Dear Interested Reader,
There's an incredible story of females being trained at the Kirkuk Police Academy; what courage! There are wonderful additional photos to yesterday's wheelchair story. Our compassionate soldiers along with the IA have renovated or reconstructed most of the schools in the Jamilla area in time for the new school year. Huge munitions caches seized throughout Baghdad and Ambar. Criminals and terrorist elements are being detained throughout Iraq.
Joanna
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Aug. 19, 2008
Multi-National Corps - Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342
Kirkuk Police Academy trains females in northeastern Iraq
Female Iraqi Police recruits show up to their first day of training.
Kirkuk - Thirty-seven females attended the first day of a four-week course at the Kirkuk Police Academy outside of Kirkuk city, Aug. 16. It's been a year since the academy has seen any Iraqi females in blue and never a class of this size.
"We need these females badly," said Lt. Col. Muid, a cadre at the academy. "It is our religious custom not to touch our women, so we cannot search females. Our female IP will be extremely important to use at checkpoints and govt buildings throughout the province." The cadre also pointed out they would bring a different perspective to policing. "Women think differently than men," Muid said. "They will bring fresh ideas to how we conduct business."
The 37 females are split into squad-like elements. Each squad will have a 1st Bde, 10th Mtn female MP Soldier assist them. "This is going to be a big challenge," said Spc. Jennifer Swierk, one of the assistants, referring to the cultural differences, "but I'm proud to be a part of this page in Kirkuk's, if not Iraq's history."
For Nowal, 30, the experience so far has her realizing she has a lot of work ahead of her. "I am very tired," said Nowal of the first day of training. Nowal's brother is a member of the Kirkuk police force.
In lieu of the recent increase in female suicide bombers, these women are undaunted by the dangers of the field they have chosen. When asked what they would do if they were to spot one at a checkpoint, as a group they did not hesitate to answer "Man or woman, if you come through our checkpoint, we will stop you."
"Terrorists are not welcome in the province of Kirkuk," said Intesar, 29. She elaborated further regarding female suicide bombers. "They are not Iraqis. They are not Muslim. It is not our way."
The police force is also providing some women with much needed jobs. "I have a 5-year-old son I have to feed," said Jinan, whose husband was killed by criminal elements. "I will be able to take care of my son and also help ensure he has a safe future here."
The women have to fulfill the same standards as the males to graduate. The Ministry of Interior's standards is 240 hours of training, to include 2 hours of calisthenics each morning and various drills geared toward team building. The rest of the day is spent rotating from indoor to outdoor classroom instruction on law enforcement procedures ranging from democratic policing, human rights, hostage survival, basic first aid, to responding to an ambush. The only adjustments the cadres have had to make is utilizing a stick so they don't physically make contact with their female recruits.
"This is going to be an amazing experience for all of us," Bustamante said. "I'm looking forward to helping my fellow female police officers and being a part of the positive historic changes occurring here."
Sgt. 1st Class Sumalee Bustamante, a MP officer with the 1st Bde, 10th Mtn Div, corrects the hand position of a female IP recruit at parade rest during the first day of training.
(Army photo by Staff Sgt. Margaret C. Nelson)
A female IP recruit takes a lap as punishment in temps. in the 100s, for addressing the cadre as 'sir,' not 'sgt' or 'cadre', which was put out by their instructors during the first day of training.
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Wheelchair distribution pictures outside of Balad
"See attached for pictures from last Saturday's wheelchair distribution in the North!
An MP unit out of Balad knew these kids well, and has tried all year to get wheelchairs for these kids through the American Red Cross and different aid agencies, but to no avail. Rewind to 2005 when I was at H2 in Mosul to one of the Chaplains I knew. We lost touch when he left in late 05, but in March '08, we ran into each other in the DFAC at Speicher. Fast forward to the present. Turns out this Chaplain is responsible for these MP guys on Balad. When he heard of their search for wheelchairs, he told them about my WFIK project. They contacted me just at the right time in late July, because I had just received the shipment of 150 chairs from the states. God works in myterious ways, doesn't he? ha ha. They came down to my location and carried the chairs back to their AO.
The boy has a hole in his heart & can't walk but a step or two at a time at 2.5 years. This not only helped the boy and boosted the morale of the troops who promised to help him earlier this year (they were able to come through on their promise), but also won the troops lots of credibility with the boy's father, as he's an Iraqi Police Chief. They've already noticed a greater level of willingness and cooperation in that area of operations.
The girl is paralyzed & mentally challenged, but drags herself to the gate everyday to wait on the soldiers who walk by so she can wave and maybe get a piece of candy. The troops have grown to love her, as she's really a nice girl who just beams when they give her attention. Now that she has the wheelchair, she'll be able to get around easier. Her parents will be able to get her out more and help her develop mentally and socially.
Brad"
Check out this website if you want to help with this project: http://www.wheelchairsforiraqikids.com/
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Blackanthem Military News
School cleanup, reconstruction finished
Story and photo by Sgt. Philip Klein
MND - Baghdad Soldiers with Task Force 1st Bn, enter the newly renovated al-Faw Intermediate School to get a look at the work completed by Iraqi contractors, August 14.
BAGHDAD - The MND-B effort was led by Task Force 1st Bn, 6th Inf Regt, 2nd BCT, 1st Armored Div, who with their Iraqi partners have renovated most of the schools in the Jamilla area including Thawra 1 and 2. "Nearly every school will be ready to open when school starts at the end of August," said Lt. Col. Brian Eifler, cmdr. of Task Force 1st Bn., which is based out of Baumholder, Germany, and currently attached to the 3rd BCT, 4th ID.
The school renovations are part of the larger reconstruction ops by the IA and MND-B Soldiers designed to improve the living conditions of residents of these Sadr City neighborhoods. Eifler gives much of the credit to the IA and the District Advisory Council which is made up of the elected representatives of Sadr City. "This renovation effort would not have been possible without the IA and the DAC coming together to get the job done for the children of Sadr City," said Eifler.
Ali Sewadi, a leading member of the Sadr City DAC, said the school renovations are just a small part of the work being done for the people of Sadr City. "We are also working on improving our hospitals, infrastructure and basic services. These are all priorities for our district," said Sewadi. "The area south of the wall is improving every day, but it is important that we begin work north of the wall to the neighborhoods that have not benefitted from the good works we are conducting because of the threats from Special Group criminals, who care nothing for the people of Sadr City," he continued.
The DAC was a defunct organization until the IA established a presence in Sadr City, and even after a deadly bombing there the local leaders are determined to make a difference for their community with the opportunity of renewed security.
"The work we have done for our neighborhoods on this school is an important step to normalizing the lives of the people we represent, who want security and the chance to improve their conditions for themselves and for their children," concluded Sewadi.
Lt. Col. Brian Eifler speaks to reps of the Sadr City District Advisory Council and the IA at the al-Faw Intermediate School.
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IA, MND-B Soldiers discover munitions throughout Baghdad
BAGHDAD - Aug. 17, at approx. 9:15 a.m., IA soldiers found 14 blocks of Iranian-manufactured C4 explosive material, 3 RPG propellant sticks, an S5K rocket, 2 RPG heat rounds, 112 AK-47s , 9 SKS rifles, an RPK machine gun, 2 Sterling submachine guns, an Iraqi-manufactured hand grenade, 5 anti-personnel IEDs, a passive infrared sensor window with trigger, 22 blasting caps, 100 5.56mm linked rounds of ammo and a variety of bomb-making materials in the Hurriya area of northwestern Baghdad.
Approx. 5 hours later, a local resident turned in a land mine, 2 120 mm mortars, an 80 mm mortar, a 70 mm mortar, 2 training bombs, a 120 mm projectile ordinance and 50 57 mm projectiles to Soldiers from Co C, 2nd Bn, 14th Cav Regt, 2nd Stryker BCT, 25th ID, in the Falahat area northwest of Baghdad.
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IA soldiers find large cache in Anbar
KARMAH - North of Karmah, Aug. 17, IA soldiers found the cache buried in an underground container during a mounted patrol. The cache included 100 120 mm mortar rounds, 13 82 mm mortar systems, 300 82 mm mortar rounds, a 60 mm mortar system, 35 60 mm mortar rounds, 100 60 mm mortar fuses, 5 RPG-7 launchers, 150 30 mm rockets, 70 73 mm rockets, 45 rocket charges, 4 57 mm rockets, 11 C-5 rockets, 5 C-5 rocket tubes, a 155 mm artillery shell, 8 artillery fuses, 200 rounds of 20 mm ammo, 50 rounds of 30 mm ammo, more than 29,000 rounds of 14.7 mm ammo, 150 7.62 mm rounds, 4 14.7 mm barrels, a PK machine gun, 4 AT-3A Sagger missiles, an AT-2C Swatter missile, an AT2C sight system, 7 sticks of TNT, 3 gas masks, 3 battery charges, a flare gun, 2 cell phones, detonation cord and 250 lbs of artillery propellant.
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ISF cracks down on terrorists and criminal elements throughout Iraq
BALAD - During a patrol Aug. 15 in Rubiah, approx. 103 km SE of Mosul, the IA detained a suspected forger of passports and other documents. IA confiscated several passports, fraudulent documents and forgery equipment believed to enable movement across the Iraqi and Syrian borders and throughout Iraq of foreign fighters and members of the ISI, a front org. for AQI.
Iraqi SOF detained 5 suspected ISI cell members on a local warrant in Mosul, Aug. 14. The men are believed to be part of a sleeper cell suspected of conducting IED attacks against Iraqi and CF.
On Aug. 13 in Mosul, the IA detained the suspected ISI leader of an IED cell operating in several neighborhoods throughout the area. In another op Aug. 13, in ad Dujayl, 60 km north of Baghdad, the IA detained a suspected criminal said to be the primary weapons cache facilitator for criminal element networks.
On Aug. 11 in Baqubah, the IA detained the suspected leader and facilitator of a nationalist group reportedly established after AQI was driven out of the area. The group is allegedly responsible for rocket and IED attacks against CF.
In a separate op Aug. 11, ISOF detained a suspected criminal in East Rashid whose cell reportedly uses IEDs to threaten the local populace working for the GoI to quit their jobs. The cell is believed to have conducted IED attacks against a CF convoy in Tunis last year.
On Aug. 10, the Salah ad Din SWAT team recovered a weapons cache in Tikrit containing mortar rounds and high explosives.
In Karmah Aug. 9, the IA and Fallujah SWAT detained 4 suspected key leaders of an AQI terrorist intel-gathering cell and 3 others. The cell reportedly gathers info on local Iraqis and IP working with CF to propagate fear.
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MND-B Soldiers detain known criminals in Rashid
BAGHDAD - Aug. 17, at approx. 3:30 a.m. in the Aamel community, Soldiers from Co A, 1st Bn, 22nd Inf Regt, 1st BCT, 4th ID, detained 2 key criminals during search ops.
At approx. 5:15 a.m. in an Aamel neighborhood, Soldiers from Co. A detained a 3rd individual and returned to a CF COP with the suspect for processing.
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Friendly Greeting
Mrs. Rafaat Husseim, Head Mistress of the Um Myman Secondary School for Girls in Muhallah UZ-2 in Eastern Baghdad, greets U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Christine Miller of HQ Co, Bde Special Troops Bn, 4th BCT, 10th Mtn Div, Aug. 10, 2008. The Lt's unit is conducting an assessment of the school.
Photo by Staff Sgt. Brian Lehnhardt
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