aug. 2, 14 of the major tribes in Diyala province swear over the Quran, the Islamic holy book, to signify their reconciliation agreement uniting the tribes in the fight against terrorism. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Serena Hayden.TIKRIT— Eighteen paramount tribal leaders representing 14 of the major tribes in Diyala province, Iraq, swore on the Quran and signed a peace agreement unifying the tribes in the battle against terrorism during a meeting at the BaqubahGovernment Center Aug. 2.

The meeting, led by Ra’ad Hameed Al-Mula Jowad Al-Tamimi, governor of Diyala; Staff Maj. Gen. Abdul Kareem, commander of Iraqi security forces in Diyala province; and Col. David W. Sutherland, commander of coalition forces in Diyala, was attended by sheiks representing three Shiite tribes, 11 Sunni tribes and 60 of Diyala’s 100 sub-tribes.

“Let’s build this tent and live under it like one family – all the tribes and all the people of Diyala. You have to be one family,” said Ra’ad Hameed Al-Mula Jowad Al-Tamimi, governor of Diyala, who stressed the importance of the sheiks in the country’s efforts towards stability and security.

“Problems can be solved by the sheiks because they have great influence on their tribes,” Ra’ad continued, stating the tribes are the key to success in Diyala.

“Those tribes that do not choose to participate in the way ahead for a secure Diyala will be left behind,” said Sutherland as he spoke to the tribes. “Don’t say, ‘I need,’ until you say, ‘I’ve done.’ Do for your families, do for your tribes, and do for Diyala.”

“The tribal leaders can change the hearts of the people,” said Sheik Mahmood Abdul-Shinba Al-Hassani. “Instead of cheering for the terrorists driving through the streets, the people will cheer for the Iraqi security forces in the streets.”

“The terrorists are not that many,” said Sheik Adnan Abdul-Mehdi Al-Anbaki. “We have to stand together and we need to kill the terrorists. We know who they are.”

After discussing tribal differences and why it is important to unite, the sheiks signed a reconciliation agreement and swore over the Quran as a promise to uphold the agreement.

As stated in the Quran, “And hold fast, all together, by the rope which God (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves,” the sheiks agreed to ten conditions.

Some conditions of the peace treaty include ending tribal conflicts and attacks; cooperating with the ISF; fighting al-Qaida, militia groups and other terrorist organizations; working with the security forces to eradicate corrupt members; returning displaced families to their homes; reporting and removing improvised explosive devices; and respecting all sects, religions and women’s rights.

“This is the time my government needs me,” said Sheik Mazen Rasheed Al-Mula Jawad Al-Tamimi, paramount sheik for the Tamimi tribe. “Why should I stand by and watch when my people tell me everything – the good and the bad?”

“We have to consider the fact that local people are helping us. We have to work with them hand-in-hand and go forward,” Ra’ad said. “If anyone is standing in our way as an obstacle, then we will have to take that obstacle away from our path.”

Operation New Blue puts Iraqi police recruits to the test
Saturday, 04 August 2007
By Staff Sgt. Tony M. Lindback
302nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment



Spc. Boyd, a Task Force Marne military policeman in the 23rd Military Police Company, under the control of 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, runs with an Iraqi police recruit during the 100-meter dash portion of Operation New Blue's phase II in Lutifiyah, Iraq, July 29. Photo by Tony Lindback, 302nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.LUTIFIYAH —Communities like Lutifiyah, Yusifyah, Mahmudiyah and Al Rasheed will be getting a little more brotherly love from the boys in blue thanks to a new operation.

An Iraqi police recruiting, dubbed Operation New Blue, is putting residents in police stations to guard their own communities. Iraqi police stations in the area are currently assigned officers from outside communities.

The multi-phased operation began with recruit applications. Recruits filled out applications and had their fingerprints and picture taken and entered into a database to receive a background check during phase one. If the background check was cleared, the applicants were allowed to return for phase two, said Capt. William F. Jennings, commander of 23rd Military Police Company, from Fort Bragg, N.C., currently under tactical control of the 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.

Phase two of the drive took place July 29 and was a day-long event. It consisted of a literacy test and a physical fitness test similar to the Army Physical Fitness Test, or APFT.

“We had a total of 289 that actually came through the gate, but there were a total of 216 that were on our list from the first phase of the recruiting," Jennings said. "The ones who weren’t on the list were escorted outside the gate and told that we would have a future recruiting drive there and they’d have another opportunity.”

The literacy test was more of a reading comprehension test, said Jennings. The recruits were given a paragraph written in Arabic and were then given five questions referencing the who, what, when, where and why of the material.

Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Schaffer, police transition team chief for the Lutifiyah police station, 23rd MP Co., was in charge of the literacy test portion of event.

“They did better than I thought they would,” Schaffer said. “Being this far south of Baghdad, I’ve noticed in the past, the average Iraqi has a tough time reading and writing. Out of the guys we had come in, about 75 percent passed the literacy."

For those who passed the literacy test there were more obstacles to overcome -- 10 push-ups, 10 sit-ups, five pull-ups and a 100-meter dash had sweat pouring from many in the mid-day’s heat. Not all were prepared for the events as some wore sandals. Many sprinted barefoot on jagged rocks to meet the standards.

The guys at the recruiting drive are giving it all they got, said Schaffer. They’re sitting in the sun, 120 degrees in the straight sun, waiting in line all day long, he added.

“It’s determination,” Schaffer said. “Most of them are trying to provide for their families. I commend them for that.”

There hasn’t been a police station in these areas over the past four years, according to Jennings. He said it has been a challenge getting enough police to do democratic policing operations in the urban areas.

Schaffer said, “The residents want to police their own. That’s the best thing about the recruitment we did. The majority of them are from Lutifiyah and they’ll be protecting their own.”

To see the recruits walking the streets, providing a secure community for neighbors and family is the goal. It is hoped by Schaffer and Jennings that people will have the feeling that the local law enforcement is family, and that will inspire them to help clean up their towns and rid them of illegal activity.

Iraqi Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit progressing quickly
Saturday, 04 August 2007
By Staff Sgt. W. Wayne Marlow
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Public Affairs



Uptown, Mass., native Capt. Cynthia Garceau, a platoon leader with the 761st Explosive Ordnance Detachment, along with Soldiers of the 1st Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division, prepare munitions for a controlled detonation in eastern Baghdad. Members of the 761st have been training 1-9th Soldiers for three months on EOD procedures. Photo by Staff Sgt. W. Wayne Marlow, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Public Affairs.FORWARD OPERATING BASE RUSTAMIYAH — After three months of training, some Iraqi explosive ordnance detachment troops are almost ready to operate independently.

Soldiers of the U.S. Army’s 761st Explosive Ordnance Detachment have mentored members of the 1st Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division on the particulars of finding and safely detonating explosive devices. The Iraqi soldiers are gradually completing a checklist of items that, when finished, will enable them to stand on their own.

Capt. Cynthia Garceau of Uptown, Mass., a platoon leader for the 761st, said the Iraqis have come a long way in three months of training.

“They’re way ahead of where we thought they would be,” she said. “They’re very receptive to all the training and all the information we put out. We have their undivided attention. They’re very hard workers.”

The Iraqis adapted well to the methodical instruction methods, Garceau added.

“It goes through crawl, walk, and run phases,” she said. “First, we told them what ordnance identification was about. Then we went through the basics of identification, evacuation, and security, and slowly built them up to running a full-scale operation.”

And as the Iraqis soldiers progress, Garceau and her Soldiers continue to hammer home the fundamentals.

“We show them, then say, ‘Now you try it and set it up,’ and we just make little corrections here and there. We’re teaching new stuff out but still drilling in what was already taught them,” she said.

The Iraqis ran their first operation in June, with the U.S. along as observers only. “It was text book,” Garceau said. “Everything we taught them…they did exactly as we would have done it.”

In late July, the Iraqis got rid of almost 100 pieces of unexploded ordnance in a controlled detonation, and Garceau praised their performance.

“That was a good one,” she said. “The next step is turn over a mission to them, and the long-term goal is to turn over the entire mission. We have a checklist of tasks for them to be trained on, and we’ll continue down that list.”

Staff Sgt. Joseph Munoz, a platoon sergeant from Edinburg, Texas, agreed that the Iraqis are showing steady progress. He cited the multi-ordnance controlled detonation as an example.

“It was successful,” he said. “We’ve done small-scale demo shots with them but nothing of this size. It went very well. They have their own EOD school, which you go through four levels before graduating. Two of they guys here have graduated and are out here training the younger guys. Having that experience really pays off.”

If they continue at their current pace, the Iraqis could be ready to operate independently by the end of September, according to Munoz.

“In the next 45 days, we should have them operational,” he said.

In fact, there’s one area they greatly exceed the Americans. The two EOD teams meet each Thursday for soccer and the Iraqis are undefeated.

“They beat us,” Garceau said, “and they don’t even have their shoes on.”

Iraqi Security Forces complete security sweep in Samarra

Military and Security 8/5/2007 5:57:00 PM



BAGHDAD, Aug 5 (KUNA) -- More than 80 suspected terrorists have been detained in Samarra since Iraqi-led clearing operations began July 31.
The US army announced that the joint operations, dubbed "Operation Jalil" in honor of the fallen former police chief, targeted suspected al Qaeda elements working throughout the city. They are believed to be responsible for numerous acts of terrorism and attacks on Coalition Forces, Iraqi Security Forces, and the local populace. The most recent large-scale attack was the June 13 bombing of two minarets of the holy Shia muslim shrine, the Askariya Mosque, it said.
Maj. Gen. Rashid al-Helfy led more than 1,000 Iraqi Soldiers and policemen from the 4th Iraqi Army Division, Askariya Police Brigade and local police to capturing the suspected terrorists and discovery of a number of homemade bombs.
Paratroopers from 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, served a supporting role in the operations.
Salah ad Din governor, Hamed Hamoud Shekti, the Provincial Council President, and the provincial police director visited Samarra today following the completion of the successful operations, it added.
"We hope that normal life will gradually come back to Samarra. The coming days will witness a development campaign in Samarra," said Hamoud during his visit, adding "We have big amounts of money allocated for Samarras city reconstruction from the regional development plan." ISF and CF continue operations in and around the city. (end) aha.tg KUNA 051757 Aug 07NNNN

33 suspects captured in Kirkuk raids
Agencies
Published: August 04, 2007, 14:37


Baghdad: US forces captured 33 suspected insurgents in raids in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk and along the Tigris River Valley, the military said in a statement on Saturday.

Among those detained was the alleged leader of a terror group responsible for planting roadside bombs in Mosul. Another member of the group was also taken into custody.

West of Tarmiyah, US troops captured 20 suspects accused of having ties to a high-ranking Al Qaida in Iraq figure, the military said. Two more suspects were also arrested for alleged ties to another leader from the same group.

Four more suspects were detained for alleged involvement in a sniper cell that employed 35 gunmen.

In Kirkuk, five people were captured, three accused of association with an Al Qaida media cell, and two for involvement in car bomb attacks.