Dear Interested Readers,
It's encouraging to read of the continued training of the Iraqi Soldiers, as well as the turning over of responsibility of the city of Hit to the Iraqi Security Forces (SF). We're also taken along on a mission to al-Saiyid through pictures.
Joanna
______________________________________
Multi-National Corps - Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342
February 10, 2008
Special Ops Forces (SOF) train Iraqi Security Force (ISF) unit
BAGHDAD - Twenty-five ISF troops recently graduated from a 3-week training course taught by U.S. SOF.
ISF will work closely with SOF during the transition of Al Anbar's security back to the Iraqi Govt. This graduating class is one of the first units in the area consisting of people from all of tribes in the area.
The SOF unit instructed ISF recruits on the importance of physical training, how to secure a building and how to conduct searches once the area is secure. The unit was developed to fight terrorism in Ramadi.
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Operation Phantom Phoenix clears al-Saiyid village
First Lt. Rodney Jackson, plt leader in Co A, discusses an attack plan with an Iraqi Army squad leader. The IA and CF Soldiers worked together to clear the town of al-Qaeda-in-Iraq and weapon caches.
Soldiers from Co A work together to climb over a wall in Al-Saiyid. High walls surrounding houses and canals created some challenges for the Soldiers.
Spc. Charles Fitak, a radio operator with Co A climbs a wall.
Spc. Seth Epperson, rifleman in Co A moves debris while looking for a possible weapon cache at a farm near al-Saiyid.
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MND-B, Iraqi leaders address issues together
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MNF-W conducts transfer of authority ceremony
CAMP FALLUJAH - Com. Gen. Maj. Gen. John F. Kelly, I Marine Expeditionary Force (Fwd), took command of MN Force-West in Al Anbar province from Maj. Gen. W.E. Gaskin, II MEF (Forward), in a ceremony Feb. 9.
During his time in command, Gaskin oversaw dramatic improvements in security and stability throughout Al Anbar. As Kelly and the California-based I MEF (Fwd) take command, they hope to work alongside their Iraqi counterparts to continue building on those improvements and give Anbaris the ability to stand on their own.
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City of Hit to demilitarize
AL ASAD AIRBASE - Iraqi SF are scheduled to assume responsibility of the city of Hit from Task Force 1st Bn, 7th Marines Feb. 14. It's the largest demilitarization of an Anbar city to date.
"Just a little over a year ago, the city of Hit was being torn to pieces by gangs of terrorists and insurgents whose attacks and murders spared no one from horror and suffering," said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Dill, the com. officer of Task Force 1/7. "Today, after the IP, the IA, with assistance from CF, cleared the city... the city is back to life and its economy is improving everyday."
The Task Force, from Twentynine Palms, Calif., will also transfer security of Combat Operation Post (COP)1 to the city of Hit and assume an overwatch posture.
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Joint patrol arrests six, find munitions
BAGHDAD - Feb. 8 - During an early morning joint patrol in northwest Rashid, Iraqi soldiers as well as Soldiers of Co B, 1st Bn, 28th Inf Regt, 4th BCT, detained 6 men believed to be connected to Al Qaeda.
Later, Soldiers of Co D, 2nd Sqdrn, 2nd Stryker Cav Regt, found the munitions during a patrol in southeastern Rashid. Explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) personnel detonated 5 60mm mortar rounds, 13 rocket-propelled grenades and 4 RPG boosters with detonation cord at a Coalition base in southern Baghdad.
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New 'Sons of Iraq' lead CF to AQI hideout
BAQUBAH - Newly registered "Sons of Iraq" led CF to an al-Qaeda-in-Iraq safe house, Feb. 8. This tip resulted in the death of 6 enemy insurgents east of al-Mansuriyah.
Soldiers from Troop F, 2nd Sqdrn, 3rd Cav Regt were registering new Sons of Iraq when the local sheik informed the Soldiers where an AQI cell was hiding.
The AQI fired on the Soldiers with small arms and rocket propelled grenades. The Soldiers returned fire, immediately killing one armed combatant. An air weapons team completed the engagement -- killing 5 more armed insurgents. One insurgent was also detained. There were no Coalition casualties.
"The people in this area will definitely be a lot safer now," said Capt. Torre Mallard, Fox Troop com. "One of the guys was the main AQI leader in the area. He was conducting illegal checkpoints, supplying money for IEDs, conducting kidnappings, emplacing IEDs and going around terrorizing people. "This would not have happened had we not had a good working relationship with the local sheik and his people in the area," Mallard said.
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